Saturday, February 4, 2012

What Do You See?

The following position is from the game braken - mckenna215, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2011, one of the few drawn games in that large 15-player double-round-robin tournaments.

The situation is relatively balanced, but Black's two Bishops are likely to prove more than White's Rook can handle. The game will be decided by what each player can see in the position.


21. Ne7 Ne6

Black allows the win of two pieces for the Rook. I think he simply missed White's 23rd move.

22.Rxe6 Nxe6 23.Qg6+

A smart idea. After the routine 23.Qxe6 Black has 23...Qe8, and the pin on the White Knight is annoying. There are even lines where the Knight can be trapped and won for a pawn or two, pushing the game closer to the split point.

23...Kh8 24.Qxe6 Kh7 25.Nxd5 Qa3


White has won a pawn, and Black seeks counterplay on the Queenside.

Instead of a battle of N+P vs B, or an exchange of minor pieces into a Q+Ps vs Q+Ps endgame, things should now shift to an attack on Black's King with 26.g4!? 

26.Ne3

Not wanting to lose the a-pawn, but giving Black the counterplay he was seeking.

26...Qc1+ 27.Nf1 Qxc3


The game has changed again. Now Black is looking to take the d-pawn and be up a pawn, with a freed Bishop to dominate the humbled Knight.

White says "no, thank you" and forces the draw by repetition.

28.Qe4+ Kg8 29.Qe8+ Kh7 30.Qe4+ Kg8 31.Qe8+ Kh7 Drawn

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