Alan Lasser’s Game of the Week… April 19, 2009
This
game offers a good lesson on the power of the half open rook file, even though
nothing actually happens on it. I took Tom out of the book by making the
positional "sacrifice" of the bishop for the knight with 3...h5.
Another opening with the positional bishop for knight sacrifice is the
exchange variation of the Ruy Lopez. In the Lopez, the compensation is a
favorable ending, if you live that long. Here the compensation is the
weakness on the rook file, which usually has middlegame effects. I have played
many games where my opponent takes the bishop and gives me the open rook file,
and they usually regret it. My compensation bedevils Tom all game;
he declines to castle and eventually his rook must be passively placed on h1.
I cramp him positionally until he finally starts blowing pawns on move
24. The ending was looking quite winnable for me when he eventually made a
horrible blunder on move 34 to end the game.
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HERE to VIEW THIS GAME and ANIMATE THE MOVES
White Tom Brochard
Black Alan Lasser
Event game/30
Site
Date 2009.04.16
Round
Result 0-1
ECO D02
1 d4 d5
2 Nf3 Bg4
3 Ne5 h5
Score : (-0.67) +0.01 Depth : 1/1 3... Bf5
4 Nxg4 . . .
Score : (+0.34) +0.67 Depth : 17/3 4. Qd3 c6 5. e4 Nd7 6. exd5
Nxe5 7. dxe5 Qxd5 8. Qxd5 cxd5 9. Nc3 O-O-O 10. Bd3 e6 11. O-O Bc5 12. h3
4 . . . hxg4
5 e3 f5
6 Bd3 e6
7 c4 c6
8 Qb3 Qc7
9 g3 . . .
Score : (-0.06) +0.26 Depth : 17/1 9. Bd2 Nf6 10. Nc3 Na6 11.
O-O-O Nb4 12. Be2 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Nbd5
9 . . . Nf6
10 Nd2 . . .
Score : (-0.50) -0.09 Depth : 17/4 10. Bd2 Ne4 11. cxd5 exd5 12.
Nc3 Nd7 13. Nxe4 fxe4 14. Be2 Nf6 15. O-O-O Bd6 16. Kb1 Qd7 17. Ba5 O-O 18. Rc1
Kh7 19. Bb4 Bxb4 20. Qxb4
10 . . . Nbd7
11 cxd5 cxd5
12 Qc3 Qxc3
13 bxc3 Rc8
14 Bb2 Nb6
15 a4 Ne4
Score : (-0.13) +0.15 Depth : 18/1 15... a5 16. Be2 Bd6 17. Kf1 e5
18. Kg2 e4 19. Nb3 Ra8 20. Ba3
16 Nxe4 . . .
Score : (-0.33) +0.13 Depth : 19/1 16. a5 Nd7 17. Nxe4 fxe4 18.
Be2 Nf6 19. O-O Rc7 20. Kg2 Rh5 21. Rfc1 g6 22. c4 Kd8 23. c5 Rch7 24. Rh1 Kc8
25. Rab1 Kb8
16 . . . dxe4
17 Bb5+ Kf7
18 O-O Nc4
19 Bxc4 Rxc4
20 Rfd1 . . .
Score : (-0.75) -0.48 Depth : 21/1 20. Rfb1 Be7 21. Ba3 Rb8 22. Bxe7
Kxe7 23. Rb3 b6 24. Kg2 Kd6 25. h4 gxh3EP 26. Kxh3 e5 27. Rb5 Rxc3 28. Rxe5
20 . . . Bd6
21 d5 . . .
Score : (-1.36) -0.65 Depth : 18/7 21. a5 Ke7 22. Kg2 Rd8 23. Rdb1
Rd7 24. a6 b6 25. h3 gxh3 26. Kxh3 e5
21 . . . e5
Score : (+1.01) +1.36 Depth : 18/1 21... Rhc8 22. Rd2
22 Rdc1 Rhc8
23 a5 R8c5
24 Ba3 . . .
Score : (-1.83) -1.45 Depth : 21/2 24. a6 Rb5 25. Rc2 Rxd5 26.
axb7 Bb8 27. Ba3 Rb5 28. Rd2 Rxb7 29. Bb4
24 . . . Rxd5
25 Bxd6 Rxd6
26 Rab1 Rd7
27 Rb5 Ke6
28 Kf1 Rdc7
Score : (+1.49) +1.79 Depth : 21/1 28... Rcc7 29. Rcb1 g5 30. Kg2
Kf6 31. R5b4 Rh7 32. Rd1 Rcd7 33. Rdb1 Ke6 34. c4 Rc7 35. R1b3 Kf6 36. Rb5 f4
37. c5 Rcd7
29 Rb3 . . .
Score : (-1.90) -1.49 Depth : 21/1 29. Rcb1 Rxc3 30. Rxb7 Rc2 31.
a6 Rd7 32. Kg2 Rc6 33. Rxd7 Kxd7 34. Rb7 Rc7 35. Rb5 Ke6 36. h3 gxh3 37. Kxh3
29 . . . g5
30 Ke2 . . .
Score : (-2.61) -2.20 Depth : 19/1 30. Rcb1 f4 31. Rxb7 Rxc3 32.
Ke1 Rc1 33. Rxc1 Rxc1 34. Kd2 Rf1
30 . . . f4
31 Kd2? . . .
Score : (-3.36) -2.57 Depth : 18/1 31. Kf1 R4c5 32. Ra3 Kf5 33.
Kg1 Rd5 34. Raa1 Rd3 35. c4 fxe3 36. fxe3 Rxe3 37. c5 Rd3 38. a6 bxa6 39. Rxa6
e3 40. Raa1 Rd2 41. c6 Rd6 42. Re1 Rdxc6 43. Rxe3
31 . . . Rh7
32 Rh1 Ra4
33 Kc2 Rxa5
34 Rxb7?? . . .
Score : (-30.84) -3.57 Depth : 19/1 34. Rb2 Kf5 35. Kb3 Ra6 36. c4
Rah6 37. c5 Rxh2 38. Rf1 Rd7 39. Kc4 Ke6 40. Rfb1 Rg2 41. Rxb7
34 . . . Rxb7
Alan Lasser
email:
blacklightalanlasser@blacklightmazes.com
web
sites:
http://web.me.com/blacklightmazes
Connecticut Chess
Magazine is http://www.robroy8.com/chess.htm
Alan Lasser’s Game
of the Week is http://www.robroy8.com/AlanLasser.htm