Alan Lasser’s Game of the Week… May 23, 2009
This game
against Morgan on Thursday night in the Milford Chess Club (at the Margaret
Egan Recreation Center), goes right according to standard positional chess
formula. Black equalizes as early as
5...c5. Soon the white-square bishop is
doing something useful, the half open c file is the avenue to attack the
backward c pawn, which falls in the rook
endgame invasion. I would be bragging
about finding that five move mating net at the end, but unfortunately, a few
moves before, I missed an easy three mover that would have won a piece.
CLICK
HERE to VIEW THIS GAME and ANIMATE THE MOVES
White Morgan
Black AL
Event skittles
Site
Date 2009.05.21
Round
Result 0-1
ECO B02
1 e4 Nf6
2 Nc3 d5
3 e5 Ne4
4 d4 Nxc3
5 bxc3 c5
6 f4 Nc6
7 Nf3 Bg4
8 Bb5 e6
9 O-O Qb6
10 Rb1 cxd4
11 Bxc6+ Qxc6
12 cxd4 b6
13 h3 . . .
In this position, it is very important to find
13.Rb3, then when the Black bishop goes to f5, the pawn at c2 will not be
pinned to the rook. The rook st b3 also prepares Ba3 to remove Black's good
bishop, and the rook can eventually be lifted to the kingside to support a
knigside attack. (-1.07) -0.74 13. Rb3 Rc8 14. Rf2 Qa4 15. h3 Bxf3 16. Rbxf3
Rc4 17. Bb2 Qxa2 18. Rb3 Be7
13 . . . Bf5
14 Rf2 Rc8
15 Ne1 Be7
16 Be3 Bh4
17 Re2 Bxe1
(+0.99) +1.38 17... O-O 18. Bf2 Bxf2 19. Kxf2 Qa4
20. c3 Qxd1 21. Rxd1 Rxc3 22. Nf3 Rfc8 23. Rdd2 R8c4 24. Re1
18 Qxe1 O-O
19 Rc1 Rc7
20 g4 Be4
21 f5 . . .
This moveis not as bad as it looks. Sure it blows a
pawn, but in an eventual bishop of opposite color endgame, the down a pawn
position will probably be as drawn as the even material position. So giving up
this pawn doesn't change the endgame evaluation, but it does activate the White
pieces immediately for counterattacking possibilities.(-1.93) -1.19 21. Kh2 Qb5
22. c3 f6 23. exf6 Rxf6 24. Qd2 Rf8 25. Bf2 Rc4 26. Bh4 Rfc8 27. Re3 Qd7 28.
Qb2 b5 29. Bg5 Qc6 30. Qd2 b4
21 . . . exf5
22 gxf5 Bxf5
23 Qg3 Qg6
24 Kh2 . . .
(-2.87) -2.44 24. Qxg6 hxg6 25. c3 Bxh3 26. Bd2
Bf5 27. Rce1 f6
24 . . . Qxg3+
25 Kxg3 Rfc8
26 Kf4 . . .
(-3.28) -2.77 26. h4 Be4 27. Kf4 Rc3 28. h5 h6 29.
Rh2 R8c4 30. Rf2 Ra3 31. Ra1 Rxc2 32. Rxc2
26 . . . Be4
(+2.79) +3.28 26... Bxh3 27. Bf2 Rc4 28. c3 Rxc3
29. Rxc3 Rxc3 30. Re3 Rc2 31. Bh4 Bc8 32. Ra3 a6 33. Bd8 b5
27 c3 Rxc3
28 Rxc3 Rxc3
29 e6? . . .
I'm already up two pawns, probably enough to win,
so sacrificing another pawn here doesn't change the endgame evaluation; but if
I take 29...fe, his king will then go to e5 and hope to recover my backward e
pawn with a better position, by making use of the open f file for a rook
penetration counterattack. I choose instead to deny his king this active
position and keep the f file closed. (-4.25) -2.99 29. h4 h6 30. h5 Kf8 31. Rb2
Ra3 32. Rf2 Ke7 33. Rd2 Ke6
29 . . . f6
30 h4 Kf8
31 a4 . . .
(-5.32) -4.76 31. Kg3 Ke7 32. Re1 Kxe6 33. Kf2 Kf5
31 . . . Ke7
32 Ra2?? . . .
(-8.85) -5.58 32. Re1
32 . . . Kxe6??
(+6.04) +8.85 32... g5 33. hxg5 fxg5 34. Kxg5 Rxe3
35. Rb2 Ra3 36. Rb4 Kxe6
33 a5 . . .
(-6.79) -6.04 33. Re2 Ra3 34. Kg3 Rxa4 35. Rb2 Ra3
36. Kf2 Kf5 37. Bd2 Kg4 38. Bb4 Rg3 39. Kf1 Kxh4 40. Bf8 Kh3 41. Bd6
33 . . . b5
34 a6?? . . .
(-10.07) -6.75 34. Re2 b4 35. Kg3 Ra3 36. h5 Rxa5
37. Kg4 Rb5 38. Bc1 a5 39. Ra2 b3
34 . . . b4
(+9.73) +10.07 34... g5 35. hxg5 fxg5 36. Kxg5
Rxe3 37. Rb2 Bd3 38. Rf2 Bf5 39. Rh2 Rg3 40. Kf4 Rg4 41. Ke3 Re4 42. Kf3 Rxd4
35 Bd2?? . . .
(-mate 5) -9.73 35. Rb2 b3
35 . . . Rf3+
36 Kg4 h5+
37 Kxh5 Rg3
38 Bg5 Kf7
39 Rf2 Bg6#
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