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1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 "Offering to go into the compications of the Vienna Gambit (see Braga-Orr, ICJ Vol. 1, No.3. P.19) but Philip is coservative in the openings and transposes into the QGA." 5. e3 c5 6. Bxc4 a6 7. O-O b5 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Qe2 Bb7 10. Rd1 "Over the board I was more concerned with the immediate 10. e4 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Nc5 12. Rd1 Nxd3 13. Rxd3 when White's extra development compensates for the exchange of his good Bishop." 10... Qb8! "Making it difficult for White to free his congested pieces for if (10... Qb8) 11. e4 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Bd6 and if then 13. g3 perhaps 13... h5!. The Queen is better on b8 than c7 to avoid White sacrificing on b5 and a subsequent Knight fork of c7 and d6." "White's idea was 12... O-O 13. dxc5 Nxc5 14. Nxf6+ Bxf6 15. Bxh7+ Kxh7 16. Qh5+ Kg8 17. Qxc5 winning a pawn, but on reflection, this posiiton is dangerous for White as Black's two Bishops and lead in development constitute serious compensation, e.g., 17... Rc8 18. Qb4 Rc4 19. Qb3 Bxc3 20. bxc3 Rg4 21. g3 Qc7 with ... Qc6 to follow." "Better was 13... cxd4 14. exd4 O-O but I did not want to release the Bc1." 14. Bc2 O-O 15. Ng3 g6 16. e4 e5 17. dxe5 Nxe5 18. Be3 Qc8 19. h3 Bc5 20. Kh2 Bxe3 21. Qxe3 Qe6 22. f4 Nc6 23. e5 "White has the advantage here with Ne4-f6 coming and a possible f5 at some point as well and Rd6. To counter this Black has ... Nb4 at some point and can try and use the unprotected state of Qe3 e.g., 23... Rfe8 24. Rd6? (or 24. Ne4? Nxe5 25. fxe5 Qxe5+) 24... Qxd6 winning. I chose the possibly inferior 23... Rad8 which led to the sacrifice of a piece for three pawns." 24. Ne4 Nxe5!? 25. fxe5 Qxe5+ 26. Qg3 Qxb2 27. Qc3 "Also possible was 27. Rxd8 Rxd8 28. Qh4 again leading to an ending with piece for 3 pawns but with the Queens on and probably at least a draw for Black." [RR (David McAlister) 28. Qh4?? Qe5+! wins for Black (29. g3 Rd2+!). Instead 28. Qg5 is about equal.] 27... Qxc3 28. Nxc3 Rfe8 29. Rxd8 Rxd8 30. Rd1 Rxd1 31. Nxd1 "Philip later criticised his play around here - he was hardly taking any time over his moves. In the resulting position Black's King gets to d4 unchallenged simply because White has to spend a tempo doing something about the pawn g2." 31... Kg7 32. Kg3 Kf6 33. h4 Ke5 34. Kf2 f5?! "Unnecessary. Simply ... a5, ... Bc6, ... b4, and ... a4." 35. g3 a5 36. Ne3 Bc6 37. Ke2 Kd4 38. h5 b4 39. h6 a4 40. g4 f4?? "White has done well to give Black a critical decision on the last move before the time control and with only seconds left I duly obliged. I saw his reply but thought I could draw the ending. If only it occurred to me to try and win, the result could have been very different (40... b3! 41. gxf5 bxa2! 42. Bd1 Be4 wins. "Better for White is (40... b3) 41. axb3 cxb3 42. gxf5 gxf5 43. Bxf5 a3 44. Bc2! Ba4! but still losing)." 41. Bxg6! fxe3 42. Bxh7 Bd5 43. Bb1! "Philip is trying to win now and realises that he must keep control of b1-h43. Bc2 Bg8 44. Bxa4 Bh7 would be drawn." [RR In fact 43. Bb1? lets the win slip. Instead, engines show a study-like win beginning with 43. g5!, when the line that would have drawn in the game, 43... Ke5 44. Kxe3 a3, fails due to the startling 45. Bd3!! Bg8 46. g6! (46. Bxc4? only draws) 46... Kf6 47. h7 Bxh7 48. gxh7 Kg7 49. Bxc4 (the point!).] "As discovered later, 44... Ke5 draws, e.g. 45. Kxe3 a3! 46. g6 Kf6 47. Kd4 b3 48. g7 bxa2 49. Bxa2 Kg5 50. Bxc4 Kxh6 51. Bxg8 Kxg7. "I played 44... Kc3 hoping to get the interesting ending of Q v. 4Ps where three of the pawns are connected and advanced. This is what happens but (a) my opponent should not have allowed it, and (b) I misplayed it anyway." "Better is 46. Bf5 b3 47. a3! (47. axb3 a3 48. h7 a2 49. h8=Q+ c3) 47... c3 48. h7 c2 49. h8=Q+ Ka2 50. Qc3 and wins." 46... Bxh7 47. gxh7 Kxb1 48. h8=Q Kxa2 49. Kxe3 [RR The Lomonosov tablebases give 49. Qd4 as one of several ways to win. The move played leads to a draw with best play.] 49... a3? "The final blunder! After 49... b3 50. Qc3 a3 51. Qxc4 Ka1 52. Qxb3 a2 Black draws and there does not seem to be any other way for White to try and win." [RR After 49... b3! 50. Qc3, 50... a3?? 51. Qxc4 Ka1 52. Qxb3 a2, White wins easily via 53. Qc3+ Kb1 54. Kd2. Nevertheless, the Nalimov tablebases show that there is a draw, via 49... b3! 50. Qc3 b2! 51. Qxc4+ Ka3! 52. Qc2 b1=Q! 53. Qxb1 stalemate.] "If 50... c3+ 51. Kc1! b3 52. Qg8! c2 53. Qf7 Ka1 54. Qxb3 a2 55. Qb2# " "If 51... b2 52. Kc2 and mate by Qb1 next move." 52. Qc1+ "A typical finish would be 52... Ka2 53. Qxc4 Kb2 (53... Ka1 54. Qxb3 a2 55. Qc3+ Kb1 56. Qc1#) 54. Kd1! Ka2 (54... a2 55. Qc1#) 55. Kc1 Ka1 56. Qxb3 a2 57. Qc3#". 1-0 Annotator(s): Mark Orr, Irish Chess Journal, vol. 1, no. 5, August-September 1988, p. 14. Event information: Tournament report. |
