Professional Documents
Culture Documents
by Tim Harding
Acknowledgments
Numerous people have sent in games or notes, or provided facts or transla-
tions either specifically for this book or for my Chess Mail magazine and my
Megacorr series of database CDs. To thank everyone who has assisted me in
various ways during the three years this book has been gestating would take too
much space and I would be sure to forget some names. So please forgive me if
you did assist but do not see your name below.
Many masters and grandmasters provided notes to their games or permission
to quote from their published notes, and are acknowledged in the introductions
to the games concerned. However, I particularly want to mention here Volker-
Michael Anton, Alexander Baburin (for more than one game), Hans Berliner,
Hans-Marcus Elwert, Peter Hardicsay, Olita Rause, Jrn Sloth, Gert Timmer-
man, Mikhail Umansky and Max Zavanelli. In particular, Elwert and Sloth have
essentially contributed original notes to their games especially for this book.
The book you are now going to read will, I hope, become a classic of chess
literature; if it does, much of the credit will be due to my editor CC-SIM Jonathan
Tait who has made countless improvements to my analysis and raw text. When
I invited him to perform this role, I expected a keen eye for detail and rigorous
checking of my analysis, but his contribution has been immense and far beyond
the call of duty. Any mistakes that still remain are entirely my fault.
Philip Penney gets the credit for the cover design. Finally, I wish to thank
my wife Joan and daughters, Angela and Claudia, for tolerating my long
disappearances into the study over a period of many months.
64 Great Chess Games 3
Contents
Introduction 5
Symbols and Abbreviations 8
1 J.J.van OosteromG.J.Timmerman, Wch15 Final, 1996 9
2 City LondonCity Vienna, intercity, 1872 13
3 G.Nielsen & W.NielsenA.van der Linde, friendly, 1875 19
4 W.SteinitzM.I.Chigorin, thematic match, 1890 24
5 G.MarczyA.Csipks, Hungary Ch, 1893 30
6 K.K.BetinsE.Shiffers, Shakhmatny Zhurnal, 1894 33
7 J.S.HaleM.Morgan, Continental tourney final, 1896-7 36
8 R.MikulkaF.Chalupetzky, Schweizerische Schachzeitung, 1910 40
9 A.BeckerF.Redeleit, Wiener Schachzeitung, 1914 44
10 T.DemetriescuF.Becker, friendly postal, 1919 48
11 AlekseevV.V.Ragozin, USSR, 1929 52
12 R.Rey ArdidH.Geiger, IFSB Ch, 1932 56
13 N.Johansson-TegelmannR.Rey Ardid, Sweden-Spain, 1933 60
14 P.KeresE.Weiss, IFSB Ch, 1935 66
15 C.MeyerG.Stalda, Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1936 70
16 P.KeresE.Dyckhoff, IFSB EU-OL, 1935-37 74
17 F.HerzogM.Vidmar, IFSB ch, 1936-37 82
18 G.BarczaJ.Balogh, Hungary Jubilee, 1943 86
19 C.J.S.PurdyM.Napolitano, Wch1 Final, 1950 90
20 T.SanzK.Gumprich, Dyckhoff Memorial, 1954 98
21 Y.B.EstrinH.R.Rittner, Ragozin Memorial, 1963 105
22 P.DubininA.M.Konstantinopolsky, Ragozin Memorial, 1963 109
23 M.JagoJ.E.Littlewood, England tt, 1964 114
24 A.SundinE.Andersson, WT/M/974, 1964 120
25 Y.B.EstrinH.Berliner, Wch5 Final, 1965 124
26 H.R.RittnerV.Simagin, Eberhardt Wilhelm Cup Final, 1966 135
27 C.H.OD.AlexanderP.H.Clarke, England tt, 1969-70 140
28 R.Z.AltshulerS.Gilezetdinov, USSR Cht, 1971 144
29 T.MuellerN.A.Preo, NAICCC-1, 1971 147
30 H.HeemsothC.S.Hunter, CCOL7 Final, 1973 150
31 V.ZagorovskyE.Arnlind, Wch8 Final, 1975 156
32 J.S.MorgadoY.B.Estrin, Wch10 Final, 1978 159
33 J.A.MuhanaJ.S.Morgado, Wch10 Final, 1978 164
34 I.A.KopylovS.I.Korolv, Dobrovolsky Memorial, 1981 167
35 H.TiemannA.Khasin, Finjub-20, 1981 171
4 64 Great Chess Games
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the memory of my mother Sandra Harding (1916-
2002), who died when it was nearing completion.
Introduction
This book presents 64 exciting and requirements of championship play by
instructive chess games played by cor- the end of the present decade.
respondence. Many of these games have Traditionally, CC players may con-
extraordinary depth, subtlety and beauty; sult chess literature and they enjoy the
some are lighter but have moments of liberty to move the pieces on the board
high drama. What makes all the games while analysing and make notes of
different is that they were played over their calculations. These factors and the
a period of weeks and months between absence of the clock beside the board
opponents who were not seated facing enables the CC player to create games
one another. of a much higher standard than he or she
Chess has been played by correspond- might be capable of in an ordinary club
ence since the 18th century, with the or tournament context. Deep strategies
postal service being the usual method of or complex sacrificial combinations can
transmitting moves between distant op- be worked out in detail, sometimes over
ponents. The actual method of sending days or even weeks, and the intended
the moves does not change the essential move double-checked for blunders be-
nature of correspondence chess (CC) as fore it is sent to the opponent.
a mode of play where hours or even days I have aimed to make this book acces-
may be spent in analysing the position sible to chess players of all standards, and
and selecting the best move. to be valuable even to those players who
Many active OTB players participate do not play CC. When analysing games,
in CC too, but correspondence play par- original annotations (where available)
ticularly suits people with heavy business were critically re-examined both by me
or family commitments, or who live in and the books editor and we made many
remote locations far from opponents of new discoveries, in some cases overturn-
their skill level. The drink in the pub af- ing the accepted view of what was going
ter the game is replaced by international on in some famous games.
friendships that develop with messages The book would be over 400 pages
accompanying the moves. long if I retained in the text all the open-
In recent years, email has become the ings research and critical variations
primary method of sending CC moves (at which we examined when trying to find
least in international competition), mak- the truth about many of these games.
ing the process both faster and cheaper Necessarily, in many places the varia-
(once you have access to a computer). tions that illustrate or support my assess-
CC played by Internet web server looks ments have been omitted or truncated. A
set to become the next big thing: it is few games have been left with a lot more
already very popular for casual games detail than the others, to give a flavour of
and the software may be adapted to the the depth of CC analysis at master level.
6 64 Great Chess Games
If you have not yet tried CC and age player is most evident. It is true that
would like to do so, I recommend certain simplified positions (with only
that you seek out information and five or six men on the board) have been
contact addresses on the Internet, start- solved, so that a computer able to access
ing with www.chessmail.com and these tablebases will play perfectly.
www.iccf.com (which have contact Until the late 1990s, however, most
details for national federations) and CC players did not have access to these
correspondencechess.com. bases, and anyway they are only relevant
to a small minority of games. Most end-
games cannot be reduced to such posi-
About computers tions and many programs still play them
like weak club players.
In the late 1980s, database programs Computers have changed the nature
first appeared and soon made a big dif- of CC in recent years. To see this, you
ference to openings research and prepa- only have to compare such exciting
ration for individual opponents. More games as numbers 23 and 27, in which
controversial is the use of programs the player with the greater imagination
which analyse positions and suggest and tactical ability came out on top
moves to the players. but where the attacks would have
Some CC players consider their use failed against a computer with mod-
unethical and a few CC organisations ern games like numbers 48 and 62 where
even try to ban them, but this is unen- strategy is paramount and computers
forceable. Inevitably, many of the top give little help.
players do now use analysis engines, Here I quote CC-grandmaster Gert
but with caution. At the almost infinite Timmerman from an interview he gave
time allowances of CC, the machines me just after becoming the world cham-
advantage over the human in speed of pion at the end of 2001.
calculation is nullified. I do not use a chess-program to
Computers are virtually flawless at search for the moves for me. I am
short-range tactics but can give very mis- constantly looking for a principal running
leading results in quiet positions, where thread to give structure to a game. The
strategy predominates, and in very deep difference between CC-players is not
and complex positions too, where their made any more by tactical opportunities,
calculations can go wrong at the ho- but by seducing the adversary into a
rizon or where unusual characteristics for him, wrong (positional) train
of a position can cause their assessment from which there is no escape anymore...
algorithms to prefer the wrong move. I think that an opponent who relies only
The power and weakness of the on the choice of a computer, and does not
computer is seen at its most extreme start from his own natural resources,
in the endgame, where traditionally the will very quickly reach his chess peak
superiority of the master over the aver- with no room for improvement.
Introduction 7
The Players: These two great Dutch About this game: This was one of
rivals have had parallel careers in CC the most important games in the 15th
for two decades. Timmerman, a math- World Championship Final, in which
ematician, is the current (15th) Cor- van Oosterom was also a contender
respondence Chess World Champion for a high placing. At the time this
and has also won several other major game was played, he had never beaten
tournaments. Timmerman, a psychological factor
For several consecutive years, he that may have counterbalanced his
was the worlds highest rated active colour advantage.
correspondence player. As Timmer- The world champion commented:
man is world champion, I have made Van Oosterom is always a tough
a special exception and he is the only opponent, but I had the luck that
player with two wins in this book. the outcome of the opening against
Van Oosterom (founder of Volmac him turned out favourably for me.
software, which is now part of the Cap The searching for the win remained,
Gemini corporation) is a wealthy man however, very difficult. We shall
who lives with his family in Monaco. see that luck played very little part.
He is well known as a sponsor of both For the annotations, I have drawn
OTB and correspondence tournaments on comments that I wrote when the
(e.g. the Melody Amber series, named game was first released by ICCF, on
for his daughter, the NBC Millennium GM Hans Rees annotations for his
email tournament, and the ICCF Jubi- column Dutch Treat on the Chess
lee Champions and Elite events). Caf website, and on world champion
Van Oosterom was just starting Timmermans own comments for
the 14th World Championship Final Chess Mail magazine.
in 1994 when illness forced him to 1 d4 f6 2 c4 g6 3 c3 g7 4 e4 d6
defer his place and so he was fated 5 f3 00 6 e2 e5 7 00 c6 8 d5
once more to be thwarted by Timmer- e7 9 e1 d7 10 e3 f5 11 f3 f4
man in the next final which began two 12 f2 g5 13 a4 (D)
years later. White follows a system introduced
10 64 Great Chess Games
The Players: Such matches between adjournment. There was also a break
clubs were frequent by the mid-19th of more than three months in mid-
century. Londons team originally 1873 in connection with the Vienna
consisted of Blackburne, Horwitz, Chess Congress (won by Steinitz).
J.J. Lwenthal, John Wisker, chess The match concluded in March
journalist William Norwood Potter 1874 when Vienna proposed a package
and future world champion Wilhelm deal whereby they would resign this
Steinitz. As a contemporary source game if London agreed a draw in the
has it, For various reasons, Potter other (where they stood better). While
and Steinitz were eventually left the draw was tactical, with London
practically alone to sustain the match. defending the Scotch with Steinitzs
Two signatures of team members were pet variation 4...h4, the present
required for a move to be valid. game, which actually decided the
Vienna originally submitted the match, was played in a very different
following team list: Dr. Meitner, and actually more modern style. The
Ignaz Kolisch, Dr. Max Fleissig, decisive factor was almost certainly
O.Gelbfuhs, Josef Berger and Adolf the superior strategic sense of Steinitz
Csank but Csank and Meitner who at this time had no equal in the
eventually resigned their places on world in positional games.
the committee. The final resignation 1 c4
message from Vienna was signed by The English, now one of the most
Berger and Fleissig. important openings, was then in its
About this game: London issued infancy. It got its name from Howard
the challenge and after Vienna asked Stauntons adoption of 1 c4 in his
to play for money, the substantial 1843 match with French champion
stake of 100 Pounds was agreed. St. Amant.
As was customary, two games were 1...e5 2 c3 b4 (D)
conducted simultaneously. The 2...f6 is normal, when two
match did not really get under way important variations are 3 g3 b4
until late July because of an agreed and 3 c3 f6 4 g3 b4. Viennas
14 64 Great Chess Games
Black could safely sacrifice the the game would have proceeded thus:
by 22...xc5!, which liquidates to 26...f6 27 xd8+ xd8 28 xd8+
an endgame where Whites pawns are h7 29 c6 xc6 30 d6 e4 31 g4
slightly better but Black has versus followed by h4, winning easily. This
: 23 xc5 ac8 24 c3 xd1+ variation is not altogether convincing;
25 xd1 xc5 26 xe6 xe6 27 29 g4 is stronger, intending 30 f5
d8+ h7. It is hard to see any result g5 31 xf7.
other than a draw here, but objectively Computers prefer 26...xd6 27
this is what White should play. xd6 f6 28 xd8+ xd8 29 cxb6
22 e3! axb6 but the tricky endgame that
This is the key square for the , actually arose was maybe Viennas
both for attack and defence. best practical chance.
22...g8 27 e7 cxb4 28 xd7 e8 29 d6
If 22...f6, White would have xd6
sacrificed the for two s, If Black had played here 29...e6
followed by d6 with a splendid Whites only reply would have been
game. checks followed by f8, as it
23 c4 ac8 24 he1 e4 would have been fatal for them to
If 24...e6 25 g4 xc5 have made the more natural-looking
(25...xc4 26 xc4 xc5 27 move of 30 d4?? xc4+ 31 xc4
xd8+ xd8 28 xd8+ h7 29 b1 32 e3 xe3.
ee8 d3+ 30 d2) 26 xd8+ 30 xd6 (D)
xd8 27 xd8+ h7 28 f5 f6 29 XIIIIIIIIY
fxe6 xd8 30 exf7 b5 31 f1 d7 9-+r+r+k+0
32 d1 bxc4 (If 32...g5 33 xd7
xe3+ then 34 d1 ~+ 35 e2
9zp-+-+pzp-0
B
may ultimately win.) 33 xd7 f6 34 9-+-tR-+-zp0
f5 c3 35 b3. Steinitz summed up: 9+-+-+-+-0
The foregoing variations afford most 9-zpL+lzP-+0
striking illustrations of a principle... 9+-+-sN-+-0
namely that and one minor piece 9P+-+-+PzP0
and a well-supported passed pawn on
the 7th rank win in the large majority
9+-mK-tR-+-0
of cases against the . xiiiiiiiiy
25 b4 b6 26 d6 bxc5
This move involves the loss 30...xg2!? 31 d4
of a piece for three pawns, leaving London thought 31 d2!? xe3
Black two pawns ahead. Vienna must 32 xf7+ xf7 33 xe3 was too
otherwise either have submitted to the drawish. They calculated that by
exchange of s, with a bad position, giving up their kingside pawns they
or else, if attempting to win the , could win with their a-pawn.
18 64 Great Chess Games
The Players: Govert Nielsen and b4+ 7 c3 f6. Black has eaten
his cousin Wilhelm were members two pawns; the question is whether he
of the then 10-year-old Copenhagen can digest them. This line is risky to
Chess Society. The chess historian defend OTB but in CC Black may be
Antonius van der Linde (1833-97), able to hold the attack.
from Arnhem, lived much of his life XIIIIIIIIY
in Germany. His library formed the 9r+lwqk+-tr0
basis of the great chess collection
at the Royal Dutch Library in The
9zppzpp+pzpp0
W
Hague. As a player, however, he was 9-+n+-sn-+0
probably below master strength. 9+-+-+-+-0
About this game: The Danish Gambit 9-vlL+P+-+0
was very popular at the time. White 9+-sN-+N+-0
offers pawns, then a piece and finally 9PvL-+-zPPzP0
a in the romantic style of that era.
1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 c4
9tR-+QmK-+R0
cxb2 5 xb2 f6 xiiiiiiiiy
The position reached after move
7 in the game could also arise via 8 c2
5...c6 6 f3 b4+ 7 c3 or This seems stronger than 8 00
5...b4+ 6 c3 etc. although White as played by Dr K.Gring against
can try 6 f1 in that case. Many W.Paulsen in 1877. The prepares
players prefer to return a pawn by queenside castling and eyes h7.
5...d5 to limit Whites attacking ideas. 8...d6
6 c3 c6 8...e7!? is a rare alternative.
Again 6...d5 7 xd5 e7 is a way 9 000 00
of avoiding the main lines. Afterwards, 9...xc3 was tested,
7 f3 b4 (D) when the critical line goes 10 xc3
We now have a Gring Gambit, e6 (10...e7? 11 e5 xe5 12
reachable via 1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 d4 xe5 dxe5 13 he1 d7 14 f4
exd4 4 c3 dxc3 5 c4 cxb2 6 xb2 0-0 15 xd7! P.Vinogradov-S.
20 64 Great Chess Games
unsure that White has enough to force e8 26 xe5 and now 26...d8
a win after 23...xe7 24 b5+ c6. allows mate in 8 starting 27 b5+,
23 xe7 ge5 (D) while 26...d7 27 b5 wins the
It is probably now too late for the black .
sacrifice. 23...xe7 24 b5+ 25 xd6 xd6?
c6 25 xc6+ bxc6 26 d4 is hard This is a blunder. Black could have
to meet; if 26...xf2 27 g6. created a more chaotic situation by my
XIIIIIIIIY new discovery 25...d2+!, with two
9r+q+-+-+0 possibilities after 26 c1:
a) 26...g8 27 f5+ e8 is not
9zpp+kvLQ+-0
W quite sufficient:
9-+nzp-+-+0 a1) 28 e5+!? leads to a draw after
9+-+Rsn-zP-0 28...xe5 29 xe5+ d7 30 e7+
9-+L+-+-+0 c6 31 c7+ d5 32 c5+ e6 33
9+-+-+-+-0 e5+ etc. and 28 g6 d8 also looks
9P+-+-zPP+0 like it will end in perpetual.
a2) However, White has a spectacular
9+K+-vl-+-0 winning try in 28 b8!!, hoping for
xiiiiiiiiy 28...xb8?? 29 d7+ f8 30 f5+
mating, while 28...xd5 29 xd5
24 f6?! xb8 30 g6! (30 e6+!?) also looks
This went uncriticised in the past. like a win, e.g. 30...e7 (30...e7 31
a) Presumably the Nielsens rejected g7!) 31 f7+ d6 32 g7.
24 f5+!? because it only draws: Finally, if 28...e7 29 d7+ f8
24...xe7 25 f6+ e8 (25...d7? 30 d6 should work in the end, e.g.
26 xe5 dxe5 27 e6+ c7 28 30...g6 (30...g7? 31 f5+!) 31
f7+.) 26 xd6 xc4 27 h8+ xe7+ g8 32 xb7 b1+!? 33
(After 27 e6+ xe6 28 xe6+ xb1 xb1 34 xb1 xf2; White
e7 White can only take one of the still has to win the endgame but
minor pieces.) 27...e7 28 f6+ probably can do so.
e8 29 h8+ e7 30 f6+ e8=. b) On the other hand, 26...b4+!
b) 24 xd6+! c7 25 d8+ b8 really does seem to draw, e.g. 27
26 f4 offers the best objective c5+ xd5 28 d6+ e8 29 f8+
chances of victory: 26...b4 d7 30 d6+ with no significant
(26...g4 27 xg4 xg4 28 g6 advantage for White.
c3 29 e6 looks lost for Black) 26 xd6+ e8 27 g6+! f8 28
27 xc6 xc6 28 xe5+ with f5+ xf5+ 29 xf5+ 10
and two dangerous pawns against an I can certainly agree with Hen-
undeveloped . driksens final comment on this classic
24...xc4 game: What an Odyssey through the
24...xe7? is hopeless: 25 xd6+ beautiful country of combinations!
Game 4
White: Wilhelm Steinitz (USA)
The Players: Wilhelm Steinitz (1836- from his 1889 book The Modern
1900), whom we first met in Game Chess Instructor.
3, was now the first official World As an experienced correspondence
Chess Champion. Born in Prague, player in Russian events, as well as
Steinitz had moved to London in a painstaking analyst of complicated
1862 and to New York in 1882. He positions, Chigorin was in his element
defeated Chigorin in matches played in this contest against his great rival
in 1889 and 1892, before surrendering and deservedly won it 2-0. The match
the world title to Emanuel Lasker in ran from October 13, 1890 to April
1894. Steinitz is generally considered 28, 1891 and created tremendous
the forerunner of 20th century interest worldwide. It was unusual for
positional chess. However, he had a a CC event in that it was played by
stubborn dogmatic streak which was professionals for money: the winner
thoroughly exposed in this match. received US$750.
Mikhail Chigorin (1850-1908) was Both games were annotated by
the greatest player of combinational Steinitz as a serial while they were
attacks in the last quarter of the 19th in progress; his optimistic comments
century as well as an original thinker seem ironic in the light of his eventual
where openings were concerned. crushing defeat. Throughout the
About this game: Thematic events, match, you get a misleading view of
in which the players agree to play events if you only read what Steinitz
a particular opening, have long thought. For the Russian viewpoint,
been a popular part of CC activity. I studied the extensive analysis of
Here Chigorin challenged Steinitz the game in Shakhmatny Bulletin
to uphold his published opinions 2/1958 (edited by Romanov).
about two different controversial 1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 c4 f6 4
variations; in each case the Russian g5 d5 5 exd5 a5 6 b5+ c6 7
gambited a pawn. Steinitz played dxc6 bxc6 8 e2 h6 9 h3!? (D)
Black in an Evans Gambit and White This was the agreed starting point.
in the present game, where the world Of course the white normally
champion followed a recommendation retreats to f3 but then it is hit with
Game 4: Steinitz-Chigorin 25
tempo again in the variation 9 f3 two s and the extra pawn on the
e4 10 e5, a main line about which queenside secure him the advantage.
debate still continues. Chigorin saw it differently. He
Steinitz had written: Much better didnt want to capture the because
than 9 f3 which seems to have my is needed for the attack, while
been assumed, hitherto, as the only the will soon be forced to go back
move for White. His opinion was, to g1. That seemed to be all the more
however, largely disregarded until favourable for me as I could, for a
Bobby Fischer revived 9 h3 in a long time, prevent the coming to
famous game against GM Bisguier in f3, and it is only after this move that
1963, which can be found in Fischers White can develop properly.
book My Sixty Memorable Games. 10 d3
Nowadays, the move is considered 10 00 was preferred by Steinitz
playable, if eccentric. in the 6th game of their 1892 match,
XIIIIIIIIY continuing 10...00 11 c3? (For 11
9r+lwqkvl-tr0 c3 see below, but 11 d3, as in
Fischer-Bisguier, is better.) 11...b7
9zp-+-+pzp-0
B 12 a4 xh3 13 gxh3 d6 14 d3
9-+p+-sn-zp0 d5! and Black won. Note that
9sn-+-zp-+-0 Chigorin only captured the after
9-+-+-+-+0 White had castled.
9+-+-+-+N0 10...00 11 c3
9PzPPzPLzPPzP0 If 11 c3 (threatening the fork b2-
b4) Chigorin considered it to be of
9tRNvLQmK-+R0 paramount importance to prevent
xiiiiiiiiy White carrying out the manoeuvre
h3-g1-f3 followed by 0-0, and so
9...c5 he intended 11...b7! to rule out
Black targets f2 and gets ready Whites fork tricks. Steinitz would
to castle without delay. Chigorins then be unable to play either 12 b4
choice has given good results in (because of 12...xb4 13 cxb4 d4)
practice. or 12 g1 (because of 12...b6 13
9...xh3 might seem the obvious d4 exd4 14 b4 d6 15 xd4 xd4
reply, but 10 gxh3 d5 11 f3 e4 16 cxd4 xb4+ when Black regains
12 c3 e5 13 g2 was given in his pawn with a good position).
Steinitz book, e.g. 13...d6 14 e2 11...d5!
00 15 d3 exd3 16 xe5 xe5 17 Fischer-Radoii, played a few
cxd3 with the comment White is a rounds later than the Bisguier game
Pawn ahead, and after bringing out in the New York State Open 1973,
his to e3 he may castle on the varied with 11...e8?! 12 0-0 xh3
queenside or even play e2 and his 13 gxh3 d7 and now White played
26 64 Great Chess Games
The Players: Gza Marczy (1870- cluding until 1896. Marczy had to
1951) is not known as a CC player, win this game to catch his friend and
but he and his great but short-lived rival. Afterwards, unfinished games
rival Rudolf Charousek (1873-1900) (of which there were many) were
shared first prize, each scoring 16/18. adjudicated and the final result was
The event was an important stage in declared in 1897.
the development of the future GM, 1 d4 e6 2 c4 f5 3 c3 f6 4 e3
who won the Hastings 1895 minor b4!?
tournament midway through this CC This must have all been very
event. His breakthrough to the ranks experimental in the 1890s. 4...b6 and
of the worlds top players followed 4...e7 are possible too.
in 1899 while Charousek was dying 5 d3 00 6 f3 b6 7 00 xc3 8
of tuberculosis. Csipks finished a bxc3 b7 (D)
respectable fifth with 13/18. This line of the Dutch has affinities
About this game: Very few round- with the Nimzo-Indian. Many years
robin CC tournaments were held in later, Marczy reached this position
the 19th century (except in Russia) with Black by a different move order
so this was a pioneering event, slow (3 e3 f6 4 d3 b6 5 c3 b7 6
and chaotic though it was. Chess his- f3 b4 7 00 xc3 8 bxc3 00).
torian V.Charushin states that as Cha- XIIIIIIIIY
rouseks father was a telegraph opera- 9rsn-wq-trk+0
tor, he had the advantage of being able
to send moves quickly without even
9zplzpp+-zpp0
W
leaving home! 9-zp-+psn-+0
In the early middlegame, Marczy 9+-+-+p+-0
established an advantage. After Csip- 9-+PzP-+-+0
ks missed a couple of opportunities 9+-zPLzPN+-0
to create some complications, he was 9P+-+-zPPzP0
subjected to a demonstration of stra-
tegic superiority. This was one of the
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
longest games of the event, not con- xiiiiiiiiy
Game 5: Marczy-Csipks 31
9 e1 18...f7?
This is rather a tame move. Black unpins his and thinks
Presumably the idea is to play f3 later about ...g5 but he misses the chance
to eject an invading from e4, but of a tactical shot, 18...xf3!, taking
the prospects for Whites own are advantage of the unfortunate position
not great. 9 a3 is sometimes played of the on e2. After 19 xf3 bxc5 20
here instead, but 9 a4! is probably b7 White still has queenside chances
best. Rubinstein-Marczy, Teplitz- but Black now has kingside counterplay.
Schnau 1922, continued 9...c6 10 Other recaptures are more weakening: 19
d2 d6 11 b3 e7 12 a5 c5 13 f4 gxf3 bxc5 20 b7 cxd4 21 exd4 h5
e4 14 c2 c7 15 d2 xd2 16 or 19 xf3 bxc5 20 b7?! g4, and
xd2 h8 17 fe1 (10, 33). certainly not 19 xe7?? xe2.
9...c6 19 a3 h5 20 c1 g5 21 g3!
Black could also play 9...d6 Marczy avoids unnecessary
keeping the option of ...bd7 and tactical complications; e.g. 21 e4 f4
...c7-c5, but the fact that Marczy 22 ff2 g3! 23 b2 (23 hxg3??
copied the ...c6-e7 manoeuvre fxg3) 23...f6! 24 hxg3 fxg3 25 fc2
against Rubinstein suggests he h2+ 26 f1 f5! is his analysis.
thought Csipks plan was good. 21...g6 22 a4 a8?!
10 a3 d6 11 b1 b8 12 b2 This is a complete waste of time
e7 13 b1 and makes it hard to contest the a-file
Whites intention is to crack open later. Since Black is trying to work up
the b-file, while the line-up on the some kingside play, 22...e5!? would
b1h7 diagonal deters ...e5. be logical, albeit risky.
13...e8?! 23 e4 (D)
This standard Dutch Defence man- White starts to take command.
oeuvre leaves White a free hand in XIIIIIIIIY
the centre. 13...c5! keeps the position 9l+-+r+k+0
blocked for the s and shows why
Rubinsteins treatment was better.
9z
B
p-zp-+r+p0
14 f3 h5 15 c5 9-zp-+p+nwq0
White dissolves his doubled pawn 9+-+-+pzpn0
and starts to probe for weaknesses. 9P+PzPP+-+0
15...dxc5 16 xc5 be8 9+-+L+PzP-0
16...bxc5? 17 xb7 clearly creates 9-+-+R+-zP0
new weaknesses and increases the
scope of Whites pieces.
9+QvL-sNRmK-0
17 c4 h6! 18 e2 xiiiiiiiiy
18 c2! was obvious and good.
Relatively best would be 18...a8 19 23...f4 24 g4 f6
a3 g5!? or 18...d7. 24...g7 may be a bit better but
32 64 Great Chess Games
The Players: Betins (1867-1943) was position but if Black is going to play
the father of the great chess tradition ...d5 eventually, this would be the
in Latvia which culminated in Tal. He logical time to make that move.
was much involved in early analysis 7 bd2
of the Latvian Counter-Gambit. Whites idea is to transfer the to
Shiffers (1859-1904) was Chig- g3 as a preparation for controlling f5
orins chief Russian rival. From 1894- and an eventual kingside attack.
98 Shiffers edited the Petersburg 7...c6
periodical Shakhmatny Zhurnal. Since White did not play the usual
Grodzensky & Romanovs CC his- 7 h3, the move 7...g4 would be
tory, Khod v Konverte, reports that consistent. Or Black could play simply
Shiffers won the third of its tourna- 7...0-0, as recommended in the Petroff
ments, in 1893-4, with 15/18. monograph by Forintos & Haag, when
About this game: Betins beat if 8 f1 e8 9 g3 f8+.
Schiffers 2-0 in this event. With a 8 c3 d5
score of 9/12 he was second behind According to Yusupovs book on
Romashkevich. From a quiet begin- the Petroff, 8...0-0 would be better,
ning, the pressure mounts and then continuing the waiting strategy.
White launches a murderous attack 9 f1!
with a sacrifice. Clearly 9 00 is standard but since
1 e4 e5 2 f3 f6 3 xe5 d6 4 Black is unready to challenge the e-
f3 xe4 5 d4 e7 file, Betins decides to accelerate his
5...d5 is more usual. plan and save a move (e1).
6 d3 f6 9...00 10 g3 d6 11 00 g4?!
The Petroff Defence was developed This achieves nothing. Black
principally by Russians in the 19th should try 11...e8 or 11...h6. He
century; Blacks 5th and 6th moves are could double Whites g-pawn by
attributed to Semyon Alapin (1856 12...xg3 but he needs his to
1923). Retreating the instead of defend the dark squares.
defending it avoids weakening the 12 h3 e6 13 g5
34 64 Great Chess Games
The Players: I have no information interesting game... not until the 29th
about Hale. Mordecai Morgan (1862- move was Mr. Morgan enabled to
1931) was a leading player of his day obtain any advantage. At that point
in Philadelphia. a brilliant play, apparently involving
About this game: The first great the sacrifice of a pawn, gave him a
North American postal tournament winning position. The play from this
was a two-stage event, starting 1894, point to the end abounded in intricate
organised by Walter Penn Shipley complications, and it required skill
and others for the Continental and accuracy to force a win...
Correspondence Chess Association. 1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 c3 f6 4 d4
70 players from the USA and xe4 5 d3
Canada contested five sections, the 5 d5 is the usual move.
leaders of which played off for the 5...d5 6 xe5 xe5 7 dxe5 c5
championship. The final winner was 8 c2 e6 9 00 e7 10 f4 g6 11
C.W. Phillips from Chicago. e3 d7 12 d4
This game is the most interesting EK: 12 e2, followed by d2
one I have seen from the event; and ad1, was probably better.
Nimzowitsch would have loved to 12...b6 13 d2 b7
annotate it. It was rediscovered by This introduces a theme persistent
US chess historian John S. Hilbert, throughout most of the game,
who republished it on The Campbell Blacks attempt to play ...c5 under
Report website with contemporary favourable circumstances.
notes by Emil Kemeny (indicated by 14 b3 c5 15 d2 f5 16 a4
EK), a Hungarian emigrant to the Opening the centre would lead to
USA. I find these were accurate about a different type of game but Whites
the general shape of the game but his weakness on the diagonal g1-a7
attempts at analysing variations were would persist.
usually poor. 16...a5 17 d1 f7 18 f2 h6 19
EKs introductory remarks to the d2 ag8 20 e2 d8 21 b5
game were as follows: An unusually c6 (D)
Game 7: Hale-Morgan 37
XIIIIIIIIY
xd4 xd4 25 xc6 Black may
9-+-+-+rtr0 be temporarily a pawn down but he
9+-+qvlk+-0 actually has some advantage! Possible
9-zpn+l+pzp0
W continuations are 25...xb2 26 e4
9zpLzppzPp+-0 xf2+, 25...d8, and 25...xf2+ 26
9P+-+-zP-+0 xf2 c8.
9+-zP-vL-+-0 22...g5 23 d2
23 fe1 would free f1 for the
9-zP-sN-wQPzP0 but in reply to ...g4 the would have
9tR-+-+RmK-0 to return to d2.
xiiiiiiiiy Now 23 ad1 may well be good, foll-
Black has some strategic advantage owed by e1-c2 and then fe1. After
chiefly because the pawn levers 23...g4 24 e1 play would probably go
...g5 and ...d4 may be prepared, 24...c7 or 24...h5. The snag about 23
whereas Whites options b2-b4 and d2 is that Black could consider the
g2-g4 can be discounted: both moves pawn sacrifice 24...g3 25 hxg3 g6 (or
would be too weakening. ...g4) followed by the advance of the h-
Nevertheless, White is by no means pawn to force open kingside lines rather
lost. He has ...d5-d4 well under restraint than blocking the flank.
for the time being, with his b5- pinning 23...g4 24 e1 h5
the and other pieces eyeing the 24...d4 is premature as White can
crucial square. If White can find the best answer 25 cxd4 cxd4 26 f2, while
arrangement of his pieces, then perhaps 24...g3? 25 h3 blocks the flank in the
Black will not find a way through, and wrong way. Black at least wants to force
might sacrifice unsoundly. a weakness on the h1-a8 diagonal.
22 f3! 25 c2 h4 26 ad1 h3
EKs objection that the text EK liked this move but my view is
move invites the advance of Blacks somewhat different. Black cannot win
g-pawn seems rather vague; Black the game in one sector of the board
is going to play ...g5 soon whatever alone. Since Black has no immediate
White does. threats and can play ...h3 later anyway,
The manoeuvre f3-e1-c2 may it would seem sensible to leave the
seem laborious but it does bring the kingside fluid for the time being and
to a good square for restraining prepare the central breakthrough. That
...d4 without getting in the way of would force White to be watchful on
Whites other pieces. two fronts without the attacker making
EK preferred 22 ad1 saying any irrevocable commitment.
Black could hardly answer 22...d4, 27 g3 b7 28 f2
but it seems to me that this thrust EK suggested 28 fe1, planning
might be Blacks best move! At the f1 and g1.
end of his variation 23 cxd4 cxd4 24 28...d8 (D)
38 64 Great Chess Games
XIIIIIIIIY
30 xc6
9-+-tr-+-tr0 EK did not analyse 30 cxd4 in any
9+q+-vlk+-0 detail but his view that Black wins is
9-zpn+l+-+0
W correct. Best is 30...cxd4! when:
9zpLzppzPp+-0 a) 31 xd4? xd4 32 xd4
9P+-+-zPp+0 xd4!, e.g. 33 xd4 c5 34 fd1
9+-zP-vL-zPp0 d8 35 f1 xd4 36 xd4 b3 when
White has absolutely no moves (37
9-zPN+-wQ-zP0 e3? d5).
9+-+R+RmK-0 b) The exchange sacrifice 31 xd4
xiiiiiiiiy xd4 32 xd4! is unlikely to save
29 d2 White in the long run, but he can fight
This seems to be the critical on, having averted disaster on the
moment. EK suggested 29 c1 saying light squares, e.g. 32...c5 33 c6
the advance of the d-pawn would then c8 34 xe6 xe6.
be less dangerous. 30...xc6 31 cxd4 e4 32 fd1
I do not agree, since after 29 c1 b3! 33 c1
d4 30 cxd4 cxd4!, prospects look EK thought White had nothing
rather bleak for White. (Note that better than this unsatisfactory move.
Black would rather exchange his It is true that White cannot allow 33
for a white than the opposing .) dxc5 xc2 (winning a piece), but his
31 fe1 may be best but Black stands comment, Nor can he play 33 d5,
well with 31...c5. for 33...xa4 would win, is hard to
Accepting the pawn seems to lose, understand in view of 34 d6; instead
e.g. 31 xc6 xc6 32 xd4 xd4! 33 Black obtains a good game with
xd4 c8 34 e1 b7 (threatens mate 33...xd5 or 33...xd5.
on h1) 35 f1 c5 36 e3 xd4 37 If 33 e2 xc2 34 xc2 cxd4
xd4 d8 and wins (38 e3 h1+ 39 (EK), e.g. 35 c1 d3 36 xe4 fxe4
g1 a6+ or 39 e2 f3+), or if 36 or 35 c4+ d5 36 c1 d3.
e6+ g6 37 e3 e8. 33...d7 34 e2
29...d4! If 34 a3, to defend d4 from b5,
EK: This well-timed advance of the Black reroutes the to remove the
d-pawn gives Black a winning position... offending : 34...hd8 (34...xa4?!
The move opens the diagonal for the 35 e6+! xe6 36 c4 with an outpost
black and queens . Since White at e5) 35 b5 d5! (35...xa4? 36
is forced to capture the pawn, Black c3) 36 f1 c6 and ...xb5.
will be enabled to play ...c5. White 34...hd8 35 d3 xc2 36 cxc2
cannot well gain the pawn, for if xc6 cxd4 37 xe4 fxe4 38 f5
and cxd4, Black answers ...xc6 and EK: ...quite ingenious. Black
...e4, threatening ...d5, followed by cannot capture the on account of
mating in a few moves. e6+ winning the .
Game 7: Hale-Morgan 39
38...d5 39 xd4 43 e3
If 39 f4 c5 and Black advances EK: 43 a3, threatening f6 and f7,
the centre pawns (EK). could not be played, Blacks answer
39...c5!? would have been 43...e3 forcing White
Black cautiously wants to avoid com- to play 44 f1 and Black continues
plications resulting from White having a 44...f2+ and 45...xf5, winning
pair of advanced passed pawns following easily. Once more, his analysis
39...xd4 40 xd4 xd4 41 c7. EK was too casual: 44...xh2! is more
then claimed White was quite sure to decisive.
regain his piece by f6. However, Black The critical line is 43 xb6 (not
has 41...e8 which, given care, wins mentioned by EK) 43...xb2 when
whatever White does, e.g. 42 f6 c5 Black hopes that his , assisted
43 f1 (43 e6?? d1#) 43...e3 44 e6 by the e-pawn, will again mop up
d1+ 45 e2 d2+ 46 e1 b4 47 Whites pawns before they can
f7+ f8 48 c8+ d8+. become dangerous, e.g. 44 c5! (44
After the text move, Black has to xa5? e3 45 f1 xh2) 44...c2 45
win a more technical endgame of b6 and now:
versus without mating threats in the a) 45...g2+?! does it the hard
air and White definitely misses his best way: 46 f1 xh2 47 f6 c2 (forced,
chance at move 43. Objectively, there- to stop c5+ after f7+) 48 f7+ f8
fore, 39...xd4 must be considered the 49 e3 c8 (Other moves actually
stronger move. lose for Black after 50 h6+.) 50
40 e6+ g5 e3! (50...h2 may win but is less
Similar play arises by 40 xc5 clear.) 51 xe3 e7 52 h6 h8 53
xd2 41 xd2 xd2 42 xb6 d5, g7 h2 54 f8+ xf8 55 xf8+
unless White tries 43 c7 which would xf8 56 g2 e7 and Black wins
be met by 43...e3 44 f1 d2. the and pawn ending but there are
40...e8 41 xc5 xd2 42 xd2 a few places where he could have
xd2 (D) slipped up on the way!
XIIIIIIIIY b) 45...e7 seems to be good
9-+-+k+-+0 enough, preventing the pawns
advancing further.
9+-+-+-+-0
W c) 45...c3 46 f6 c6! 47 f7+
9-zp-+P+-+0 f8 48 xa5 xe6 and the epawn
9zp-vL-+P+-0 should decide.
9P+-+p+p+0 43...e2 44 xb6 e3 45 xa5 g2+
9+-+-+-zPp0 46 f1 xh2 01
9-zP-tr-+-zP0 EK: Causes White to surrender.
Black wins easily with ...f2+, followed
9+-+-+-mK-0 by ...xf5 or ...xb2 and ...h2.
xiiiiiiiiy
Game 8
White: Rudolf Mikulka (Czechoslovakia)
Since the d-pawn does not need the future champion has the measure
protection at this time, White should of his opponent and decides a direct
have taken his last chance for queenside attack will bear fruit. On g4, the
activity by 15 b4. Then he is just in time evidently thinks about occupying e5
to meet 15...g7 by 16 b2, linking his but there is also a latent threat which
s and avoiding the coming disaster. White overlooks.
15...g7 (D) 17 h3?!
XIIIIIIIIY Yudovich recommended 17 exf5.
9r+lwqr+k+0 However, rather than a recapture or
...e5, 17...d4!? might be the reply,
9zp-sn-+-vlp0
W and the trap 18 f1 a6 19 b5
9-zp-zp-snp+0 d7 could be the reason Ragozin
9+-zpP+p+-0 did not want to play 16...a6. White
9P+Q+-+-+0 must probably answer 18 fxg6 xf2+
9+-sN-zP-zP-0 19 h1 (19 f1? loses the to
9-zP-sN-zPLzP0 19...a6 20 b5 e3+.) 19...hxg6
with complications that look like they
9tR-vLR+-mK-0 will go Blacks way.
xiiiiiiiiy 17 f1 would be an attempt to
regroup for defence and would enable the
The future GM is outplaying the forgotten to play a role. Nevertheless,
amateur. The question of how to develop Blacks game is preferable after 17...a6
the queens is clearly going to be 18 b3 d4 19 e3 xe3!? forcing a
easier for Black to solve than White. weakness on the e-file.
16 e4?! 17...xf2!
Whites on d2 doesnt make Doubtless White had expected 17...
much sense without this move, but his e5, but the sacrifice cracks open the
kingside is looking too bare for this shell, subjecting Whites to an attack
impatient opening of the position. he is ill-prepared to counter with his
16 b4 is too late now that Black cluster of pieces on the queenside.
is first on the long diagonal, e.g. 18 xf2 d4+ 19 f1?
16...g4! 17 b2 e5 18 b3 This is probably the decisive
cxb4 19 xb4 d3 and ...xb2, or error; it costs a tempo as the has
17 bxc5 a6 18 b3 bxc5 19 b2? to go to e1 soon in any case. White
b8 20 c2 f4! 21 exf4 (or 21 gxf4 should have played immediately 19
h4) 21...xf2! 22 xf2? d4+ 23 e1, when after 19...a6 20 b5
f3 e3+ 24 g4 c8+ and mates. (20 b3!? c4 is also possible.)
16...g4 20...d7 21 a3 (21 c2!? xb5
16...a6 is certainly possible, 22 axb5 xb5 23 c4 fxe4 24 d2
as suggested in Yudovichs 1984 is another try.) 21...fxe4 22 xe4 (If
monograph on Ragozin. However, 22 b3 f7 23 e2 xb5 24 axb5
Game 11: Alekseev-Ragozin 55
e5 because Black still cannot play that formation is more flexible than
8...c2+ (due to 9 xc2! xc2 the one chosen by Geiger.
10 xf7 mate!), while 8...e6 9 0-0 9 e5!
transposes to the game. This is a natural move, since Black
Not, however, 8 e4? xe4 9 does not have a on d7 to exchange
xe4 xe4 10 xf7+ xf7 11 the intruder, yet it took some years of
b3+ (or 11 g5+ e8 12 xe4 this 6...a6 line being played before
xd4! because of 13 xd4 c2+) that was understood.
11...e6! 12 g5+ e8 13 xe4 Instead 9 h4 c2 10 d2
d5! all analysis by GM Efim e4 was better for Black in the
Bogoljubow, one of the strongest stem game Morrison-Geo. Marechal,
players of this era. Toronto 1924. 9 e2 was also seen
8...e6 (D) in various games in the 1930s.
8...c2? is no good now because 9...e7
of 9 e4! winning material: 9...xe4 9...d6 10 e2 bd5 11 f3!
(9...xe4 10 xc2 d6 11 e2) c7 12 e4 xc3 13 bxc3 g6 14
10 xe4 xa1 11 xf6+ gxf6 12 a3 xa3 15 xa3 00 16 d3!
e3 Marchisotti. had favoured White in Bogoljubow-
XIIIIIIIIY Pirc, Bled 1931.
9r+-wqkvl-tr0 10 e2 00 11 e4 g6 12 d1 a5
13 g5!
9zpp+-+pzpp0
W This is sharper than 13 b3 as
9-+p+psn-+0 Bogoljubow had recommended.
9+-+-+l+-0 13...ad8
9PsnLzP-+-+0 Some other examples from
9+-sN-zPN+-0 contemporary practice:
9-zP-+-zPPzP0 a) 13...fe8 14 xg6 hxg6 15
e5 d7 (or 15...fd5 16 xe7
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0 xe7 17 e4 b6 18 b3 d8 19
xiiiiiiiiy g4 Flohr-Chodera, Prague 1931)
16 e4! c5 17 b5 c6 18 g4!
If you compare this position with cxd4 19 xe7 xe7 20 h4 dxe5
the line considered normal for the 21 g5 ee8 22 a3! ad8 23 h3
past 50 years or more (6...e6 7 xc4 f8 24 f4 with a strong attack (Peter
b4 8 00 bd7), you can see that Korning-Bjorn Nielsen, corr Denmark
Blacks should be on b4, hindering 1935).
Whites e3-e4 advance, while the b) 13...h5 14 f3 c5 15 d5! exd5
stands ready to support central 16 exd5 fxd5 17 xe7 xe7 18
operations. In that case, White has d7 ae8 19 e4! Lorens-Kern,
various tries for advantage, but they corr 1933-34.
can be fairly well countered because 14 xg6 hxg6 15 e5 fd5 16 e4 f6
58 64 Great Chess Games
move but very weakening and might g4-g5 Black will then have only the
well have been answered by 27...f5. g-file to work with.
27 c2!? does seem better, as a The move can also be criticized on
line like 27...f5?! 28 exf5 gxf5 29 the grounds that it puts yet another
e3 xd3 30 xd3 f4 31 c4 pawn on the same colour as the c7-
f3 32 g3 should not be dangerous to . Probably Blacks main mistake
White, who gains control of e4 while is strategic: he tries to win by attack
his has more protection. instead of keeping his as safe as
27...h4 28 e3 f5 29 exf5 gxf5 30 possible and aiming to consolidate
bd2 (D) a material advantage. What should
Who really stands better here? Old Black do instead?
annotations, which praise this game a) 30...h8 is a reasonable
so highly, pass over in silence the preparatory move, but it seems that Dr
crucial phase of the next few moves Rey did not want to let his opponent
in which Black misses several capture on f5.
lines that would possibly have won, b) 30...e4!? is another idea but
spoils his strong position, and lays Black has no piece ready to take ad-
the foundation for Whites beautiful vantage of the vacated e5-square after
counter-attack. 31 f1! and the game is unclear.
XIIIIIIIIY c) 30...fxg4! therefore looks like
9-tr-+-trk+0 the critical possibility, and if 31 g3
h8 (not 31...f4? 32 xe5!) 32
9+nvl-+-+p0
B hxg4 xa5! wins a pawn (33 xa5?
9p+-zp-+-+0 xd3 34 xd3? xf2+) and
9zPlzpPzpp+-0 keeps the initiative, while 31 e4
9-+N+-+Pwq0 seems to give Black a choice of
9+-zPLtR-+P0 winning moves. In particular, both
9Q+-sN-zP-+0 31...f3 and 31...h8 look like safe
ways for Black to play for a win, and
9tR-+-+-mK-0 even 31...gxh3 may be playable. It is a
xiiiiiiiiy mystery why previous annotators did
not highlight Blacks choice of the
30...f4!? incorrect plan at move 30.
This gains space without loss of 31 f3 h8
time but, to my way of thinking, it is This move allows both s to
a superficial move that looks suspect come to the g-file. Note that 31...h5
once you have seen the rest of the is premature because of 32 xe5,
game. The idea is apparently to take when Black dare not take on e5
control of g3, so that Blacks later because of d6+. One may ask whether
breaking move ...h5 will be more the really belongs on the h-file
effective. The drawback is that after when Black evidently needs ...h5 as
Game 13: Johansson-Rey Ardid 63
9 a3
XIIIIIIIIY
White wants the pair. Other options 9r+lwq-trk+0
here include 9 e3 (maybe best), 9 e4 9zp-+p+-zpp0
f6 10 000 b6 (Stahlberg-Kashdan, B9-zpn+p+-+0
Hamburg OL 1930) and 9 g3 d5! 9+-+-+p+-0
(Spielmann-Pirc, 5th match game 1931) . 9-zPP+n+P+0
9...xc3 10 xc3 f5
10...a5, to maintain the on c5,
9zP-+-+N+-0
has often been played but White obtains 9-vLQ+PzP-zP0
an edge with 11 g3!, as in Stahlberg- 9tR-+-mKL+R0
Nimzowitsch, 3rd & 5th match games, xiiiiiiiiy
Gteborg 1934 (both won by White) and This wild move has two objectives:
Euwe-Evans, Hastings 1949/50. The text to weaken the black outpost on e4 and
move envisages a piece sacrifice to keep to open the g-file for a , to combine
the white in the centre. with the b2- against the focal point
11 b4 g7. However, it creates weaknesses
After 11 e3 a5! 12 e2 (12 b4? and gives Black a tempo for action.
axb4 13 axb4 xb4!) 12...e7 13 a) 13 e3 b7 14 e2 c8 (=
d2 e5! Black had good play in according to ECO) 15 00 e7 16
Eliskases-Herzog, corr 1932. ad1 e8 17 a4 c6 18 c5 bxc5
11...e4 12 b2 19 b5 d8 A.W.Dake-H.Steiner,
White wants to justify his previous Mexico City 1935 (01, 34) is often
play by keeping his . 12 e3 was cited, but it is not clear to me that
tried later, e.g. 12...xc3 13 xc3 White is doing badly here; he just
b6 14 d3 b7 (Stahlberg-Alekhine, grabbed the a-pawn (not forced)
Hamburg 1939), or 12...b6 13 b2 and defended badly later. However,
b7 14 d3 e7! 15 xe4 fxe4 16 14...e7 is also possible, as in
d2 (16 xe4 xb4) 16...h4 with R.Dhrssen-M.Seibold, corr 1941.
counterplay (Meyer-Seibold, corr 1948). b) 13 g3! b7 14 g2 c8 15 d2
12...b6 (Euwe-Mulder, Amsterdam 1933) e.g.
12...d6, to continue with ...e5 and 15...xd2 16 xd2 a5! 17 xb7
...e6, is given as equalising in ECO. xb7 18 c1 Euwe (cited in ECO).
Black has a good share of the centre but H.Meyer-B.Rozinov, USSR-Germany
his d-pawn is backward and d5 requires corr 1957-61, continued 18...d5 19 cxd5
watching. The fianchetto, bearing down xc1+ 20 xc1 xd5 21 xd5 exd5
against the white kingside, appealed 22 f4 c8 23 d2 f7 (-, 43).
more to the players of the 1930s. 13...xf2!
12...a5 13 b5 e7 14 e3 b6 15 Black sacrifices a piece for two
e2 b7= is also in ECO, but why pawns and White will have to defend
should White develop his on e2? against a strong attack. Other tries:
13 g4?! (D) a) 13...d6 14 000 and White gets
72 64 Great Chess Games
The Players: Keres was introduced in chances right down to the endgame.
Game 14. Dyckhoff (1880-1949) was My analysis reopens the question of
greatly involved as a player, writer and whether Keres missed a win at move
organiser in popularising postal chess 32; I think not, but the reply Dyckhoff
in Germany. IFSB champion in 1930, said he intended would have lost!
he made several important contribu- 1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 b5 a6 4 a4
tions to the development of Tarraschs f6 5 00 xe4 6 d4 b5 7 b3 d5
Defence to the Queens Gambit, 1 d4 8 dxe5 e6 9 c3 e7 10 e3 00
d5 2 c4 e6 3 c3 c5, which he played 11 bd2
all his life. In 1954-56 a large tourna- Although lines like 9 bd2 c5
ment was held in his memory, with 10 c3 d4 have become more critical,
about 2,000 players from 30 countries this position is also quite popular and
including a top section (won by GM can arise via 9 e3.
Lothar Schmid) that was as strong as 11...xd2
a world championship. Black need not fear the immediate
About this game: This, one of the exchange on e4 and nowadays
most famous drawn games, is also a 11...d7 is more usual. This move
clash of the generations, and a strug- was played against Keres in another
gle between a CC specialist and a postal game around the same time:
great talent who was fast approaching 12 c2 f5 13 exf6 xf6 14 b1
one of the first peaks of his career, the g4? (14...h8!) 15 h3! xh3?!
1938 AVRO tournament. 16 g5! (Accepting the sacrifice
This game has been analysed by would be dangerous.) 16...g4!?
many people but never completely 17 xh3 d6 18 e1! d4 19 cxd4
solved. After White achieves a h2+ 20 f1 b4 21 b3+! h8
slight opening advantage and launch- 22 e4! xd2 23 xg4 xe1 24
es an attack, Black finds a courageous xe1 ae8 25 g1 d6 26 f3
defensive plan. Keres declines to take with two s for a (10, 36) Keres-
an easy draw and the resulting struggle G.Friedemann, Estonia corr 1935.
gives both players winning and losing Later Keres proposed 12 e1.
Game 16: Keres-Dyckhoff 75
White wants to retain the threat the game, but the hasty 25...c4?
of fxg6 and build up pressure, while loses in view of 26 g4 xf5 27
Black is trying to create a situation f6+ xf6 28 xd5+. If 25...e7
where his passed e-pawn will be White probably does best to play 26
significant. Both sides want to imp- g4! f7 27 f4 transposing to the
rove the position of their queenside previous note.
s and s without losing time. 26 h4!
24...e5! Heidenfeld wrote: The peak of
Not 24...e7? 25 f6 d8 26 the attack. White threatens 27 fxg6
e3 and 24...e7 25 g4! f7 26 xg6 28 f6 followed by g3+.
e3 e5 (Better 26...c4) 27 f4! However, since the attack does not
simply loses Black a tempo. win, attempts have been made to find
Then Wolfgang Heidenfeld, in a stronger line for White:
his book Draw!, gave the variation a) Baburin wrote that: At first it
27...ee8 (27...e7 28 xd6 cxd6 seems that the endgame after 26 fxg6
29 f6 ee8 30 f5) 28 xd6 cxd6 xg6 27 xg6+ hxg6 28 f4 e6
29 fxg6 xg6 but here I disagree 29 xd5 is better for White, as his
with his continuation 30 xg6+ hxg6 pawn structure is more sound. Yet,
31 xd5 and wins because after after 29...c6 30 e3 c5 Black has
31...e5 Black is back in the game. enough play, threatening to continue
Instead, White should probably with ...xe3 and ...c4. If White
play 30 h4 (30 d1!?) 30...e5 tries to stop it by 31 b3 then after
and now 31 f6 or 31 ad1. 31...d8 32 ad1 d3 Black is fine
Also, White might do without again.
xd6, i.e. 27...ee8 28 fxg6 xg6 Heidenfeld gave similar play but
29 xg6+ hxg6 30 xd5, though instead of 30...c5, he suggested
theres still a lot of play left. 30...xf4 31 xf4 d8 32 d1 d3,
25 e3 f7 (D) which seems even better.
Black needs to bring the into This compares unfavourably for
White with the 24...e7 25 g4 f7
XIIIIIIIIY 26 e3 e5 variation, as there (27
9r+-+-+k+0 f4) 27...e6! was impossible since
9+-zp-+q+p0 he still had a pawn on f5. Furthermore,
W
9p+-vl-+pvL0 26 g4(?) here reaches the same
position but with Black to move!
9snp+ptrPwQ-0 b) Heidenfeld gave quite a lot of
9-+-+p+-+0 space to a scornful rebuttal of 26 b3,
9+-zP-sN-+-0 which seeks to shut the black out
9PzP-+-+PzP0 of c4. This move was recommended
9tR-+-+R+K0 by Dr Edmund Adam in the German
xiiiiiiiiy magazine Caissa, May 1949. Now:
Game 16: Keres-Dyckhoff 77
b) 33 xc4? bxc4 34 xd5 f8. but will also lose after 43 h5+ g8
Here Dyckhoffs notes say the game 44 xe5 c6 45 e6+ and xc6.) 43
will end in perpetual check, but Black h5+ g8 44 xd5+ and xa8.
is winning easily. 34...f8 threatens 38 f6+ h7 39 h6+ g8 40
35...h2+ 36 h1 f4+ 37 g1 g5+ h8
e3#, while if 35 g4 (or 35 g3) Against correct defence, Keres has
35...h3! followed by 36...g3+ and been unable to break down the black
White will soon have to give up his position. However, he did not want
to avoid mate. to take the immediate draw since
c) 33 xd5? f8 is another line he can probe a bit more. That suited
which Dyckhoff says is a draw, but Dyckhoff too, as Black can set his
actually wins for Black, for if 34 g4 own traps.
h5! enables ...c5+. 41 xd5!? (D)
Even after the move given by XIIIIIIIIY
Dyckhoff, namely 34...e3, White 9r+-+-+-mk0
is losing. Presumably he was thinking
of 35 xe3 h2+ but this leads to
9+-zp-+-+-0
B
mate, not a perpetual; i.e. 36 h1 9p+-+-+-+0
f4+! 37 g1 xe3#. 9+pvlQ+-+-0
33...c5+ 34 f1 h1+ 9-+n+p+N+0
Black could decline the offer. 9+-zP-+-+-0
After 34...e3+ 35 xe3 h5 9PzP-+K+P+0
36 g4 xe3 37 e2 b6 38 f1
its Black who may need to be careful
9tr-+-+-+-0
according to Baburin. Dyckhoffs xiiiiiiiiy
analysis continues 38...g8 39 f7+
(possibly not best) 39...g7 40 f8 Keres finds the best way to keep
c5 and his final comment was but the game going. In other lines it is
in this variation, White has more risky for White to spurn the perpetual
winning chances. check, e.g. 41 e5 f8 and if 42
So Keres would have welcomed g6+?! h7 43 xf8+ xf8 44
34...e3+ as giving Black an opp- f5+ g7 (Heidenfeld), or 41 h6+
ortunity to go wrong. g8 42 g6+ h8 and if 43 h6?
35 e2 xa1 36 h6+ f8 44 f7+ xf7 45 xf7 d6.
36 f6+ g7 37 h5+ h7 is The main alternative was 41
just a draw, as Dyckhoff pointed out. f6 h1 42 h5 f8 and now if
36...g8 37 xg6+ h8! 43 xd5!? (43 f6+ still draws.)
Dyckhoff avoided a trap here: Black can choose between the safe
37...f8? 38 f6+ g8 39 h6+ 43...b8 44 b3 d6 45 e5+ h7=
h7 40 f5! f8 41 f7+ h8 (Dyckhoff), and 43...c6!? leading to
42 h4! g7? (42...e5 is better a messy ending where Black has a
Game 16: Keres-Dyckhoff 81
the wrong position in his game with e3 (41 g3 does not offer much
Graham Mitchell of England, as a either.) 41...f5 42 f3 (as given in
result of which he knew he was going How Purdy Won) Black has 42...
to lose that game and really needed to fe8 43 c1 d5= or 43 f2 f4=
win this one. and sets the trap 43 b8?? xb1+!
Purdy later wrote that, had this 44 xb1 xe3 45 b8+ e8.
game already been out of the way 38 b3 e5 39 xh3 f4
as a draw, I should almost certainly Napolitano later thought there
not have made my subsequent quasi- were drawing chances by 39...e2+
clerical blunder against Mitchell. 40 g2 e4 41 g3 g4 but 42 h5
That remark does not get to the full (even stronger than 42 h6, given
truth either. In How Purdy Won, in How Purdy Won) wins easily,
Harrison proves that Mitchell was e.g. 42...e6 43 xf7 e4+ 44 h2
probably winning that game anyway! xf7 45 a8+.
At this point, Napolitano made a After the text move, wrote Purdy:
final error, which eased Purdys task I wrote out analysis for 20 possible
considerably. 40th moves. At first I could not make
XIIIIIIIIY any of them win. Finally I found a
9-+-+rtrk+0 curious one. If the queen captures
the c-pawn on c5 instead of c4, Black
9zP-+R+p+-0
B will soon run out of checks.
9-+p+-+-+0 40 c5!! c4+
9+-+-wq-zp-0 If 40...c1+ 41 g2 e1 then
9-+P+-+-+0 42 f3! and if 42...h1 43 xf7+!
9+-+-+Q+p0 followed by promoting the a-pawn.
9-+-+-zP-zP0 41 g2 e4
The curious win was by 41...xc5
9+R+-+K+-0 42 h6! g4 (to stop h3) 43 g3
xiiiiiiiiy e4 44 h4 and if then 44...f5
45 d8. However, 44 f6 ( 45
37...xh2? a8) also works: 44...e5 45 xe5
Napolitano is trying to mobilise his xe5 46 xg4+ h8 (46...h7 47
h-pawn, but he possibly could have xf7+) 47 d3 h5 48 b3 and 49
saved the game with 37...e6 when b8, with an amusing line 48...h7
the key move for White is 38 db7! 49 b8 a5 50 a8! (50 xf8)
e.g. 38...xc4+ 39 g1 and now: 50...xa8 51 b3 and h3#.
a) 39...g4 40 f5! e2 41 f1 42 f5 xb3
e5 42 f4 a5 43 b8! f3 44 This accelerates the defeat but if
xf3 gxf3 45 h1!. 42...g4+ 43 g3 xg3+ 44 xg3
b) White probably cannot win after c1 45 g2 and 46 a8 decides
39...e6 40 c3 a8 because if 41 the game.
96 64 Great Chess Games
8b2+ winning a , Heidenfelds White can force a draw or try for more
alternative 27 b1 c3 actually seems with no assurance of success:
less disastrous. a) 29 xh7 leads to a fairly
25...fxg6 26 e1 (D) straightforward perpetual check: 29...
XIIIIIIIIY xh7 (or 29...xb2 30 xg6+ xh7
9-tr-+l+k+0 31 h4+ xg6 32 g4+ etc.) 30
h4+ g7 31 e7+ h8 32 h2+
B
9+r+-+-vlp0 g8 33 e6+ g7 34 e7+.
9p+-zp-snpvL0 b) 29 a4!? and now if 29...c5
9+-+PzpP+-0 anyway then 30 xc5 xc5 31 c3
9-+pwqP+-+0 (threatens a breakthrough with f3-f4)
9+-sN-+P+-0 31...g7 leaves the d1- restricted by
9PzP-+-+R+0 its own pawns. If 32 e2? xe4 33
xg7+ xg7, but White can target the
9+-mKLwQ-+R0 c4-pawn more slowly and maybe get a
xiiiiiiiiy plus by 32 hh2! followed by 33 c2.
However, 29...g7! 30 hh2 (30 d2
Heidenfeld praises this move, and a7 31 dh2 d4 repeats) 30...f6
there doesnt seem to be anything may be safe for Black, activating his
better. If White prevaricates, Black while Whites is offside, e.g. 31
will strengthen his attack with d2 a7 32 c2 b4.
...d7-c5. If 26 g5, hoping for 27 e3 c5 28 c2
26...d7 27 fxg6 xg6 28 xg7 Essential, although it interferes with
c5 (28...xg7? 29 xh7+ mates) the defence of b2. Not 28 xd4??
29 xh7! d3+ 30 b1 xb2+ d3+ 29 b1 (29 d2 xb2+) 29...
31 xb2 xb2+ 32 a1, then xe1 30 xe1 exd4.
26...xb2! 27 xb2 xc3+ 28 c2 White offered the conditional
a3+ 29 d2 d3+ gets at least a if 28...d3+ then 29 xd3, but
draw (30 e1? xe4!). Gumprich saw the trap (though
26...d7!? his analysis was inaccurate). After
This move gets two exclamation 29...xd3 play can go:
marks from previous annotators, but a) 30 d2?? xc3+ 31 bxc3 b1+
is it not too good to be true? I expect 32 c2 8b2# was the bait.
that both men were playing for a win! b) 30 c2 followed by h1h2-
Gumprichs notes say he had sought the d2 (Gumprich), but Heidenfeld
coming complications when he played pointed out that Black could free his
...d4 and it is indeed these that give by 30...gxf5 31 hh2 f4.
the game its special character. c) Whites correct continuation is
I am surprised Heidenfeld did not 30 fxg6! xg6 and only now 31 c2
analyse 26...xh6+ 27 xh6 d7 (Heidenfeld) e.g. 31...f6 32 hh2
(...c5-d3+) 28 fxg6 xg6, when e8 33 hd2 h4 34 g1+ g7 35
Game 20: Sanz-Gumprich 101
The Players: Yakov Estrin (1923-87), this particular clash is memorable for
was at this time an international mas- his delicate endgame play. Analysis
ter well known for his writings, most- in this game is based on Estrins
ly on classical 1 e4 e5 open games and own notes and the less useful ones by
gambits. Estrin divided his energies R.Mari in Informator 2.
between OTB and postal play and 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 c3 b4 4 e5 c5 5
his results were therefore somewhat g4 e7 6 dxc5 bc6 7 d2
erratic. His main CC achievement As a professional writer, Estrin
up to this time had been a tie for first was at a disadvantage in that his
place in the 5th USSR Championship. published views and analysis could
He later won the 7th CC World Cham- be used against him. I know from
pionship under somewhat contro- my own experience that this can lead
versial circumstances, discussed in the to the choice of an inferior, or less-
notes to Game 32. explored alternative, in order to avoid
Horst Rittner, still an active grand- the opponents preparation, and that is
master and now in his seventies, went what happened to Estrin here.
on after this event to become the 6th In two articles he had examined
CC World Champion. He has achieved the possibility 7 f3, as played
more ICCF grandmaster norms than in a game Bronstein-Boleslavsky,
any other player: 10 so far. Kiev 1944. Estrin suspected that his
About this game: The Ragozin Me- opponent was acquainted with this
morial was an elite tournament held in analysis and so he chose a quiet line
memory of the 2nd CC World Cham- instead. Indeed, Aarseth-Rittner in
pion. Rittner won it with 8/10, two the 6th World Championship, 1968,
clear points ahead of Estrin and the saw summary execution by 7...d4! 8
3rd World Champion, OKelly. Rittner b5 a5 9 xc6+ bxc6! 10 xg7
worked as a chess editor for the Berlin g8 11 xh7 a6! 12 g5 xc3+
publishing house and had access to 13 d1 000 14 xf7 d3! 0-1 (15
the latest theory, which made him a d6+ xd6! 16 exd6 a4 17 b3
very dangerous opponent. However, g4+ and wins).
106 64 Great Chess Games
7...00 14 f3 xe5
In the game Batygin-Khasin, Not 14...xf3 15 gxf3 gxe5 16
Leningrad 1954, there occurred exd4.
7...xc5 8 f3 00 9 d3 f5 10 15 000 g5! (D)
exf6 xf6 11 g5 with about equal XIIIIIIIIY
chances. Instead, Rittner follows 9r+l+-trk+0
an idea of his compatriot, and great
exponent of the French Defence, GM
9zpp+-+-zpp0
W
Wolfgang Uhlmann. 9-+n+p+n+0
8 f3 9+-zP-+-wq-0
In later games, Rittner faced 8 9-+-zp-zp-+0
0-0-0 which is probably a better plan 9+N+-+Q+-0
for White (e.g. Heemsoth-Rittner, 9PzPP+NzPPzP0
Bernard Freedman Memorial 1985).
8...f5
9+-mKR+L+R0
Black tries to seize the initiative xiiiiiiiiy
based on his safer position and
mobile pawns. White now has difficulties. He
Now 9 exf6 xf6 10 0-0-0 e5! cannot prevent ...e5, which would
(Pietzsch-Uhlmann, East German Ch give Black complete hold of the
1963) was known to be unfavourable centre. Therefore White decided on a
for White. Estrin improves on that. piece sacrifice.
9 h4 d4 16 exd4 xd4 17 xd4 h4
Later Mednis played 9...g6!?, 18 e4 f3+ 19 b1 fxg2 20 xg2
which may be an improvement, xg2 21 hg1 xf2 22 c6!
avoiding the possibility for White at Estrin had hopes in this position.
move 13. He said that Whites threats are
10 e2 xd2+ 11 xd2 d5 12 very dangerous and now only one
b3 g6 13 g3? move enables Black to maintain his
Estrin had overlooked Blacks advantage.
15th move; he should have preferred 22...f4!
13 h3 although whether this really Computers nowadays suggest
gives White an advantage, as some either 22...bxc6 or 22...g6 (but
books claim, is questionable. Black did not want doubled g-pawns).
13...f4! However, Rittner was willing to give
Black must make haste to justify up a pawn to get the right endgame.
his earlier play, because if White He allowed Whites little combination
can succeed in completing his because he had seen further.
development by 000 he will have 23 xe6! xe4!
a better position as well as material Not 23...xe6 24 xe6+ h8 25
superiority. cxb7 and White has the initiative.
Game 21: Estrin-Rittner 107
XIIIIIIIIY
24 d8+ f7 25 g5+ e7 26
xe4 f4! 9-+-+-+r+0
At this point Estrins notes are a bit 9+k+-+l+-0
strange. He says that, After 26...e2 B9p+p+-+-+0
27 c3 f2 28 c7! or 26...xd8 27 9+-+-+-+-0
xf2 f4 28 cxb7 xb7 29 xg7 9-+-+-+-+0
d5 30 xh7 White could even play 9+P+-+-+-0
for a win. It would be more accurate
to say that he might not be losing, and 9PmKP+R+-+0
in the line 26...e2 27 c3 Black 9+-+-+-+-0
has a much stronger continuation in xiiiiiiiiy
27...xd8! 28 xe2 h3!. Estrin still had hopes of a draw
Nevertheless, Rittner was probably because the a-pawns queening square
right to avoid such complications is of the opposite colour to the .
because after 26...f4! Whites back If Black exchanges one of his
really was to the wall. pawns, he loses all winning chances.
27 g8 bxc6! But in what way is the white to
Also adequate for a win was reach its ideal position? My opponent
27...xe4, but Blacks chosen con- conducted this difficult endgame
tinuation is the best, said Estrin. magnificently, discovering a fine and
28 xg7+ f8 29 7xg2 xe4 30 surprising win, which fully deserves
g8+ e7 31 h8 d6 32 b3 to be placed in theory books on
After 32 xh7 f5! Black wins similar endings.
easily. With the text move, White I showed this position to the
attempts to play on the pin of the leading endgame expert, GM
black . Averbakh, who told me that if the
32...e7 33 gg8 c7 34 h4 b7 position were indeed winning for
35 h5 c7 36 h6 a6! Black, the method must be very
An important subtlety! The natural painstaking. I think that was a polite
36...a5? would have deprived Black of way for Averbakh to tell Estrin he
the fruits of all his hard labour up to believed the ending was really won.
now, as will soon become clear. 45...d5 46 e7+ b6 47 e2 g2
37 g7 xg7 38 hxg7 e6 39 xh7 48 e3 f2 49 e8 c5 50 e3
g8 40 b2 f3 51 e2 g3
If the black pawn now stood on White manoeuvres while Black
a5, then White would have had good tries to realise the following plan:
chances of a draw by 40 h5 b6 41 1. To displace the white from the
g5. third rank.
40...f7 41 c3 g6 42 h2 2. March his to the centre to
xg7 43 g2 g8 44 b2 f7 45 enable the important move ...e4,
e2 (D) from where it attacks both c2 and g2.
108 64 Great Chess Games
pawns on the kingside but first he has played in Estrin-N.Kopylov, USSR Cht
to solve the problem of developing his 1953, and many other games. According
pieces in a cramped space. to the book Caro-Kann by A.Veits and
7...e7 A.Konstantinopolsky (Moscow 1983)
Konstantinopolskys move order Black can fight for the initiative.
was probably influenced by a belief Now S.Toldaev-L.Gusev, from the 10th
that he could improve upon 7...e4 8 USSR CC Cht 1991, continued 12 e5
b5! xc3 9 bxc3 d7 10 00 e7 c7 13 f3!? (a pawn sacrifice to get
11 f4 b6?! 12 a4 c8 13 c4 play on the dark squares and the c-file)
(10, 23) Dubinin-V.Bergraser, 4th CC 13...xc5 14 f4 d6 15 ac1 b8
World Ch 1962. It is often a good idea 16 d2. While this is an interesting
to encourage opponents to repeat lines idea, it is not so clear and I expect that
where they have had an easy success, Black would have found something,
because they may be uncritical. e.g. 16...a6 now, instead of Gusevs
8 b5 00 16...d7?.
ECO and NCO instead rec- 9...e4 10 00
ommend an unconvincing line: 8... In an OTB game in Finland, double
d7 9 xc6 (White usually prefers CC world champion Tnu im played
9 00 0-0 10 e1 and has had good 10 xc6 xc3 (10...bxc6!?) 11 bxc3
results with it.) 9...xc6 10 e5 bxc6 12 a4 e8 13 0-0 f6 16 fe1
(This is also not forced.) 10...d7! g5 with a messy position, (1-0, 60)
11 xc6 bxc6 12 00 (Z.Franco- im-Mertanen, Savonlinna 1990.
M.Voiska, Zaragoza 1993) 12...e5 13 10...g5! (D)
e3 00 14 b4 f6= Voiska. XIIIIIIIIY
9 f4 9r+lwq-trk+0
Instead of this, theory now
recommends 9 00 e4 when:
9zpp+-vlp+p0
W
a) 10 xc6 xc3 11 bxc3 bxc6 12 9-+n+p+-+0
a4 (Foltys-Opocensky, Munich 9+LzPp+-zp-0
1941) is cited, for example, in the 9-+-zPnvL-+0
book on the Caro-Kann by Egon 9+-sN-+N+-0
Varnusz. However, that example is 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
very misleading and I think Black is
OK here. After 12...c7 13 e5?!
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xc5! 14 dxc5 xe5 15 xc6 and xiiiiiiiiy
here the immediate 15...e2!? (and
if 16 xa8 a6 or ...xf1+) looks Konstantinopolsky wrote that: Black
stronger than Opocenskys 15...b8 can thank the move c4-c5 for making
16 d6 e2?, which loses the this advance possible. Blacks centre is
exchange to 17 h6! a6 18 g3. very secure and the flank attack is not
b) 10 c2 f5 11 xc6 bxc6 was merely permissible, but necessary.
Game 22: Dubinin-Konstantinopolsky 111
attention but may not be best. Those where White blundered with 10
readers who want more detail on this g1?. According to his biographer,
wild gambit should consult my article Valter Heuer, Keres decided to get the
in Chess Mail 5/2002. game over with quickly as he had no
5 xd5 g4+ 6 f3 c6 money for stamps. Instead, Bangiev
In Mason-S.Rosenthal, Paris 1878, & Hergert suggest 10 e1!?.
Black played 6...a6, which seems The game Littlewood knew was
a reasonable move, defending c7. M.Jago-A.R.B.Thomas, England
6...d6!? is another way of saving the 1954, where White innovated with
, when 7 d4 c6 is the critical line. 10 d4!? xf3 11 gxf3 xf3+ 12
7 xc7+ xf3 h5+ 13 g2 xd1 14 d3
This is the typical move of the h5 15 xf4 and Dr Jago won after
Mason Gambit. 7 d4 000 transposes 15...e7 (15...f6!?) 16 hf1 f5?
to the aforementioned line of the 17 ae1 d7 18 f2 fxe4 19 xe4
Steinitz Gambit. d5 20 g3 g6 21 c7 xa2 22 d5
7...d8 8 xa8 (D) a6 23 f7 g8 24 b3 g7 25 exe7+
XIIIIIIIIY xe7 26 xg7 a5 27 d6 10.
9N+-mk-vlntr0 However, Arkhipkin-Klovans, Riga
1974, saw an improvement for Black
9zpp+-+pzpp0
B in 16...g6! 17 g3 (17 c7+
9-+n+-+-+0 c8 18 e5 h4+ with counterplay)
9+-+-+-+-0 17...e7 (17...h4+! 18 xh4+
9-+-+Pzplwq0 xh4) 18 a4? (18 c7!)
9+-+-+N+-0 18...h4+ 19 h2 g5 20 c4 g4 21
9PzPPzPK+PzP0 hxg4 xg4 and Black won.
a2) Littlewood pointed out that Black
9tR-vLQ+L+R0 can at least draw by 9...xf3+ 10 gxf3
xiiiiiiiiy g3, i.e. 11 d4! xf3+ 12 e1 g3+
13 e2 f3+ with perpetual check is
8...d4+!? very old analysis (but not 13...f3+? 14
This was the move Littlewood had d2 b4+ 15 c3 f2+ 16 e2 fxe2 17
cooked up 10 years previously. 8...f5!? xe2 xd4+ 18 c2 Bangiev).
9 e1 ! (Bangiev & Hergert) is 11 d3!? xf3+ 12 e1 (not 12 d2??
another hugely complicated line. c4+!) 12...g3+ 13 e2 f3+
Most theory concentrates on draws too, but in this line 12...xh1
8...e5, which is analysed in more comes into consideration.
detail in my CM article. Then 9 e1!? 9 d3 f6!
has been revived recently but White Littlewood wrote that as a brash
has normally played 9 h3 when: young man he decided Black could
a) 9...h5 was played in a famous do better than the 8...e5 line of
CC miniature Keres-Menke, 1933, Jago-Thomas. He had sent in analysis
116 64 Great Chess Games
WT/M/974, 1964-65
The Players: Sundin (1914-99) was distracting the defenders, while the
a famous pianist and an enthusiastic rest of his pieces break through on the
postal player, who worked his way kingside.
up from Third Class to become a The fact that Black could have de-
CC International Master. He won fended much better at one point does
the tournament in which this game not seriously detract from the origi-
was played (scoring 5/6) and then nality of the winning attack.
tied first in a World Championship 1 d4 e6 2 e4 d5 3 c3 b4 4 e5
semifinal to qualify for the 7th CC d7 5 d2
World Championship Final. There he White prevents the thematic
finished 9th with 8 points from 16 doubling of the c-pawn.
games, which seems to have signalled 5...b6 6 f4
his retirement from international play. One of many moves to be tried
The loser Erik Andersson (born June here, but not objectively dangerous.
8, 1917) was also Swedish. 6...e7 7 g4 g6? (D)
About this game: Everyone loves XIIIIIIIIY
a sacrifice and this game, which 9rsnl+k+-tr0
became known as The Swedish
Immortal Correspondence Game, was W
9zp-zpqsnp+p0
widely published when it first became 9-zp-+p+p+0
known. For example, it featured in 9+-+pzP-+-0
the book Freude Am Fernschach 9-vl-zP-zPQ+0
by Werner Heinrich as an example 9+-sN-+-+-0
of the victory of spirit over material. 9PzPPvL-+PzP0
Certainly the position before the final
move where Black has two s and
9tR-+-mKLsNR0
White has none cannot have had xiiiiiiiiy
many parallels outside the world of
chess composition. White allows his This is usually a serious mistake
to be trapped on the queenside, when the dark-squared is outside
Game 24: Sundin-E.Andersson 121
the pawn chain; better 7...f5 8 f3 white s return to the centre and
a6=. thence to the kingside but White
8 b5 c6 9 d3 a6 10 xa6 doesnt need the for the attack!
xa6 11 e2 b7 12 f3 b8?! 18 f5! c4 19 f6 c7
Heinrich observes that it is better Black must not let the out of the
not to speculate about the meaning box: 19...a3? 20 e2 xb1? 21
of this secretive move. Alex Dunne, e3 followed by h6 and mates.
in Chess Life (1996), suggested 20 b3 c6
12...xc3 (...c5) while 12...000 Dunne and others say 20...xd2
was preferred in the Dutch magazine was the only move here. The
Schakend Nederland and other official view of the game is that
contemporary annotations. Black makes a poor position worse by
13 f2 xc3 failing to eliminate the dark-squared
Not 13...c5? 14 b5. . However, Black may have missed
14 bxc3 c5 a draw at move 25, in which case that
Heinrich suggests that it was more opinion must be revised.
urgent to play 14...h5 followed by 21 h6 fc8 22 h4 a5 (D)
...c7 to hold the kingside. Now there is a direct threat of
15 b5+ 23...a4 to trap the and if White
This lures the e7- to c6, so prevents this by 23 a4 then 23...b5
making it easier to advance f4-f5. 24 h5 g5! when, compared with the
15...c6 16 ab1 00?! game, Black gets play down the b-file
Castling into the attack was after 25...bxa4.
brilliantly punished in the sequel that XIIIIIIIIY
redeems the rather poor play in the 9-trr+-+k+0
earlier part of the game. While it is true
that improvements for the defence have W
9+-sn-+p+p0
been found lately, in the pre-computer 9-zpq+pzPpvL0
era it is not surprising that Black could 9zp-zppzP-+-0
not defend after this move. 9-+nzP-+PzP0
A more prudent policy (suggested 9+QzP-+N+-0
in several sources) would have been 9P+P+-mK-+0
16...c4 followed by ...c7 and the
will find safety on d7, or at once
9+R+-+-+R0
16...c7. xiiiiiiiiy
17 g4! a5
Heinrich observes that ...e7 23 h5! a4
would probably not hold the position 23...g5 is ineffective: White will
any longer in view of h4-h5, so Black parry the threat of ...a4 (by moving
plays for swindling chances on the the b1) and then capture the g-
queenside. The idea is to obstruct the pawn at leisure.
122 64 Great Chess Games
The Players: Estrin was introduced three pawns each, apparently offering
in Game 21. Berliner (born in Ger- drawing chances. After the tempestu-
many in 1929) had a distinguished ous crescendos of the preceding play,
academic career and was a pioneer Berliner now treated the chess world to
in writing games-playing computer a slow movement in which he forced
programs. A member of the US team the win by delicate manoeuvres. This
at the 1952 FIDE Olympiad, he took endgame will repay careful study.
up postal chess and three times won In recent years there have been
the CCLA Golden Knights before intensive efforts to bust Berliners
winning the World Championship by variation, which he has resisted by
a record margin of three points. He strengthening Blacks play in several
was recently persuaded out of retire- places. I suspect White is now close
ment to meet all the other living CC to proving a refutation, although Ber-
world champions in an ICCF Jubilee liner himself denies this. If you show
tournament. positions from early in the game to a
About this game: GM Soltis judged computer running commercial soft-
this enduring classic the best game ware, you will almost invariably be
ever played. It also featured in The told White is winning, yet continue
Mammoth book of The Worlds down some of Berliners lines for a
Greatest Chess Games by Burgess, few more moves and you may see the
Emms and Nunn while in 1998-9 program suddenly change its evalua-
Chess Mail readers voted it the best tion to equals or better for Black.
CC game ever played. I recommend you to play through
This is a symphony in three con- the whole game, skipping the theory
trasting movements, beginning with debates, and come back to them later.
a sensational sacrificial innovation, 1 e4 e5
which Berliner had prepared specially CC means playing the board,
for Estrin. That was followed by an not the man but if you know your
extremely dynamic middlegame in opponents style and preferences
which White came off worse but man- then opening choices can be made
aged to simplify to a ending with accordingly. In his other World
Game 25: Estrin-Berliner 125
trying to refute 12 e2 and his book On the other hand, White has
The System (Gambit Publications, a shattered pawn structure, his
1998) has mind-boggling analysis of queenside development is nonexistent,
12...e6! (the only sensible move) his own is not particularly safe and
continuing to move 25 and claiming Black threatens ...xg3+. Black is
that Black should at least draw. preparing to open the e-file for a
However, after 13 xb5+ d8 check (after driving away the from
I see nothing wrong with 14 fxe4 b5) and his is eyeing promising
xg3+ 15 hxg3 xh1 16 exd5 squares on b4 and f4. The next two
(Tait). Also, in his main line 13 fxe4 or three choices for each side will
b4! Berliner fails to consider the determine the assessment.
possibility 14 e5!? c2+ (14...0-0-0 13 00
15 d3) 15 d1 g4 (or 15...xa1 Castling seems obvious but a huge
16 xb5+ d7 17 d5) 16 xc2 amount of theory has developed
xe2 17 xe2 which looks . without a firm conclusion in Whites
Since practical tests are lacking, this favour. Although 13 fxg4? xg3+ 14
jury will return the Scottish verdict hxg3 xh1+ 15 f1 b4! 16 c3
not proven. I expect detailed anal- (better 16 d3!) 16...d3+ hardly
ysis of this and some other critical looks playable for White, two other
possibilities to be published by Jona- moves that have been getting serious
than Tait next year in a book he is attention recently.
writing on the Two Knights. a) The move 13 b3!? (D) is the
12...d8 (D) reason why the Hungarian theoretician
XIIIIIIIIY Jzsef Plkvi rejects 8...h4 in his
9r+-mk-+-tr0 1999 book, though he was apparently
unaware of Dr. Berliners privately
9zp-zp-+pzpp0
W published 1998 monograph From
9-+-vl-+-+0 the Deathbed of the Two Knights
9+L+n+-+-0 Defense which goes deeper.
9-+-zPp+lwq0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-+-+PsN-0 9r+-mk-+-tr0
9PzP-zP-+PzP0 9zp-zp-+pzpp0
B
9tRNvLQmK-+R0 9-+-vl-+-+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+L+n+-+-0
9-+-zPp+lwq0
At this stage, Black has sacrificed a 9+Q+-+PsN-0
piece and a pawn, he has lost the right 9PzP-zP-+PzP0
to castle and a is en prise. So is
Berliner right to be confident that his
9tRNvL-mK-+R0
attack is worth at least a draw? xiiiiiiiiy
Game 25: Estrin-Berliner 127
tried in practice, e.g. 16 xf3 xd4+ probably simpler, even though the
17 h1 b4 18 e4 xg3 19 hxg3 endgame took a lot of work.
b6 20 e3 but Black eventually 17 h1 xg3 18 hxg3 b6 19 d3
won in two German postal games: e3 20 xe3 xe3 21 g4 h5 22
W.Rehe-Bruder, Germany 1974 and h3 g5
K.Behrendorf-P.Leisebein, 1988. 22...h4? worked in a later game but
d2) 15...b4 (15...e7!?) and White should have replied 23 d2
now 16 a4 c6! 17 c3 e8 18 d3 when Black is no longer winning.
(not 18 ce4? xe4! 19 xe4 xf3 23 d2 g4 24 c4 xg3 25 xb6
20 gxf3 xh2+ 21 f1 d3) gxh3 26 f3 hxg2+ 27 xg2 xg2+
18...xf3 19 xf3 xd4+ seems 28 xg2 cxb6!!
about equal (20 f1 xd3+), while Black must not allow White to
Fritzs try 18 ce2 looks drawn after eliminate more pawns by a4-a5.
18...xf3 19 gxf3 d3 20 c2 b5! 29 f1
21 xd3 h5 22 f4 xh2+ 23 f1 A.Lopukhin-A.A.Semeniuk,
h3 (Tait). Cheliabinsk 1975, reached this pos-
15...xf3 (D) ition too, but how White thought he
After all that theoretical discussion, could improve is a mystery. That
Black has a terrific game. We are game went 29 h3 e8 30 f1 e3+
ready to see how he went on to win. 31 h4 e7 32 xh5 e6 33 g5
XIIIIIIIIY g3+ 34 f4 xd3 (01, 50 moves).
9-tr-mk-+-tr0 29...e7 30 e1+ d6! 31 f1
(D)
9zp-zp-+pzpp0
W
9-+-vl-+-+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-+n+-+-0 9-+-+-+-tr0
9-+-zP-+-wq0 9z
B
p-+-+p+-0
9+-+-+lsN-0 9-zp-mk-+-+0
9PzP-zPL+PzP0 9+-+-+-+p0
9tRNvLQ+-mK-0 9-+-+-+-+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-+P+-+-0
9PzP-+-+K+0
Berliner wrote that the next 14
9+-+-+R+-0
moves were forced on each side. xiiiiiiiiy
16 xf3 xd4+
Actually 16...e8!? (Tait) is a seri- 31...c8!!
ous alternative but I cannot find any Berliner wrote: One of the best
forced win, or significant improve- moves I have ever made... Instead of
ment for White later in the actual tying down the to defend the weak
game. So Berliners 16...xd4+ is kingside pawns, Black gives up one
134 64 Great Chess Games
White must withdraw the to avoid the opponents pieces. However, this
tricks like ...xe4 and ...d5. The is but the prelude to a Houdini-like
immediate 9 f4 is bad, as Black has display of escapology!
at his disposal the counterblow 9...d5! Rittner, as a professional chess
10 exd5 exd5 11 e2 e8 12 h1 editor and CC specialist, achieved
a3! 13 bxa3 xe3 (E.Grnfeld- great success by following main
Taimanov, Sczawno-Zdroj 1950). lines (especially in the Ruy Lopez
This is why Bobby Fischer favoured 7 and Sicilian) where he knew all the
b3 when he could meet 7...a6 by 8 latest theory and regularly refuted
f4!? or 7...e7 with e3 and 00. misguided attempts by his opponents
9...a5 10 f4 d7 to avoid, or improve on, the books. In
10...b6 is the alternative, when this case, however, he met his match.
after 11 e5: Simagin was an original analyst
a) 11...e8 12 f5! (Gellers move, who was often willing to take on
improving on 12 f3 xb3 13 c6 the defence of Sicilian positions
d7! Neikirch-Botvinnik, 1966.) supposedly bad for Black and, by
12...dxe5 13 fxe6 when: giving them a new twist, would
a1) 13...fxe6 should be met by 14 breathe new life into them. Sometimes
xf8+! according to the recent book these ideas (as is the way with the
on the Sozin by Mikhail Golubev, open Sicilian) might not stand the test
and not 14 xe6?! xd1 15 xf8+ of time but would only be effective
xb3 16 axd1 d4. for a game or two.
a2) 13...xb3! 14 c6 d6 11 f3 c8 (D)
and now, since 15 d5 is refuted XIIIIIIIIY
by 15...h4! 16 exf7+ xf7 17 9-+rwq-trk+0
xf7 xa1 18 f1 f6 (Bilek-
Petrosian, Oberhausen 1961) White W
9zpp+lvlpzpp0
seemingly must be content with 9-+-zppsn-+0
15 xd6 xd6 16 axb3 xe6 17 9sn-+-+-+-0
xa7!?, with some advantage in the 9-+-sNPzP-+0
ending (Fischer-Korchnoi, Curaao ct 9+LsN-vLQ+-0
1962). 9PzPP+-+PzP0
b) 11...dxe5 12 fxe5 e8! is
better and has been revived in recent
9tR-+-+RmK-0
years by Ruslan Sherbakov (but not xiiiiiiiiy
12...d7? 13 xf7!).
Instead of all this, with which both 12 g4?!
players were undoubtedly completely Simagin wrote: This continuation
familiar, Simagin employs a new gives the game great interest. Does
continuation, which allows White White have the right to launch a pawn
the possibility of a strong bind on attack against the ? I believe that
Game 26: Rittner-Simagin 137
The Players: Alexander (1909-74) was was also included in the collection
born in Cork, Ireland, but lived nearly of Alexanders games, edited by Gol-
all his life in England. He was one of ombek & Hartston. Alexander himself
several chess players involved in the was probably the source for most of
WW2 Ultra codebreaking operation at the lines cited in both books.
Bletchley. When its Cold War successor, 1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 b5 a6 4 a4
GCHQ, was established in Cheltenham, f6 5 00 e7 6 d4
Alexander moved there; he and several Nowadays this variation is rare in
colleagues were the nucleus of strong master chess because it lacks strategic
Gloucestershire teams of the 1950s and depth compared with the 6 e1 line.
1960s. He was twice British Champion In the pre-computer era, however, such
and a FIDE IM as well as an excellent sharp opening variations often paid off.
writer on the game. In the last decade of First, the opponents opening knowledge
his life he concentrated on postal chess would be tested, and then his analytical
and earning the ICCF IM title in 1970, abilities. In this game, Clarke passes the
playing on Englands olympiad team. first examination but fails the second.
Clarke (born 1933) wrote the first 6...exd4 7 e1
books in English on Petrosian and Tal. This move allows Black to castle and
A British Master OTB, he played many retreat his to e8, but on the principle
times for England; he had a reputation that you cannot have an attack without
for being an extremely hard player to development, it gives more prospect of a
beat. In the 1970s he took up CC more lasting initiative than 7 e5 e4.
seriously and obtained the ICCF IM 7...00 8 e5 e8
title (1976) and then GM (1980) before 8...d5 9 xd4 xd4 10 xd4
giving up the game for health reasons. b6 11 b3 d5 12 exd6 used to
About this game: It first appeared be thought good for White, but the
in Gloucestershire Correspondence reputation of the move has improved.
Chess 1954-81, which records Instead of 12...xd6 13 f4 or 12...
the feats of that team in the annual xd6 13 e4 (f4), ECO
inter-county competition organised gives 12...f6! 13 e4 cxd6! 14
by the British Chess Federation. It c3 xc3 15 bxc3 d5 16 e7
Game 27: Alexander-Clarke 141
The Players: Roman Altshuler (born central tension for as long as possible.
1919) was famous in the USSR for Instead 5 exd5 leads to standard
organising a series of CC contests positions.
by radio in 1959 between Moscow, 5...cxd4
where he lived, and teams from Sov- Black has many other moves here,
iet Arctic and Antarctic bases; later he though some of them are dubious.
organised similar events for players a) 5...d6 6 e5! b8 7 dxc5
on Navy ships. He became an ICCF ge7 8 00 00 9 e1 is known to
international master in 1967. I have no be a difficult line to defend.
information about Gilezetdinov. b) 5...a6 6 exd5 axb5 7 dxc6 bxc6
About this game: Apparently Altshul- 8 dxc5 xc5 9 e2 f6 10 00 00
er retired from international play after 11 b3 e7 12 d1 and White had
the 5th CC World Championship but the initiative (10, 34) in Alekhine-
played this fine attacking game a few B.Rabar, Munich 1941.
years later. It was published in the c) 5...d7 was a move Alekhine
Latvian magazine Shakhmaty sev- met several times and he considered it
eral years later, on the occasion of his a serious mistake; Black rapidly gets
reaching the age of 60. into difficulties due to the open e-file.
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 d2 c5 4 gf3 Alekhine-M.Bartosek, Prague 1943,
This is often played although 4 went 6 exd5 exd5 (6...xd4? 7 xd4
exd5 is the main line. cxd4 8 dxe6! xb5 9 h5) 7 00
4...c6 xd4 8 xd4 cxd4 9 e2+ e7 10
4...f6 is a common alternative, f3 xb5 11 xb5+ d7 12 e2
while 4...a6 transposes to 3 d2 000 (12...f6 13 e1) 13 f4!
a6 4 gf3 c5, which is a perfectly (10, 34).
playable line for Black. d) 5...f6 is probably best, e.g. 6
5 b5 exd5 xd5 7 c4 d6 8 dxc5 xc5
This was Alekhines favourite line 9 0-0 d7 (-, 48) Alekhine-
against the French in his later years. B.Thelen, Prague 1942.
White is determined to maintain 6 00!?
Game 28: Altshuler-Gilezetdinov 145
driving seat but with Blacks s and After 28...h8 29 d5! Black can
s active, it is no easy matter to find have an early bath, e.g. 29...ee2 30
the right line. Logic tells us that the g4+! f6 (30...g8 31 xf7+) 31 xf6
must be activated to the maximum, e1+ (31...e4+ 32 f3+) 32 f1+.
but this move offers the exchange and 29 d7+!?
surrenders e2 to the black s. Heemsoth thought White has no
26...xb1 win after 29 xh7+ xh7 30 h8+
Not 26...ee2 27 xd4 xg2 g8 31 h6+ e7 32 e1+ d7
28 xf5 when Black can resign, but 33 d1+ c8 34 xd8+ xd8. He
26...xg2!? is interesting: gave the continuation 35 h4 d1+ 36
a) Heemsoth planned another h2 dd2, but after 37 f8+ and an
sacrifice: 27 xf5!? g1+ 28 xg1 exchange of s, the and passed h-
xg1 29 xg1, which both he and pawn are probably winning in fact.
Dr Hunter assessed as strategically 29...g8 (D)
won for White because of his central XIIIIIIIIY
, but instead of Heemsoths line 9-+-wqr+k+0
29...f8 30 bf1 a8 31 f6+ g7
32 g5+ h8 (32...h6? 33 h4) W
9+p+N+p+p0
33 h5! g7 34 xh7+ g6 35 h4! 9-+-+-+l+0
h8 36 h5+ g5 37 e4+ g4 38 9+-+-+-+-0
f4+ h3 39 h4#, Black has the 9-+PwQ-+-+0
better defence 29...g7 30 bf1 d7 9+P+-+-zP-0
because the white queenside pawns 9r+-+-+LzP0
become vulnerable if he goes in for a
liquidation on f7.
9+-+-+R+K0
b) If 27 xg2 e4+! 28 h3 g5! xiiiiiiiiy
...h6+ (Heemsoth gave 28...e6,
but then 29 xd4 h6+ 30 g4 g6+ This is the position on which Dr
31 f4) 29 f4 e6 30 xe4 xe4 Hunter had pinned his hopes, but he
and Blacks activity is worth the pawn. totally misjudged it! Consider the
Maybe White should try 28 f3 here. statement in British Chess (based
27 xd4 g6 on Heemsoths notes) that: After 30
27...xg2 does not work: 28 f6+ xb7 ae2!, threatening ...e1, the
h8 29 d7+ g8 30 xg2 e2+ tables are quickly turned and White
(30...g6 31 f6+ h8 32 b2!, or must seek the draw.
31...f8 32 xh7+! xh7 33 h8+ On the contrary, after the awful
g8 34 h6+ e7 35 e1+, or 30...ae2?! Whites winning chances
33...e7 34 e1+ wins) 31 g1 e4 markedly revive by 31 f6+ f8 32
32 f6+ g7 (32...xf6 33 xf6!) h4 and Black does not have time to
33 h5+ h6 34 g7+ and mates. play ...e1. Instead, given a glass of
28 f6+ f8 his favourite whisky, Dr Hunter would
Game 30: Heemsoth-Hunter 155
The Players: Estrin was introduced in 00, h3, c3 and the queens is
Game 21. Morgado won the GM title developed on d2 in most cases. 4 c4
by taking second place in this cham- would allow Estrin to reach a main
pionship. In the mid-1990s he was line of his favourite Grnfeld Defence
one of the pioneers of email CC with after 4...00 5 c3 d5.
both ICCF and IECG. His Ajedrez de 4...h5!
Estilo is one of the leading Spanish- Most of Pereyras opponents chose
language chess websites. 4...d5 (transposing to the Barry) and
About this game: I include this some played 4...d6. Estrin takes the
flawed battle partly for the unusual game down independent paths, but
opening and middlegame, and partly this cost him a lot of reflection time.
because of the background story. 5 e5
1 d4 5 g5 h6 is the alternative:
Morgado opened 1 e4 in other a) 6 h4 g5 7 g3 d6 8 d3
games but wanted to avoid Estrins xg3 9 hxg3 c6 10 e4 e5 11 dxe5
theoretical knowledge of open games. dxe5 12 xd8+ xd8 13 c4 e7
1...f6 2 f3 g6 3 f4 14 d1! d7 15 e3 c5= and
Morgado decided to play an Black eventually won a tough struggle
irregular queens pawn game that was in Pereyra-Rinaldi, LIPEAP-15
the patent of his countryman, Manuel Peruvian Jubilee corr 1988-91. White
Pereyra Puebla. This is similar to the tried 16 d2 ( 17 g4!) but Black
Barry Attack, which is popular among got in first with 16...g4.
British amateurs. The Barry goes 3 b) 6 d2 d6 7 e4?! (White
c3 when Black must either play should have played 7 e4.) 7...e5 8
3...d5, or allow White to carry out his dxe5 dxe5 9 c3 e7 10 d2 c6
threat to transpose to a Pirc Defence 11 g3 g4 12 xh5 xh5 13
after 3...g7 4 e4 d6. e4 d8 14 e3 00 was 01, 29
3...g7 4 c3!? in K.Vickers-S.Gerzadowicz, USCF
This is the Pereyra System. In the Absolute Ch 1986; that game is in
normal London System, White plays Gerzadowiczs Journal of A Chess
4 e3, 5 e2 (or c4) followed by Master.
160 64 Great Chess Games
ed by registered post due to its having perpetual check, but through this
got lost in the mails; this was a com- return of material Black retains his
mon frustration when playing against advantage (White cannot play 20
USSR opponents. On account of the xe7 hd8 21 f5+ f6).
serious postal problems, Morgado At this point, Black (who had spent
later requested that both he and Estrin 57 days thinking time so far) originally
be obliged to play by registered post sent a card with an impossible move,
for the remainder of the game, which which incurred a 5-day penalty and
was approved by the Tournament Di- caused him to exceed the time limit.
rector. After move 21 Morgado sent (In ICCF postal play, it is necessary to
all his moves by registered post with exceed the time limit twice before you
advice of delivery. lose the game.) This meant that a new
13 xd4+ xh7 14 d3+ h6 time count started for Estrin, who had
(D) 30 days more to reach move 29.
XIIIIIIIIY 20 xe7+ xe7 21 xe7 cf8! 22
9rsnlwq-+-tr0 d1
22 000 was the alternative, with
9zppzp-+-+-0
W a similar position.
9-+-+-+-mk0 22...xh2 23 d7 fxf2 24 d5+
9+-+p+-+-0 f8 25 c3 f7 26 d8+ g7 27
9-+-+-+-+0 d2 e7
9+-sNQ+-+-0 The game began at the end of October
9PzPP+PzP-zP0 1978 and it was now April 1981.
28 b3 b5?!
9tR-+-mKL+-0 Here Morgado claimed Black
xiiiiiiiiy exceeded the time limit again, but
this was rejected by the appeal judge.
This was the position Morgado Meanwhile, this move gives White
envisaged at move 10. hope. A better plan was 28...f7 and
15 h3!? ...e6, preparing ...d7.
The best possibility. If 15 000 29 a3 a5
g5+ 16 f4 xf4+ 17 e3 c4 18 On this 29th move, the last of the
d2 h4. new count, Estrin spent one day. On
15...c6! 16 xc8 xc8 17 xd5 Morgados calculations it seems to be
Without this move, the checks of irrefutable that the Russian had used
the white would be ineffectual. 31 days on moves 19-29 and therefore
17...g5 should have forfeited the game. ICCF
A critical moment. The position is did not agree, so the game continued
extraordinarily rich in possibilities. with Estrin having a further 30 days
18 h3+ g7 19 d7+ e7! to reach move 39, on top of any time
It appears that White has a accumulated.
162 64 Great Chess Games
XIIIIIIIIY
29...c5!? was possible because if 9-+R+-+-+0
White captures on b5, his gets W
9+-+-+-mk-0
trapped on the back rank by the 9-+-+-+-+0
doubled s and he will probably
lose all his pawns. But White would 9+N+-+-+-0
answer 30 b4 as in the game and 9-+-+-+-+0
30...a5 transposes to the next note. 9+p+-+-+-0
30 b4 axb4 9-+P+r+-tr0
30...c5 was possible here too but 9+-mK-+-+-0
after 31 bxc5 b4 32 axb4 axb4 33 xiiiiiiiiy
d5 exe2+ 34 xd3 xc2 35
d7+ (35 xb4?? hd2+) White no accumulated time left from the
probably has a draw. If he is ever previous count, and apply the time-
able to give a check on d6, then the doubling rule (later abolished) that
is protected and he can play xb4, after 12 days reflection time, every
while if the black stays back it extra day counted double. On this
cannot get out of check. basis, Morgado counted 24 days for
31 axb4 c5?! Estrin, making a total of 33: exceeding
Objectively, this is an error that the allowance by 3 days. The three
permits the liquidation of the game, days difference between when Estrin
but Estrin was presumably concerned actually received Morgados move
chiefly with finding a way not to lose. and when he said he received it
Forcing exchanges suited that policy. are doubled to 6 days and that is
31...c6 32 d6 c7 would have what makes the difference between
kept chances for Black, but not 32... exceeding the time limit or not.
h6?! 33 xh6! xh6 34 e4! g6 Since Estrins conditional left only
35 e3 f6 36 e2! followed by bare s on the board, Morgado had to
d4 with an excellent disposition of stop playing and make his final claim,
the white forces. The white can go which was ultimately refused. Estrins
to d3 and threaten c2-c4 (Morgado). conditional had its desired effect and
32 c8! ICCF declared the game a draw,
This is a clear drawing variation. presumably on the grounds that you
32...cxb4 33 xb5 cannot win on time with a bare ?
Now the pawn on c2 is defended. The row and the decision
33...exe2+ 34 c1 b3 (D) !? Argentinas ICCF vice-president
Estrin proposed the continual Carlos Germn Dieta made an official
conditional 35 d4 xc2+ 36 xc2 complaint but it was rejected. Estrin
xc2+ 37 xc2 bxc2 38 xc2 and produced a hand-written certificate
offered a draw. Simultaneously he from a Russian post office official
exceeded the time limit for the fourth to support his case. Dieta claimed
occasion, if you agree that he had that Estrins certificate must be false
Game 32: Morgado-Estrin 163
Finjub-20, 1981-84
The Players: Eric Arnlind was intro- d5 20 g4 and, having quenched any
duced in Game 31. queenside counterplay and blocked
CC-GM Keith Richardson (born the centre, White went on to win on
1942) is a typical English amateur, the kingside (10, 44). Blacks play in
combining chess with family life and the opening was miserably passive.
a career as a bank manager. He has b) 4...c6 5 d2 b5 is a main line
the best record of any British player but it had not been doing well at the
in CC world championships: two third time. After 6 f3 (6 f4!?) 6...d7
places, in the 7th and 10th Finals. He 7 d3 The Ultimate Pirc by Nunn
has played seldom in recent years. and McNab recommends 7...h6, e.g. 8
About this game: The Axelson Mem- e3 gf6 9 h3 e5 10 00 a6 11 dxe5
orial was an all-GM tournament or- dxe5 12 ad1 e7 13 a4 h5 14 axb5
ganised by the Swedish CC federation axb5 15 a1 xa1 16 xa1 00=
and the strongest postal event ever Atanasov-Todorevi, Varna 1977.
held until the mid-1990s. 5 b5
1 e4 g6 2 d4 g7 3 c3 d6 4 g5 White meets the counter-attack on
This is a slightly unusual move in his d-pawn with a pin. An original
the Modern Defence but Richardson situation has developed already. Other
had played it himself not long before possible moves are 5 d5 and 5 ge2.
with White. 5...d7 (D)
4...c6 Since Black ends up recapturing
Black could transpose to a Pirc with the b-pawn when White takes
Defence by 4...f6 but that would lose the , he should have preferred a
the point of his move order. Richardson- different move here.
A.Backlund, NBC-15 Volmac-A 1982, 5...a6 accepts the doubled pawn
went instead 4...h6 5 e3 f6 6 f3 c6 but plans to use the b-file and pair
7 d2 a5 8 ge2 b5 9 c1 bd7 later: 6 xc6+ bxc6 7 ge2 b8
10 e2 c7 11 d3 b7 12 00 a6 8 b3 f6 9 00 and now 9...b7
13 a4 b6 14 b3 fd7 15 a5 c8 (Winants-Speelman, Brussels 1988)
16 b4 00 17 ad1 e6 18 f4 f5 19 e5 or 9...h6!? (Nunn).
176 64 Great Chess Games
XIIIIIIIIY
point of view, leaving Black with
9r+-wqk+ntr0 doubled isolated pawns. And his
9zppzplzppvlp0 structure is even worse after 9...g4
9-+nzp-+p+0
W 10 h3 f6 11 f4! fxe5 12 dxe5 0-0
9+L+-+-vL-0 (or 12...xe5 13 xe5 dxe5 14
9-+-zPP+-+0 g3 0-0 15 e2) 13 d2 xe5
9+-sN-+-+-0 14 xe5 dxe5 15 h6 with a clear
advantage to White despite his pawn
9PzPP+-zPPzP0 minus; while if 10...h6 11 e1!
9tR-+QmK-sNR0 puts pressure on e7 as in the game,
xiiiiiiiiy e.g. 11...0-0? 12 exd6 or if 11...d5
6 f3 12 d2 (12 a4!?) 12...f5? 13 g4
White does not want to exchange h6 14 gxf5 hxg5 15 e6.
until Black spends a tempo on ...a6, 10 xd5 cxd5 11 e1
so he must defend the d-pawn. The This pinpoints a serious weakness
Ultimate Pirc gives instead 6 ge2 in Blacks position at e7, preventing
a6 7 xc6 xc6 8 d2 f6 9 f3 e5 castling (11...0-0? 12 exd6).
10 00 00 11 ad1 exd4 12 xd4 11...e6
Itkis-R.Gallego, Yerevan OL 1996. Black tries to mask the weakness
6...f6 and retain the pair. However, Arn-
The timing of this move is a little lind indicates that 11...dxe5 12 xe5
strange. Black might have played xe5 13 xe5 e6 was the lesser
6...a6 7 xc6 xc6 and if 8 d2 evil, and maybe in this line 12...f6!?
f6 counter-attacking e4 since, might be considered, e.g. 13 xd7
unlike the previous note, White cannot xd7 14 f4 0-0 playing for ...e7-e5.
defend the e-pawn by f2-f3 and since 12 c4!
he has not castled, he cannot defend Very forceful play, again
it by e1. For this reason, Arnlind preventing castling, i.e. 12...00? 13
would perhaps have played 8 00, cxd5 xd5 14 exd6.
when Black might reply 8...h6 or even 12...a7? (D)
8...f6!?. XIIIIIIIIY
7 00 a6 8 xc6 bxc6?! 9-+-wqk+-tr0
Black is trying to create a fluid,
unbalanced situation but 8...xc6
9tr-zp-zppvlp0
W
would have been more consistent. 9p+-zpl+p+0
Whites next move highlights the 9+-+pzP-vL-0
fact that d7 is unavailable to the 9-+PzP-+-+0
black . 9+-+-+N+-0
9 e5 d5 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
There is little choice since 9...dxe5
is clearly undesirable from a structural
9tR-+QtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Game 36: Arnlind-Richardson 177
WT/M/GT/221, 1987-90
The Players: Grant R. Lambert is an dangers for both sides, they have been
untitled Australian player with a lot very deeply explored which, in my
of international experience; his cur- opinion, is more to Blacks benefit
rent ICCF rating is 2397. Manfred in CC. 5 e5 has also been deeply
Neumann, from eastern Germany, analysed but earlier departures from
is a regular competitor in European theory are more likely to be possible
and World master class postal tourna- than after 5 0-0.
ments; at the time he was rated 2220 5...d5 6 b5 e4 7 xd4 c5
but by early 2002 this rose to 2377. (D)
About this game: This was voted XIIIIIIIIY
the Best Played Game 1989 by 9r+lwqk+-tr0
the Correspondence Chess League
of Australia. When Fernschach
9zppzp-+pzpp0
magazine ran a readers competition W9-+n+-+-+0
in 1998, where games were published 9+LvlpzP-+-0
without notes or players identities 9-+-sNn+-+0
this game yet again came out top. 9+-+-+-+-0
I am unconvinced by Lamberts 9PzPP+-zPPzP0
opening innovation (at move 12) but
the decisive sacrifice is highly
9tRNvLQmK-+R0
original and sound. xiiiiiiiiy
1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 c4 f6 4 d4
Instead of 4 g5, as in Game 25, This sharp continuation for Black
White opens the centre. has largely replaced the older line
4...exd4 5 e5 7...d7. Black does not bother to
After 5 0-0, Black can either choose defend his c-pawn, trusting in tactical
5...xe4 (see Game 55) or defend deterrents to its capture. Of course
the Max Lange Attack by 5...c5 8 xc6+?! bxc6 9 xc6? is not a
6 e5 d5 7 exf6 dxc4. Although the serious option because of 9...xf2+.
complications in either case hold Great complications can arise if
180 64 Great Chess Games
since the piece can be regained by 30 f4 c5, but clearly Black stands to
25...d3 with a favourable position. win with his extra pawn and superior
White loses if he tries to save the : pieces. Also note that 24 g1 is no
26 f4 (not 26 c1 c4+ with mate good; Black does not even take the
in 4) 26...c4+ 27 f1 g5 and the piece because 24...g5+ 25 e4 xe4
is won back anyway. forces mate.
24 c1 (D) 24...xe1+!?
XIIIIIIIIY This is a sure sign that the game
9-+-+rtrk+0 was played before the computer age
in CC: Black does not play the forced
9zp-zp-+-zpp0
B mate!
9-vll+-+-+0 Lambert wrote: Tempting here is
9+-zp-+-+-0 24...g5+ instead, so as to answer 25
9-+-zp-+-+0 g1 by 25...h3#. However, with
9+PzP-vLnsN-0 the reply of 25 e4, White prolongs
9P+-+N+KzP0 the game by giving up a piece to
make a flight square on g3 for his .
9+-wQRtR-+-0 However, 25 e4 fails to 25...xe4!
xiiiiiiiiy 26 f4 (or 26 g3 f3+ 27 g2
g4+ 28 g3 f8+ 29 g1 h3#)
Lambert wrote: Reasoning that 26...exf4+ 27 g3 f3+ 28 g4
since his will suffer anyway, he d7+ 29 xg5 h6+ 30 h5 h3+
may as well have a to show for 31 g6 e8#.
it. The alternative is 24 h3 (to By technically imprecise play,
avoid the discovered check) when Lambert actually managed a quicker
24...xd2 25 xd2 f2 now gives mate, because his opponent did not
a strong attack. Here I was unable to play the most tedious defence at move
calculate a forced win, but Whites 27.
position is unenviable. A possible 25 g1
continuation is 26 f4 d7+ 27 The alternative 25 h3 d7+ 26
h4 xh2+ 28 g5 f8!, when the h4 g2+ 27 h5 xe3 leaves
noose has tightened around the white Black with a mating attack against the
on g5. The threats include ...h6+ lonely white .
followed by ...f6# or ...c6 followed 25...f3+ 26 f1 dxe3 27 c4
by ...d8+. 27 g1 would have prolonged the
The computer program Fritz7 game albeit hopelessly.
thinks 26 f4 is a blunder and gives 27...xh2+ 28 e1
instead 26 xd4 cxd4 27 xe8+ 28 g1 f2 with a mating attack.
xe8 28 h1 e2 29 cxd4 xd4 28...f1+ 29 xf1 f3# 01
Game 38
White: Dr Jonathan Penrose (England)
The Players: Penrose (born 1933) is 4 but wanted Black to show his hand
a grandmaster of both ICCF and FIDE first (4...g6 is a major alternative).
(being awarded that title retrospec- 5...b6 6 e2 c6 7 00 e6 8 c3
tively). An academic psychologist e7 9 d5! exd5 10 cxd5 b4
by profession, he holds the record If 10...b8 White can choose
for winning the greatest number of between 11 f4 and 11 e5. If
British OTB championships (ten). He 10...xf3 11 xf3 e5 12 e4 is
took up postal play in the mid-1970s, somewhat better for White.
winning several master tournaments 11 d4 xf3 12 xg7
and becoming ICCFs top-rated play- GM John Emms wrote in The
er. Dr Penrose retired from CC soon Scandinavian (1997) that: This
after coming third in the 13th World leads to fantastic complications,
Championship. which seem to favour White.
Goldenberg has been an ICCF IM The quieter alternative for White is
since 1986. 12 xf3 when:
About this game: Penrose, typically a) 12...c2? 13 xg7 f6 14
for his style of play with White, finds g4 xa1 15 e1+ e7 16 g5
a direct and aggressive line which is c8 (16...g8 17 xe7! xg4 18
still of theoretical relevance today. His c5+ d7 19 xg4+ and mates) 17
original notes were greatly expanded e4! (18 f6+ f8 19 h6#)
in Chess Mail 6/2000. Most of the 17...xg5 18 f6+ f8 19 xg5
variations below stem from him. h6 20 h7+ and xd8+.
1 e4 d5 b) 12...0-0 13 d1 c4 14 e1
Goldenberg was a specialist in this e8 15 a3 a6 16 e2 d6 17
defence not as popular then as it c2 f6 18 e3 (Lau-Bcker,
later became. Bundesliga 1993-94) was discussed in
2 exd5 f6 3 d4 xd5 4 f3 Stefan Bckers German history-and-
g4 5 c4 theory magazine Kaissiber (1/1996
White can also play this at move page 13).
184 64 Great Chess Games
XIIIIIIIIY
12...f6 13 b5+ c6 14 e1+ d7
15 dxc6+! 9r+-wq-+-tr0
Whites alternatives include: 9zp-+k+pwQp0
a) 15 g3 xd5 16 g4+ e6 W9-snp+-vl-+0
17 xb4 xc3 18 d1+ d5 19 9+L+-+-+-0
bxc3 c8 20 c4 e8 21 a6 9-sn-+-+-+0
(Kukk-Kularts, Estonia Email Ch 9+-sN-+l+-0
1999) 21...b8 Penrose.
b) 15 xf7+ c8 16 e6+ d7 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
17 dxc6+ and now: 9tR-vL-tR-mK-0
b1) 17...bxc6 18 c4 and White has xiiiiiiiiy
compensation thanks to the exposed 16 g3!
position of Blacks according to Babachanov criticized this move,
Karen Babachanov (Armenia) in but Penroses analysis vindicates his
Kaissiber. He gives the following choice.
continuation: 18...xc3 19 bxc3 d5 He thought his opponent might
20 xd5 xd5 21 xc6+ c7 22 have met the obvious 16 xf7 in
d1 b8 (22...e8? 23 g5) 23 g5 previous games. After 16...c8 17
e8 24 f4 d8 25 d4 b6 26 c4 e6+ gives nothing on 17...b7
(26 a4! a6 27 c4 Bcker) 26... (Babachanov), while if 17 c4 xc4
e8 27 ad1 be6 28 f1 threatening 18 e6+ b7 19 xc4 a5 20 f7+
to win material by xc7. a6 21 c4+ b7 22 f7+ a6
b2) If 17...xc6 (Goldenberg) then: 23 c4+ - P.Kerkhof-J.De Wolf,
b21) Bcker recommended 18 f4 Belgium Cht 1996/97. Or 17 gxf3
(e4-d6+) but Penrose suggests g8+ 18 xg8+ xg8+ 19 f1
18...g8 in reply. cxb5. Bcker suggests 17 f1!?.
b22) 18 xc6 xc6 (18...bxc6? 16...xc3
19 a3) and now the possible moves a) Not 16...cxb5 17 h3+! when
include: if 17...c7 18 f4+ b7 19 xf3+
b221) 19 b5 (Babachanov) a6 (19...c8 20 ac1!) 20 a4!
19...e7! (Penrose) 20 d6+ with a very strong attack. Or 17...c6
c7 21 f4 xe6 22 xe6 hf8 18 xf3+ 4d5 (18...c7 19 f4+
(Bcker). b4) 19 xd5 xd5 20 h6
b222) 19 d5/ Penrose. xb2 21 ad1 g8 22 e2 c3 23
Blacks moves were coming back e3! b4 24 e5! seems to win
almost by return post so, Dr Penrose (Emms), and White has other tries too.
remembers, I was looking for a line of b) Babachanovs suggestion 16...
play that might be unexpected for him, xg2 is interesting and may be
while still being reasonably good for Blacks best hope in this line. After 17
White. g4+ c7 18 f4+ b7 19 xg2
15...bxc6 (D) (D), Penroses assessment is .
Game 38: Penrose-Goldenberg 185
XIIIIIIIIY
or 24 ab1 d7 25 xb5 c6. Its
9r+-wq-+-tr0 a big mess, but there doesnt seem
9zpk+-+p+p0 anything devastating for White.
B9-snp+-vl-+0 Instead of this, 20 xc6+!?
9+L+-+-+-0 xc6 21 ad1 can be considered.
9-sn-+-vL-+0 Another possibility is 20 e4!? (
9+-sN-+-+-0 21 c5+ c8 22 a6#) 20...e7
21 ad1! but maybe Black can
9PzP-+-zPQzP0 hold with 21...c8! 22 c3 g8!
9tR-+-tR-mK-0 23 g3 b4! 24 xd5 xe1! 25
xiiiiiiiiy b4! xb4 26 xd8 gxd8 27
From the analysis diagram above: f3.
b1) 19...6d5 20 xc6+ xc6 21 So maybe Babachanovs 16...xg2
ad1 (Penrose) or 21 ed1, leaving is a reasonable try but I think the whole
the other to go to c1; or else 21 5...g4 line is looking unhealthy for
g3!? leaving all options open (the Black.
black isnt going anywhere!). 17 bxc3 cxb5
b2) 19...xc3 20 bxc3 4d5 17...xg2 18 g4+ c7 19 f4+
(the end of Babachanovs analysis) b7 20 xg2 transposes to line b3)
and now Penrose gave 21 xc6+! just above.
(21 c4 xf4 22 xc6+ b8 23 18 g5 (D)
c5! Bcker) 21...xc6 22 c4 g8 XIIIIIIIIY
23 g3 xc4 24 ac1 c5 (or 9r+-wq-+-tr0
24...g4 25 e4) 25 xc4+ xc4
26 e4+ c5 27 c1+ b6 28
9zp-+k+p+p0
B
b1+ a5 (If 28...c6 29 a4+ or 9-sn-+-+-+0
28...c5 29 c2+) 29 e1+ a4 30 9+p+-+-vL-0
d1+ a5 31 d2+ a4 32 c2+. 9-sn-+-+-+0
b3) 19...4d5 is harder to refute 9+-zP-+lwQ-0
although White evidently has more 9P+-+-zPPzP0
activity and can consider various
tactical ideas, but I dont want to fill
9tR-+-tR-mK-0
several paragraphs with inconclusive xiiiiiiiiy
analysis. If you intend to play this
line, look at it for yourself. This attack on the black is
Penroses line 20 ed1!? xc3 an essential zwischenzug in order
21 bxc3 cxb5 22 a4 does not quite to stop Black playing ...f6 at
convince after 22...g8! 23 g3 g5 some appropriate moment, observes
having protected the d5- Black Penrose. If instead 18 xf3 4d5 19
can answer 24 a5 with 24...c4, xf7+ c8.
while if 24 axb5 c8, or 24 h4 f5, We are now at the really critical
186 64 Great Chess Games
XIIIIIIIIY
juncture of the game, though you
would never guess from reading 9r+k+-+r+0
Emms book, which has no comments 9zp-+-+p+p0
on any of the moves from numbers 17 B9-snq+-+-+0
to 21. 9+p+-+-+-0
18...f6 9PzP-+R+-zP0
Bckers 18...g8! 19 xf3 9+-+-+Q+-0
xg5 20 cxb4 c7 is the critical
reply, as analysed in Kaissiber and 9-+-+-zPP+0
Chess Mail. I have no space for all 9+-+R+-mK-0
the ramifications, but here are the xiiiiiiiiy
salient points arising from Whites Now Penroses main line goes
best line 21 h4!. 25...bxa4 (If 25...xa4 26 c4
a) 21...d8 22 xf7+ d7 (or or 25...a5 26 axb5 or 25...e8 26
22...b8 23 e7 f8 24 g7 g8 xe8+ xe8 27 a5) 26 b5 c7 (or
25 e5+ c8 26 c1+) 23 ac1+ 26...xb5 27 e7 b8 28 xf7 or
b8 24 ed1. 26...c5 27 f4 b7 28 xf7+) 27
b) 21...xh4 22 xf7+ d7 23 de1 d8 (or 27...b8 28 e7 d7
ac1+. 29 e8+) 28 e7 d7 29 e8+ d8
c) 21...g4 22 ac1+ c4 30 1e7 xe8 31 xe8+ d7 32
(22...b8 23 e8+) 23 xf7+ xf7+ d6 33 e6+.
b8 (23...d8 24 d5+) 24 g3! There is one other possibility,
g6 (Other moves are no better: namely 25...d8.
24...g7 25 e8+; or 24...c8 25 Against this, Penrose gave 26
e7; or 24...c8 25 e7 d6 26 f5+ d7 27 axb5 but Bcker
xc8+ xc8 27 d5 d8 28 g7; showed that Black has the resource
or 24...d8 25 e7 d6 26 b7+ 27...xe4, and he suggests instead
xb7 27 c7#) 25 f4+ c8 (If 26 xd8+ xd8 27 d4+ c7 28
25...d6 26 xc4, or 25...d6 26 xf7+ d7 29 axb5 xb5 30 d5
h5 d3 27 ed1, or 25...b7 26 winning (Kaissiber 15, page 8).
e7+ a6 27 xc4.) 26 xc4+ Now we return to the actual finish
bxc4 27 xc4+ d7 (27...b8 28 of the game after 18...f6.
e7 c8 29 f4+) 28 d5+ d6 19 xf3 4d5 20 e3
29 b7+. Threatening xb6 and ad1. If
d) 21...d5 22 e7+ d8 (If 20...xe3 21 b7+ d6 22 xe3
22...c8 23 c1+ d8 24 e4 or c5 23 e6 and the black is
22...c6 23 c1+ c4 24 c7+ surrounded.
d6 25 d7+.) 23 e4 c8 (If 20...c7 21 ad1 e8 22 a4!
23...c7 24 d1 c6 25 e7+ or Whites whole plan (starting with
23...f5 24 d1 fxe4 25 xd5+ xd5 16 g3) depended on this a-pawn
26 d1.) 24 d1 c6 25 a4! (D). thrust to disrupt the black queenside.
Game 38: Penrose-Goldenberg 187
White soon regains his piece, and because of the variation 30 xc6+
Black will still have problems because xc6 31 xd7 xd7 32 xd7 xd7
of his weakened pawn structure 33 xc7 xc7 34 g4 d6 35 f4
and slightly insecure position. d5 36 f2 c4 37 g5 fxg5 38 fxg5
However, White must be careful not xc3 39 h5 b4 40 g6 hxg6 41 h6 and
to let his back rank become weak, e.g. White queens with check.
22 xb6+? xb6!. Black might have just waited with
22...d6 his but White can make gradual
If 22...bxa4 23 c4!. progress, e.g. with 29...c8 White
23 a5 ed8 24 axb6+ axb6 25 g3 can play 30 e4 b7 (30...e7 31
c6 26 f4+ b7 27 d3 d7 28 xh7) 31 d4 and/or h5-h6 followed
ed1 ad8 29 h4 (D) by preparing the advance of his g-
XIIIIIIIIY pawn.
9-+-tr-+-+0 30 e4
The h-pawn cannot be captured yet
B
9+k+r+-+p0 but it will become a target after some
9-zpq+-zp-+0 consolidation.
9+p+n+-+-0 30...c8 31 d4 b7 32 h2
9-+-+-vL-zP0 c5 33 f5 c6 34 4d2 c4
9+-zPR+QzP-0 35 xh5
9-+-+-zP-+0 It can be taken now, since Blacks
counterplay proves to be insufficient.
9+-+R+-mK-0 35...e4 36 g4 f5 37 g6 xf4
xiiiiiiiiy 38 xd7+ xd7 39 xd7+ c8 40
d8+!
29...h5?! This final tactic enables White to
Penrose observed that: Black avoid disruption of his pawn structure
continues to have difficulty finding in the ending.
playable moves. It is unfortunate for 40...xd8 41 d6+ c8 42 xf4
him that 29...c7 does not work e6 43 h5 10
Game 39
White: Ove C. Ekebjrg (Denmark)
NBC-25, 1991
The Players: Ekebjrg was runner-up once. First Black gains a little space
in the 14th CC World Championship, a and time.
few years after this game. Timmer- 6...g6 7 f3 f5 8 d5 e7 9 xc7+
man is the 15th CC World Champion. d8 10 xa8 b6 11 d3
About this game: NBC-25 was a A book like this cannot discuss the
mammoth tournament held to cele- intricacies of such a wild variation.
brate the Dutch CC Federations 25th The unbalanced nature of the position
jubilee. Timmerman was the winner makes computers an unreliable guide
and Ekebjrg was fourth. The game to what is going on. Ekebjrg follows
features a famous variation, in which a plan pioneered in the 1960s by his
Black sacrifices his on a8. countryman, Julius Nielsen, who had
1 c3 some impressive wins with White.
The Danish GM always opens with 11...b7 12 h4
this move, which is also a favourite of The idea of this move is to avoid
Dutch CC-GM van Geet. Timmerman being cramped on the kingside, but
makes the most flexible reply. the less explored 12 f3 d4 13
1...f6 2 e4 h3 is also playable.
White offers the choice of an 12...f4 13 f3 d4
Alekhines Defence (2...d5), a Pirc An alternative is 13...h6 14
(2...d6) or a Vienna. g4? e4! as in J.Ost Hansen-J.Nunn,
2...e5 3 c4 xe4 4 h5 d6 5 student olympiad, Teesside 1972, but
b3 c6 14 d2 is an improvement for White.
This line is really an exchange Timmerman prefers to post his on
sacrifice by Black. A quieter game the long diagonal.
can result from 5...e7. 14 g4 g7 15 d2
6 b5 In T.Wibe-Timmerman, from
White has a crude threat to capture NBC-25, White played 15 xb6
on d6 and then checkmate on f7. axb6 16 d2 6f5 17 c3 and
Obviously the cannot be taken managed to draw.
and if 6...e7 White wins the at 15...xa8 (D)
Game 39: Ekebjrg-Timmerman 189
6...xf6 d2! 00 17 c4 c7 18 d2 f5
6...gxf6 7 c3 usually returns to the He is anxious to get counterplay.
previous note. I am not sure if this is a mistake. If
7 00 d6?! White gets f2-f4 in first, Black could
7...cxd4! 8 xd4 xg2 9 xg2 be in trouble.
a6 is good enough for Black. 19 exf5 xf5 20 h3 f6 (D)
I looked at it again before choosing XIIIIIIIIY
6 c3 against Sanakoev. Also 7...d8 9r+-+-+k+0
is better than Honfis move.
8 e4! (D)
9+lwq-vl-zpp0
W
XIIIIIIIIY 9p+-zp-tr-+0
9rsn-+kvl-tr0 9+-zpPzp-+-0
9zpl+-+pzpp0 9-+N+-+-+0
B 9+-+-+-zPL0
9-+-zppwq-+0
9+pzp-+-+-0 9-zPPwQ-zP-zP0
9-+-zPP+-+0 9tR-+-tR-mK-0
9+-+-+NzP-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9PzPP+-zPLzP0
21 e4
9tRN+Q+RmK-0 A very difficult move; after 19
xiiiiiiiiy days I decided on a slow approach.
21 f4 exf4 22 a5! looks good,
Now 8...xe4 9 c3 c6 10 d5 but I didnt like 21...h6. 21 a5
is very promising for White, I think. was also interesting, but here I
8...d7 9 e1 d8! 10 d5! considered 21...c4!? to be possible.
Starting long-term play against 21...af8 22 f1 h6 23 g4 h8
the badly placed at b7. Curiously 24 f4!?
enough, the never gets into I convinced myself that this was
play... the only chance to play for a win.
10...e5 11 a4!? Blacks problem with the b7-
Trying to win c4. Honfi gives should become more serious after
in at once, but if 11...a6 12 a3!? the exchange of s and s (one
probably. pair or both).
11...bxa4 12 c3 b6?! 13 f1! 24...exf4 25 fxf4 hf6 26 a5!
With the threat of b5+. And the d8
was now without work at g2. 26...xa5? 27 xa5 and both s
13...a6 are hanging. Maybe 26...xf4!? is
Making the b7- a little more worth looking at, but Honfi retreated
unhappy. the without hesitation.
14 xa4 e7 15 xb6 xb6 16 27 xd8 xd8 28 e6 xf4 (D)
Game 41: Sloth-Honfi 197
XIIIIIIIIY 35 c4 c7 36 c8 a5 37 a3!
9-+-vl-tr-mk0 (D)
9+l+-+-zpp0 XIIIIIIIIY
9p+-zpL+-+0
W 9l+L+-+-+0
9+-zpP+-+-0 9+-vl-+-mkp0
9-+N+Rtr-+0 B
9-+-zp-+p+0
9+-+-+-zP-0 9zp-zpP+-+-0
9-zPP+-+-zP0 9-+-+KzP-+0
9+-+-+-mK-0 9sN-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-zPP+-+-zP0
29 xf4
At first my plan was 29 gxf4 to
9+-+-+-+-0
have one left to do the winning job xiiiiiiiiy
(if possible).
However, here Honfi proposed With the idea 37...f6 38 b5
the conditional sequence 29 xf4 b8 and both proud black s are
xf4 30 gxf4 and now 30...e7. unable to move! White should win, I
I had only expected 30...c7!, and think. In some variations the white
30...e7? could be the decisive goes after the black a-pawn...
mistake. 37...a4 38 b5 d8
29...xf4 30 gxf4 e7? 31 g2 g6 He doesnt want to stalemate both
Here (or on the next move) Black s with ...b8, but this is hopeless.
should probably play ...a5, giving up 39 xd6 f6
the pawn to free the . But Honfi was He was hoping maybe for 40 c4?
not that desperate yet. xb2!.
32 f3 g7 33 a5 40 e8+ 10
33 e4 is possible with the With the proposal 40...f7
threat 34 a5 a8 35 c8 winning 41 xf6. The endgame after
a pawn but Black then has another 41...xf6 is very easily won, for
chance to try 33...a5!?. instance with 42 c4 (e7 43 e5);
33...a8 34 e4 d8 the black is still trapped in the
The only way to prevent c8. corner.
Game 42
White: Gottardo Gottardi (Switzerland)
XIIIIIIIIY
The Players: Despite his name, Got-
tardi (born 1961) is actually from the
9r+-+kvl-tr0
German-speaking part of Switzerland. 9zpp+-zppzpp0
He joined the CC elite when he won B9-snnwql+-+0
the Konstantinopolsky Memorial with 9+-+-+-+-0
13/14 and then scored an unbeaten 9-+-zp-+-+0
11/15 in the 15th World Championship 9sNLzP-+N+-0
Final. He is currently taking a break
from competition but I expect to see a
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
strong comeback from him in future. 9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
Gritsaenko is a CC-IM. xiiiiiiiiy
About this game: Gottardis play is 10...dxc3
characterised by imaginative com- Black can also decline the offer with
binative attacks and deep openings 10...xb3, meeting 11 axb3 by 11...a6,
preparation, but theory has moved and 11 xb3 by 11...e6 or 11...d5.
on since the game was played. I 11 e2 xb3 12 b5 b8 13
particularly like the instructive final axb3 e5
attack with reduced material. In the same event, Gottardi-
1 e4 c5 2 c3 Brzzka went 13...e6 14 g3 (15
Despite its quiet appearance, this f4) 14...c8!?, but Gottardi found
move can lead to complications. a way forward: 15 g5!? a6 16
2...f6 3 e5 d5 4 d4 cxd4 5 f3 h5 d8 (16...g6 17 f3 d7 18
c6 6 c4 b6 7 b3 e4! d5 19 d1 g7 20 xd5!)
White offers a gambit instead of 17 xc3 h6 18 e3 d7 19 fd1
recapturing on d4. Black can avoid e5? 20 xd8+! xd8 (20...xd8
this line playing ...e6 at move 5 or 6. 21 xe6) 21 xf7+ xf7 22 xf7
7...d6 10.
This reaches the same position as 14 bd4 xd4
after the usual 7...d5 because White Alternatives are:
captures en passant in that case. a) 14...f6!? as in Rytshagov-Sadler,
8 exd6 xd6 9 00 e6 10 a3 (D) EU Cht Pula 1997.
Game 42: Gottardi-Gritsaenko 199
NPSF-50, 1994-96
The threat of the family fork by the should have been used to improve the
and the second threat to b5 give position of one of the s or, as Grahn
White no time to take on g7 or b4. suggests, to move the white out
18 e2 of the reach of the black : 23 b2
Obviously not 18 d4?? xb5 d5 24 g1 c5 25 e3 b6, with
19 cxb4 d3+. So Timmerman tries just a small advantage for Black.
to control the square f3, as 18 g3 23...c6 24 e3
fails to 18...xb5 19 cxb4 d3+, Grahn pessimistically thinks this is
or if White exchanges the s at d8 forced because after 24 xc6 xc6
instead, the at h6 gets lost, e.g. 19 25 d3 xe2! Black wins easily, e.g.
xd8 axd8 20 xg7? fe8 and 26 xe2 (26 xe2 b5 27 ad1
Black wins. a6) 26...a6 27 c4 (27 d1 xd3
18...e8 28 xd3 b5) 27...xc4 28 d1
This renews the threat of ...f3+ xd3 29 xd3 xf4.
and forces Whites to move. In Chess Mail 1/1997, I suggested
19 f1 f8 (D) that with 24 d3 White has chances
The first phase of direct threats is of equality despite the difficulties on
over; everything is protected, White the light squares. This was seen in
has lost castling rights, and for the O.Lorentzen-E.Sterud, Norway corr
pawn Andersson has great piece Ch 1997: 24...xd4 25 xd4 c5
activity. Now it is time for the active 26 xd8 xd8 27 b2 d6 28
s to retire. xd6 d5 29 f3 xd6 30 xb7
XIIIIIIIIY h2 31 xa7 e8 32 e1 -.
9r+-wqrvlk+0 24...xd4 25 xd4 e4 26 b2
c5 27 b1
9zpp+l+pzp-0
W If instead 27 xc5 xc5 28
9-+-+-+-vL0 d3 de8 (Harding, 1997) when
9+-+-snN+-0 Portuguese CC-GM Alvaro Pereira
9-+-+-+PzP0 analysed further in Peao Distante:
9+-zP-+-+-0 29 e1 (29 d2 xe2 30 xe2 b5
9P+-wQLzP-+0 31 ae1 d5 or 29 f3 b5!
30 xe4 xe4 31 ad1 xg4)
9tR-+-+KtR-0 29...b5 30 e3 xe3 31 fxe3 c6
xiiiiiiiiy with clear advantage to Black.
27...xd4 28 cxd4 c6 29 d1 f4
20 f4 a5 21 g3 ad8 22 d4 30 d5?
a4 23 h5 White returns the extra pawn in the
White tries to generate some hope of simplification but Andersson
attack but this move gives Black keeps the initiative. At this point,
the opportunity of an advantageous White had a better move that could
exchange on d4. So perhaps this tempo have kept his chances alive.
Game 43: Timmerman-U.Andersson 205
XIIIIIIIIY
30 d2! is a better way of giving
up the pawn. After 30...xd2 31 9-+-+-+k+0
xd2 fxd4 32 xd4 xd4 Black 9zpp+-+pzp-0
surely has a better position, but will it 9-+l+-+-+0
W
be enough to win the game? 9+-tr-+-+P0
Black can try for more by 30...g5 9-+-+-+P+0
when the threat is ...a4 and if the 9+-+-mKPwq-0
leaves the square d1 then Black can
play ...xf2+ as well as ...dxd4. 9PwQ-+L+-+0
However, Timmerman could reply 31 9+-+R+-+-0
c4! and the tries to go to b3 and xiiiiiiiiy
put pressure on f7; for example: Pereira comments: The white
a) 31...f6 32 g5! xd4 33 xd4 cannot get back under cover.
dxd4 34 xd4 xd4 and Whites Andersson plays the attack very
is much more active than in the well. Now that the retreat to f2 is
30...d2 variation. cut off, Blacks threat is 38...e5+,
b) If 31...d5 32 xd5 xd5 33 followed by ...xf3.
e1 the black is in danger. Also 38 d8+ h7 39 d3+ f5! 40 d4
not 31...fxd4? 32 xg5 xd1+ 33 40 xf5+ fails to 40...xf5 41
e2. So maybe there would be nothing gxf5 g5+ and ...xd8.
better than 30...xd2 after all. 40...xf3+ 41 d2 g2+ 42 e3
30...xd5 31 gd3 c5 32 f3 xd3 After 42 e2 d5 43 xd5 xd5
33 xd3 g5 44 xd5 xd5 Black has a winning
Black threatens ...xg4 and endgame Grahn.
definitely stands better now. Whites 42...g3+ 43 d2 h2+ 44 e2
kingside pawns are meant to be an Not 44 e3? e5+ but Black
offensive weapon in the Keres Attack demonstrates a forced win against the
but now they are his problem. If the text move also.
black can filter in behind them, 44...e5 45 c4 f3
then the game is over. This wins a piece, so the game
34 e1 c4 could have ended here.
Andersson begins the final assault. White still has a series of checks
35 f2 but the pawns on g4 and h5, meant
The returns to the kingside to attack the black , now serve as
because 35 d1 a4+ 36 e1 his shield.
c2 37 d4 h4+ is even worse 46 g8+ h6 47 h8+ g5 48
for White. xg7+ h4 49 f6+ h3 0-1
35...h4+ 36 e3 The black reached safety and
Not 36 g2?? xg4+ and White resigned. This was a fine win
checkmate. by Andersson who revealed that he
36...c5 37 d1 g3 (D) mostly analysed in his local cafe.
Game 44
White: Viktoras Milvydas (Lithuania)
but in view of the present game 22 White cannot take the yet
xd5 seems to be necessary. After because of 24 gxf4? h3 (...g6+)
22...cxd5 23 xa6 fe8, a position and if 25 e5 xe5 26 dxe5 g4+
arises which used to be treated in or 25 xe6 g4+ 26 h1 (26 f2
theory books as a transposition to xf4+) 26...xf1.
21...fe8 22 xa6 h8 23 xd5 24...h3+!!
cxd5. After 24 b5!, Black needs Nunn only analysed 24...xe6 25
an improvement upon 24...h6!? 25 e5! f4 26 xe6 xe6 27 xa6
f1 f3 26 c1 f8 27 e3 e4 g8 28 xc6! h3 29 a5! h6
(Unzicker-Nunn, Bundesliga 1991) (29...g4 30 e5) 30 f3.
because of 28 b3!, which still awaits 25 g2 g5!
practical tests. Black is a whole down but
Fortunately, it is by no means a this does not matter for the moment
death-blow to the Marshall if this with the white offside on a4.
line fails for Black, because he Blacks minor pieces are generating
has 18...h5 as well as interesting tremendous firepower. The most
sidelines such as 15...a8, 15...a7 obvious threats are 26...xe6 and
or 11...b7 to fall back on. 26...h3+ followed by ...xf1 but
22...xf4!? these are not the only ideas Black
This ingenious move was analysed has.
by GM John Nunn in 1989. He thought 26 f2!
it was inadequate but Muravyevs 26 g1 f3+ would be very
shocker at move 24 seems to mean unpleasant for White, who would have
Black draws and could easily win to choose between giving up his or
if White goes wrong. 22...xe3 23 else playing 27 f2 when the black
xe3 was prior theory. also enters the attack by 27...f4.
23 xf4 26...f3+!
If 23 gxf4? g6 Nunn. Black could take the on e6 but
23...xf4 24 xe6 (D) that would give White time to get
XIIIIIIIIY organised. Given his success in the
9-+-+-tr-mk0 game so far, Black will certainly be
trying to win this position and he may
9+-+-+-zpp0
B have other ways of trying to do so,
9p+p+R+-+0 here or over the next few moves.
9+-+-+p+q0 Care is required, however. For
9R+NzP-snl+0 example, after 26...f4?! White has the
9+LzP-+-zP-0 amusing 27 e3! when Black may
9-zP-+-+-zP0 be losing (27...h3 28 f1 d5+
29 f3).
9+-+-+QmK-0 27 f1 f4
xiiiiiiiiy 27...xe6!? 28 xa6 f4 29 e1
Game 44: Milvydas-Muravyev 209
The Players: Grigory Sanakoev was it specially for the 14th Final. The
the 12th CC World Champion, while point is to advance in the centre after,
Tnu im had won the 9th Champi- for example, 7 g5 c6 8 a4 d5 9
onship and the Axelson Memorial, e5 g4 with interesting play says
which was of comparable strength to GM Glenn Flear in his book Offbeat
a world final. Winning the 14th Final, Spanish. Whites next move forestalls
he became the first man ever to regain this plan.
the world title. 7 d5! a6 8 a4 f6 9 c3 00 10 e5
About this game: This was the deci- The critical alternative is 10 d6
sive game of the championship. im when im indicates 10...cxd6 11
had never beaten Sanakoev, and twice xd6 c7 12 d3 b5 (12...d5!?).
lost, so here he made a special effort, Instead 10...g6 11 0-0 cxd6 12 g5
beginning with an opening surprise. (Timmerman-im, won by White)
The notes are based on comments and 12 xd6 c7 13 d4 (Franzen-
Tnu im submitted to Chess Mail im, both from the Hans-Werner
just after the game ended. I also von Massow Memorial 1996-99) are
looked critically at the comments in somewhat in Whites favour.
the book Sajandi Parim Kirimaletaja 10...g4 11 00 d6 12 f4 g6 13
Tnu im edited by Taivo Kastan g5 f6 14 exf6 (D)
(Tallinn, 1999) where the game was XIIIIIIIIY
analysed by computers. 9r+lwq-trk+0
1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 b5 c5 4 c3
b6 5 d4 B
9+pzp-+-zpp0
White cant win a pawn by 5 xc6 9pvl-zp-zPn+0
dxc6 6 xe5 because of 6...g5= 9+-+P+-vL-0
attacking e5 and g2. White can play 9L+-+-+n+0
5 0-0 but it leaves Black a freer hand 9+-sN-+N+-0
after 5...d6 6 d4 d7. 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
5...exd4 6 cxd4 ce7!?
This move was revived a few years
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
ago by Jonny Hector; im prepared xiiiiiiiiy
Game 45: Sanakoev-im 211
13 d5 b4 15...h5
If 13...exd5 White does not If 15...bxc3 16 exf6 xf6 17 bxc3
recapture but continues 14 e5 g4 with massive control of the centre.
(14...h5 15 xd5) 15 xd5 c5 16 d2
16 e3 xe3 (16...c8 17 d2! Of course White does not want
with a double attack on the d7- his to be captured on f4. This
and a5-) 17 xe3 xe3 18 xe3 temporary piece sacrifice exploits
when Black has serious weaknesses. Blacks pair of s on the rim. If
13...c8 comes into consideration Black captures the white , he will
still, but after 14 e5 (or 14 d4!? soon lose the material back with a
c5 15 c2) 14...b4 (14...e8 worsening position: 16...bxc3? 17
15 h3) 15 dxe6 (15 xd7!?) xc3 c6 18 g5 (18 e1!?)
15...xe6 (15...fxe6 16 h3) 16 18...e8 19 xd7! xd7 20 d1
d5 xd5 (16...e8!?) 17 exd5 e8 21 xe6.
d6 18 xc4 xf4 19 xa5 16...e8!
White has regained the pawn. This is the best defence. Black
14 dxe6 protects the h5- and unpins his
White creates a new weakness on . Now if 17 d4 (to open the long
e6 and sets up a pin on the d-file. diagonal) he has 17...c5!.
The alternative was 14 e5 at once: Instead 16...c6?! would be met
a) 14...h5? 15 d2! bxc3 by a neat switchback: 17 g5!
(15...b8 16 dxe6 fxe6 17 e4) 16 e8 18 xe7 (or 18 e4) 18...xe7
xc3 exd5 17 xd5 b7 18 ad1 19 e4 with an attack.
c5 19 e6. 17 e4 a4 (D)
b) 14...bxc3? 15 dxe6 cxb2 16 Elwert points out that this move
xb2 fxe6 (16...b8 17 c2) 17 is a loss of time however, Black
exf6 xf6 (17...gxf6 18 d2 a4 must calculate extremely far in order
19 e1 xd1 20 xd1) 18 e5 to see why. White anyway has a clear
b8 (not 18...b8? 19 xb8 axb8 advantage after 17...c6 18 g5 or
20 xd7 nor 18...c6 19 ab1) 17...b5 18 d4.
19 a3 xe5 20 xe5 b5 21 XIIIIIIIIY
c3. 9r+-+qtrk+0
c) However, Black can defend
better by 14...xd5! 15 xd5 exd5
9+-zp-vl-zpp0
W
16 xd5 c6 . 9p+-+p+-+0
14...fxe6 15 e5 9sn-+-zP-+n0
The focus of play starts to shift 9lzpp+N+-+0
towards the kingside, where Black 9+-+-+NzP-0
hopes the half-open f-file gives him 9PzP-vLQzPLzP0
some activity. If instead 15 b1
c5!.
9tR-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
216 64 Great Chess Games
The Players: Mikhail Umansky can Probably the most striking comment
reckon, like Kasparov, that 13 is his that he made on that occasion was:
lucky number. He won both the 13th I think that in CC the outcome of
USSR Correspondence Championship the game mostly depends on the
(a very strong event) and later the 13th opening.
World Championship in which he was Important opening ideas are not
the dark horse who outpaced the the sole preserve of sharp openings
favourites, Bang and Penrose. Uman- like the Sicilian and Kings Indian.
sky, who is also a FIDE International Novelties of a strategic character
Master, has now emigrated with his are very important in high-level
family to Germany. correspondence chess. The following
Dr Hans Berliner has compared game, which began shortly after our
Umanskys style to Mikhail Tal; the meeting, was played in the strongest
Russians best games are very sharp postal tournament ever held. It shows
and finely calculated but also have how Umansky applied his philosophy
strategic depth. to beat a tough opponent.
Heinrich Burger emigrated from 1 d4 f6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 g7 4 g2 d5
West Germany to the East during the 5 cxd5 xd5 6 e4 b6 7 e2 e5
Cold War. After the reunification of This possibility is not even
the country he found himself back in mentioned in the book Fianchetto
the Federal Republic and playing on Grnfeld by Mikhalchishin and
the German national team! He became Beliavsky but a known position soon
a CC grandmaster in 1996. arises by transposition.
About this game: When I first met 8 d5 00 9 00 c6 10 bc3
Umansky in 1996 at that time the This position more usually arises
new World Champion I made a from 7...00 8 00 c6 9 bc3 e5
short interview with him, which was 10 d5.
published in Chess Mail 2/1997. 10...cxd5 11 exd5 a6 (D)
Game 47: Umansky-Burger 219
XIIIIIIIIY
White has a very powerful central
9r+lwq-trk+0 passed pawn which breaks the
9zpp+-+pvlp0 opponents position into two halves
9nsn-+-+p+0
W and all Whites pieces are better
9+-+Pzp-+-0 placed than their opposite numbers:
9-+-+-+-+0 Blacks has no target and his s
9+-sN-+-zP-0 are particularly badly situated on the
edge of the board.
9PzP-+NzPLzP0 19 2c3 h6 (D)
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0 XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+rwq-trk+0
12 b3
A novelty. 12 b3 is known from
9zpp+-+pvl-0
Antoshin-Tukmakov, USSR 1972, W9n+-+-+pzp0
while 12 a4 has also been seen. Now 9sn-+Pzp-+-0
if 12...g4 13 e3 c8 14 fd1. 9-+-+N+-+0
12...c5 9+-sN-+-zP-0
12...g4 13 e3 c8 14 fd1. 9PzPQ+-zP-zP0
13 a3 a6 14 d1 c4 15 b3
a5
9tR-vLR+-mK-0
15...d6 16 e3 d7 17 e4. xiiiiiiiiy
16 c2 f5
If 16...f5 17 d6 or 16...d7 17 Black prepares ...f5, ...e4 to bring
d6 b4 18 e4. his position to life. White, however,
17 e4 has seen further.
Note how, whenever a black piece 20 b4 xb4
seems to come to an active square, Not 20...c4 21 d6 f5 22 d7 c7
Umansky drives it back or (in this 23 b5 and wins, but now if 21 a4
case) exchanges it, gradually gaining c4 22 a3 xa2.
control of more of the board. However, Umansky found what
The potential energy of Whites Kotov called a creeping move: a
passed pawn and the fact that it short sidestep which significantly
controls key squares (especially c6) alters the tactical possibilities.
limits Blacks possibilities. 21 b1 a6 22 a3!
17...xe4 With the point that if 22...e8
If 17...d7 18 d6 f5 19 d5+ then 23 d6 d7 24 d5 is winning.
h8 20 a3 c8 21 b4 c6 22 a2 Instead 22 d6?! f5 23 d5 doesnt
ab8 23 b2. work because of 23...h7! 24 d7
18 xe4 c8 a8! (Umansky). The move chosen
If 18...h6 19 b4 xb4 20 a4 effectively gives up two minor
a6 21 a3 e8 22 d6. pieces for a but retains the strong
220 64 Great Chess Games
d-pawn and creates serious kingside variation, the is further from the
weaknesses. passed pawn and if 30...bc6? then
22...f5 23 xf8 xf8 24 d6 c4 31 e8+ g7 32 d6 wins.
Its all tactics now. Black 30...xe4!? 31 xe4 ac6
presumably did not like the look of 31...bc6? 32 e8+ g7 33
24...fxe4 25 xe4 b6 26 d3 b4 xa1 c4 34 e1.
27 b5, e.g. 27...bc6 28 d5+ 32 xg6!
g7 and now maybe 29 d7 c7 30 This strips the black of more
ac1 e6, d6. cover. After 32 e8+?! g7 33
25 b5 fxe4 26 xe4 h8!? (D) xa1 d3! Black has chances of
The idea is to prevent the achieving a blockade.
invading on f7 with check: 26...h7 32...e5
27 d5 b4 28 f7+ g7 29 d7 The white can beat three black
xe4 30 d6 g4 31 e6 wins minor pieces after 32...g7 33 e1
according to Umansky. xd7 34 e8+ xe8 35 xe8+
XIIIIIIIIY h7 36 f4 etc.
9-+-wq-vl-mk0 33 f4 c3
Against 33...b6+ 34 g2 d8
9zpp+-+-+-0
W 35 e8+ g7 the best line appears to
9n+-zP-+pzp0 be 36 e7+ g8 37 xe5 bc6 38
9snQ+-zp-+-0 f6 and White should win. If instead
9-+r+N+-+0 36 fxe5 bc6 37 d6 (Umansky),
9+-+-+-zP-0 Black may hang on by 37...b1!.
9P+-+-zP-zP0 34 d6 10 (D)
9tR-+R+-mK-0 XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-wq-+-mk0
B
9zpp+P+-+-0
Now White undoubtedly had to do 9-+ntR-+Qzp0
a lot of calculation to find the correct 9+-+-+-+-0
route through a maze of tempting 9-sn-+-zP-+0
variations. 9+-vl-+-zP-0
Umansky rejected 27 xe5+ g7 9P+-+-+-zP0
28 e6 xa1 29 d7 because after
29...c7 30 xg6 xe4 31 xh6+
9+-+-+-mK-0
g8 32 g6+ g7 33 xe4 c6 xiiiiiiiiy
34 d6 e5 Blacks pieces cooperate
well, despite the denuded kingside. Black resigned. The final point is a
27 d5! b4 28 xe5+ g7 29 mating attack after 34...f8 35 e6
e6 xa1 30 d7 c5+ 36 g2 d5+ 37 h3 xd7
By comparison with the previous 38 f5 e7 39 f7.
Game 48
White: Volker-Michael Anton (Germany)
endgame. If s are exchanged, White his position. This will prove wise
can advance his passed e-pawn and later on.
Blacks c-pawn is weak. 47...f8 48 d5 xb4 49 axb4!
e) 35...d6 (or 35...e7) 36 b3 This is much stronger than winning
maintaining the pin. back the exchange. White now has a
Van Geet tried for counterplay on powerful passed pawn.
the queenside but this also failed. 49...e7 50 b5 d6 51 c5 d7
35...c5 36 bxc5 bxc5 37 c3 52 b8 c7 53 c6 e8 54 b6
Black has to meet the threat of d7 55 b4 b7 56 e4 d6 57
a5 and his passed pawn is firmly b2 d8 (D)
blockaded. XIIIIIIIIY
37...a7 38 b3! 9-+-snr+-mk0
The comes to e6 and then
eliminates the danger pawn. W
9+-+-+-+p0
38...h8 39 e6 g8 40 xc5 9-zPNwq-+p+0
d8 41 d5 (D) 9+-+Lzp-+-0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+P+-zP0
9-+-tr-+qmk0 9+-+-+-zP-0
9tr-+-+nvlp0 9-wQ-+-zPK+0
B
9-+-+-+p+0 9+-+-+-+-0
9+-sNLzp-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-+-+-+-zP0
9zPQvL-zP-zP-0 58 xd8!
9-+-+-zP-+0 The simplest. Naturally 58 a5 is
also good, and the b-pawn will cost
9+-tR-+-mK-0 Black a piece.
xiiiiiiiiy 58...xd8
If 58...xd8 59 f4.
41...b8 59 c6 e6 60 b7 b8 61 a1
According to Black afterwards, f6 62 f4 g7
returning the exchange by 41...xa3 On 62...g8 comes 63 xe5
was perhaps better. However, it does xe5 64 fxe5 f8 65 e6.
not save the game because White has 63 xe5 1-0
an extra pawn and superior piece Black resigned because of the
activity (42 xa3 xd5 43 e6). inevitable moves 63...xe5 64 fxe5
42 b4 c7 43 c4 c8 44 e6 f8 65 d7. He was the first to
e8 45 a6 xc4 46 xc4 b7 congratulate Anton on winning the
47 g2! tournament, remarking that the game
White is in no hurry and improves deserved the beauty prize.
Game 49
White: Erik B.H. Bang (Denmark)
The Players: Erik Bang (born Octo- Chess Mail. A few additional
ber 25, 1944) has been an ICCF opening references have been added.
international master since 1974 and 1 d4 f6 2 c4 e6 3 c3 b4 4 e3 c5
a grandmaster since 1979; he also 5 ge2 b6
played many times for Denmark over I am not an expert on this line, but
the board. His wins in strong CC I believe that here Black is currently
tournaments include the Canadian 60th experiencing some difficulties.
Jubilee tournament and best result on 6 a3 a5 7 b1 a6 8 d2
top board in 8th Correspondence Ol- The latest fashion here is 8 f3, for
ympiad Final. He was runner-up in the example 8...00 9 d5 e8 10 f2
13th World Championship and before exd5 11 cxd5 d6 12 g3 xc3 13
that in the Axelson Memorial. bxc3 c7 14 c4 b5 15 e4 bxc4 16
Mikhail Umansky was introduced xc4 with complicated play, as in the
in Game 47. game Aleksandrov-Serper, New York
About this game: Here Bang takes Open 1998.
revenge for his loss to Umansky, 8...00 9 g3 b7
which decided the top two places in This is the first important moment.
the World Championship a few years Instead of the text move, 9...d5!?
earlier. On that occasion an almost looks like a better try. For example,
imperceptible strategic error by Bang in the game Knaak-Christiansen,
in the opening was punished. This German Team Cup Final, Porz 1997,
time it is Umansky who makes the Black obtained a reasonable position
slight but fatal error. I am grateful to after 10 cxd5 cxd4 11 exd4 xc3 12
FIDE grandmaster Alexander Baburin bxc3 exd5 13 f3 c7 14 f2 e8 15
for permission to reproduce the notes h4 a6 16 xa6 xa6 17 h5 d7.
he wrote specially for my magazine 10 d3 (D)
226 64 Great Chess Games
XIIIIIIIIY
Of course, its important to make
9r+-wq-trk+0 sure that Black cannot just snatch the
9zpl+p+pzpp0 pawn with 13...xg2. However, just
9nzp-+psn-+0
B a glance at the position arising after
9vl-zp-+-+-0 14 g1 b7 15 h5! confirms that
9-+PzP-+-+0 Whites attack is very strong and
9zP-sNLzP-sN-0 more than compensates for a minor
material loss. Whites c3- can join
9-zP-vL-zPPzP0 the offensive after timely thrust d4-d5,
9+R+QmK-+R0 while Black has major problems with
xiiiiiiiiy defence, where the awkwardly placed
10...c8? a6- does not play any role.
I dont quite understand the point I believe that the following
of this move. It seems that Black is analysis is quite instructive: 15...g6
wasting a valuable tempo, jeopardising (15...xh5? 16 xh7+! xh7 17
his counterplay in the centre. xh5+ g8 18 h6) 16 d5
Black later tried 10...d5 here. After xh5 17 xh5 e8. Now White can
11 cxd5 cxd4 12 exd4 xc3 13 bxc3 win some material with 18 f6 exd5+
xd5 14 e2 c7 15 f3 White 19 f1 c6 (19...e6 20 xg6!)
stood better in the game Lautier- 20 e1 xf6 21 xe8 xe8 but the
Beliavsky, Ubeda 1997. Then in final position is very unclear.
Shulman-Marin, Excelsior Cup, Its better to play 18 g3! and
Gteborg 1999, Black improved with then after 18...f5 19 d2! e5 20 e1
14...b8 15 f3 a2 16 e4 xe4 d6 (20...e4 21 eg1) 21 xf5
17 fxe4 a6! 18 0-0 xd3 19 xd3 xf5 22 xf5 xc4 23 f4, White is
xa3 20 g3 f6 21 f4 e5 22 dxe5 winning.
c5+ 23 h1 -. I would be interested to know
11 e2! why White preferred the strategically
Now ...d5 is no longer an option riskier text move to 13 xc3.
for Black. Probably, though, this is a matter of
11...cxd4 12 exd4 xc3 13 bxc3 style.
This is not a trivial decision. 13...b8
Obviously White counts on the Of course the line 13...xg2? 14
kingside attack and therefore wants g1 b7 15 g5 gives White a
to keep his on the c1h6 diagonal. winning attack for a mere pawn.
Still, I would probably have played 14 00 d6 15 g5! h6
the more elastic 13 xc3. Then This move seriously compromises
Black cannot play 13...d5 because Blacks kingside, but after 15...bd7
of 14 cxd5. If he prepares it with 16 h5 h6 17 h4 it would be
13...c7, then ...d5 can be met with almost impossible to break the pin.
c4-c5. 16 f4 a6?! 17 fe1 d5 (D)
Game 49: Bang-Umansky 227
XIIIIIIIIY
After 23...f6 White has a
9-snrwq-trk+0 pleasant choice between 24 xf6+
9zp-+-+pzp-0 xf6 (24...xf6 25 e7) 25 e7,
9lzp-+psn-zp0
W or 24 e7 xf2+ 25 h1 xc2 26
9+-+p+-+-0 xc8, or (possibly the best) 24 e3.
9-+PzP-vL-+0 24 e3 (D)
9zP-zPL+-sN-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+QzPPzP0 9-snrwq-+-mk0
9+R+-tR-mK-0 B
9zp-+-+-+n0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-zp-+-tr-+0
Here Black probably thought that 9+-+p+N+-0
he was doing OK. Yet, the revelation 9-+lzP-+-+0
was just around the corner. 9zP-zP-wQ-+-0
18 d2!! 9-+L+-zPPzP0
This is a brilliant concept: White
gives up a pawn to preserve his light-
9+R+-tR-mK-0
squared , which soon will play xiiiiiiiiy
a key role in the kingside attack. I
wonder whether White had foreseen Maybe when Black played
this idea when he played 13 bxc3, 19...h7, he believed that he would
though. still have reasonable chances here.
18...xc4 19 c2 h7 However, now he must have
At first glance Blacks defensive realised that his position was
task does not look too difficult, beyond repair: his has been
but a closer examination shows stripped of his pawn shield, while
that its nearly impossible to stop his pieces on the queenside are
White striking on h6, for example absolutely idle.
19...bd7? 20 xh6 gxh6 21 xh6 24...c6 25 h3! d7 26 h5!
and Black cannot do anything about 10
the threat of 22 h5. Probably Black This nice manoeuvre concludes
had to return a pawn by playing the attack, as now Black cannot
19...e4 20 xe4 dxe4 21 xe4 prevent 27 e7. Since the line
with better chances for a defence. 26...f7 (26...e6 27 h4!) 27
20 xh6! gxh6? xf7 xf7 28 d6 cf8 29 xf7+
This is probably where Black xf7 30 h4 is too grim, Black
crossed the borderline. Better was resigned.
20...f6 21 f4 c6 when Black is This was a fine game where White
still in the game. built up his attack on better strategy,
21 xh6 f5 22 xe6+ h8 23 successfully exploiting Blacks not
xf5 f6 very obvious mistakes.
Game 50
White: Janis R. Vitomskis (Latvia)
Black needs just two more moves (or ...f7) 22 xg4 hxg4 23 xe7,
(...a4, ...b3) to set the queenside on but after exchanges on e6, Black has
fire, but his h8- is an idle bystander. too many weak pawns to survive,
Now White has all his pieces in despite the opposite coloured s. So
position and it is time to explode the he prefers to hope for a middlegame
kingside. swindle.
19 g4! h5 Now if 22 xe6 xe3 23 xe7+
If Black accepts the piece by xe7 24 xc8 d8 25 xe3 xc8
19...xg4 there comes 20 xe7+ 26 xd5 White has + two pawns
xe7 21 g5+ f8 (21...f6 22 versus +, but he wants more.
xg7+ f7 23 f5+ wins) 22 xg4 22 xe7+! xe7 23 g5+ f6 24
with a strong attack, e.g. 22...f7 23 xe6 xe6 25 xd5 f7 (D)
e5 e8 24 de1 e4 25 xe4 If 25...f7 26 e5 c6 27
xd4 26 f5!. xa5.
There is no time for 19...a4 because XIIIIIIIIY
of 20 xf6 gxf6 (or 20...xf6 21 9-+r+-+-tr0
xf6 gxf6 22 xe6+) 21 xe6+
xe6 22 h6+. Now the black
9+-+-mklzp-0
W
covers h6 and the is en prise, so 9-+-+nsn-+0
White needs a new line of attack. 9zp-+R+-wQp0
20 f5! 9-zp-+-+-zP0
The pressure on the e-file reaches 9+-+-+-+-0
breaking point. 9PzPP+-zPP+0
20...xg4
If 20...hxg4 21 xe6+ f7 the
9+-mK-tR-+-0
most convincing line is 22 xf6! xiiiiiiiiy
xf6 23 g5+ xg5 24 hxg5,
while if 20...d7 or 20...f7 then Black has three minor pieces for
21 e5 is strong. The text move sets the but not for long!
the trap 21 xg4?? xg5+ but this is 26 xe6+! 10
easily sidestepped. Black resigned for if 26...xe6 27
21 xe6+ xe6 e5#, or 26...xe6 27 xg7+ f7
Black could have made more 28 e5+, or 26...f8 27 xf6 gxf6
work for his opponent by 21...g8 28 xf6.
Game 51
White: Joop J. van Oosterom (Netherlands)
The Players: I introduced van Oost- positional player like van Oosterom.
erom in Game 1. However, Reynolds had played the
Professor Reynolds won the 6th US Budapest on his way to qualifying
CC Championship Final (1985-87) for the final and perhaps believed he
with the amazing score of 13 out of understood it well.
14. He lost only one game on his way 3 dxe5 g4 4 f4 b4+
to the World Championship Final, 4...c6 5 f3 b4+ 6 c3 e7
qualifying for the IM title in 1994. 7 d5 xc3+ 8 bxc3 is another move
However, his subsequent perform- order to the first diagram below.
ances at the highest international level 5 c3
have been disappointing. 5 d2 is an important alternative,
About this game: To do well in a avoiding the doubled c-pawn, but
world championship, the contenders after 5...c6 6 gf3 e7 7 e3
must score heavily against the back (not 7 a3 gxe5 8 axb4?? d3#)
markers. Reynolds handicaps himself 7...gxe5 8 xe5 xe5 Black
with an inferior opening variation and has regained his pawn with a fairly
his attempts to complicate the early satisfactory position. For example, 9
middlegame are refuted by an im- e2 and then:
aginative, yet essentially quite simple, a) Morgado-Reynolds, CNEC-15
concept by White. corr 1993, went 9...d6 10 0-0 d7 11
1 d4 f6 2 c4 e5 a3 xd2 12 xd2 g5!? 13 g3 h5
The Budapest is considered not (1-0, 30, after a complicated struggle)
entirely respectable because it aims while S.Stolyar-Reynolds, Russia-
at piece play without a deep strategic Rest of the World corr 1993, varied
foundation. While it can be very from that with 11 b3 a4 12 c2
effective at rapid and blitz chess, its g5 and again White won in the end.
positional shortcomings are liable However, I dont think these games
to be exposed in CC by a quality were published until some time after
Game 51: van Oosterom-Reynolds 233
XIIIIIIIIY
the World Championship Final began,
and anyway, Reynolds presumably 9r+l+k+-tr0
would have improved upon them. B9zppzppwqpzpp0
b) A more standard treatment is 9-+n+-+-+0
9...00 10 00 a5 (10...d6 11 b3 b6 9+-+QzP-+-0
12 a3 c5 13 xc5 bxc5 14 b4 d7 9-+P+-vLn+0
15 g4 Karpov-N.Short, 1st match 9+-zP-+N+-0
game, Linares 1992) 11 a3 xd2 12
xd2 d6 which has been used by 9P+-+PzPPzP0
the one postal player to have success 9tR-+-mKL+R0
with the Budapest at a high level of xiiiiiiiiy
competition, Swiss CC-GM Gottardo 8...a3
Gottardi. GM Bogdan Lali, in his 1998
b1) 13 b4 e8 14 c3 f6 15 book on the Budapest, said this move
h1 f5 16 c5 axb4 17 axb4 d3 is a waste of time. Black should not be
18 xf6 gxf6 19 xd3 xd3 20 interested in winning the unimportant
fd1 dxc5 21 bxc5 c2 22 dc1 a-pawn. However, Reynolds plan is
xa1 23 xa1 d8 24 xc7 d1+ not to win the pawn but he hopes
25 xd1 xd1 26 h3 h5 in view to disrupt Whites optimal set-up.
of the opposite-coloured s (P.Kindl- The alternative is the gambit-style
Gottardi, Wch16 3/4F 1992). 8...f6 9 exf6 xf6, reckoning the
b2) 13 b3 b6 14 e4 b7 15 f3 e6 extra white c-pawn is not worth much,
16 fe1 f5 17 exf5 xf5 18 g3 but White has 10 d3 d6 11 g3 0-0
fe8 19 f1 f6 20 ad1 e6 21 12 g2 e4 13 0-0 c5 14 e3!.
e3 h5 22 h4 ae8 23 de1 g6 Compare the note to Blacks 12th
and Black has managed to develop move below. I think the immediate
all his pieces actively (, 54) van 11...e4 is Blacks best try.
Oosterom-Gottardi, Wch15 Final. 9 c1! f6
Possibly van Oosterom did not 9...xa2?! leaves Black too
want to put all his eggs into one undeveloped after 10 h3 h6 11 e4.
basket by playing the same 5th move Instead of 11...g8 12 c5! a3 13
in both games often a wise policy c4 d8 14 e3 e7 15 d1
in CC events where games start (Gligoric-Westerinen, Venice 1971),
simultaneously. Mik.Tseitlin and Glaskov suggested
Maybe his game with the Swiss 11...a3!? 12 c5 b6 in The Budapest
opponent developed more rapidly so for the Tournament Player (1992).
he decided to switch variations after They analysed 13 e6? but Berliner
failing to achieve an advantage with 5 recommended the very strong reply
d2 against Gottardi. 13 d4! in Kaissiber 13, e.g. 13...
5...xc3+ 6 bxc3 c6 7 f3 e7 xc5 (or 13...00 14 b5) 14 b5!
8 d5 (D) 00 15 xc7 b8 16 b5! when
234 64 Great Chess Games
which, although reducing the scope of White anchors his and keeps s
the g2-, more significantly creates a on the board while he improves his
new weakness at d6. position.
22 d1 f7 23 g2 xc4 24 29...h6?!
xd6 fe8 25 f1 g4 I fail to see the point of this, which
The exchange phase is over. The creates a hole on g6. However, Black
rest of the game is a demonstration of doesnt have any useful moves: he
why three minor pieces should beat a cannot find a target for his heavy
if all else is equal. pieces, and 29...b6 would weaken c6.
Three fighting units are more 30 d4 d7 31 e2 e4 32 f4
useful than one for attacking defended e8 33 h2
spots in the enemy position. The The immediate 33 d3 e1+ 34
might be stronger if White had loose g2 would be sufficient, but as Black
pawns or an exposed , but neither is cannot do anything White moves the
the case here. first, threatening 34 d3 e1? 35
26 cd2 ad8 27 c4 h8 28 h3 xe1 xe1 36 e2.
h5 29 c5 (D) 33...b6?!
XIIIIIIIIY This is even worse now as it costs
9-+-trr+-mk0 the exchange.
34 g2 h7 35 e5 xe5 36 xd7
B
9zpp+-+-zpp0 e1 37 d8 e5 38 1d6 10
9-+pvL-+-+0 Black has no defence to 39 g6
9+-zP-+-+q0 and 40 h8# if 39...xc5 40 g6
9-+-+-+-+0 e8 41 xe8 xd6 42 e4. This
9+N+-+-zPP0 game is quite a good example of how
9P+-tR-zP-+0 a grandmaster can win economically
against an IM who tries too hard to
9+-+R+LmK-0 make something happen.
xiiiiiiiiy
Game 52
White: Christophe Lotard (France)
24 c5! 26...xh6
Black has no time to get organised If 26...xe4 27 xf4 xe1+ 28
and now faces a choice of two ways to h2 and White threatens both d2
lose. He can either let Whites into and xf6.
f6 and be rapidly mated, or else let the 27 xf6+ f7 28 xe8!
c-pawn live and be strangled by the White could still make things
passed pawn duo. difficult for himself with the slip 28
24...f4 xe8? xe8 29 xe8 xh3! 30
This is the only move to cut across e3 (30 e5 f1+ and Black draws)
Whites plans. If 24...xd5 25 30...xg4+ 31 g3 d1+ 32 g2
e7 or 24...xc5 25 xf6. e4+ 33 f3 xd5 when Whites
25 h3 winning chances are reduced.
White must protect against the 28...xe8 29 xe8 xe8
check on g4 before beginning the If now 29...xh3 30 d6+ g8
final assault. 31 d4.
25...e8 (D) 30 e5+ f7 31 c6
XIIIIIIIIY The two passed pawns are too far
9r+-+r+k+0 advanced for Black to have any hope
of escape.
W
9+-+-+-+p0 31...c1+
9p+-+-zppvL0 If 31...xh3 32 f4+ g7 33
9+pzPP+-sN-0 c7.
9-+-+-wqP+0 32 h2
9+-+l+-+P0 Not 32 g2? f1+ 33 g3 g1+
9PwQ-+-zP-+0 34 f3 h1+ 35 g3=.
32...c2
9+-+-tR-mK-0 32...c5 is not much better. White
xiiiiiiiiy can answer 33 g3 or 33 e6+.
33 g3 10
If instead 25...xd5 26 xh7 Black resigned. Now 33...h5 34 c7
xh6 27 xf6+ f7 28 xd5. h4+ 35 xh4 xf2+ 36 g5 d2+
So at last, Black challenges the open 37 f4+ would have been a neat
file but it is too late. Now White lets finish. On 33...c1 there could have
off the dynamite. followed 34 e6+ g7 (34...f8 35
26 e4! f6+ g8 36 d6 g1+ 37 h4)
A very satisfying unpin move, with 35 e7+ g8 36 c7 g1+ 37 f4
a discovered attack on the . Black xf2+ 38 e5 and Black will soon
can capture the in three different run out of checks. The white
ways but they all lose; he must take and passed pawns provide mutual
the instead. protection and the black is useless.
Game 53
White: Jonny Hector (Sweden)
that this plausible move is a mistake. Blacks attack is getting too strong.
White wastes time with this as If 31 xd6 b4! 32 a3 c2+ 33
it turns out he cannot carry out his a1 xa3+ 34 bxa3 c3+ 35 b1
threat. Alternatives to consider are 24 d3+ 36 b2 xd4+ 37 b1 (37
e3, 24 b3 and 24 a3. b3 d3 and...c5+) 37...d3+
24...d5! (D) 38 b2 d2+ 39 b1 d3 wins
Black has doubled isolated b- the .
pawns but, as they are not on an open 31...b4 32 ee3 c1! 33 f1
file, this is less significant than his This is the natural move, chall-
chances against the white . enging Black to prove his idea
XIIIIIIIIY sound.
9-mk-tr-+-+0 a) 33 xc1 c8+ 34 c3 (34 b1?
gets mated in 10 after 34...d1+ 35
9+p+-wqpzp-0
W a2 c1, and 34 xc8+ xc8 is
9-zp-vlp+-zp0 evidently hopeless for White in the
9tr-+nsN-+P0 long run.) 34...xc3 35 d6+ a8
9-+-zP-zP-+0 36 xc3 xc3+ 37 bxc3 and now
9+-+-+-tR-0 37...b3! is best as it wrecks Whites
9PzP-+Q+P+0 structure, i.e. 38 b4 (38 c2? a2)
38...xb4 39 cxb4 xa3.
9+KtR-+N+-0 b) 33 c4 costs a pawn after 33...
xiiiiiiiiy c8 34 b5 d1 (34...xb5 35
xb5 a5) 35 f1 xd4 36
25 f3 e8 xa3 37 xc8+ xc8 38
This concedes the initiative but xc1+ c5 and Black should win the
if 25 xg7 xf4 26 f3 xe5 27 endgame.
dxe5 f8! (Hansen) is very strong, 33...b5!
as Black follows with 28...d3 and Tempting alternatives here:
29...xe5, or if 28 h7 g8 29 a) 33...d2?! loses the initiative
xh6 d3. after 34 e7! c8 (Not 34...xd4 35
25...f6 26 g6 b5 d5 36 c7+ a8 37 xd8+!
This is the s final contribution xd8 38 e8 xe8 39 c7+ and
to the game; with hindsight, it might 40 xe8.) 35 d6+ a8 36 e7!
have been better to retreat 26 d3. xe3 37 xc8 with a messy, and
26...d7 27 d2 b4 28 c4!? roughly level, position.
Looking for counterplay as after 28 b) 33...xa3!? must have come
a3 c6 both d4 and h5 are en prise, into consideration, e.g. 34 xa3
while if 29 d3 d5 30 b3 c5 (34 xc1!?) 34...b5 (attacking
wins the d-pawn. both s) 35 ff3 (35 e7 f5+
28...xa2 29 e1 a6 30 xe6 36 xc1 c8+ 37 d2 c2+ and
a4 31 a3 38...xb2) 35...xa3 36 xa3
244 64 Great Chess Games
The Players: Peter Hardicsay (born Gbor Gyuricza translated for me the
1952) was Hungarian under-20 cham- notes by Hardicsay in the Hungarian
pion in 1972 and has been a FIDE IM magazine Tvsakk, where this game
since 1986. He took up international first appeared, and Peter sent some
email chess in 1999 and this game extra comments on the opening.
was played in one of his first events. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 c6 3 d4 cxd4 4
H-W. May was a very experienced xd4 f6 5 c3 e5 6 db5 d6 7
CC master; runner-up in the 55th g5 a6 8 a3 b5 9 xf6
European Championship, he got the 9 d5 leads to a different set of
CC-IM title in 1997. May died in problems for both players. It may be
March 2002, aged 59. somewhat easier for White to keep the
About this game: A book of this kind draw in hand then but I suspect the
without an example of the Sveshnikov winning chances are also reduced.
Variation would be unthinkable; in 9...gxf6 10 d5 (D)
the past 10 years it has been one of XIIIIIIIIY
the most popular variations of the 9r+lwqkvl-tr0
Sicilian Defence in CC, rivalling even
the Najdorf and Dragon. I cannot
9+-+-+p+p0
B
attempt here to give an overview of 9p+nzp-zp-+0
the complex and rapidly-changing 9+p+Nzp-+-0
theory of the variation, but I shall 9-+-+P+-+0
mention a few of the significant CC 9sN-+-+-+-0
games played with the Sveshnikov. 9PzPP+-zPPzP0
Hardicsay improves on earlier
games played by both himself and
9tR-+QmKL+R0
May, who is soon forced to sacrifice xiiiiiiiiy
a piece in the hope of promoting a
pawn on the queenside. White keeps 10...f5
tactical control with some effective 10...g7 leads to yet another nexus
moves and conducts an attractive of complications. One recent example
hunt, culminating in a sacrifice. is 11 d3 e7 12 xe7 xe7 13
Game 54: Hardicsay-May 247
The Players: Professor Zavanelli Canibal heads for the Two Knights
respectfully known in American instead, but he gets a crazy position in
CC circles as Max the Axe because a few moves anyway!
of his decisive solution to organisa- 5 00 xe4 6 e1 d5 7 xd5 xd5
tional problems there some years ago 8 c3 d8
returned to active play recently. 8...a5 and 8...h5 are more
He immediately won the Gillman E popular but also complicated.
with a huge score and qualified for a 9 xe4+ e7 10 xd4 f5 11 h6!
long overdue IM title. (D)
Dr Canibal is ICCF delegate for the Zavanelli had been waiting 20 years
Czech Republic. to play this move: White develops at
About this game: Max is a very high speed, threatening xg7; he will
dangerous attacking player who likes wreck the black position by 12
original situations. Highly unbalanced h5+ if the is captured. Black is
positions that arise after Black is fine after the standard 11 f4 0-0 12
forced to give up his . xc6 xd1+ 13 xd1 bxc6.
1 e4 e5 2 c4 f6 3 d4 exd4 4 f3 XIIIIIIIIY
Recently there has been a 9r+lwqk+-tr0
considerable revival of interest in
Sergei Urusovs gambit idea.
9zppzp-vl-zpp0
B
4...c6 9-+n+-+-vL0
Zavanelli-R.Pope, corr 1987, went 9+-+-+p+-0
4...xe4 5 xd4 f6 6 g5 e7 9-+-sNR+-+0
7 c3 c6 8 0-0-0 d5 9 he1 e6 10 9+-sN-+-+-0
h4 bd7 11 d3 c5 (11...c5) 12 9PzPP+-zPPzP0
d4 g8 13 xe7 xe7 14 g3
f6?! (14...g6) 15 f5 f8 16 c7
9tR-+Q+-mK-0
d8 17 xe6+! xe6 18 xb7 g6? xiiiiiiiiy
(18...d7) 19 xc6+ d7 20 c8+
d8 21 e1+ e4 22 xe4 gxf5 The shot is known from the
23 d6# 10. Canal Variation, 7 c3!? (instead
252 64 Great Chess Games
but White would still win according to line for White with 68 e6!, when
Regan & Krush (the main line begins after a lot more obscure manoeuvres,
57 a5+ b2 58 b5+!). the white captures the black d-pawn
58...e4? and the database says mate in 53.
This was the second controversial 59 g1+ b2
moment. Irina Krush suggested a The official website for the match
better move 58...f5 but it noted that: On move 59, the Gaming
was not posted on the match website Zone found indication of quite
in time to influence voters. After this, significant ballot stuffing (improper
she refused to participate any more, ratio of votes to unique PCs) for
but the Microsoft Network organizers the sacrificial move ...e1. ... We
said that she was late submitting her disqualified this move from voting and
analysis to the MSN site. recomputed the votes accordingly.
Later, Kasparov provided detailed This is one of the hazards of
analysis to prove he was winning organizing such matches with a
anyway after 58...f5, saying This large number of participants and I
position has more to do with geometry believe there have been cases in other
and mathematics than chess. matches where organizers overruled
Baburin explains: White can the apparent majority choice for a
gradually force his pawn up the board, similar reason.
using the enemy pawn as a shield and MSNs statements are disputed by
also exploiting the fact that Black Krush, who suspected vote-stuffing
cannot afford to trade s. For those at move 51, but here says 59...e1
interested in this line, Kasparovs was chosen by The World as a protest
main line goes like this: 58...f5 59 against MSNs failure to post her
h6 e6 60 d1+ b2 61 d2+ recommendation for 58...f5.
b1 62 d4! a2 63 g5 e7+ 60 f2+ c1 61 f6 d4 62 g7 1-0
64 f6 e3+ 65 f4 g1+ 66 f6 Kasparov announced a forced
b6+ 67 f7 b7+ 68 g8 c8+ mate, discovered by the computer
69 f8 e6+ 70 g7 e5+ 71 f6 program Deep Junior. The World
c7+ 72 f7 c3+ 73 f8..., team was given an option to vote for
which concludes in a win for White resignation and 51% opted to do this,
at move 96. ending the game after four months of
However, Regan & Krush (using intensive analysis.
the tablebases) criticise this variation, It is the greatest game in the his-
saying that 68 g8 c8+ 69 f8 tory of chess. The sheer number of
e6+ 70 g7? fails to win after ideas, the complexity, and the contri-
70...e5+ 71 f6 c7+ 72 f7 bution it has made to chess make it the
e5+! 73 g8 b8+ 74 f8 e5 most important game ever played.
75 g7 d4!. Instead they give a winning Garry Kasparov.
Game 57
White: Arild Haugen (Norway)
The Players: Haugen is a Senior the loss of time with his d-pawn.
International Master. McNab is both Clearly McNab wanted to keep his
a FIDE GM and ICCF SIM; he has own secrets!
been a member of Scottish postal and 5...dxe4 6 xe4 g7 7 c4 h6
over-the-board teams for many years, 8 c3
including Scotlands bronze medal- 8 h3 f5 9 c3 00 10 b3 d7
winning team in CC Olympiad XI. 11 g4 d6 12 f2 c5 13 e3 b6 14
About this game: McNab is a po- d5 b7 15 xb7 xb7 16 e2
sitional player who rarely varies his cxd4 17 xd4 xd4 18 xd4 e5
solid opening repertoire. Haugen 19 fxe5 e8 and Black was OK in
tackled the challenge of winkling him N.McDonald-McNab, Hastings II
out of his shell with great creativity 1993/94 (0-1, 29).
and created a position with enormous 8...00 9 e5 d7 10 h4!?
problems for both players. Black sur- At last White is able to go his
vived the first wave of the attack but own way. Haugen thought this direct
the second washed him away. approach with the h-pawn was justified
1 e4 g6 2 d4 d6 3 c3 c6 in view of the three tempi expended
Haugens research showed that by Black on the manoeuvre ...d7-d6-
it wouldnt be possible to surprise d5xe4. So he varied from 10 00 f6
McNab. The Scotsman has faced for 11 f2 f5 12 f3 d6 13 b3
example 4 a4, 4 e3, 4 c4, 4 f3, a5 (A.Zanetti-McNab, CNEC15 corr
4 g3 and 4 h4 in this position. 1993); Black seems OK there although
4 f4 d5 5 f3 White eventually won.
Although McNab has been play- Instead 11 e2 xe4 12 xe4
ing 1 e4 g6 2 d4 d6 3 c3 c6 since d6 13 f5!? xf5 14 g4 xe5 15
1992, his book The Ultimate Pirc dxe5 c5+ 16 f2 g7 17 b4 b6
(with GM John Nunn) says almost 18 e3 c7 19 h6 e6 20 xe6
nothing about this line except the fxe6 21 af1 xf2 22 xf2 f8 23
explanation that after 4 f4 d5 5 e5 h5 xf8+ xf8 24 d4 b6 25 a4 c5
the benefit to Black from not having led to a draw in a 1992 OTB game
played ...g7 slightly outweighs Shirov-McNab.
266 64 Great Chess Games
powerful bind for the sacrificed piece; Note that 26 h4 would not be as
White threatens to break open the good because of 26...ac8! 27 b3
black position by h4-h5 or f4-f5. c6 28 xb2 e7 29 d5 xh4.
Or if 21...xc6 22 h5! and now: The white on b2 then only plays a
a) 22...bxc3 23 xg6 e7 24 defensive role.
g7. 26...ac8?
b) 22...xe4 23 xg6 xf6 24 This appears to be a serious
xf6 bxc3 25 b3 e8 (25...c7 26 mistake. Black should be thinking in
g1) 26 g4!. terms of eliminating the mighty
c) 22...e7 23 xg6 f8 without delay.
(23...xf6 24 xf6 bxc3 25 xf7 26...xh6 was his best chance to
cxb2+ 26 b1 xe4 27 f3) 24 g8+ hold the game.
xg8 25 xf7 xf6 26 xf6+ h7 Now Palciauskas gives 27 h3
27 e7+ h8 28 xd6. g7 28 g4! h8 (28...xd5 is
22 xb7 cxb2+ 23 b1 xb7 similar.) 29 h4 xd5! (29...g5
If 23...a4 24 d4 xb7 25 f4 30 h5 c6 31 f3 e8 32
with a strong attack. e3) 30 exd5 but does this
24 d4 e5 position really favour White at all?
Black cannot live constantly with His line is 30...c8 31 b3 f4
the threat of a discovered check, but 32 e7 xh2 33 b7 f8 34 c7
now the has the ideal square d5 b8, but 30...d7 or 30...c7
available to it. (both preventing e7) are possible
25 xc5 xc5 26 d5 (D) improvements for Black.
XIIIIIIIIY 27 b3 a7 28 c3
9r+-+-vl-mk0 The c-file is effectively closed.
Black belatedly decides to destroy the
9+q+-+p+-0
B c-pawns protector with an exchange
9p+-zp-+pzP0 sacrifice.
9+-trNzp-+-0 28...b5
9-+-+P+-+0 28...xh6 29 h4 b5 transposes
9+-+-+-tR-0 to the game, although 29...f5!? comes
9PzpP+QzP-zP0 into consideration.
29 h4! xh6
9+K+R+-+-0 The pendulum swings back to
xiiiiiiiiy White. Only now does Black begin the
defensive scheme that he should have
Material is level, except that instituted at move 26. Alternatives are
Whites , occupying the hole at worse:
d5 (forced by 24 d4) is superior a) 29...b7 30 h5! xb3 31 axb3
to Blacks . Both sides have some xb3 32 f3! g5 33 f6+ h7 34
weak pawns and slightly insecure s. e1 c4 35 xg5.
274 64 Great Chess Games
7 b3
XIIIIIIIIY
In the early days of the Najdorf 9r+-wqk+-tr0
White played the slow 7 de2, e.g. 9+-+nvlpzp-0
7...e7 8 h3 e6 9 g3 g6 10 d3 W9p+-zplsn-+0
bd7 11 00 00 12 f3 h8 13 9+p+-zp-+p0
ad1 b5 with counterplay (01, 69) 9-+-+P+-+0
Rossolimo-Fischer, USA Ch 1966-67.
In The Complete Najdorf: Modern
9+NsN-vLP+-0
Lines by Gallagher & Nunn, there 9PzPPwQ-+PzP0
is lots of theory on both 7 b3 and 9+K+R+L+R0
7 f3 (the reasons why 6 e3 was xiiiiiiiiy
revived) but 7 de2 is not mentioned. 12 f4!
7...e6 8 d2 bd7 9 f3 h5 Olita Rause explains the context of
Najdorf theory develops fast. This this game as follows: The Najdorf
game (started in December 1999) Variation is not only extremely topical
features a move not even mentioned in very high-level OTB games, but
in the book written a year earlier also in CC. This variation leads to very
(principally by Gallagher). There 9...b5 unbalanced and complex positions.
and 9...e7 are the main lines while The last few years of debates around
9...c8 also gets a mention. By playing 6 e3 (or 6 f3 followed by e3)
9...h5 Black rules out Whites principal provided a huge collection of high-
idea of g2-g4 and forces a rethink. rated games but they showed that
10 000 Whites plan involving 000 was not
a) lvarez had the same position safe at all. Maybe 12 f4 (a novelty in
with White against Sanakoev in the this game) could slightly change this
CAPA Jubilee, but preferred 10 e2 statistic.
b6 11 000 c7 12 b1 e7 13 Very soon in the game, White
xb6 xb6 14 d5 xd5 15 exd5 obtains a dangerous initiative against
00 16 g3 fe8 17 hf1 c7 18 g4 the black monarch, so Blacks next
ac8 19 c4 e4 20 g5 exf3 which is move seems dubious.
unclear (- in 59 moves). 12 g3, 12 f2, 12 d5 have also
b) 10 a4 has also been seen in been played.
several games, to take advantage of 12...00?! 13 f5 c4 14 h3 xf1
the fact that Black delayed ...b5. Olita Rause said in a recent int-
c) 10 d5 is a totally different erview that when starting a new event
plan, e.g. 10...xd5 11 exd5 f5 she always consults her husband about
12 e2 a5 13 00 e7 14 f4! when opening theory trends. Since 14...h4
White had a good position and went on - occurred in Rausis-A.Sokolov,
to win in J.Neumann-R.Maliangkay, Schacknytt GM 2000, I guess there
CCOL12 Final 1998-99. were non-chess reasons why White
10...b5 11 b1 e7 (D) did not play for a win there.
286 64 Great Chess Games
Probably Black didnt want to allow as a decoy to get his across to the
46...e4 47 f1+ g7 48 ff6, but he queenside.
can play instead 47...e7! 48 xg6 58 xg6 c7 59 b4 e5 (D)
e3 followed by ...e2 and ...he4. For XIIIIIIIIY
example, 49 e1 he4 50 a5 e2 51 9-+-+-+-+0
c1 (only move) 51...d5 52 a6 a5
53 b2 d7 when swapping a6 and
9+-mk-+-+-0
W
g5 for b4 and e2 (with a exchange 9-+-+-+R+0
on e2) should be a drawn + a&c- 9+-+-tr-+-0
pawns v endgame. 9PmK-+-+-+0
47 h1! 9+-+-+-+-0
One of the golden rules of 9P+P+-+-+0
endings is to avoid a purely defensive
role for the pieces. Now the g-pawn
9+-+-+-+-0
falls and c2 is potentially vulnerable, xiiiiiiiiy
but more importantly the white pieces
cooperate to drive the black to a In the classic ending with only
dangerous position on the edge. two pawns, it is known that the
47...xg5 48 h7+ g8 49 b7 stronger side often cannot win (unless
d8 50 e6 e4 the pawns are far advanced or the
White threatened to march the a- defending and badly placed).
pawn so Black must make a sacrifice Here, however, the third pawn gives
in order to enable the g5- to stop additional winning chances.
a4-a5. 60 c4 e2 61 a3 b2+ 62 c3 a2
51 xe4 c8 52 bxb4 63 b3 a1 64 a5 b1+ 65 a4
White has three pawns against c1 66 b5 b1+
one, but the fact that the pawns White would like to use the extra
are split on the a- and c-files (the a-pawn to shield the from vertical
hardest files to gain a win in checks, but Black insists that she
endings) means that there is still a plays the to the c-file.
lot of technical work to do. 67 c5 h1
52...f7 53 b2 c6 lvarez follows the general advice
Black needs to get his in front of of Botvinnik that the defending
the pawns to have drawing chances, should be stationed in the corner
and would like to get counterplay opposite the advancing pawns.
with ...g2. White forces off a pair A variation illustrating how the
of s before attempting to advance backward a-pawn can be of use is
the pawns. 67...a1 68 g7+ b8 69 b6
54 ec4 xc4 55 xc4 e6 56 (threatening mate) 69...b1+ 70 c6
b3 a5 57 c6+ d7 a1 71 b7+ a8 72 b3 and the
Black must sacrifice his last pawn black cannot defend on the a-file.
288 64 Great Chess Games
In his 1996 book Beating the Anti- castle into a compromised kingside.
Kings Indians, GM Joe Gallagher I think Tarnowiecki must have
examines this variation in his second intended to meet 11...f5 by 12 b4!
chapter. The moves considered in this when 12...fxe4! might be met by 13
position are 10 d2, 10 g1 and 10 d2 d3+ 14 xd3 exd3 15 de4
d2. Most often White inserts 10 followed by 16 xd3. Or if 12...xe4
g1 h8 and then decides what to 13 xe4! fxe4 (13...h6 14 e3 fxe4 15
do. But theres no harm in holding d2 or 14 f6+!?.) 14 d2! and now,
back g1, and its a clever choice since 14...h6 15 e3 e7 16 xe4 is
by Tarnowiecki. Already we have not too promising, Black might consider
an almost unknown position where 14...b8, or the exchange sacrifice
Black has yet to find a good plan; in 14...f4!? 15 xf4 exf4, although I am
particular, he must be careful he does sceptical of its soundness in a CC game.
not find himself in an inferior line White probably does best to answer 15
should White throw in g1 after all. b3 deferring the capture of the .
10...dc5 11 b1 12 b4 a4 13 b5
White prepares b2-b4 and waits White does not want to exchange a
for the thematic ...f5 advance. Then good for a poor one.
Tarnowiecki hopes to gain control of the 13...b6
square e4 for his pieces while Black will 13...xb5 ruins Blacks position after
not have the use of the corresponding f5- 14 cxb5 c3 15 d3 xe2 16 bxa6.
square because of the pawn on g4. 14 a4 c8
The usual method is a2-a3. By Black is still reluctant to play ...f5 but
playing b1, White moves the off the his attempts to improve his queenside
long diagonal (so that later tricks with jumble of pieces are laborious. The
...e5-e4 are eliminated), accelerates his defends the a7-pawn so that the
queenside play (he can now play a2-a4 in may move to b8, after which ...c6 and
one go), and the might even be further eventually ...b5 might become possible.
activated via b3. The drawbacks are that 15 c3 b8 16 e3 (D)
White cannot castle on the queenside, XIIIIIIIIY
and if (when) Black plays ...f7-f5, the 9-trn+qtrk+0
usual plan of taking twice on f5 is ruled
out as ...xf5 would attack the .
9zppzpl+pvlp0
B
11...d7 9n+-zp-+p+0
Black decides to play around the 9+-+Pzp-+-0
blocked centre rather than concede e4. 9PzPP+P+P+0
However, in view of the difficulties he 9+-sN-vLN+P0
experiences, perhaps he should play 9-+-+LzP-+0
the obvious 11...f5 after all, especially
as White has now committed his
9+R+QmK-+R0
either to remain in the centre or to xiiiiiiiiy
Game 62: Tarnowiecki-van Oosterom 291
The Players: Yin Hao (born January averaged at 20 players per move.
28, 1979) is an IM who was rated A previous game had ended in a
2576 by FIDE at the time of the fairly short draw, so when this game
game. His country has many strong also looked as if dull equality might
OTB masters but no tradition of CC, arise, Yin Hao took the brave decision
although a few players recently began to complicate the game. With a fast
entering ICCF email events. He was time-limit and the normal majority
assisted by American CC player voting, this might have succeeded but
Richard P. Fleming, so I refer to them the rate of play was slower than the
sometimes as YH+. Kasparov match, with a basic three
About this game: The match, which days per move. The game spun out of
those involved describe as a serious Whites control and the World team
game among friends, was coordinated found a strong attacking line, which
by Tom Hendricks, who has helped YH+ were unable to withstand.
me a lot in compiling a digest of 1 c4 c5 2 g3 g6 3 g2 g7 4 e3 c6
the players analysis from the game. 5 c3 e6
Further games are sometimes in play It is very hard for White to play for
at the gamers.com chess strategy site; a win in this 5 e3 line. YH+ expected
the URL <http://boards.gamers.com/ 5...e5, but a game that apparently
messages/overview.asp?name=WTCh influenced the voters against
ess&page=1> may still work. choosing the move was A.Anastasian-
Unlike Game 56, this one involved B.Alterman, Rostov 1993, which then
a relatively small team of 33 continued 6 ge2 ge7 7 00 00 8
players who kept in constant touch, d3 d6 9 a3 a5 10 b1 e6 (10...b8
exchanging ideas and analysis on a is more accurate, to answer c3-d5
bulletin board. This set-up makes with ...b7-b5.) 11 d5 b8 12 ec3
it very hard for the master to win b6 13 d2 d7 14 a4 fd8 15 b4
because the players consult about axb4 16 axb4 f5 17 bxc5 dxc5 18
the analysis and decision-making e4 b4 19 xd7 xd7 20 xb4
instead of being isolated. Participation cxb4 21 d5 xd5 22 cxd5 xe4
294 64 Great Chess Games
XIIIIIIIIY
23 dxe4 c7 24 xb4 and White won
the endgame. 9r+lwq-trk+0
6 ge2 ge7 7 d4 cxd4 8 xd4 W9zpp+-+pvlp0
00 9-+n+-+p+0
Books tend to give 8...d5 but 9+-+-+-+-0
there seems nothing wrong with the 9-+-zp-+-+0
text move, which several GMs have 9+-+-zP-zP-0
played. Now White could return to
standard positions with 9 00. 9PzP-+NzPLzP0
9 de2!? d5! 9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
Instead of the known 9...a6, but xiiiiiiiiy
the World offered a pawn! They Black must not become tied
considered they had a tempo which to defending an isolated d-pawn.
they should use immediately, and were White was probably hoping to make
already looking ahead at the games something of the pair after 12...
mentioned in the note to move 14. g4 13 h3 xe2 14 xe2 although
10 cxd5 xd5 11 xd5 exd5 12 here too Black probably stands well
00 with 14...d4 15 d1 (or 15 b5).
White cannot win the d-pawn: 13 xc6?!
a) 12 xd5 xd5 13 xd5 b4 Theory in this line goes 13 xd4
when after 14 b3 d3+ 15 f1 xd4 14 exd4 xd4 15 xd4 xd4
h3+ 16 g1 White is struggling 16 d1 g7 17 e3 and now:
for survival and Black has several a) Botvinnik-Stein, Moscow (USSR
dangerous moves, e.g. 16...e1!?, Cht) 1966, went 17...xb2 18 ab1
...f3# or ...g2. Also 14 c3 19 xb7 xb7 20 xb7 a5 21
e4 e8 gives Black a very strong d3 ac8 22 h6 g7 23 xg7
initiative for the pawn, because on 15 xg7 24 b5 c7 25 xa5 b8 26
a3 xe4 16 axb4 xb4 Black regains g2 b2 27 f3 h5 28 f4 d7 29
the pawn with the pair and better h3 c2 30 g4 hxg4 31 hxg4 dd2 32
structure, while after 15 b1 Black g3 c3+ 33 g2 c1 34 a4 c8
can choose between two promising 35 g3 c1 36 a6 .
moves, 15...g4 and 15...h3!?. The Team was aware of that game,
b) 12 xd5 b4 exposes the but they considered Black had a
white to even more danger, e.g. 13 cleaner draw by following:
g2 (If 13 e4 h3 and White cannot b) 17...g4 18 d2 ad8 19
castle.) 13...xd1+ 14 xd1 d8+ xd8 xd8 20 xb7 xb2 21 b1
15 d4 (15 d2 d3) 15...g4+! d4 R.Weyerstrass-J.Wright,
and White is in big trouble, e.g. 16 f3 CCOL11 Final 1992. (In these games
(16 d2 ac8) 16...xd4 17 e2 White only retreated his to e2 at
f5 18 exd4+ e8+. move 12.)
12...d4!? (D) YH+ recognized that playing 13
Game 63: Yin Hao-The World 295
xc6 involved some risk of losing, YH+ began to feel some pressure
but after all this was an exhibition here. They were worried about the
game: Our choice was a rather variation 15 d2 h3 16 e1 g4
uneventful draw in the symmetrical 17 c3 e7 18 c1 e4 19 d2
English or an exciting, analysis-filled f3 but thought the move played was
game with xc6 ... We wished to satisfactory.
keep the game in a positional struggle 15...g4 16 d2
and move toward an endgame where 16 e1 was rejected because of
we could have a slight edge. 16...f6 17 c1 f3.
13...bxc6 14 exd4 (D) 16...f3!
This leaves White with an isolated The Team used its first time
d-pawn, but it closes the long extension here. 16...c5 had some
diagonal, restrains ...c5 and prepares support but they decided that this was
to develop the queenside. If 14 xd4 a draw trap after 17 d5!.
the Team liked 14...b6 not the To quote one of them: The most
most obvious reply, because 14... difficult point was when we decided
c5 and 14...h3 also came into early on to prevent f3 with ...f3. His
consideration. was far weaker on e3 than b2 and it
XIIIIIIIIY allowed us to take over the e-file and
9r+lwq-trk+0 lever against that .
17 f4 d7 18 g2 e7
9zp-+-+pvlp0
B Black plans to double s with
9-+p+-+p+0 great pressure on the e-file. A critical
9+-+-+-+-0 moment has arisen.
9-+-zP-+-+0 19 a4?!
9+-+-+-zP-0 The plan begun with this move
9PzP-+NzP-zP0 may be to blame for Whites
defeat, because the a3 follow-up
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0 compromises Whites back rank.
xiiiiiiiiy YH+ was expecting Black to adopt an
attacking strategy involving ...h6 and
Now, in exchange for the sacrificed ...g5, against which this would have
pawn, Black has the pair and a lot been effective.
of open lines for his pieces: the b-file, Instead 19 h6?! returns the pawn
the e-file and a choice of diagonals for without equalizing after 19...xd4,
the c8-. Finding the most effective while White is certainly uncomfortable
plan is quite a challenge, however, after 19 g5 e2.
because it is a little too early to speak 19 c3 is probably best and the
of forcing variations leading to clear Team planned to meet it by 19...
gains. ae8.
14...e8! 15 e3 19...ae8 20 a3 h5! (D)
296 64 Great Chess Games
XIIIIIIIIY
ways to counter this and putting the
9-+-+r+k+0 on the long diagonal means that it can
9zp-+qtrpvl-0 be vulnerable to Blacks dark-squared
9-+p+-+p+0
W . Then 21...h3 threatens mate and
9+-+-+-+p0 play could go:
9P+-zP-+-+0 c1) 22 e1 d5 (23...h4 foll-
9tR-+-vLlzP-0 owed by 24...hxg3 25 hxg3 h6!),
e.g. 23 f3 h4 24 f2 hxg3 25 hxg3
9-zP-wQ-zPNzP0 and now 25...c5! explodes the white
9+-+-+RmK-0 centre: 26 c2 cxd4 27 xd4 (27
xiiiiiiiiy xd4 e2) 27...xe3 (or 27...xd4
The Team used their second time 28 xd4 e2) 28 xe3 xe3 29
extension to find this move, proposed xe3 xg3+ 30 h1 h4+ and
by former Canadian CC champion wins the .
Kurt Widmann. Most attention had c2) 22 f4 g4 (22...c8!?) 23
focused on 20...f6 but ultimately they h3! (23 h4 g5 24 hxg5 h4 fractures the
considered it to be another draw trap white position.) 23...d7 and the
after 21 c3!, and they also found position is complicated although Black
20...h6 to be a dead draw. obviously has a lot of compensation.
21 b4 21...xg2!
Since the position of Whites pieces This was a unanimous choice by the
cannot be improved, this is probably Team; as one of them put it: his
best, trying to create some counterplay was peskier than our was strong.
and awaiting developments. Yin Hao admitted he underestimated
a) The Team half-expected 21 it. Only after Blacks next move did he
h4 which attempts to drive Black realise what had happened. However,
back; they would have answered 21... it was too late to save the game.
d5 with the threat of ...h3, then 22 xg2 h4 23 d5? (D)
...g5, and ...h4. If White pushes his I would assess this as the choice
queenside pawns, Black just presses that turns a difficult position into a
on with the attack, while if 22 f3 clearly lost one but it was hard to
b7! preparing the ...c6-c5 pawn find a move here. For example, Yin
lever at the right moment. Hao pointed out that if 23 d1 h3+
b) 21 d5 also seems inadequate, 24 f3 e4 or 23 g1 d5+ 24
with 21...xd5 22 f4 c4 prob- f1 h3 and the on g1 is really
ably being the optimal reply. stupid.
c) 21 c3, with minimal disad- Possible improvements are:
vantage, is favoured by Fritz7, which a) 23 d3 (Fritz7), but YH+ could
had not been released at the time of the not find a way to hold after 23...h3+
game. There is a threat of g5 attacking 24 h1 d5+ 25 f3 h7!, which
the f3- and e7- but Black has many threatens 26...xe3 27 xe3 h6.
Game 63: Yin Hao-The World 297
The Players: Tim Harding is the found in recent years. The sharp reply
author of this book: ICCF IM (1997) 7 e3!? is possible but 7 a3 seems
and now Senior International Master to be played more often.
(2002). He played on the Irish team at 7 c3
the 1984 FIDE Olympiad. Neishtadt, in Katalonskoye Nach-
Alan Borwell has been President alo (1969), observed that Black is
of ICCF since 1997, doing a great job obliged to defend his extra pawn in a
guiding the transition of the worlds way that strengthens Whites centre.
most important CC organisation from 7...d5 8 d2 b5 9 a4!
the postal into the Internet era. An ac- 9 00 is possible but I preferred to
tive player (CC-IM since 1993), Alan strike against Blacks pawn structure.
was board 6 and captain of the Scot- 9...xc3
tish team which won the bronze med- Neishtadt and ECO warn against
als in the 11th CC Olympiad Final. 9...b7 because of 10 xd5 xd2+
About this game: I found an open- 11 xd2 xd5 12 e4 b7 13
ing novelty involving a surprising axb5 axb5 14 xa8 xa8 15 a5,
positional piece sacrifice which belies attacking both the a8- and the b5-
the commonly-held view that CC has pawn. However, this is not clear after
been killed off by computers. 15...0-0 (15...f6!?) 16 xa8 xd4
1 d4 f6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 g2 dxc4 when Whites best is 17 g4!.
5 f3 a6 6 e5!? 10 bxc3 f6?
I thought White was not scoring as I expected 10...b7 11 e4 when:
well lately with 6 0-0 (see Game 46). a) Neishtadt-Prokopp, ICCF M/54
6...b4+ corr 1959, went 11...b6? 12 g4
6...a7 7 00 b6 (7...b5? 8 a4 or f8 13 f4 8d7 14 00 c5 15 f5
7...c5 8 e3) 8 c3 b7 9 a4+ xe5 16 dxe5 exf5 17 xf5 10.
fd7 10 xb7 xb7 11 c6! was b) Neishtadt & ECO like White
good for White in Ya.Neishtadt- after 11...f6 12 b1. Black even-
G.Scheffer, 2nd EU CC Ch 1964. tually won in V.B.Quist-D.Bryson,
b) 6...c5!? was thought bad but CCOL9 1977, after 12...00 13 xc4
improvements for Black have been (13 00!?) 13...c5 14 00 (Better 14
Game 64: Harding-Borwell 299
Select Bibliography
It would take far too much space CC game yet published, together with
for me to list every CC publica- many excellent games, articles about
tion and general chess source that I the various national CC bodies, etc.
consulted when preparing this work. While there are still relatively
Moreover, a fairly thorough CC few readable books about CC (as
bibliography is available at <http:// opposed to reference works), certain
www.chessmail.com> and several CC correspondence masters and GMs have
titles are mentioned in this book in the annotated their own games excellently.
annotations. The following should be For this reason, they are not represented
taken principally as suggestions for in this book; go to the originals! In
further reading. order of unmissability, these are:
MegaCorr2 CD-ROM edited by World Champion at the Third
Tim Harding, Chess Mail 2001. The Attempt by Grigory Sanakoev,
largest and most authoritative CC da- Gambit Publications 1999 (also
tabase currently available, with much available in German and Russian
supplementary material in PDF and editions). Simply the best book ever
HTML. See also page 304. published on CC before the year 2002.
Winning at Correspondence A new edition with extra games is on
Chess by Tim Harding, Batsford the way, I believe.
1996. Although written when the The Chess Analyst by Jon
email chess scene was just beginning, Edwards, Thinkers Press 1998.
I think this is still the best overview Princeton academic Edwards tells how
of CC with advice on technique and he won the 10th US CC Championship
rules, plus games and pen-pictures of in erudite and entertaining fashion.
the world champions. 52-54-Stop Fernschach, Tips
Startling Correspondence Chess und Tricks vom Weltmeister by
Miniatures by Tim Harding, Chess Fritz Baumbach, Sportverlag 1991
Mail 2000. A slim companion to the (in German). The 11th CC World
present volume, this has over 100 Champion on his rise to the throne.
games of 25 moves or fewer, and Journal of a Chess Master by
tactical exercises, plus advice on Stephan Gerzadowicz, Thinkers
avoiding errors and how to exploit Press 1992. A highly original book
opponents mistakes. with a literary flavour.
ICCF Jubilee Book edited by 34-mal Schach Logik by
Pedro Hegoburu, ICCF 2002. Due A.OKelly, Walter de Gruyter
out in October 2002, I expect this to 1963 (in German). The third CC
be the most complete historical and world champion annotates his most
organizational reference work on the interesting postal games.
Indexes 303
Index of Openings
Opening name and page number in Petroff Defence 6/33
bold; Game number in normal type. Polish Defence 41/195
Birds Opening 33/164 Ponziani Opening 7/36
Budapest Defence 51/232 QP London System 9/44
Caro-Kann Defence 22/109, 53/241 QP Pereyra System 32/159
Catalan Opening 46/213, 64/298 Queens Gambit Accepted 10/48
Dutch Defence 5/30, 11/52, 48/221 Queens Gambit Declined 17/82
English Opening 2/13, 30/150, 52/ Queens Gambit Slav 12/56
237, 63/293 Reti (Barcza System) 18/86
French Defence 14/66, 21/105, 24/ Ruy Lopez (Spanish) 8/40, 13/60,
120, 28/144, 35/171, 50/228 16/74, 27/140, 29/147, 44/206, 45/
Gring Gambit 3/19 210, 60/278
Grnfeld Defence 47/218 Scandinavian Defence 38/183
Kings Gambit 23/114, 40/191 Sicilian Defence 26/135, 31/156, 34/
Kings Indian Defence 1/9, 20/98, 167, 42/198, 43/202, 54/246, 56/257,
62/289 58/270, 59/275, 61/284
Modern Defence 36/175, 57/265 Two Knights Defence 4/24, 25/124,
Nimzo-Indian Defence 15/70, 19/90, 37/179, 55/251
49/225 Vienna Game 39/188