(12) Dyble,T (1466) - Cooper,M [A46]
Berkeley Marathon San Francisco, CA (1), 16.07.2004
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.c3 g6 4.Nbd2 Bg7 5.e4 cxd4 6.cxd4 Qa5 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 d6 9.Nc4 Qc7 10.e5 dxe5 11.Nfxe5 Be6 12.Be3 Nd5 13.Rc1 Qd8 14.Qf3 f6 Diagram
15.Nxg6 [ Goldfarb notes a query as to the soundness of the sacrifice is. Interestingly, the engines echo his sentiment in a way: they concurr on the best move, i.e. 15.Ng4 but well.. I guess I can use my "seven league boots" and jump to the conclusion that the knight is short of squares. 15...Nc6 a) 15...Bxg4 16.Qxg4 f5; b) 15...Qd7 16.h3 (b) 16.Be4 Bxg4 17.Bxd5+) ; 16.a3 oh well. This all looks okay for either side to me. I don't think white had to sacrifice.] 15...hxg6 16.Bxg6 Bf7 17.Be4 [ If I were white, I think I would go for 17.Bb1 Nc6 ( 17...Qd7) 18.Qe4 f5[] Diagram tough mate to stop here!19.Qxf5 Nf6[] 20.Rfd1 ( 20.Ne5 Nxd4; 20.Qf4) 20...e6 21.Qh3 Qd5 ( It is somewhat important for black to stay awake, unlike after 21...Qe7 22.Bg5 Rfd8 23.Qh4 ( 23.Bxf6 Qxf6) 23...e5 24.dxe5 Nxe5 25.Bh7+ Kf8 26.Nxe5 ( 26.Re1? Bxc4 27.Rxc4 Nxc4 28.Rxe7 Rd1+) 26...Rxd1+ 27.Rxd1 Qxe5 28.Qb4+ Qe7[] ( 28...Ke8 29.Re1) 29.Qxe7+ Kxe7 30.Bf5 Diagram when white has three pawns for the piece in an endgame, but the black pieces are coordinated enough, and the white pawns are not currently a threat.) 22.Qg3 Nh5 23.Qh4 ( 23.Qg4 Nf6) 23...Bf6 24.Qg4+ ( 24.Qe4 Qxe4 25.Bxe4 Rfd8 26.Bxc6 bxc6 27.Na5 Be8 28.Nxc6 Bxc6 29.Rxc6) 24...Ng7 25.Qf4 Bh5 26.g4 Be8 ( 26...Bxd4 27.Qh6 Bxg4?? 28.Bh7+ Kf7 29.Rxd4 Diagram 29...Nf5 ( 29...Nxd4?? 30.Nd6+! Qxd6 ( 30...Ke7 31.Qxg7+ Rf7 32.Qxf7+ Kxd6 33.Qc7#) 31.Bg6+ Ke7 ( 31...Kg8 32.Qh7#; 31...Kf6 32.Qg5#) 32.Qxg7+ Kd8 33.Bg5+ Rf6 34.Bxf6+ Qe7 35.Qxe7#) 30.Qg6+ Ke7 31.Rxd5 exd5 32.Bc5+ Kd7 33.Bxf8 Rxf8 34.Qxg4) 27.Qh6 Rf7 28.Bh7+ Kf8 29.Bg6 Nxd4 ( 29...Re7?? 30.Qh8#; 29...Rd7?? 30.Bxe8 Rxe8 31.Qxf6+) 30.Qh8+ Ke7 31.Bxd4 ( 31.g5 Nf3+ 32.Kf1) 31...Bxd4 32.Ne3 Qe5 33.Bxf7 Kxf7 Diagram hmm.. I am not sure I have proven much. white has a rook and two pawns and black has two bishops. Black's pieces strike a tentative defense and white has pulled somewhat of a boner of a g4 move. Let's call it unclear and let the players decide if they want to enter this territory in the future.34.Rxd4 Qxd4 35.Rc7+ Kg6 Diagram 36.h4 Rd8 37.h5+ Kg5 38.Qxg7+ heh {:} Just when I was ready to wrap this up.. WAMMO! Fritz finds a win for white!] 17...e6 18.Qg3 f5 [ 18...Nxe3 19.fxe3 Nc6 20.Nd6] 19.Bxd5 touchy moment for white [ 19.Bb1 f4 20.Bxf4 Nxf4 21.Qxf4 Qxd4; 19.Bg5 Qd7 20.Bh6 Bh5 21.Ne5 Qe7[] 22.Bxd5 exd5 23.f4 ( 23.Rfe1 f4) 23...Na6 24.Rfe1; 19.Bh6 Qf6[] 20.Bxd5 exd5 21.Bxg7 Qxg7 22.Qxg7+ Kxg7 23.Ne5 I think I like this position. Look at that marvelous Ne5. 23...Nc6 might be black's best, saccing a pawn so that at least if he must be stuck with the currently occluded Bf7, at least he only has to face 2 pawns as adversaries (after perhaps trading rooks, though I am not saying this is suggested.). ( 23...Na6 24.f4) I want to consider the exchange sac 24.Rxc6 ( 24.Nxc6 bxc6 25.Rxc6) 24...bxc6 just to perserve that wonderful horsie. 25.Rc1 ( white should avoid opening lines with 25.Nxc6? Rfc8 26.Ne5 ( 26.Rc1?? Be8) 26...Rc2 27.Rb1 knights are better and that Bf7 will remain worse on a clogged battlefield.) 25...Rab8 26.b3 Be8 27.Rc5 Rb5 28.f4 Rxc5 29.dxc5 Rh8 30.g3 Diagram I want to almost recommend this position, but black still has an edge. Fritz calls it a 2.94 pawn edge.. oops. make that 2.88 {:).. 30...d4 31.h4 Bh5 32.Kf2 Alas, The Bh5 in conjunction with the d4 pawn are controlling the white king's inroads to the center. If white instead had a d4 pawn with the black pawn on d5, I think we could give white real chances in this game. I think a good plan for white would be to create his passer on the queenside by a4 and b4-b5 then c6 or b6 depending on the position of the black pieces. Then, if the white kingside was somehow safe, white could play his king to the center. However, a white passed pawn on c6 can only hold back one piece. Very interesting, nonetheless. 32...Rh6 ( 32...Rg8 33.b4) 33.b4 Re6 34.Ke1 Bf3 35.Kd2 ( 35.a4 a6 36.Kd2 Be4) 35...Be4 oh well. {:)] 19...exd5 20.Ne5 Qf6 21.Rc7 Diagram 21...Be8? 22.Bg5 f4?! 23.Bxf6 [ 23.Qh4?? Qb6 24.Rfc1] 23...fxg3 24.Rxg7+ Kh8 Diagram 25.Rxb7+?? [ one has to keep in mind, when firing up a windmill, of the possibility of the defender taking the discover check piece (bishop or queen.) Hence, David Goldfarb suggests the obvious 25.Rf7+ Kg8 26.Rxf8+ Kxf8 27.fxg3 but this allows black to retain a possibility of an opposite colored bishop ending (though it should be still lost, it is better to obtain more exchanges here of course).; However, Fritz found two superior options for white as well, trumping David's suggestion. Any of the three moves are a vast improvement over the text. There are also a couple of moves that are better, but inferior to David's suggestion. The best is a pretty knight dance 25.Ng4 Rxf6 26.Nxf6 Kxg7 27.Nxe8+ Kg6 28.Nc7 Na6 29.Nxa8; Second best, white goes for a devastating pin with many exchanges 25.Re7+ Rxf6 26.Rxe8+ Kg7 27.fxg3 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 a6 29.Nd7 Nxd7 30.Rxa8; A toss-up move, that Crafty likes more than Fritz is 25.Nf7+ Bxf7 26.Rxf7+ Kg8 27.Rxf8+ Kxf8 28.fxg3 and white gets out merely up his mess of pawns plus the bishop versus knight advantage in a fairly open board with pawns on both sides.; 25.Ng6+ Bxg6 26.Rxg6+ Kh7 27.Rg7+ Kh6 ( 27...Kh8 28.Rf7+ Kg8 29.Rxf8+ Kxf8 transposes to the third option) 28.Be5 gxh2+ 29.Kxh2 Nc6 Leaves white with a few winning choices, but regrettably his best choice is probably to give up his bishop, winning the b7 pawn, but allowing black the passed d pawn.] 25...Rxf6 26.hxg3 Nc6 27.f4?! [ Assigning the rook to temporary guard duty should be more adequate 27.Rd1 a5 ( 27...Nxe5 28.dxe5 Rf7 29.Rb4 Bc6 30.Rh4+ Kg7 31.f4 and white has a mean bunch of pawns to fight the Bc6 with.) 28.f4 Bh5 29.Rd2 Rg8 30.Kf2 I am hoping that white can manage to secure the g3 pawn to release the Rd2, but at this point that operation looks somewhat difficult. Alas, perhaps I must admit here that pieces are more faithful to the general than the lowly pawns.] 27...Nxd4 I like the sentiment of cementing the nice knight further, hoping for a knight exchange leading to a protected passed pawn for knight, but the exchange of the center pawns gives the Be8 an open board to play with. 28.Rd1 Nf5 29.Kf2 Rc8 30.Rxd5 [ 30.Rxa7 Rc2+ 31.Kf3; I'm afraid of an invasion. The d5 pawn is blocaded. 30.Rd2 ] 30...Rb6 [ I guess it's a toss-up 30...Rc2+ 31.Kf3 Kg8 32.Rd8 ( 32.Rxa7 Rxb2) 32...Rf8 33.g4 Diagram Perhaps white can happily allow the Rc2 lodging while he activates his kingside.] 31.Rxb6 Rc2+ [ 31...axb6 32.Rd2] 32.Ke1 axb6 33.Rd8 Ng7 34.Rd2 [ Fritz gives 34.f5!? Rc5 ( 34...Rxg2? 35.f6; 34...Nxf5? 35.Rxe8+) 35.Nd7 Rxf5 36.Nxb6 Diagram when one big bright plan for white is the attempt to trade rooks and a pair of minor pieces and call "draw," though I wouldn't go so far as to say the "d-word" that until I found out how far my pawns could march.] 34...Rc1+ 35.Kf2 Bb5 36.g4!? Rf1+ 37.Kg3 Ne6 38.Ng6+ [ I would prefer 38.f5 Nc5 39.Rd4 Ba6 40.b4 Na4 41.Nf3 Nc3 42.f6 Diagram 42...Kg8 ( 42...Nxa2? 43.Rd8+) 43.Rd8+ ( 43.g5? Ne2+) 43...Kf7 44.g5 Diagram 44...Bb5 ( 44...Nxa2? 45.Ne5+ Ke6 46.Re8+ Kd6 47.f7 ( 47.g6 Rxf6 48.g7 Rg6+ 49.Nxg6 Bc4) 47...Rxf7) 45.Rb8 ( 45.Ne5+ Ke6 46.f7 Ne4+ 47.Kh4 Kxe5 48.Re8+ Kd4 ( 48...Kf5?? 49.f8Q+) 49.Rd8+ Ke5 50.Re8+ ( 50.g6? Rh1+ 51.Kg4 Be2#) 50...Kd4=) 45...Nd5 ( 45...Kg6 46.Rxb6) 46.Rb7+ Kg8 ( 46...Kg6?? 47.Rg7+) 47.f7+ Kg7 48.g6 Nf6 Diagram Monster pawns. White wins. 49.Rxb6 Nd7 50.Rxb5] 38...Kg7 39.f5 Nc5! yes. Knights must seek forks. From here, he controls a slew of rook squares. The Rook's current position, c3, and d6. Very important. 40.Rc2? [ As we saw in the last digression, the rook must go here. 40.Rd4 defending against checks, and standing on an unassailible dark square.] 40...Bd3 41.Rc3 Ne4+ 42.Kh2 [ 42.Kh4?? Rh1#] 42...Nxc3 43.bxc3 Kf6 In contrast to the way I directed the endgame in the last note, the Ng6 actually seems to hamper the progress. The Bd3 attacks f5 which makes it very hard for the white pawns to become monsters on the 6th rank. In my engame studies, I have learned that passed pawns must be pushed. Oh, didn't somebody already say that? 44.Kg3 Rc1 45.Nf4 Be4 46.Kh4 Rxc3 47.Nh5+ Kf7 48.g3 [ I think I prefer 48.Kg5 My goal would be to somehow clear the g-file, move the g4 pawn, then move the g2 pawn two squares at once.] 48...Rc2 49.a3 Ra2 50.f6 Rxa3 51.g5 Bg6 52.g4 b5 53.Nf4 b4 54.Nd5 b3 55.Ne7? [ mate in 7 anyway. I don't know what white thinks he is accomplishing by attacking the Bg6. 55.Nc3 b2 56.Nb1 Bxb1 57.g6+ Bxg6 58.Kg5 b1Q 59.Kf4 Qb5 60.g5 Qf5#] 55...b2 56.Nxg6 Kxg6 57.f7 Kxf7 58.g6+ Kxg6 59.g5 b1Q 60.Kg4 Qf5+ 0-1
