(22) Riese,K (1858) - Wierzba,S (1717) [B54]
BCC Nov 2004 (1), 05.11.2004

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 d6 5.Nc3 Diagram

[ 5.c4 g6 ( 5...Nf6 6.Nc3 Nxd4 7.Qxd4 g6 8.Be3 a) 8.c5 Bg7 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.cxd6 0-0 11.e5 Bxb5 12.Nxb5 Nd7 13.f4 Qa5+ 14.Nc3 exd6 15.Qxd6 Nxe5 16.fxe5 Bxe5 17.Qd3 Rad8 18.Qf3 Bd4 19.g3 Rfe8+ 20.Kf1 Bxc3 21.bxc3 Qb5+ 22.Kf2 Rd3 23.Qf6 Re2+ 0-1 Shianovsky,V-Gufeld,E/Moscow 1966/MCD (23); b) 8.Be2 Bg7 9.Be3 (b) 9.Bg5 0-0 10.Qe3+/=) 9...0-0 10.Qd2 Ng4?! (b) 10...Be6 11.Rc1+/=) 11.Bxg4 Bxg4 12.0-0? (b) 12.Bd4 Be6 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.0-0 Kg8 15.b3 Qa5 16.f4 f6 17.Rf3 Kh8+/= Botvinnik,M-Toran,A/Palma de Mallorca/1967/; b) 12.Rc1!?) 12...Rc8 13.b3 b5!? 14.Nxb5 Bxa1 15.Rxa1 a6 16.Nc3 f6= 17.f4 Rf7 18.Rf1 (b) 18.f5?! gxf5 19.h3 f4 20.Bxf4 Bd7=/+) 18...Bd7 19.f5 Qa5 20.Qd3 Bc6 21.Bh6 /\ 22.fg hg 23.e5 de 24.Qg6 21...Kh8 22.a4 (b) 22.fxg6? hxg6 23.Qh3 Rg8=/+) 22...Rb8 23.Rb1 1/2-1/2 Spassky,B-Petrosian,T/Moscow 1967/MCL/[Dolmatov] (23); 8...Bg7 9.f3 0-0 10.Qd2 Qa5 11.Rc1 Be6 12.b3 Rfc8 13.Be2 a6 14.Nd5 Qxd2+ 15.Kxd2 Nxd5 16.cxd5 Bd7 17.Rxc8+ Rxc8 18.Rc1 Rxc1 19.Kxc1 1/2-1/2 Bykhovsky,A-Gufeld,E/Tallinn 1965/URS-ch (19)) 6.Be2 Bg7 7.Nb3 Nf6 8.Nc3 0-0 9.0-0 b6 10.Be3 Bb7 11.f3 Rc8 12.Rc1 Qd7 13.Qd2 Rfd8 14.Nd5 Ne8 15.Rfd1 e6 16.Nc3 Ne5 17.Nb5 Ba6 18.N3d4 Nc6 19.Nxc6 Rxc6 20.Nd4 Rc7 21.b3 Qe7 22.Bf1 d5 23.cxd5 Rxc1 24.Qxc1 Bxd4 25.Rxd4 Bxf1 26.Kxf1 Qc7 27.Qxc7 Nxc7 28.dxe6 Nxe6 29.Rxd8+ Nxd8 30.Ke2 Kf8 31.Kd3 Ke8 32.Kc4 Kd7 33.Kd5 Nc6 34.Bd2 f6 35.Bc3 Ne7+ 36.Kc4 f5 37.Bf6 fxe4 38.Bxe7 exf3 39.Bh4 1-0 Alekhine,A-Cisar/Czechoslovakia 1925/EXT 99 (39)] 5...a6 [ 5...Nf6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.0-0 h5 8.f3 g6 9.Nce2 Bg7 10.c3 h4 11.Be3 Ne5 12.h3 a6 13.Bxd7+ Qxd7 14.f4 Nc4 15.Qd3 Nxb2 16.Qc2 Nc4 17.Bf2 Rc8 18.Rad1 Qc7 19.Rfe1 Nd7 20.Nf3 Bf6 21.Ned4 e5 22.Ne2 b5 23.a4 bxa4 24.fxe5 dxe5 25.Nh2 Be7 26.Ng4 a3 27.Rd3 Qc6 28.Rd5 f6 29.Nc1 Ndb6 30.Rd3 Rd8 31.Rf1 Rxd3 32.Qxd3 Nd7 33.Kh1 Nd6 34.Re1 Qc4 35.Qc2 Nb5 36.Na2 Nd6 37.Nb4 a5 38.Nd5 a2 39.Nge3 Qc6 40.Nxe7 Kxe7 41.Nd5+ Kf7 42.Qxa2 Qc4 43.Qa3 Qc6 44.c4 Re8 45.Bxh4 a4 46.c5 Nb7 47.Nb4 Qxc5 48.Qxa4 Nb6 49.Qb3+ Qc4 50.Qxc4+ Nxc4 51.Rf1 Re6 52.Nd5 Nd2 53.Rc1 Nd6 54.Rc7+ Kf8 55.Bxf6 N2xe4 56.Be7+ Kg8 57.Bxd6 Nxd6 58.Rc6 Kf7 59.Kg1 Ne8 (...). 1/2-1/2 Taubenhaus,J-Bird,H/New York 1889/HCL (59)] 6.Be3 Bd7 7.Qd2 [ 7.Bc4 e6 8.Qd2 Qc7 9.a3 Be7 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.Bb3 b5 12.Na2 Na5 13.Qc3 Qd8 14.Qd3 e5 15.Nf5 Bxf5 16.exf5 Nxb3+ 17.Qxb3 Qc7 18.Nb4 Qb7 19.Nd5 Rc6 20.Qd3 Nf6 21.f4 Nxd5 22.Qxd5 Qc7 23.Rd2 Bf6 24.fxe5 Bxe5 25.Re1 0-0 26.g4 Rc8 27.Qb3 Rc4 28.g5 Kf8 29.f6 g6 30.h4 Rxh4 31.Kb1 Qc6 32.Rd5 Re8 33.Bc5 Re6 34.Rdxe5 Rxe5 35.Rxe5 1-0 Ortega,C-Chans Farina,J/Asturias 1993/EXT 2002 (35); I find it is very strange how ..Nf6 is being avoided, and maybe I had my chance to exploit it here, by playing Fritz's pick. 7.Nd5 Rb8 ( 7...e6? 8.Nxc6 Bxc6 9.Bb6) 8.Nf3 b5 9.Bd3 e6 10.Nf4 well.. maybe.. maybe not. As can be seen above, the opening play has not been without precedent.] 7...Nf6 8.f3 e6 9.0-0-0 b5 10.g4 Diagram

10...e5?! Fritz gives me a half pawn edge now. I agree. [ 10...Rc8 11.g5 Ng8 12.Kb1 Be7 13.h4 h6 14.g6 Nf6 15.f4 b4 16.Nce2 Nxe4 17.gxf7+ Kxf7 18.Qe1 Rf8 19.Bh3 Bf6 20.Nc1 Qc7 21.Rh2 d5 22.Qe2 Nxd4 23.Bxd4 Kg8 24.Qxa6 Ra8 25.Qb6 Qxf4 26.Bxe6+ Kh8 27.Bxd5 Qxh2 28.Bxa8 Rxa8 29.Qb7 Rd8 30.Qxe4 Qxh4 31.Qxh4 Bxh4 32.Bc5 Bf5 33.Rxd8+ Bxd8 34.Bxb4 h5 35.Ne2 h4 36.Bd6 g5 37.Kc1 g4 38.b4 Be6 39.a4 Bc4 40.Kd2 Bg5+ 41.Bf4 Bxf4+ 42.Nxf4 h3 43.Nh5 h2 44.Ng3 Kg7 45.Ke3 Kf6 46.Kf4 Be2 47.b5 Ke6 48.b6 Kd6 49.a5 Kc6 50.Nh1 Bf3 51.Nf2 Kb5 52.Kg3 1/2-1/2 Vallejo Pons,F-Kuliev,S/Duisburg 1992/TD (52); 10...Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc6 12.g5 Nd7 13.h4 Qa5 14.Kb1 b4 15.Ne2 d5 1/2-1/2 Bolzoni,V-Yasseen,A/Manila 1992/TD (15); 10...h6 11.g5 ( 11.h4 Rc8 12.Rg1 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 b4 14.Ne2 e5 15.Be3 Qa5 1/2-1/2 Rodriguez Cespedes,A-Ftacnik,L/Moscow 1985/MCL (15)) 11...hxg5 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Bxg5 Qa5 14.Kb1 Be7 15.Rg1 Rc8 16.Bf4 b4 17.Ne2 e5 18.Be3 d5 19.Rxg7 dxe4 20.Ng3 Rd8 21.Qe1 Rxd1+ 22.Qxd1 Bd5 23.b3 exf3 24.Qd2 Be6 25.a4 Qd5 26.Bd3 Ng4 27.Rxg4 f2 28.Bxf2 Rxh2 29.Rg8+ Kd7 30.Qe3 1-0 Rossetto,H-Sanguinetti,R/Mar del Plata 1962/MCD (31)] 11.Nf5 [ Fritz perfers 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.g5 Nd7 13.Nd5 Bxd5 ( 13...Rc8) 14.Qxd5 by an extremely narrow margin, but I like my open g-file and f5 pawn wedge] 11...Bxf5 12.gxf5 Qa5 13.Kb1 Rd8?! Diagram

I think allowing me to force the exchange of the Be3 for the Nf6 is bad because of the super d5 square. On the other hand, the Nc5 can still contest d5. Fritz has the text move ranked as 5th best perhaps for the fact that it does try to contest d5.14.Bg5 Be7 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Nd5 Qxd2 17.Rxd2 Bg5 18.Rd3 Diagram

18...0-0 [ 18...Ne7 For some time, Fritz ranks best immediately contesting d5, trying to go into an opposite colored bishop ending. This is the right way to play, if it werks. If I allow the trade, the rook will be okay on d5, but the knight relishes this square far more. After some thought, however, Fritz realizes that the variation 19.Nc7+ Kd7 20.Nxa6 d5!? 21.c3 ( 21.exd5 Nxf5) 21...Bf6 22.Nb4 seems to net white a safe pawn.] 19.Ra3 I go after the pawn, but black gets a transient counterinitiative. 19...Nd4 20.h4 weak pawns must be traded.. also, the bishop must either act agressively on the h6-c1 diagnol now or give up the f6 and e7 squares either of which might be the site of a knight check. He choses the former. 20...Bh6 21.Rh3 Diagram

I want to prepare the eviction of the knight with c3, but I need to secure f3 to win material. Doing so, I choose between making my bishop bad on g2 or the text rook move. I decided that my bishop should stay on the f1-a6 diagnol because it will attack the b5 pawn after the a6 pawn falls. Maybe it isn't very grandmasterly to accept bad pieces for material, but on the other hand, maybe it is. Maybe there were possibilities, thanks to the afforementioned aspects of the f1-a6 to net one pawn by trading off the f3 pawn, but after taking f3, the knight would currently have a check on d2. This would feel like allowing black too much activity so I pretty much considered these ideas out of the question.21...Ra8 22.c3 [ Before I made the text move, I had been considering the lines in the abstract, really, I envisioned the knight hop 22.Nc7 because black has the improvement 22...Rac8 Diagram

( 22...Ra7? and now the a6 pawn is pinned, so 23.Nxb5 ( too bad I can't keep my knight on after 23.Bxb5? Rxc7) 23...Nxb5 24.Bxb5) 23.Nxa6 Rxc2 24.Rc3 Rc8 25.f4 ( 25.Bd3? Rc1+) 25...Bxf4 26.Rxc2 Rxc2 27.Rc3 Rxc3 28.bxc3 Nf3 when things are getting a little messy. During the game, I was of course the standard dangerous for white along the c file.] 22...Nc6 After we reached this position it dawned on me that a Ra7 is now protected by the Nc6 so things were slightly more awkward than I perfered. 23.Nc7 Ra7 [ Fritz calls out 23...Rac8 24.Nxa6 b4 25.Rb3 ( 25.cxb4 Nxb4 26.Rc3 ( 26.Nxb4?? Diagram

26...Rc1# again the strength of the Bh6's activity along that "aggressive diagnol" I meantioned earlier.) 26...Nxa6 27.Bxa6 Rxc3 28.bxc3) ] 24.Nxa6 b4 [ Here I really expected 24...Rfa8 but had planned 25.Bxb5 Nb8 26.Nxb8 Rxa3 27.bxa3 Rxb8 28.a4] 25.Nxb4 [ Rico said he liked 25.cxb4 but I felt it was safer to trade pieces. Rico didn't like the doubled pawns but now that I have Fritz on it 25...Nd4 Diagram

popped up and black has a marvelous knight.26.b5 Rc8 27.Rc3 Rd8 ( 27...Rxc3? 28.bxc3 Nxb5) 28.Nc7 Bd2 29.Rc4 Ba5 30.Nd5 Nxb5] 25...Rxa3 26.bxa3 Rb8 27.Kc2 Ne7 28.Bc4 I knew this was a dangerous square, but for some reason I wasn't scared. It werked out in the end, but... 28...Bf4 29.h5 Diagram

I felt this was the perfect time for this, possibly preventing the knight from this square, but the main impetous for me was to keep my pawns on the square opposite my opponent's bishop. A dogma is that pawns should be kept on squares opposite one's own bishop, but my feeling is that is optimal in same colored bishop endings when they will not be a target for the opponent's bishop. I have seen Nick DeFirmian in a number of occasions put his pawns on the same color as his bishop in opposite colored bishop endings. It makes sense in a conservative sense because neither side is allowing the opponent to target his pawns. In this position, of course, I have a static space advantage on the kingside and passed pawns on the queeside. I want to play on the queenside and keep black constricted on the kingside. I am planning to free my Rh3 for play on the queenside.. [ In conjunction with the above note, if I had allowed 29.Rh1 h5 30.Rb1 Bg3 black would be threatening to create a passed h pawn. ] 29...Rc8 30.Kb3 Be3 [ 30...Rb8 31.a4 Nc6 32.Bb5] 31.Rh1 Rb8 32.a4 Nc6 33.a3? Diagram

[ In my usual fashion, I played carelessly in a won game. I could have also broken the pin with a move I actually probably considered in some sense earlier in the game, namely 33.Bb5 Na5+ 34.Kc2] 33...Na5+ 34.Kc2 Nxc4 35.Kd3 Rc8 36.Nd5 Bg5 37.Rg1 Diagram

37...h6? [ Rico and I looked at 37...Bd8 38.f6 g6 Diagram

39.hxg6 ( we considered 39.Ne7+ Bxe7 40.fxe7 but we missed 40...Nb2+ 41.Kc2 Nxa4 42.Kb3 Nc5+ and white shouldn't have enough.) 39...fxg6 ( 39...hxg6 40.Rb1 Kf8 ( 40...Nxa3 41.Rb7 Kf8 42.a5 Nc4 ( 42...Bxa5 43.Ra7 Bxc3 44.Rxa3) 43.a6 Na5 44.Rd7 Ke8 45.Rxd6 Nc4 46.Rxd8+ Kxd8 47.Ne7 Rc5 48.a7 Nb6) 41.Rb7 Ke8) ] 38.Rxg5 hxg5 [ 38...Nb2+ 39.Kc2 Kf8 40.Rg1 Nxa4 41.Rb1] 39.Ne7+ Kf8 40.Nxc8 Nxa3? [ 40...Nb2+ 41.Kc2 Nxa4] 41.Nxd6 Ke7 42.Nc4 Nxc4 43.Kxc4 the knight trade is pure death for black. 43...Kd6 44.Kb5 1-0