Annotated Game #29: Back as Black

Following the second phase (post-scholastic) of my chess career, which ended with Annotated Game #28, several years passed before I played any serious games.  The next one was in fact Annotated Game #6, from the world record simultaneous exhibition in Mexico City.  I saw a notice for the event and remembered that I liked to play chess, so why not participate?

Over another year passed, however, before I came back to tournament play.  This first-round game showed that I was still capable of hanging with the competition, despite a disappointing final result.  In a Classical Caro-Kann, my Class A opponent made two separate attacking demonstrations (on moves 16 and 26) which however ended up being nullfied, due to a lack of a robust follow-up on his part and some good defending on mine.  A dynamic endgame then ensues, with a material imbalance of R+R vs. R+N+pawns.  After some tense play, I make some judgments which allow White to stop the pawns and then go on to win.  No doubt fatigue played a role, as this was a long, hard-fought game.  However, the primary factor was probably my weak endgame knowledge.

Some lessons learned from reviewing the game:

• Look at getting in the ...c5 break in the Classical Caro-Kann as early as possible (move 14)
• In this variation, always keep in mind the potential weakness of e6 and tactical ideas associated with that for White (moves 16, 25)
• Look beyond superficial one-move positional analysis when deciding on piece placement (move 19)
• Passed pawns must be pushed! (move 41)
• Take advantage of concrete advantages when they occur and calculate the consequences (move 48)

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Move	N	Result	Elo	Players

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B19: Classical Caro-Kann: 4...Bf5 main line 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 This instead of Nc3 makes no difference to the main line continuation, but does have a point if Black prefers to play 3...g6, as then White can play c3. dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nf6 more standard here is Nbd7 7.h4 h6 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bd2 Nbd7 12.Qe2 Be7 13.0-0-0 the normal move here, going for an opposite-sides castling middlegame. 0-0 taking up the challenge. Queenside castling would be more awkward and reduce Black's possibilities of counterplay on that side of the board. 14.Ne5 Qc7 The immediate break with 14...c5 is the most popular move by far. I had wanted to remove my queen from the d-file before playing it. 15.Kb1 c5 last move in the database, with one other game listed (a win for White). 16.Ng6 Nxd7 was played in the other game. Ng6 came as a surprise to me, although Houdini finds the possibility right away. White thematically exploits the weakness of e6, which is a spot all Caro-Kann players need to watch. Rfe8 16...fxg6 17.Qxe6+ Kh8 18.hxg6 Qd6 19.Rxh6+ gxh6 20.Qh3 Ng8 21.Bxh6 Qxg6 22.Bxf8+ Qh7 23.Qxd7 I didn't see this whole line during the game, but did evaluate White as having a nasty attack after move 17, so avoided it. 17.Nxe7+ Rxe7 18.dxc5 Nxc5 so, after the excitement of the sacrifice offer on move 16, we're back to a relatively equal position. 19.Bc3 Nd5 This move appears rather obvious, centralizing the knight and avoiding Bxf6, but it is only superficially useful and weakens Black's kingside. 19...Ne8 Houdini finds this "computer move" which avoids the weakening exchange on f6 while protecting g7. 20.Be5 Qc6 20.Be5 excellent improvement of the position of White's bishop, seizing the key h2-b8 diagonal, which Black cannot challenge. Qc6 21.c4 Nb6 22.Rd6 White has the initiative and is pushing Black around on the queenside, as well as having more space on the kingside. Qc8 22...Qxg2!? is recommended by the engines; this would at least give Black some material compensation, although opening the g-file to White's rooks doesn't look like a fun prospect for Black. 23.Rhd1 f5 23.Rhd1 Ncd7 24.Bc3 Nxc4 25.R6d4 25.Nf5 could have been played immediately, exploiting the pin on the e6 pawn. exf5 26.Qxe7 Nxd6 27.Rxd6 with a major attack coming on Black's king. 25...Ncb6 25...Nce5!? should not be overlooked, says Fritz, as a better defense, as it would have blocked the pin on the e-file. 26.Bb4 Re8 26.Nf5!± now it comes. Qc5 27.Nxe7+ 27.Nxg7 is much more dangerous for Black, winning a pawn and cracking open the king position. Kxg7?? 28.Rc4+ 27...Qxe7 28.Qd3 28.g4!?± 28...Nd5 immediately neutralizes the pressure along the d-file. Black still has problems, but White is no longer running away with the game. 29.Rg4 N7f6 30.Bxf6 Qxf6 31.a3 wastes a crucial tempo, losing a pawn. Qxf2 now material is equalized and Black is fine. 32.Rf1 Qe3 33.Rf3 Qxd3+ 34.Rxd3 the strategy of trading queens (validated by Houdini) further reduces White's attacking chances, leaving a straight-up endgame. Rc8 35.Rdg3 Nf6 36.Rb4 36.Rxg7+ Kf8 and the Rg7 has nowhere it can immediately go, gaining Black time to push his e-pawn. 36...Rc7 Instead of 36...Nxh5 37.Rh3 a5 38.Rxb7 with more active prospects for White on the queenside. 37.Rc3 Rd7 38.g4 Kf8 time to activate the king 39.Rc8+ Ke7 40.Rb8 b6 41.Ka2 moving the king to the edge of the board and away from the action. Rc7 41...e5 would have been the correct response. Passed pawns must be pushed! 42.Kb3 Nd5 43.Rc4 Rd7 44.Rc1 Kf6 45.Rg8 g5 46.Rh8 46.hxg6 would have opened more lines for White's rooks. fxg6 47.Rh8 46...Kg7 47.Rcc8 47.Rhc8!? is what the engines prefer. 47...Nf6-+ the g4 pawn should now fall. 48.Rhd8 48.Kc3 the king needs to get in the fight Nxg4 49.Rhg8+ Kf6-+ 48...Re7 48...Rxd8 now was the time to exchange rooks, with the prospect of winning the g4-pawn and having connected passed pawns on the kingside. 49.Rxd8 Nxg4-+ 49.Rc4 e5 50.Rd1 e4 51.Rg1 makes it over just in time to protect the pawn. Nxg4 this was not the best decision, banking on the connected passed pawns vs a whole rook. 51...e3!? would have kept pressure on White and partially justified Black's play. 52.Rxg4= f5 53.Rg1 f4 54.Kc2 Kf6 54...e3 keeps the pressure on 55.Kd2 55.Rc6+ and Black would have little choice other than to trade off his remaining rook. Re6 56.Rxe6+ Kxe6 and White should be able to stop the pawns. 55...Kf5 56.Rc6 56.Rd4 a6= 56...g4 57.Rg6? 57.Ke1= 57...g3? Black lets it slip away, says Fritz. 57...e3+ 58.Ke1 58.Kd3 Rd7+ 59.Kc2 f3 60.R6xg4 f2 58...f3 59.R6xg4 Rc7 back rank mate threat 60.Kd1 Rd7+ 61.Kc2 Rd2+ 62.Kc3 f2 58.Rd1 Rd7+ this gives the game to White. 58...e3+ and Black keeps the draw in hand. 59.Ke2 Ke4= 59.Ke1± Rxd1+ 60.Kxd1 f3?? a blunder in a bad position, says Fritz. 60...a6± 61.Rxg3+- Kf4 the idea behind the previous move, but insufficient to queen a pawn. 62.Rg6 e3 63.Ke1 f2+ 64.Ke2 and Black is stymied, no longer able to make progress while White cleans up with his rook. b5 65.Rxh6 Kg5 66.Rh8 Kf6 67.Rg8 Kf7 68.Rg2 1–0

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White	EloW	Black	EloB	Res	ECO	Rnd

Class A

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ChessAdmin

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1–0

B19

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