1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+
Kelly: I looked at this in my database, and White scores very well in this
line. I considered 5. Bd3, which scored even better, but didn't feel quite
as comfortable with it.
5... gxf6
David: Egads!! I crossed moves here without even thinking. I'm in deep
doo-doo now, and only five moves into the game too! Well, I guess that will
teach me; what I don't know, but sure hope to learn from this mess!
(5... Qxf6 "...wholly unpromising..." - Psakhis.)
6. Be3 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bd7 8. Bc4 Bd6 9. Qe2 Qe7
David: The French? You think that's what this abomination is? Ssshhh!
Don't tell anyone. I'd be too embarrassed to admit to playing a French
this badly.
10. O-O O-O-O
David: "Tally Ho!" I played this almost on principle, without real
reflection. Probably a blitz-hangover, mentally speaking.
11. c3 Rdg8 12. Rfe1 Kb8
David: I would never play this move in a blitz game, but here, with time for
you to think, methinks a bit more prophlaxis is required.
(12... Rg4 13. h3 (13. Ne5 =/+) 13... Rg7 = )
(12... Rg7 13. d5 Rhg8 14. g3 Ne5 15. dxe6 Bxe6 16. Bxe6+ Qxe6 17. Bxa7 Qh3
+/-)
13. a4 Rg4
David: It will be interesting to see how you respond. I think my play is fairly transparent: I intend to double Rooks on the g-file, and with ...Rg4 I'm trying to provoke you into moving the pawns in front of your
castled King's position. What will you do?
(13... Rg7 = )
14. h3
Kelly: Well, you know I can't let you do that now. I looked for
several minutes at all sorts of complex stuff in the center, when it dawned
on me that the simple h3 drives you away and makes it tough to stay on the
g-file.
DS: The only objection I have to this move is that it does nothing to
advance White's Q-side attack; it allows Black to begin dictating the terms
of the engagement, to fight the battle on the turf of his choosing, so to
speak.
(14. b4 Rhg8 15. g3 f5 = )
14... Rg7
David: Hehehe! That's exactly what ...Rg4 was intended to provoke.
I could have played ...Rg7 last move, but saw that maybe I could con you
into weakening the pawn structure in front of your King without losing a
tempo doing so. Now it remains to be seen if I'm right or wrong about
h3 weakening your King's position or not, but that sort of move usually
translates into a weakness, so I'm working on that premise.
15. Bh6 Rg6
David: I don't understand your last move; seems to me to be a waste of time
which helps me double Rooks. Either the Bishop now retreats, or it's
stuck in an apparently worthless spot on h6 where it has to be guarded by
your Queen. Or so it seems to me.
16. Qe3
Kelly: As for my nonsensical move, it's doing a nice job of preventing you
from doubling on the g-file. The light-squared Bishop will come over soon
and drive your g6 Rook back, and you still won't have them doubled. I'm just
trying to take away any safe squares for you on this side of g8. I'm going
to fight you tooth & nail for that file, then try to pawnstorm your King.
16... f5
David: I had missed the simple Nh4.
(16...Rhg8 17. Nh4)
(16... e5 17. Nh4 Rgg8)
17. b4
Kelly: Now that you're all involved over there with your Rooks, let's shift
the attack to the other side of the board a la Bobby... I'm
still not real comfortable with those Rooks, but as long as they're away
from your King, I'll see what trouble I can stir up over there.
17... Rhg8 18. g3 Bxg3
David: Better to go out in a blaze of glory I guess than sit here and get
crushed to death slowly.
(18... f4 19. Bxf4 Bxf4 20. Qxf4)
(18... f6 19. Kh2 Rxg3 20. fxg3 Bxg3+ 21. Kh1 Bxe1 22.
Rxe1 Nd8)
(18... Rxg3+ 19. fxg3 Bxg3 20. Kh1 Bxe1 21. Rxe1)
19. fxg3
Kelly: Crushed to death slowly? I didn't see any evidence of that anytime
soon. I thought the Rooks were a little misplaced, but overall, a
pretty even position until this. I don't think there's a sound follow
up to the Bishop sac.
19... Rxg3+
David: Anytime soon? No no! That's why I said slowly! LOL!
As for a sound follow-up, I don't think so either, but I'm hoping this will
be more fun than the other death that I think awaited me in this game. :-)
DS: Neither minor piece can join in the assault on the White King yet, so
this looks rather dubious still.
20. Kh2 Rg2+
David: Unless I'm missing something your best bet (after the obvious 21. Kh1
and my planned 21...R2g3) is to repeat the position with 22. Kh2.
21. Kh1
Kelly: I looked at a bunch of alternatives, everything from Bf1 to Re2, but
I don't see anything that offers much more than solid defense and an equal
position. I just underestimated the power of the Rooks. Honestly, I thought
I could keep them undoubled and tripping over each other.
21... R2g3 22. Re2
(22. Kh2 Rg2+ 23. Kh1 R2g3)
22... Rxh3+
(22... e5 23. b5 (23. dxe5 Rxh3+ 24. Rh2 Rxf3 25. Qxf3 Nxe5 -+))
23. Rh2
23... Rxf3
(23... Rxh2+ 24. Kxh2 DS: Fritz says Black has a very slight
edge here, but I just don't see any play for Black.)
24. Qxf3 Ne5 25. dxe5
(25. Qe2 Nxc4 26. b5 Nd6)
25... Bc6 26. Qxc6 bxc6 27. Be3 Rg4
(27... Kb7)
(27... f6 28. Bc5 Qf7 29. exf6 Qxf6 30. Bd4 Qe7)
28. Bd4
(28. Ba6 Qd8 29. Bf1 (29. Bd4 ?? Qd5+) 29... Qd5+ 30. Bg2 Qxe5 -/+)
28... Rh4
David: I believe you still have the advantage. I looked for a way to
avoid another exchange, but they all looked worse than the exchange.
Lesser of the evils I guess.
(28... Rxd4 29. cxd4 Qxb4 30. Ba6 Qb6 31. Rxh7 Qxa6 32. Rh8+ Kb7 33. Rb1+)
(28... h5 29. Rxh5 Rh4+ 30. Rxh4 Qxh4+ 31. Kg2 a5)
(28... Kb7 29. Rxh7 Qg5 30. Be2)
29. Raa2
David: Time for a defensive move - before you get Ba6! in.
29... Kb7
(29... Rxh2+ 30. Rxh2 Qg5 31. Rxh7 Qc1+ 32. Kg2 Qc2+ 33. Kg1 c5 34. Bxc5
Qxc3 35. Ba6 Qg3+ 36. Kf1 Qf4+ 37. Bf2 Qc1+ = )
30. Rag2
(30. Rxh4 Qxh4+ 31. Rh2 Qe1+ 32. Kg2 a5)
30... Qd8
(30... h5 31. Be2 Rxh2+ 32. Rxh2 Qg5 33. Bxh5 Qg3 34. a5 a6 35. Bxf7 Qe1+
36. Kg2 Qe2+)
31. Bf1
Kelly: I had to sleep on this one. The more I looked at it last night,
the further away from finding a good move I got. When I woke up this
morning and looked at it, it dawned on me that the loose Bishop at c4
prevented me from moving my d4 Bishop, so voila. I don't
know that there's anything wrong with Be2, but at f1 it will provide some
back row cover from annoying Q checks.
(31. Rg7 Rxh2+ 32. Kxh2 Qh4+ 33. Kg2 a5)
(31. a5 a6)
31... Rxh2+
David: I thought real hard about 31... Rxd4, after all, what's one more
sacrifice in this game? LOL! I just couldn't bring myself to
face the ending with a Queen for two Rooks and a Bishop though. Pity, it
looked like an interesting line. My goal now is to upset your
remaining pawn structure, in the hopes that this will allow me better
drawing chances.
Kelly: Rxd4 is really what I expected and feared the most. You've got
a ton of pawns, and that would so weaken my remaining ones, that I figured
your Queen would be able to pick them off. I'd give you 2-1 that
Fischer would have grabbed the Bishop.
(31... Rxd4 32. cxd4 Qxd4)
David: Nope, I gotta disagree. First of all, there is the reality of
32...a5! which also serves to disrupt your pawns, creating targets for my
Queen. Even this, though, wouldn't be enough I didn't feel
against the two Rooks working together with a Bishop. Remember,
in most open positions, a Rook pair at least equals a Queen, then toss in
another Bishop on top of that? I didn't figure I'd be able to advance
my pawns: I really think White wins that ending.
32. Rxh2 a5 33. bxa5 Qd5+ 34. Bg2 Qxa5 35. Rxh7 Qxa4 36. Bf3
(36. Rxf7 ?? Qd1+ 37. Kh2 Qh5+)
36... Qc4
(36... Qa8)
37. Kg2 Qa2+
(37... Kc8 38. Rxf7 c5 39. Rf8+ Kd7 40. Rf7+ Kc8 41. Bf2 Qxc3
with an unclear position)
38. Kg3 Qa8
(38... Qd2 39. Rxf7 Qg5+ 40. Kf2 Qd2+)
(38... Qc4 39. Rxf7 Kc8)
39. Kf4 Qg8
(39... Qa3 40. Rxf7 (40. Kg5 Qe7+) 40... Qc1+ 41. Kg3 Qg5+ 42.
Kf2 Qd2+ 43. Kf1 = )
40. Rh1 Qa8
(40... Qg7 41. Rb1+ Kc8 42. Bxc6 Qg4+ 43. Ke3 +/-)
Kelly: I've been staring at the position for almost an hour and can't come
up with anything other than a useless Rook check or invading with the king.
David: The "useless" Rook check allows your rook to infiltrate: Rb1+
and Rb5
due to the pin along the a8-h1 diagonal. Remember: visualize the
position you'd like to achieve, then figure out how to get there. You need
to win a pawn in order to make any progress, and since I've denied you the
f7 pawn for now, why not set your sights on the c6 pawn, my other big
weakness. Sure would be nice to put a Rook on c5, wouldn't it?
41. Rb1+
(41. Kg5 Qd8+)
41... Kc8
(41... Ka6 ?? 42. Be2+ Ka5 43. Ra1#)
42. Rb5 Qa1
(42... Kd7 43. Rc5 Qa6 44. Bxc6+ Qxc6 45. Rxc6 Kxc6 46. c4 +-)
(42... Qa6 43. Rc5 Qf1 44. Rxc6 Kd7 45. Rc5 Qc1+ 46. Be3 (46. Kg3) 46...
Qe1)
43. Rc5 Qc1+ 44. Be3
Kelly: I can pick off the c6 pawn, but I still can't coordinate my pieces,
protect them, infiltrate with the King and avoid nuisance checks all at the
same time. My gut feeling is that even Karpov couldn't win this, and I ain't
no Anatoly! :-)
44... Qf1
David: OK, Kelly, here's my step-by-step plan for White to win: pick off the
c6 pawn as you've planned, then re-deploy your Rook and light-squared Bishop
to win the f7 pawn, then the e6 pawn, then ... my King.
45. Rxc6
(45. Kg3 Qe1+ 46. Bf2 Qd2 (46... f4+ 47. Kg2 Qb1))
45... Qh3
Kelly: I'm ready to call this one a draw if you're willing. I've looked and
looked, and there is simply no way I can see to make any progress. I
have to be careful of leaving a Bishop en prise, but also need to
leave myself escape room. Between those two concerns and the Queen checks,
it's nothing but a shuffle till we reach the 50 move rule. So...
