Scid

Barkas, Peter - Zajaczkowski, Marek
Fenland Open
[2023.10.03]
[A16]

A game where, having achieved a winning endgame, White's "technique" let him down. 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6

[ 3.e4! fighting for central control is more to my taste. This is an aspect of the game club members need to work on - opening play is too passive and often neglects the centre - the key battleground area. ]

3. ... Bg7

[ 3. ... c5! contesting d4 ]

4.Bg2 c6?!

[ Black mixes up two systems. In a King's Indian, he should be contesting the central dark squares starting with e.g. 4. ... c5 ]

5.e4! Bravo. Any ideas of a d7-d5 break are quickly snuffed out. 5. ... e5?!

[ 5. ... c5? allowing the Knight to come to c6. ]

6.Nf3

[ White should not obstruct the g2 Bishop thereby maintaining control of d5. 6.Nge2!? ? c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 O-O 9.b4! ↑ The b4 pawn is poisoned. ]

6. ... Nh5? A poor move. Two maxims apply here: 1. A Knight on the rim is dim. 2. Black moves a piece for the second time in the opening for no discernible purpose or gain. It also loses time which is critical in the early stages of a game.

[ 6. ... d5! 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.exd5 Nxd5 with reasonable counterplay for Black ]

7.d3 Very passive. With Black's King in the centre White could afford to open up the centre (a la Morphy). For example,

[ 7.d4! d6

[ 7. ... exd4 8.Nxd4 d6 9.O-O O-O 10.Nf5! ↑ ]

8.h3 O-O 9.O-O+/- ]

7. ... d6 8.O-O O-O 9.Bg5

[ There was still time for 9.d4 despite the loss of a tempo. ]

9. ... Bf6

[ 9. ... Nf6? ]

10.Be3! Be7? By this move Black has weakened his dark squares. The d6 pawn may also become a target in later play. 11.Qd2

[ 11.d4! ]

11. ... Nd7 12.Ng5? Moving a piece for the 2nd time for no discernible gain.

[ 12.Rad1? ]

[ 12.d4? ]

12. ... Ng7 13.f4 Nc5

[ 13. ... Nf6 ]

14.Nf3

[ or 14.b4 ]

14. ... exf4 15.gxf4 Bd7?! Planless. Black is worse and must actively dispute the central squares. Thus,

[ 15. ... f5 16.e5 dxe5 17.Nxe5 Nd7 18.Nf3 Nf6?? ]

16.Rad1

[ 16.d4! Nce6 17.d5→ ]

16. ... Re8

[ 16. ... Bg4? ]

17.Qf2

[ 17.d4? ]

17. ... b6

[ 17. ... Bg4? ]

18.Kh1? I give up. What was wrong with 18.d4? 18. ... Nh5? Black does not sense the danger to his King. 19.Nd4

[ Even stronger was 19.f5! (X f7) 19. ... Bf6 20.Bh3 Rb8 21.Qg2 followed by Nd4 with trememdous threats ]

19. ... Ne6 20.Nde2

[ 20.f5! attack! ]

20. ... Bh4 21.Qf3 Bf6 22.d4 At last! 22. ... Neg7 23.Ng3? Unless one has calculated the implications, my advice to the player with the initiative is avoid exchanges. It often eases the task of the defender.

[ 23.f5! → ]

23. ... Qc8?!

[ 23. ... Nxg3+? ]

24.Qf2? Keeping the pawn structure intact was the order of the day. For instance:

[ 24.Nxh5 Nxh5 25.f5 Kh8 26.Bh3→ ]

[ or 24.f5 ]

24. ... Bh4 25.Bf3 Bg4! 26.Rg1?? Blunder alert. 26. ... Bxf3+ 27.Qxf3 Nxg3+ 28.Rxg3?

[ 28.hxg3 Qh3# ]

28. ... Bxg3 29.Qxg3 So Black has netted the exchange. Despite the absence of a dark-squared Bishop, with care, Black has an easily won endgame. 29. ... Nh5

[ 29. ... Qe6! 30.d5 cxd5 31.cxd5 Qe7-+ ]

30.Qf3 Kh8? Why put the King on a dark square?

[ 30. ... f5? ]

31.Rg1 a6 32.c5? The pawns belong on light squares. 32. ... Qd7 33.cxd6

[ 33.cxb6!? ]

33. ... Qxd6 34.d5 c5? Black has carelessly reliquished all of his advantage.

[ 34. ... cxd5 35.Bd4+ f6 36.Nxd5 Qe6 37.Re1 Rac8↑ ]

35.e5! Qe7? Losing valuable time. Correct was simply

[ 35. ... Qd7 ]

36.Ne4?

[ 36.d6? Qd7 37.Nd5! ]

36. ... Rad8 37.d6 Rxd6?? Black commits hari-kari.

[ 37. ... Qb7 38.Kg2 f6=+ ]

38.Nxd6 Rd8 39.Nc4

[ Timid 39.f5! ]

39. ... Qe6 40.b3 f6 41.exf6 Nxf6 42.Ne5 Rd5 43.Re1 Qf5 44.Nc4?

[ Timid 44.Bc1 heading for the a1-h8 diagonal ]

44. ... Nd7 45.Bc1! Rd3 46.Bb2+ Kg8 47.Qe4

[ White opts to get the Queens off. 47.Ne3? Qe6 48.f5 gxf5 49.Qa8++- ]

47. ... Qxe4+ 48.Rxe4 Kf7 49.Re2 b5 50.Ne5+ and the Knights 50. ... Nxe5 51.Bxe5

[ 51.fxe5! ? Ke6 52.Rf2 c4 53.Rf6++- ]

51. ... c4 52.bxc4 bxc4 53.Rc2 Ra3 54.Rxc4

[ Another plan was to activate the King first starting with 54.Kg2 White does not have to rush. Black will eventually submit to zugzwang. ]

54. ... Rxa2

[ 54. ... g5!? a last try ]

55.Rc7+ Ke6 56.Rxh7 Kf5 57.Bc7

[ White need not fear ...g5 e.g. 57.Rh3 g5? 58.Rh5 ]

57. ... a5 58.Rh3 a4 59.Bd6

[ 59.Rg3! ]

59. ... Kg4?! 60.Rg3+ Kf5 61.h3

[ 61.Rg2 Ra1+ 62.Rg1 Ra2 63.Be5+- ]

61. ... Rd2 62.Ra3??

[ White falls asleep. Simply 62.Be5 a3 63.Rg5+ Ke4 64.Rxg6 and wins ]

62. ... Rxd6 63.Rxa4 Rd1+

[ 63. ... g5! =, quiet ]

64.Kg2 Rd2+ 65.Kg3 Rd5 Draw agreed. White's largesse knows no bounds. Subject to clock considerations I would have tested Black's endgame technique and played on.
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