The Irish Chess Union

[Event "Armstrong Cup 2007-08"] [Site "Leinster IRL"] [Date "2008.03.11"] [Round "11"] [White "O'Connor, Jonathan"] [Black "Baburin, Alexander"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2201"] [BlackElo "2540"] [ECO "B03"] [Annotator "O'Connor, Jonathan"] [ICUid "29044"] { I don't play much over the board chess anymore, and I've only played a handful of GMs with no success, so I was looking forward to playing Alex in the last round of the Armstrong. I started preparing two weeks before the game. There were three aspects to my preparation: The first was psychological. How do you play somebody who is rated 300 points higher than you, has won most of his games in Ireland, is a world-renowned expert in the Alekhine, is no slouch in the middlegame, and adores endgame theory? Firstly, as the underdog, any result is ok. Secondly, Alex is only human. He does make mistakes. I decided to play actively, and without fear. If I have to sacrifice a pawn or piece, then I will do so. If I have to swap queens, then I will do so. The second was to decide on the opening. Occasionally Alex plays the Sicilian. However, Alex knows the Alekhine far better, and the variations he plays are less theoretical. I really wanted to play the 4 pawns attack. Sadly, I couldn't find any lines I liked. Normally, I play 4. Nf3 lines, but black can decide on the type of position to play. So, instead I looked at the exchange variation. White gets more space, and easy development. The third was to get tactically sharp. All the opening preparation is no good, if you blunder a piece or a pawn once out of the opening. I used puzzle books ("Chess Combination as a Fine Art" edited by Golz is an old book long out of print. Its my favourite chess book. "Understanding Chess Tactics" by Martin Weteschnik is an excellent guide to the mechanics of tactical elements. "Test Your Chess IQ" by Livshitz is a purely a puzzle book aimed mainly for 1800 level players. It's a bit too easy for me. Finally, I've been hard at work on "Perfect your Chess" by Volokitin and Grabinsky. The puzzles here are tough. Almost too tough for me.) and an online tactics web site: http://chess.emrald.net } 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 { The exchange variation. } 5... exd6 (5... cxd6 { is more dynamic, but the variations in the books are all good for white after } 6. Nc3 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Rc1 O-O 9. b3 e5 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Qxd8 Rxd8 12. c5 { was good for white in Adams-Santo Roman, 2004 amongst many others. }) 6. Nc3 Nc6 { Alex's own invention in this position } (6... Be7 { is the old main line. But white can get a nice position playing } 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Nge2) 7. Be3 Be7 8. Nf3 Bf6 (8... Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. g4 Bg6 11. Qd2 { can lead to very sharp positions. That's not how Alex plays chess }) (8... Bf5 9. d5 Ne5 10. Nxe5 (10. Nd4 Bg6 (10... Bg4 11. f3 Bd7 12. b3 O-O 13. Be2 Bh4+ 14. g3 Bf6 15. O-O Re8) 11. Be2 O-O 12. b3 { is a standard position that's supposed to be good for white }) 10... dxe5 11. c5 Nd7 12. d6 cxd6 13. cxd6 Bg5 14. Nd5 Rc8) 9. h3 { protecting d4 by preventing Bc8-g4 } 9... O-O 10. Rc1 { I want to be able to play d4-d5 without allowing Bf6xNc3 } 10... d5 $2 { Diagram # } 11. c5 Nc4 12. Bxc4 ({ I missed a clever trick. So much for my tactical preparation! } 12. Nxd5 $1 Nxe3 13. Nxf6+ Qxf6 14. fxe3 Re8 15. Kf2 { but Fritz 8 doesn't think it's so bad after } 15... Be6 16. Bc4 Bxc4 17. Rxc4 Rad8 18. Re1 { and black has some compensation for the pawn. }) 12... dxc4 13. O-O Bf5 { This move started to worry me. The Bishop is coming in on d3, blocking my queen's protection of the d-pawn. After a while, I spotted a tactic to hold on to the pawn. } ({ Better was } 13... Nb4 $1 { The horse wants to become an octopus on d3! White has to play precisely to keep equality } 14. b3 Nd3 15. Rb1 Nxc5 16. bxc4 { Fritz thinks this is a tiny bit better for white, but I have more pawn islands, black has the two bishops, and I'm sure Alex would be happy to play this position for hours. My only plus is more space and better development. }) 14. Qa4 $1 Bd3 15. Rfd1 Re8 ({ My idea is, if } 15... Bxd4 16. Rxd3 cxd3 17. Nxd4 { with B+N for R+P. However the d-pawn will not survive for long, so this is much better for white. }) 16. b3 $1 { Black is in trouble. Fritz 8, however thinks the position is equal! Black must take on d4, otherwise he loses the c-pawn for no compensation. I did wonder if this was all theory, and whether black could sac on e3, but it doesn't seem to work. Lucky me! } 16... Bxd4 (16... Rxe3 $2 17. fxe3 Bg5 18. Re1 Bh4 19. Nxh4 Qxh4 20. bxc4 Qg3 21. Qd1 Bxc4 22. Qf3 { and black has absolutely nothing to show for the exchange. }) 17. Rxd3 $1 cxd3 18. Nxd4 Nxd4 19. Qxd4 Qxd4 20. Bxd4 d2 { I saw this position at move 16, and my worry was that I had overlooked some trick that would allow him to queen his pawn. Unfortunately for Alex, there isn't any, and even Fritz thinks this position is good for white. } 21. Rd1 $1 (21. Rf1 $2 { is worse because it is harder for white to bring out his king. } 21... Re1 22. Be3 Rd8 23. Nd1 Rd3) 21... Re1+ 22. Kh2 Rxd1 $1 { It's best to exchange rooks, as this keeps the d-pawn for a bit longer. } 23. Nxd1 { My plan is simple. The first step is to bring my king from h2-g3-f3-e2 and then gobble the d-pawn. } 23... b6 24. Kg3 $1 (24. cxb6 $2 { gives away all my advantage by activating his rook } 24... axb6 25. a4 Rd8 26. Bc3 f6 27. Kg3 Re8 28. Nb2 Rd8 29. Nd1 { is a draw by repetition }) 24... Rd8 25. Be3 bxc5 26. Kf3 (26. Bxc5 $6 { is inaccurate and gives play to the rook } 26... Rd5 27. Be3 Ra5 28. a4 Rd5 29. Kf3 Rd3 30. b4 Ra3 31. Ke2 Rxa4 32. Bxd2) 26... c4 $1 27. bxc4 Rd3 28. Ke2 Ra3 29. Kxd2 Rxa2+ 30. Kd3 { Ok. Mission accomplished. But now I have to deal with a possibly dangerous passed a-pawn. To manage this, I need to activate my knight, and win his c-pawn. Then all my pieces can help to shepherd the passed c-pawn to queen while holding back the a-pawn. Black will have to play on the king-side, but it's very difficult but not impossible to make a breakthrough there. The overriding factor in these types of material imbalance is that the two pieces can attack twice but the rook can only defend once. } 30... c6 $1 { otherwise 31. Nc3 R moves 32. Nd5 c6 33. Ne7+ wins the pawn on c6. } 31. Nc3 Ra3 32. Kc2 $1 { keeping the a-pawn within range, and trying to worry the rook. } 32... f5 $2 (32... f6 $1 { takes away some squares from the bishop, and does not leave a target for the knight }) 33. Kb2 Ra6 34. Kb3 (34. Na2 $1 { would have been great. It threatens Nb4 and black's rook is out of play. I never considered this move because I wanted to play my knight to e2 and d4. } 34... Ra5 35. Nb4 c5 36. Nc6 Ra6 37. Ne7+ Kf7 38. Nxf5 Rg6 39. g4 Rb6+ 40. Kc3 g6 41. Ng3 { and the c-pawn is dropping off soon. }) 34... Ra1 35. Ne2 Kf7 36. Nd4 Rg1 37. g3 Kf6 38. Nxc6 g5 39. Nd4 $6 ({ I should have been greedy with } 39. Nxa7 $1 Rh1 { is then too slow } 40. c5 Rxh3 41. c6 f4 42. Bd4+ { and my pawn queens }) 39... f4 40. gxf4 g4 41. hxg4 Rxg4 { By amazing effort Alex has made another passed pawn. I'm not sure if I am still winning here. } 42. Ne2 (42. Nf3 h5 43. c5 h4 44. c6 h3 45. Ng5 $1 { cutting off the rook and bringing the queens back onto the board. } 45... h2 46. c7 h1=Q 47. c8=Q { Black is unlikely to have a perpetual check, but it will be a while before white can escape from the checks. If the queens come off again, then white will win easily. And if black stops checking, then whites 3 pieces will mate black's king. } 47... Qd5+ 48. Kb4 Qd6+ 49. Kc3 Qa3+ 50. Kc2 Qa4+ 51. Kd3 Qb5+ 52. Qc4) 42... h5 43. Bxa7 h4 44. f3 $2 (44. Bd4+ Kf5 (44... Ke6 45. f3 Rg8 46. Bf2 h3 47. Bg3 Kd7 48. Kc3 Rh8 49. Bh2 Rg8 50. Ng3 Ra8 51. Ne4 Ra2 52. Bg3 h2 53. Bxh2 Rxh2) 45. Be5 h3 46. f3 Rg2 47. Nd4+ Kg6 48. f5+ Kg5 49. c5 h2 50. Bxh2 Rxh2 51. c6 Kf6 52. Kc4 { seems to be winning }) 44... Rg8 45. Ng1 Kf5 46. Be3 Re8 $2 { Diagram # The losing move } (46... Rg3 $1 { draws by attacking the bishop and knight and threatening to advance the h-pawn at the appropriate moment, when the B+2P vs R ending is a draw. } 47. Bf2 Rg2 48. Bd4 ({ sadly } 48. Nh3 Rh2 49. c5 Rxh3 50. Kc4 Rh2 { does not work because the c-pawn is not far enough advanced }) 48... Rg3 49. c5 h3 50. Nxh3 Rxh3 51. Be5 Rxf3+ 52. Kc4 Ke6 53. c6 Rf1 { This is an easy draw for black. But maybe with only 1 minute on the clock, Alex might have made a mistake along the way. }) 47. Bf2 Kxf4 $2 { By losing the h-pawn, black gives up all further hope. } (47... Rg8 $1 48. Nh3 Rg2 49. c5 Rg8 ({ going for the knight loses because here the c-pawn is one square closer to queening than in the previous note } 49... Rh2 $2 50. c6 Rxh3 51. c7 Rxf3+ 52. Kc4 Rxf2 53. c8=Q+ Kxf4 54. Qh3 { according to the tablebases, it is an easy win in 31 moves! } 54... Kg5 55. Kd4 Re2 56. Qf3 Re7 57. Qd5+ Kg4 58. Qg8+ Kf5 59. Qf8+ Ke6 60. Qh6+ Kf5 61. Qh5+ Kf6 62. Qxh4+ Ke6 63. Qh3+ Kf6 64. Kd5 Kg5 65. Qf3 Kg6 66. Qg4+ Kf6 67. Kd6 Rf7 68. Qh4+ Kg6 69. Ke6 Rf8 70. Qg4+ Kh7 71. Qg5 Rg8 72. Qh5+ Kg7 73. Ke7 Ra8 74. Qe5+ Kh6 75. Kf7 Ra7+ 76. Kf6 Ra6+ 77. Kf5 Kh7 78. Qc7+ Kh6 79. Qc8 Ra5+ 80. Kf6 Kh7 81. Qc7+ Kh6 82. Qxa5 Kh7 83. Qg5 Kh8 84. Qg7# { easy peasy, lemon squeezy! }) 50. Kc4 { should also win for white. }) 48. Bxh4 Ke3 49. Kc3 Rg8 50. Bf6 $1 { The knight is untouchable due to Bf6-d4+ winning the rook. As white can't be stopped from playing Bd4 anyway, black resigned. An hour earlier, I would have thumped my fist in the air, and shouted for joy, but such unmannerly displays of emotion are more appropriate on the football pitch. Instead, we calmly shook hands and had a quick analysis of the game. Summing up: Thanks to some inexact play by black, I got a good position out of the opening. Black seemed to have little choice but to go into a bad ending. This position was so good for me, I was convinced I would win. At that stage, I found it very hard to think and stay calm. Thankfully, my position was very easy to play, and even stll, I threw the win away on move 39. Then with less than 2 minutes remaining on his clock, Alex blundered with 46... Re8, and he made it a foregone conclusion with 47... Kxf4 allowing 48. Bxh4. In some ways, I feel disappointed by this game. I didn't have to do much to win. I could have played much more precisely, but I didn't. Next year, hopefully, we will play again. I have no doubt, Alex will want revenge. I'm looking forward to it! } 1-0