Friday, July 11, 2008

Palmy Club Rapid Game

Holdaway, Stewart (1580)- King, Mathew (1676) [B22]Palmerston North Club Rapid Championship (4.2)

Comments made by Stewart are taken from the Palmerston North Club Magazine.
When annotating a game I think it is important to find the critical points, where the game could be won drawn or lost.

1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d6 6.Bc4 Nb6 7.Bb3 Nc6
Possible is 7...dxe5 8.Qh5 e6 9.dxe5 Nc6 10.Nf3 Qd3 11.Nc3 Bb4 12.Bd2 Na5 13.0-0-0 Nxb3+ 14.axb3 Bd7 15.Qh4 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 Qg6 17.Nd2 0-0 18.Ne4 Bc6 19.Nd6 a5 20.Rhe1 a4 21.b4 a3 22.bxa3 Rxa3 23.Kb2 Ra2+ 0-1 Tong Yuanming-Alterman,B/Beijing 1995/
8.Nf3
Stewart considers this a slight inaccuracy but we are still following GM play.
8...dxe5 9.dxe5?!
The mian move here is 9.d5 Na5 10.Nc3 Nxb3 11.Qxb3 e6 12.Nxe5 exd5 13.Be3 Bd6 14.Qb5+ Kf8 15.0-0-0 Be6 16.Nf3 Rc8 17.Kb1 Rc6 18.Nd4 Rc4 19.Nxe6+ fxe6 20.Nxd5 exd5 21.Bxb6 axb6 22.Rxd5 Rc6 23.Re1 h5 24.Rd3 Rh6 25.Rf3+ Rf6 26.Qxh5 Be7 27.Rfe3 Rce6 28.Rd1 Rd6 29.Rde1 Rde6 30.Rd1 Qc7 31.Rc3 Rc6 32.Re3 Rxf2 33.a3 Rh6 34.Rf3+ Rxf3 35.Qxf3+ Rf6 36.Qh5 Qc5 37.Qh8+ Kf7 38.Rc1 Qd5 0-1 Sermek,D-Sveshnikov,E/Bled 1996/
9...Qxd1+ 10.Bxd1 Bg4?!
Stewart comments "The battle is now for the e5 pawn." Yes In most c3 sicilian lines all of white's advantage lies in the e5 pawn.
11.0-0?



Stewart fails to point out in his annotations that black can now win the e pawn necessary was 11.h3 black does not have 11...Bxf3 12.Bxf3 because Nxe5 13. Bxb7.
11.h3 Bh5 12.e6! White will get full comp for this pawn sac 12...fxe6 Black's pawn structure is in ruin's.
11...0-0-0?
11...Nc4! The e-pawn is now lost 12.Nc3 e6 13.Re1 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 N4xe5
12.Re1 e6 13.a3?!
Stewart comments "Played to stop 13...Bb4 or 13...Nb4". These are not really threats or strictly speaking black has a stronger threat which is Nc4 pressuring the e5 pawn so white must defend against this.
13.h3 Bb4 14.Nc3 Bh5 15.Bg5 Rd3 White has a tough choice on how to defend black's many threats 16.Be2 (16.Nd4 Bxc3 17.bxc3 Bxd1 18.Raxd1 Nxe5 19.Nb5 Rxd1 20.Rxd1 Nec4 21.Nxa7+ Kb8 22.Nb5 Nd5) 16...Rxc3 17.bxc3 Bxc3 18.Rac1 Bxe1 19.Rxe1
13...Be7?
Black misses his chance and the position is now equal 13...Nc4 Black has a clear edge 14.Bb3 N4a5 15.Bd1 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Nb3 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.Ra2 It will take white a long time to get his rook into play.
14.h3 Bh5 15.Nc3 Nd5 16.Bd2 h6
This move was played not just to keep the bishop's option's open after g4 and Nh4 but to decrease squares for white's pieces and start a possible K-side expansion. It is a move which slightly improves my position which I can make quickly and as this is a rapid game time is an important factor.
17.Nxd5
Trading here is not good it brings black's pieces into play quicker and doesn't improve white;s position. Rc1 is better.
17...Rxd5 18.g4 Bg6 19.Bc3 Rhd8 20.Ba4
Stewart Comments "In my opinion white is fairly solid and after exchanges on the d-file I was hoping the position might even be slightly better for white because of the e5 pawn!"




At this very moment however black has a very interesting move to gain the advantage. 20...Rd3?!
20...b5! 21.Bb3 R5d7 22.Rac1 Kb7 A) 23.Red1?! a5! Black's queenside pawn storm ensures a strong iniative and gives white a tough defensive task to keep the position at only a slight disadvantage for him. 24.Rxd7+ Rxd7 25.Bc2 Bxc2 26.Rxc2 Rd3 27.Kg2 b4 28.axb4 axb4 A1) 29.Be1 Rxf3 30.Rxc6 (30.Kxf3 Nd4+) 30...Rxf2+ 31.Kxf2 Kxc6 Black is winning ; A2) 29.Rd2 29...Rxf3 30.Kxf3 bxc3 31.bxc3 Nxe5+ 32.Ke4 Bf6 33.f4 Nc4 34.Rd7+ Kc6 35.Ra7 (35.Rxf7 Nd6+) 35...Nd6+ 36.Kd3 g5 37.fxg5 hxg5 38.Ra6+ Kc5 39.Ra8; B) 23.h4 White must counter on the K-side. 23...h5 24.g5 a5 25.Red1 a4 26.Rxd7+ Rxd7 27.Bc2 Bxc2 28.Rxc2 Kb6 White is hoding on but black has idea's to increase the pressure like b4, Rd5 and a king invasion.
21.Kg2 h5 22.Rad1 hxg4 23.hxg4 Rxd1?
This throws away black's advantage. [23...b5! 24.Rxd3 Bxd3 25.Bb3 a5]
24.Rxd1 Rxd1 25.Bxd1
Stewart correctly assess this position as equal, But what does that really mean. Both sides must still play good moves and have an idea of how to create winning chances and parry each other's threats.
25...f6 26.Ba4 Be4 27.Kg3 a6 28.Bxc6?!
I consider this exchange to be in black's favour
28...Bxc6 29.Nd4 Bd5 30.exf6?!
Time has now become a factor with Stewart being under 5 minutes and I have just under 10. 30.Ne2 Kd7 31.Nf4 Kc6 32.Nh5 fxe5 33.Bxe5 g6 34.Nf4 Be4=
30...gxf6 31.Ne2 Kd7 32.Nf4 Bc6 33.Ng6 Bd6+ 34.f4 Be4 35.Nh4 Be7
35...e5 36.fxe5 fxe5 37.Nf3 Ke6 38.Ng5+ Kd5 39.Nxe4 Kxe4=
36.f5?!
36.Nf3 This keeps things equal
36...Bd6+ 37.Kf2 e5 38.Nf3 Bc5+ 39.Kg3 Bd5 40.g5?!
40.Nxe5+!? fxe5 41.Bxe5 Be3 Black will have a difficult time winning this position if it is even possible.
40...Bd6?
40...e4 41.Nd4 fxg5 42.Kg4 Be7
41.Ne1?!
41.gxf6! e4+ 42.Ne5+ Bxe5+ 43.Bxe5 e3=
41...e4+ 42.Kg4 fxg5 43.Kxg5 Ke8 44.Nc2 Kf7 45.Nb4?
45.b4=



45...Bc6?
45...Bb3! 46.Kg4 a5-+ The piece is trapped.
46.Nxc6 bxc6 47.f6 Ke6 48.Kg4 Bc7 49.Kh3 Bd8 50.f7?
A time pressure move Stewart thought he was getting my e pawn but my king is too close.
50...Kxf7 51.Kg4 Ke6 52.Kf4 Kd5-+ 53.Bg7 a5 54.Bc3 a4
I stopped recording here but white could resign.
0-1

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