White: Peter Myers

Black: FM Grantel Gibbs

Date: 28/07/2001

1.c4

White starts with the English Opening, what else?.

1... Nf6 2.Nf3

The game now reverts to the Kings Indian Attack

2...g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. d4

The game now reverts to the Kings Indian Defense. Of course I still thought I was playing the English. Whites last move is just following the fundamentals of chess, control of the centre, the first lesson I teach to my students in Clarednon and St. Catherine. Where is Black’s central presence?

4...d6 5. g3

At move 5, I could have continued with the Kings Indian Defense move of e4, but I still wanted to play English, so I instead played the natural English move g3, Black must have been real confused now.

5...O-O 6. Bg2

I hear this is the fianchetto variation of the Kings Indian. Of course, in my mind I was still playing the English. More importantly though, I was proceeding with my development (another lesson I teach to my students), whatever system it was.

6...N8d7 7. O-O e5

This is a key point in the game. Here White is expected to play e4 which is the next move in the fianchetto variation of the Kings Indian. Of course White is still bent on playing along English themes. E4 would have been anti-English as far as I was concerned, as it obstructs the h1-a8 diagonal which must be the sole domain of White’s light square bishop.

8. Bg5

The main purpose of this move is to entice the h6 push which creates a weakness which may be exploited on Black’s Kingside. Whites real intention is to place the bishop on d2 from where it will be able to operate on both wings as necessary.

8...h6?!

As expected, probably better was 8...exd4, as 8...h6 not only weakens the fianchetto on the Kingside, it also allows White to give Black a ‘pseudo-isolated’ pawn at e5, which can become a target if not properly protected. The eventual f6 to protect the e5 pawn would be very bad as it weakens Blacks Kingside even further.

9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Bd2 c6

Another dubious move. Black needs to develop more urgently. 10...e4 seems more prudent. It would be followed by 11...Ne5 and eventually the development of Blacks light squared Bishop.

11. Qc2

I complete my development with this move and at the same time prevent the potentially cramping e4 push by Black. I always tell my students that their basic development is not complete until there is nothing between both of their rooks. Be advised while Black is about two moves behind in development, there was still not much to worry about with correct play.

11...Qc7

Here Black might have considered 11...Qe7. It would have once again created the threat of a cramping e4 push.

12. Rac1

I had devious intentions on the c-file. I envisaged that with a couple pushes of the b pawn and the moving of the knight at f3, some serious problems would develop for Black along this file and along the h1-a8 diagonal.

12...Re8 13. b4

I continue with my plan.

13...Nf8

Here was another critical juncture in my analysis. My first instinct was to bolster my queenside assault with a4, but then what really did it gain. It would have done little more than give the impression of the gaining of more space. I noticed that a certain section of the board was looking quite spacious and yet under neither players control, so I sought to follow another lesson that I teach to my students, open and half-open files should be occupied by your rooks.

14. Rfd1 Ne6

Ack!! Black refuses to let out the light squared Bishop. E6 should have been the square for the light square Bishop.

15. e3 Bf8

Ack!! Again Black plays a confusing move. The dark squared Bishop belongs on the h8-a1 diagonal. What is it doing at f8 in a fianchettoed position, threatening a pawn?

16. Ne4

Of course I was not about to lose time in protecting the b-pawn with move like a3 or Nb1. With Ne4, Black is faced with some pressure on his e-pawn from various quarters if he takes the knight at e4. Little did he know that was probably his best move.

16... Nd7?

After this move all hell breaks loose. Here I thought for a very long time to the point where I only had 21 minutes left to make 24 moves. Whatever I played had to be decisive, given the time spent on analysis. I thought about putting more pressure on Black’s seemingly well guarded e-pawn. That move however left me with serious time trouble and nothing tangible to show for it, I had to be more forceful. Alas, what about just taking the pawn. I analysed the consequences after either the queen of knight taking back, neither was good for Black.

17. Nxe5!

A good move. It wins a pawn. Possible continuations include:

17... Qxe5 18.Bc3 Qf5 19.Rxd7 Bg7 20.R7d1 Ng5 21.Nf6+ Bxf6 22.Qxf5 Bxf5 23.Bxf6 Be7 or

17... N6c5 18.Nxd7 Nxd7 19.Bc3 f5 20.c5 Re6 21.Qb3 Ne5 22.Bxe5 Qxe5

17...Be7

Black accepts the loss of the pawn with this anti-positional move, the Bishop rightly belongs at g7 where it was originally fianchettoed. Careful play is necessary as White’s overwhelming lead in development is hard to ignore.

18. Nxd7 Bxd7 19. Bc3

Now Whites dark squared bishop which once appeared to be confused at move 10, now becomes one of the most powerful pieces on the board.

19...Red8 20. Bf6 21. Qc3 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Rd8 23. Rxd8 Qxd8 ??

Blacks final mistake, better was 23...Bxd8

24. Bxe7 Qxe7 25. Nf6+ Kf8 26. Nd5

The final dagger, Black is forced to resign here.

1-0