Below I present one of my very best games I have ever
played.
It is from the tournament where I won clear first. (The 1997 AL State
Champ.)
This game was also annotated in the State Magazine, "The
{Alabama} Chess Antics."
(I have
received many e-mails from players asking me to give this game
here.)
NO JS Re-play here. (Text-score.) You will need a chess
board.
A.J.
Goldsby I (2215) - Leo Denton (2057)
[B09]
AL State Championship
Chickasaw, AL (Round # 3), 09.1997
[A.J. Goldsby I]
One
of my best all-time games. (Replay
this game ... but on a different server.)
This
was also the "un-official" Brilliancy Prize winner, chosen so by
several of the
organizers of this tournament.
This
is also from the tournament where I won clear first.
1.e4
d6;
The dreaded Pirc! This defense used to give me a lot of trouble. I'm sure
that's
why
Leo chose it. I decide on the Austrian Attack, (a favorite of Bobby
Fischer's)
as a
response.
2.d4
Nf6; 3.Nc3 g6; 4.f4 Bg7; 5.Nf3, {Diagram?}
now 5...c5;
('!?')
This is a strange move. Theory has vacillated back and forth on the merits of
this
move
over the past 25 years. First bad, then good, then bad again. Currently, theory
says
it's OK. MCO (13) even gives it an exclam! The main stem game for this
variation is Sax-Seirawan, Brussels, 1988. (A 12 move draw!)
[ The other main alternative here is 5...0-0; with a good game for Black.
]
6.Bb5+,
('!?' ... maybe - '!')
White chooses the sharpest variation possible. 6.d5, &
6.e5, are also
playable.
The problem with the Pirc is it is very complicated and one must know
everything in
the book. White has many options and can choose the level of
sharpness with every
move.
I decided to test Leo's knowledge of the variation
... seeing how well he did his
homework. (I continually choose one of the sharpest lines.)
[ Other options are: 6.e5!?, or 6.d5, or 6.dxc5. ]
6...Bd7;
7.e5!? Ng4; 8.h3!?,
The very sharpest response. I also could have played Bxd7+ and then
d5.
[ The move, 8.e6!? was touted - for a few years! - as the refutation of
this
line. Then GM Yasser Seirawan discovered
a safe defense for Black. ]
8...Nh6!?; (Maybe -
'?!')
This hands the initiative solidly over to White. It's easy to condemn
this move, but
using the current state of theory and my own knowledge of
the variation;
I can't honestly suggest any real or valid improvements.
Students of theory should check out Federov-Tseitlin, but with a warning ...
logically the
longer a variation, the more susceptible it is to improvements at
various key junctures.
(I have found several ideas in this line, but do NOT want to share them
publicly!!)
My response, 9. g4!?, is not "theoretically
approved" either, but certainly is an example
of common sense in chess. It
grabs space and attempts to nail Black's KN to the edge
of the board for the for-seeable future.
[ Also sometimes played is: 8...Bxb5!? ]
9.g4!? Bxb5;
10.Nxb5 Qa5+; 11.Nc3
cxd4; 12.Qxd4 Nc6;
13.Qe4 Qb4!?;
Notice that Black cannot
win the White e-pawn because he will leave the Knight
at h6 hanging.
[
13...dxe5?!; 14.fxe5 Nxe5? ('??') 15.Nxe5 Qxe5; 16.Qxe5 Bxe5; 17.Bxh6,
"+/-" ]
14.Qxb4
Nxb4; 15.Rh2, ('!')
A cute and a slightly unusual lateral
protection.
15...dxe5?!;
{Dubious?}
This seems to release the power of
White's pieces.
[ 15...0-0; or even 15...0-0-0; may be better. ]
16.Nxe5! f6!?;
17.a3! (Nice.)
Fighting for the initiative.
[ 17.Nf3 0-0-0 is not all that clear. ]
17...Nxc2+!?;
(Maybe - '?!/?')
This hands over the initiative solidly to White.
[ The move,
17...Na6; {Diagram?} is ugly, but may be necessary; as I see no
forced win for
White. ]
18.Rxc2 fxe5;
19.Nd5!, (Maybe - '!!!')
This sets a
very deep and highly unusual trap. I cannot recall ever seeing anything
even remotely like it.
19...Rd8?!;
This may not be best.
Whites 19. Nd5!, is the best.
But for Black, 19...Kd7; might be better, trying to save
a tempo. (But 20. fxe5!,
Nf7?; 21. e6+!, leaves White better as 21...Kd6;
22. Nc7, Rce8; 23. Bf4+, and 24. Rd1 is mate.)
[ 19...Kd7; 20.fxe5! Nf7?; 21.e6+! Kd6; 22.Nc7 Rac8; 23.Bf4+ Ne5;
24.Rd1# ]
20.Nc7+! Kd7?;
(Maybe only '?!') {Diagram?}
This is definitely wrong.
20...Kf7; is much better. It still may be losing, but it sure looks more
convincing than
the move actually played.
[ 20...Kf7; 21.fxe5 Rhf8; 22.Be3 a6; 23.e6+ Kg8; 24.Rd1, "+/="
24...Rxd1+;
25.Kxd1 Rf1+; 26.Ke2 Rh1; 27.Nd5 Rh2+;
(
27...Kf8??; 28.Rc8# )
28.Kd3 Rxc2;
29.Kxc2 Kf8; 30.Bg5 Ng8;
31.b4 Nf6; 32.Bxf6 Bxf6; This is probably forced.
( 32...exf6?!; gives White a passed-pawn.) 33.a4,
"+/=" (08 Sept, '99) ].
21.f5!!,
{Diagram.} (Maybe - '!!!')
A brilliant retort.
This is one of the very best moves I have ever made in any State Championship.
(Many lower-rated players who were watching this game completely
failed to
grasp the
reason for this move.)
[ Some players predicted the move: 21.Be3!? ]
21...Nxf5!;
This may be forced.
[ If 21...gxf5?!; 22.Bxh6
Bxh6?; 23.Rd1+ Kc8; (23...Bd2+; 24.Rdxd2+ Kc8;
25.Na6#) 24.Na6#, is mate! Practically every strong player who was watching
this game
must have missed this, because everyone seemed to think Black
was winning here.
]
22.gxf5 Rc8;
Black seems to be about to regain his piece
with great advantage, but...
23.Bh6!,
(Maybe - '!!')
More than one
strong player who was watching this game thought that White was
lost after
Black's 22nd move. (!!)
23.Bh6!,
(probably deserving two exclams) ... seals Black's
fate.
[ 23.Bg5 Rxc7; 24.Rd1+ Kc8; 25.Rxc7+ Kxc7; 26.Bxe7 gxf5; "/+"
(Maybe "-/+") ].
23...Rxc7;
Again this is forced.
[ 23...Bxh6?; 24.Rd1+ Bd2+; 25.Rdxd2#, Mate!!
(Its relatively rare to get a mate like this in the middle of the board,
especially
with Queens off the board.)
]
24.Rd1+! Kc8;
25.Rxc7+
Kxc7; 26.Bxg7 Rg8; 27.Bxe5+ Kc6;
28.fxg6 Rxg6; 29.Kf2!, (Correct.)
White wants to guard key squares - using his King to do
it.
White is choosing his moves and captures very carefully.
Black could
resign now.
[ 29.Bc3 Rg3; is better for Black than the actual game continuation. ]
29...Rg5;
30.Bc3 e6; 31.Rd4 b6; 32.Rh4 h5; 33.Rf4 a6;
34.Kf3
Kd5; 35.Rd4+ Kc6; 36.Re4 Kd5; 37.Rd4+ Kc5;
Black is
putting up stiff resistance, with his opponent (me!), somewhat short of time.
[ Or 37...Kc6; 38.h4, "+/-" ]
38.Rd7 h4;
39.Rd3 b5; 40.Ke4! Kc4; (Maybe - '?')
Perhaps subconscious self-emulation?
[ Better was: 40...Kc6; But
White is still winning after: 41.Be5 Rg1; 42.Rd6+ Kb7;
43.Rxe6 Rh1; 44.Kd5
Rxh3; 45.Re7+ Ka8; 46.Kc6 Re3; 47.Kb6; "+/-"
Black must give up his Rook to
avoid mate. ]
41.Bb4!,
Now mate is unstoppable.
(Unless he wants to exchange, something I was sure he did not want to
do.)
41...Rg3; (?)
It looks like Black had to give up his Rook here to prevent mate.
[ The move 41...Re5+; looked forced here, but then Black could resign.
---> 42. Kxe5, Kxd3;
44. Kxe6, ("+/-") ].
42.
b3#.
I think this was one of those games where only the contestants
had any real idea of
what was going on. There was no reason not to believe Leo
when he said that he
saw the mate. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to
play the way he did.
This was one of my very best queenless games!
1 - 0
***
If
you have enjoyed this game and would like to obtain a copy of this
game, send me an e-mail.
(A
fairly complete opening survey is contained.)
Copyright (c) {LM} A.J. Goldsby I
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 1995-2008.
Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2009. All rights
reserved.
I have not changed these notes, this is pretty much the way
the game
appeared in the, "Chess Antics."
('97 or '98.)
  
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