Fritz Sparring: "Art of Positional Play" Chapter 7

Portisch - Larsen, Porec 1968

E56: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein: Main Line: 7...Nc6

[Fritz 7 (25s)]

For my last sparring sessions with Fritz from the Reshevsky book. I decided on this endgame from Chapter 7 "Pieces, Good and Bad" with the theme of "the more equal bishop." I have the white pieces after whites 40th move.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 c5 8.0-0 Nc6 9.a3 Ba5 10.Qd3 a6 11.Rd1 b5 12.Ba2 Bb7 13.dxc5 Bxc3 14.Qc2 Qe7 15.Qxc3 Rfd8 16.Bd2 Ne4 17.Qc2 Nxc5 18.Be1 Na4 19.Rac1 Rxd1 20.Rxd1 Rc8 21.Bb1 g6 22.Qe2 Qf6 23.Rd7 Ba8 24.b4 Ne5 25.Nxe5 Qxe5 26.Rd4 Nc3 27.Bxc3 Rxc3 28.Qb2 Qg5 29.g3 Rc8 30.Qd2 Bf3 31.Bd3 e5 32.Rd7 Qg4 33.Bf1 Kg7 34.Qd6 Qf5 35.Rc7 Rxc7 36.Qxc7 Bd5 37.f4 exf4 38.Qxf4 Qxf4 39.exf4 (Fritz considers the position here =) Kf6 40.Kf2

This is the starting point of my sparring session with Fritz. Fritz 7 considers this position about = but white has an advantage in this same color bishop ending because all of his pawns are on opposite colored squares of the bishop and cannot be attacked, while blacks pawns are on the same color and are targets. Nevertheless this is not easy.

40...h6!? Fritz immediately varies.

[Larsen played 40...Kf5 and the game continued: 41.Ke3 Kg4 42.Kd4 Bb7 43.Ke5! The winning move according to GM Reshevsky 43...h5 (There is nothing better 43...f5 44.Kf6 Kf3 45.Kg7 Kf2 46.Kxh7 Kxf1 47.Kxg6 Kg2 48.h4 Bf3 49.h5 Bxh5+ 50.Kxh5 Kxg3 51.Kg5+-; Or 43...Kf3 44.Kf6 Kf2 45.Bd3 Kg2 46.Kxf7 Kxh2 47.g4 Kg3 48.f5 Kxg4 49.f6+-) 44.Kf6 Bd5 45.Bd3 Kh3 46.f5 Kxh2 47.Ke5 g5 Desperation (47...Bf3 48.fxg6 fxg6 49.Kf4 Bg4 50.Bxg6+- with the idea of Be4-b7) 48.Kxd5 Kxg3 49.f6 h4 50.Ke5 h3 51.Kf5 Kh4 52.Be4 h2 53.Bd5 g4 54.Kf4 Kh3 55.Bh1 g3 (55...Kh4 56.Bg2 g3 57.Kf3) 56.Kf3 Kh4 57.Bg2 and Black resigned.]

(Best according to GM Reshevsky is 40...Ke6 when white is winning after 41.Ke3 Kd6 42.Kd4 f5 43.Bd3 Bc6 44.Bc2 Bd5 45.Bd1 now black is in virtual Zugawang 45...Be6 (45...Bc6 46.Bb3+-) 46.Bf3 Bc8 47.Bd5+- threatening to atack the kingside pawns)

41.Bh3 Bb7 42.Ke3 Ke7 43.Kd4 Kd6 44.f5!? This is premature and I should have followed the plan layed out by Reshevsky above but

44...Bc8? [44...g5 is the best chance to save the game]

This sparring session was played on Very Hard level but he makes a tactical error.

45.fxg6! f5 46.g7 Be6

47.Bxf5!! a powerful sacrifice which decides the game.

47...Bg8 48.Bc8 h5 [48...Kc7 doesnt get the bull off the Ice 49.Bxa6 Kb6 50.Bc8]

49.Bxa6 Kc6 50.Bc8 Kc7 51.Bf5 Kd6 52.Bg6 h4 [52...Ke7 doesnt improve anything 53.Ke5 Bb3 54.Bxh5+-]

53.gxh4 Ke6 54.Kc5 [54.Be4 is also winning 54...Kf6 55.Bd5 Bh7+-]

54...Kf6 55.h5 Be6 56.Kxb5 Kxg7 57.Kc6 Bh3 [57...Bb3 Desperation 58.b5 Ba4 59.Kb6+-]

58.b5 Bg2+ 59.Kc7 Kh6 60.b6 Bf3 61.b7 Bxb7 62.Kxb7 Kg7 63.a4 And I won

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