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A good - (and interesting) - game.
I went over this with a (Internet)
student the day after it was played.
(I probably also watched all or part of it as it was being played. Many servers like ICC
carried these games live.)
The final impetus ... for me, anyway ... came when I saw this game covered in the 'Chess Life' magazine. (The July, 2003 issue of CL. page # 22.)
***
{See} GM R. Byrne's column,
"The 65th Square."
The title of his column was:
'the old way to clarity is not dead.'
Byrne comments how many GM's today play in the same style of the computers that they play and train against. (A highly tactical interpretation.)
"Its nice to see a top player of today to use positional power in the style of Capablanca or Bobby Fischer." - GM R. Byrne.
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This
is a TEXT-BASED page ... with only one diagram.
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1.e4 c5; 2.Nf3 Nc6;
3.d4 cxd4; 4.Nxd4 Qc7; {Diagram?}
Black adopts the older move order.
[ Most players today would play: 4...a6!?;
{Diagram?}
which is the "Kan Variation"
of the Paulsen.
(See the Kasparov - Deep Junior
Match for an example of how
Black should play this line.)
]
5.Nc3 e6; 6.Be3!? a6;
{Diagram?}
The Taimanov Variation of the
Paulsen Sicilian.
After years of lying dormant, it now
seems that this variation is (again)
all the rage at the GM level.
7.Qd2!?,
{Diagram?}
This is a newer and more modern
treatment of this line.
(And I am not so sure that I like
or approve of it.)
The older line is to play Be2 here.
[ After the moves: 7.Be2 b5;
8.Nxc6 Qxc6; 9.0-0, "~" {Diagram?}
White has a tiny edge due to
his lead in development.
[ See MCO-14, & page # 307. (Note especially column # 13.) ] ]
7...Nf6; 8.0-0-0!?,
{Diagram?}
It could be a tad risky to castle on
the Queen-side this early.
[ Black could also play: 8.f3 d5!;
9.exd5 Nxd5; 10.Nxd5 exd5;
11.0-0-0 Bd6;
12.Kb1 0-0; 13.h4 Re8; 14.h5,
"~" {Diagram?}
This is a wildly unclear and also
a very unbalanced position.
(GM Nick de Firmian now
recommends that Black play ...Bd7;
with a fairly reasonable game.)
GM Nigel Short - GM Vadim Zvjaginsev;
Moscow, 1994.
[ See MCO-14; page # 307; columns # 13 through col. # 15.
See especially note # (g.).
]
***
Maybe the safest move here is: 8.Be2,
{Diagram?}
but this would involve completely
abandoning the idea of castling
on the Queen's wing. ]
8...Bb4!?; 9.f3,
{Diagram?}
This is almost forced. (White had to protect his e-pawn.)
[ A common mistake is: 9.Bd3?! Nxd4;
10.Bxd4 e5;
11.Be3 d5!;
"=/+" {Diagram?} with great play for Black.
]
9...Ne5!?;
{Diagram?}
Black immediately strives for play.
[ Another (fairly recent) game was:
9...d5!?; 10.a3! Bxc3; 11.Qxc3,
11...dxe4;
12.fxe4 Nxe4; 13.Qd3 f5!?; {Diagram?}
Perhaps this is too weakening.
(Maybe 13...Nf6!?; {Diagram?} is just a little better.)
14.Qc4 e5; 15.Nxc6 Qxc6; 16.Rd5 Qe6;
17.Ra5 Nd6;
18.Qc3 0-0;
{Diagram?}
This could be forced.
(>/= 18...Nf7?!; 19.Bc4, "/\" "+/=" )
19.Rxe5 Qa2; 20.b3!! Qxa3+; 21.Kb1 Nb5;
22.Qe1! Rd8;
23.Bc4+ Kh8;
24.Bd2!, {Diagram?}
Black Resigns.
White has threats of both Re8+ and
a back-rank mate, and Bb4, winning
Black's Queen. And if ...Qf8; then
Bb4! ("+/-") forces things.
GM Judit Polgar -
GM Joszef Horvath;
The European Cup Tournament,
Halkidiki, GRE; 2002. ]
10.Nb3 b5!?;
{Diagram?}
Black plays his standard Q-side
(Sicilian) pawn advance.
GM Robert Byrne says it is unwise
to give White doubled pawns in this
position ...
but it seems reasonable
to me. (The computer favors Black as well - in the lines
where White's Q-side pawns are doubled.)
[ GM Robert Byrne gives the
continuation of: >/= 10...Bxc3; ('!')
11.Qxc3 Qxc3;
12.bxc3 Nc6!?;
('?') {Diagram?}
{This seems to be timid ... and
for no good reason.}
(Better is: 12...b5!?; 13.Nc5; "~")
13.c4, "+/=" {Diagram?}
but this whole line seems inferior
to me.
(I would play 12...b5!; and
try to follow up with ...d5.
The
object would be to fix and attack
the weak c-pawn.) ]
11.Bd4 Be7?!;
{Diagram?}
This looks far too passive to me ... GM Byrne does not comment.
[ >/= 11...Ng6; 12.Qe3 Bb7; "~" ]
12.Qg5!? Ng6; 13.Qg3,
{Diagram?}
"The text move shows that Leko
is interested in entering into an
endgame."
- GM R. Byrne.
[ Was 13.e5!?, any good? ]
13...Bd6;
{Diagram?}
Black declines White's invitation
to play an end-game.
[ The following line of: 13...Qxg3!?;
14.hxg3 e5; "~" {Diag?}
probably holds more chances for
White - in this position. ]
14.Qf2,
{See the diagram just below.}
This seems just about forced ... at least, positionally speaking.
(It was probably a bad idea to trap the Queen on the edge of
the board ... and on the same
diagonal as Black's Bishop!)
[ </= 14.Qh3!? Bf4+; 15.Kb1 e5; 16.Bc5 d5!; 17.g4[] d4; "/+" ]
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(The actual position of the game ... just after White's fourteenth move.)
14...Rb8?!;
(Possibly - '?') {Diagram?}
Black misses his big opportunity.
[
Much better was: >/= 14...Bxh2!;
15.g4 Bg3!; 16.Qg2!? b4; "/+" {D?}
and White does not have sufficient
compensation for the one-pawn
deficit in this position. ]
15.Kb1 0-0; 16.Bc5 Bxc5;
17.Qxc5 Qxc5; 18.Nxc5, ("=")
{Diagram?}
Now there is the possibility that Black
will suffer horribly in the ending, mainly
because of his inability to influence the
weak dark squares in his camp.
"After the exchange of Queens, Leko
has the initiative on the Queen-side
and
Vallejo Pons is confined to the
defense." - GM Robert Byrne.
(He goes on to comment that Black
should be picking out his best
defensive set-up.)
18...Rb6; 19.a4 Rc6;
20.Nd3 bxa4; 21.Nxa4, {Diagram?}
"This exchange has only succeeded
in yielding White nice maneuvering
space on the Queen-side." - GM Robert Byrne.
[ 21.e5!? ]
21...d5; 22.exd5 Nxd5;
{Diagram?}
Black seems OK here.
(And Black has gotten rid of his
isolated pawn.)
... "but there is more of the story to come." - GM R. Byrne.
23.Ndc5 Ne5!?;
{Diagram?}
A nice centralizing move?
[ Maybe slightly better was:
>/= 23...Nh4!?; {Diagram?}
trying to probe White on the
King-side. ]
24.Rd4 Nd7?!;
{Diagram?}
Black seems to be drifting.
(The exchange of pieces, here in
this position, seems to help White.)
Byrne does not comment here.
(Nor does he attach any kind of
appellation to Black's 24th move.)
[ Maybe 24...Rc7!?; was better? ]
25.Nxd7 Bxd7; 26.Bc4 Nf6;
27.Re1 Rfc8; 28.Bd3 Kf8; 29.Re5 R8c7;
30.Ra5, (Maybe - '!') {Diagram?}
"Now White's plan has been
disclosed:
he is going to bear down on the
isolated a6-pawn. Moreover, the
Black
King-side pawn majority
lacks the mobility of the White
Queen-side
pawn majority." - GM Robert Byrne.
While White is better ... it is not at all clear that the first player is
definitely
winning ... not yet, anyway.
[ Possibly 30.b4!? ]
White's advantage now seems to
slowly grow ...
almost with every
move that White makes.
30...Bc8; 31.b4 Nd5; 32.Kb2 g6; 33.Kb3 Ne3;
34.Nc5!?, {Diagram?}
This is interesting, and good for
a slight advantage for White.
... BUT! ... was it the best? (Byrne does not comment.)
[ Possibly White could play: 34.c4!?,
"+/=" {Diagram?}
with seemingly a small edge.
***
It seems that White missed a much
stronger continuation with:
>/=
34.Be4! e5; 35.Rd8+ Ke7; 36.Rxc8 Rxc8;
37.Bxc6 Rxc6;
38.Rxe5+ Re6;
39.Rxe6+ fxe6; {Diagram?}
This is forced.
(Much worse for Black would
have been:
</= 39...Kxe6?; 40.Nc5+ Kd5; 41.Nxa6 Nxg2; 42.c4+, ('±')
{Diag?}
and White is a Pawn up ... and his two connected-passers
have
already started rolling.)
40.g3 Nf1; 41.f4 Nxh2; 42.Nc5,
"+/=" {Diagram?}
and White is clearly better in
this ending.
(Strangely Byrne does not comment
on this possibility.) ]
34...Ra7;
{Diagram?}
This highly defensive move seems
too passive ... and ultimately
doomed to failure.
But Black was
also stuck between a rock and a
hard place.
But it is not easy to find improvements for the second player either.
[ GM R. Byrne
points out the very
fine continuation of: 34...Nxg2!?;
35.Bxa6! Bxa6!?; 36.Rxa6 Rxa6;
37.Nxa6 Ra7; 38.b5! Ne1;
39.Rb4! Nxf3; 40.b6!,
"+/-" {Diagram?}
and White shall prevail here. ]
Now White smoothly wraps things
up ... Black has almost no play now.
35.g3 Ke7; 36.f4 f6; 37.Be4 Rb6; 38.c4 e5!?; 39.fxe5 fxe5; 40.Rd3 Nf5!?;
41.Na4 Re6; 42.b5 Nd4+; 43.Kc3, "+/-"
Black Resigns.
"It may seem a bit early, (for
resignation); but the Spanish
GM understands full
well that
he is lost." - GM Robert Byrne.
A fascinating game ... played at one
of the year's strongest tournaments.
But it was a contest that both sides
may have failed to find the best
line(s) ...
at various points during
the struggle.
This encounter may have well
determined the winner of the
tournament.
(Pons was the early
leader and Leko wound up winning
the title of champ
on tie-breaks.)
***
[ GM R. Byrne
provides the following
line ... as possibly the way play could
have proceeded, had Black chosen
not to abandon his position:
43.Kc3 Kf6;
44.Rd2!? Rae7!?; 45.b6 Kg7!?; 46.Rb2 Nc6;
47.Bxc6!? Rxc6;
48.Nc5 Bb7;
49.Nxb7 Rxb7; 50.c5 Kf6; 51.Kc4 Ke6; 52.Rxa6 e4!?;
53.Re2!? Ke5;
54.Kb5 Rc8; 55.c6!?, "+/-" {Diagram?}
and the connected, passed-pawns
will eventually march to glory.
(>/= 55.Ra4!, "+/-") ]
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby I. Copyright (c) A.J.G; 2003.
(All games - Code initially generated with the program, ChessBase 8.0.)
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