Ciron – Zor_Champ

CSS/Pal Freestyle Tourney Final (45+5) round 8

[Comments by IM Iweta Radziewicz]

This was the last round of the tournament, if Zor_Champ Team had been lost this game they would tie with Rajlich for first place.

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.B:c6 d:c6 5.0–0 Bg4 6.h3 h5 7.d3 Qf6 8.Be3 B:f3 9.Q:f3 Q:f3 10.g:f3 Bd6 11.Nd2 Ne7 12.Nc4 Ng6 13.Rfd1 Endgame is slightly better for white. It is also not easy to be played by the machines - humans intuition may be much better than computer calculations in such a positions. 13...Ke7 14.c3 Ke6 15.Kf1 Nf4?! (Giving up center).

WHITE TO MOVE

16.d4 f6 [16...N:h3? 17.d:e5 B:e5 18.N:e5 K:e5 19.Rd7+-] 17.B:f4! e:f4 White is better. 18.Ke2 g5 19.b4 [19.Na5!? This move tries to exploit weak black pawn structure. Rybka engine doesn’t not like this move much cause it gives bad values to the knight situated on the edge of board. 19...Rab8 20.Rg1 Rhg8 21.Kd3 f5 22.Rae1 with clear advantage for white].

BLACK TO MOVE

19...b6! to stop Na5 20.a4 h4?! I don’t understand this move - it makes black structure even less flexible - it will be harder for counterplay around g4 breakthrough now. It looks like black pawn structure become inflexible - not even one black pawn can move without weakening black position.

WHITE TO MOVE

21.a5?! What’s a hurry? [21.Kd3!?± Rad8 22.Re1 Rhe8 23.e5 f:e5 24.N:e5 B:e5 25.R:e5+ Kf6 26.Re4! Re6 27.a5 Ra8 (27...b5? 28.R:e6+ K:e6 29.Re1+ Kf6 30.Re5+- zugzwang) 28.c4 ± ] 21...b5 White Knight looses its good spot on c4. 22.Nb2 Rhd8 Black has no counterplay and has to defend but it is very difficult to find a win for white.

WHITE TO MOVE

23.Nd3 Be7 24.Kd2 Re8 25.Kc2 Rad8 26.Rg1 Rh8 27.Rae1 Rd7 28.Kb3 Rdd8 29.Rd1 Rc8 30.Rd2 Rcd8 31.Rc1 Kf7 32.Re1 Rh6 33.Rde2 Ke6 34.Rd1 Rhh8 35.Rc2 Kf7 36.Rdd2 Rhe8 37.Nc1 Rd7…  "walking on the place".  

WHITE TO PLAY

Now some action...  38.c4!? (Other plan was to try via e5) 38...Rc8 39.c:b5 [ Possible was also: 39.Ne2!? b:c4+ 40.R:c4 Rb8 41.Kc3 with better position for white ]. 39...c:b5 40.Ne2 c6 41.Rc3 Rdc7 42.Rdc2 Ke8 43.Nc1 Rd7 44.d5 Rdc7 45.d:c6! Kf7 46.Nd3 Rd8 47.Rc1 Rd4 48.Re1

BLACK TO PLAY

48…Rd8 [ 48...R:c6? 49.R:c6 R:d3+ 50.Rc3 Rd4 51.Kc2 +- For instance: B:b4 52.Rc7+ Kg6 53.Rd1 R:d1 54.K:d1 B:a5 55.Rc6 Kf7 56.R:a6 Bc3 57.Kc2 b4 58.Kb3 Kg6 59.Kc4 Kf7 60.Rb6 Ke7 61.Kd5 Kf7 62.Rb7+ Kg6 63.Kc4 Kh5 64.R:b4 B:b4 65.K:b4 Kg6 66.Kc5 Kf7 67.Kd6 f5 68.e:f5 Kf6 69.Kd7 K:f5 70.Ke7 +- ] 49.e5

BLACK TO PLAY

49… Kg6?! [ 49...Rdc8! 50.e:f6 ( 50.Rec1 Kg6 51.Nc5 B:c5 52.R:c5 f:e5 = ) 50...B:f6 51.Ne5+ B:e5 52.R:e5 R:c6 53.R:c6 R:c6 54.R:g5 Rc4 55.Rg4 ( 55.Rd5 Ke6 56.Rd8 Ke5 = White king is not active - position is equal. ) 55...Rd4 56.Kc3 Rc4+ draw ] 50.e:f6 B:f6 51.Ne5+

BLACK TO PLAY

51… Kh5! [51...B:e5 was dangerous after: 52.R:e5 Rd6 (52...Kf6 53.Rcc5 Rd3+ 54.Kc2 R:f3 55.Rf5+ Ke6 56.R:g5 R:f2+ 57.Kd3 Rb2 58.Rg6+ Kf7 59.Rh6 Kg7 60.Rd6 and black probably will not be able to stop white pawn. 60...Rb1 61.Ke4 f3 62.Rg5+ Kf7 63.Rf5+ Ke7 64.Rdf6+- with mate treats) 53.Rcc5 Rd:c6 54.R:g5+ Kh6 55.Rgd5 Kg6 56.Kc3 Kf6 57.Kd4 Ke7] 52.Rc5 Be7 53.Rc2 Rd6 54.Nd7 Rd3+

WHITE TO PLAY

55.Kb2?!  [55.Rc3! the next moves are very forcing 55...R:c3+ 56.K:c3 R:c6+ 57.Kb3 Bf6 (57...Bd8 58.Re8 Bf6 59.Nc5 transposed - see main line) 58.Nc5 Bd4 59.Re6! R:e6 (59...Rc8 60.R:a6 B:f2 (60...B:c5? 61.b:c5 R:c5 62.Ra8 +- In the game white King was situated on a3. Now black has no time to create counterplay.) 61.Ne4 +-) 60.N:e6 B:f2

WHITE TO PLAY

This endgame is very complicated and tactical with long variations – but  it looks like white is winning!

Lets see: 61.Nc7 g4 (61...Ba7? 62.Kc3+-) 62.f:g4+ Kg6 (62...Kg5?? 63.Ne6+ +-) 63.N:a6 f3 64.Kc2 Kg5 (64...Be1? 65.Kd3 Kg5 66.Nc5 B:b4 67.Ne4+ Kf4 68.a6 +-) 65.Nc7

a)    65...Ba7 66.Kd2! (66.Kd3? Kf4 with counterplay) 66...Kf4 67.Ke1Kg3 68.Ne6 Kg2 69.Nf4+ Kg3 70.g5 +-;

b)   65...Bg3 66.Nd5 f2 67.Ne3 Bb8 68.Nf1 Kf4 69.Kd3 Ba7 (69...Kf3 70.g5+-) 70.a6 Bb6 71.Ke2 Ba7 72.Nd2 +-;

c)    65…Kf4 66.Ne6+ Ke3 67.Ng5 +- and black bishop will not stop white pass pawns 67...Kf4 68.N:f3 with winning position for white]

 

BLACK TO PLAY

(Position after 55.Kb2)

Back to the game: 55...B:b4 56.Re6 Ba3+! [56...Rd6?! 57.Nf6+ Kg6 58.Nd5+ R:e6 59.N:c7 Re1 60.N:b5 B:a5 61.c7 B:c7 62.Rc6+ Kf5 63.Nd4+ Ke5 64.Re6+ K:d4 65.R:e1+-] 57.Ka2 Rd:d7! to the rook endgame! The most drawish type of endgame. 58.c:d7 R:c2+ 59.K:a3 Rd2 60.R:a6 R:d7 =  (!)

WHITE TO MOVE

61.Kb4 [61.Ra8 Rd4!= 62.a6 Ra4+ 63.Kb3 Kg6 64.a7 Kg7 65.Kb2 Kh7 66.Kc3 Kg7 67.Kb3 Kh7 68.Kc3 Kg7 69.Kd3 Kh7 70.Rb8 R:a7 71.R:b5 Kg6=; 61.Rb6?! Rd3+ 62.Kb4 R:f3 63.a6 R:f2 64.R:b5 Rb2+ 65.Kc5 R:b5+ 66.K:b5 f3 etc.] 61...Rd4+!

Hydra team had defended very well! Position despite high computer scores is drawn. [ Instead of 61..Rd4+! 61...Rd3? Would be a losing mistake after: 62.Ra8 R:f3 63.a6 R:f2 64.a7 Ra2 65.Rh8+ Kg6 66.a8Q R:a8 67.R:a8 +- ]

WHITE TO MOVE

62.K:b5 [ Another but not better try was: 62.Kc5 Rd3! 63.Ra8 (63.Rb6? R:f3 64.a6 R:h3 65.R:b5 Ra3 66.Kb6 h3 –+) 63...R:f3 64.Rh8+ to put black King further from the pawns (64.a6?! R:h3 65.Rh8+ Kg4 66.a7 Ra3 67.a8Q R:a8 68.R:a8 Kf3 69.Kd4 b4 –+) 64...Kg6= 65.a6 Ra3! (65...R:f2? 66.a7 Ra2 67.a8Q R:a8 68.R:a8; 65...R:h3 66.a7 Ra3 67.a8Q R:a8 68.R:a8 Kf5 69.Kd4+-) 66.K:b5 Ply 25 (!) - finally RYBKA 1.1 "agree" that white position is only slightly better. (66.Kb6? b4 67.a7 b3 68.Rd8 b2 69.Rd1 Rb3+ 70.Kc7 Rc3+ 71.Kb6 Rc1 and black is faster) 66...Ra2 = For instance: 67.Rg8+ Kh7 68.R:g5 R:f2 69.Kb6 Rb2+ draw ] 62...Rd3 63.Ra8 63...R:f3

WHITE TO PLAY

64.Rh8+ [64.a6 R:h3 65.Rh8+ Kg4 66.a7 Ra3 67.a8Q R:a8 68.R:a8 Kf3] 64...Kg6 65.a6 Rb3+ 66.Kc6 Rc3+ 67.Kb7 Rb3+ 68.Ka8 Rybka 1.1 depth… 29  68.... Rh3 70.a7 =0.00 [68.Kc6 =] 68...R:h3 69.a7 g4 70.Rg8+ [70.Kb7 Rb3+ (70...Ra3? 71.R:h4 Rb3+ 72.Kc6 Ra3 73.R:g4+ Kh7 74.Kb7 Rb3+ 75.Ka8+-) 71.Kc6 Ra3 72.a8Q R:a8 73.R:a8 g3 74.f:g3 f:g3 75.Kd5 h3 76.Rg8+ Kh5 77.R:g3=] 70...Kf5

WHITE TO PLAY

71.Kb7? Time trouble?! [Still a draw after: 71.Rf8+! = Ke5 (71...Ke4 72.Re8+ Kf3 (72...Kd5 73.Rg8 =) 73.Kb7+-) 72.Re8+ Kf6 73.Rg8 =] 71...Ra3 –+  Black is winning 72.a8Q R:a8 73.K:a8 g3 Ciron resign  0–1