BtM 21A: A rose by any other name?
April 1988, Position A
White to play
Richardson - Estrin 10th World Correspondence Championship
Contributions to the comments box are welcome. I’ll reply with what the Masters have to say about their choice to anybody who suggests a move.
Scroll down to see some commentary from me and the Masters’ feedback.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
This looks like a position from an Open Spanish to me. The Dilworth variation to be precise. It’s Black’s pawn structure on the queenside and the bishop and knight versus rook and a couple of pawns material imbalance that gives it away.
Each Beat the Masters position I look at I always think about what opening led to it. I’m not sure why exactly. In case it gives me some clue as to how to approach things, I suppose.
It didn’t help me much with this position, I have to say. I’ve never played the Open Spanish with either colour.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
POINTS
10: h4
7: Nf5
3: Qd3, Bf5, Ng2, Bd4
MASTERS
h4: Kosten, Flear, P. Littlewood, Norwood, Conquest, Howell, J. Littlewood, Horner, Fidelity Mach 2
Nf5: Levitt, K. Arkell, Pein, S. Arkell
SOURCE
27 h4, Richardson - Estrin 10th World Correspondence Championship
Ah, seeing 1. h4 was the 10-point move gave me the confidence to revisit my line, and I think 1. ... Rg8 can be met with 2. Ng2. This sets up the idea of h5 and Bg6+, and if Black plays 2. ... Bh3 then White uses a further possibility, 3. Nf4, as after 3. ... Qxf4 then 4. Qg6 is mate. I didn't initially realise this was the case and was put off by Bh3. If that's all sound, I suppose it shows the value of moving the piece not contributing (the knight), and that if the opponent plays passively you can afford slower plans (Ng2, h5 and Bg6+).
ReplyDeleteHello Adam,
ReplyDelete1 h4 Rg8, 2 Ng2 was the game continuation and ... Be6, 3 Nf4 followed - so good analysis by you.
(3 ... Ke8, 4 Nxe6 Qxe6, 5 Qg6+ "reaching a winning ending" according to the article.
Interestingly, none of the panelists quoted mention 2 Ng2 as a response to 1 ... Rg8. I also missed it.
Like me the panelists want to go 2 Bd4 when they try ... Qd6 (an obviously better move than ... Qe6 which was the only one I considered. There 3 Bf5 wins a tempo) 3 h5 with the threat of Bg6+.
This would seem to be good (according to HIARCS) but not anywhere near as strong as 2 Ng2.
1 h4 Qxh4 gets most attention from the panel. E.g.
FLEAR: "1 ... Qxh4, 2 Bg6+ when g7 falls"
PAUL LITTLEWOOD: "1 ... Qxh4, 2 Bg6+ Kf6, 3 Bd4+ Kg5, 4 Qxg7 White wins because of 4 ... Qg3+, 5 Ng2 or 4 ... Qe1+ Nf1"
Somewhat to my embarassment I had dismissed 1 ... Qxh4 as losing pretty quickly to the simple 2 Qxg7+ (???). Probably because I’d spent so long trying to make 1 Bd4 work it was already on that square in my mind’s eye when I started looking at 1 h4.
Very easily done, envisaging the piece on that square. Interesting they declare that ending with the queens off won - I think there's plenty of opportunity to mess it up as White!
ReplyDelete