1. d4 They say that a well played chess game has to be won three times, in the opening, the middlegame and the endgame. That was clear in this game, my only loss from the last simul. Dennis Tortora earned a well deserved victory in this long, hard fought struggle.
1... d5 2. c4 Nc6 The Tchigorin. Along with 3...Bf5 (The Baltic) and 3... Nf6 forms a group of openings I call the "Queen's Gambit Denied" since Black denies that he needs to worry about the threat against d5.
3. Nc3 3. cxd5 Qxd5 gives Black some counterplay against d4.
3... Nf6 4. Nf3 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 e5 Leads to kind of a classical alternative to the Grunfeld. Black gets less play attacking White's center with the e-pawn than he gets in the Grunfeld.
4... Bg4 5. Ne5?! This looks stronger than it is. Once again, 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 is critical.
5... e6? 5... Nxe5 6. dxe5 d4 Is the way to equalize easily.
6. Qa4!? Bb4!? 7. Nxc6 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Qd7 9. Ba3 Qxc6 10. Qxc6+ bxc6 I thought the two bishops would give White an advantage here, but Black has the edge on the b-file. I try for a blockade on the b-file, but Dennis finds a way to break it.
11. Rb1?! 11. e3
11... Kd7 12. e3 Bf5 13. Rb3 Rhb8 14. Be2 Bb1! This is a painful shot. Black wins a pawn and conquers the b-file.
15. cxd5 exd5 16. O-O Bxa2 17. Rxb8 Rxb8 18. Ra1 Rb1+ 19. Rxb1 Bxb1 20. f3 a5 21. Kf2 Bc2 22. Ke1 Ne8 23. Kd2 Bb3 24. Bd3 g6 25. e4 Nd6 26. e5 Nb5 27. Bc5 White could head for the bishop of opposite colors, but the cost is straightening out Blacks doubled pawns. I decide to keep the two bishops.
27... Ke6 28. f4 Bc4 29. Bc2 h5 30. g3 Bf1 31. Bf8 Bg2 32. f5+?! I thought I could trade my f-pawn for his h-pawn. Once again, Dennis finds a way to foil my plans.
32... gxf5 33. Bd1 Bh3! 34. Bc5 34. Bxh5? Bg4
34... Bg4 35. Bc2 f6 36. exf6 Kxf6 37. Bf8 Bh3 38. Bh6 Bg4 39. Bf4 Ke6 40. Ba4 Kd7 41. Kd3 Now White should definitely exchange into the opposite colored bishops ending, but for some reason, it didn't even occur to me.
41. Bxb5 cxb5
41... Kc8 42. c4?! Black now finds a way to exchange the right pair of bishops.
42... Be2+! 43. Kxe2 Nc3+ 44. Ke1 44. Kf3
44... Nxa4 45. cxd5 c5!? 45... cxd5 46. Bd2
46. Bd2 cxd4 47. Bxa5 Nc5 48. Ke2 Kd7 49. Kf3? This allows Black to win another pawn. More work would have been required after...
49. Bd2! Kd6 50. Bf4+ Kxd5 51. Bxc7 Ke4 52. Kd2 Nd3 Though Black looks strong enough to win.
49... Kd6 50. h3 Nb3 51. Be1 Ke5 52. g4 fxg4+ 53. hxg4 hxg4+ 54. Kxg4 Kxd5 55. Kf3 c5 56. Bf2 c4 57. Ke2 c3 58. Bxd4 White Resigned. while Black was thinking. I should have let him finish, hoping for 58...c2?? 59.Be3! =. Dennis was probably just deciding how to capture on d4. Either way wins easily, but 58... Kxd4 is the fastest.
0-1
[notes by Rick Bauer]
Bauer R.
I thought about this move, but thought the rook would be safer on d1. The key is to prevent the advance of the b-pawn.
was the way to fight for a win. Black's pawn down ending is quite strong. 38.