Game of the Week

T.Scott–M.Rohe
Spring Green Library

Spring Green, WI., May 4th, 2011
Time Control: G/30 +5

[D53: Queen's Gambit Declined: 4 Bg5 Be7: Early deviations]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0–0 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxf6 cxd3 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Qxd3 Rd8 10.Nf3 Nd7 11.0–0

Black’s Bishop on c8 is locked-in  

11...Nf6 12.Ng5

[12.Ne5 Nd5=]

12...b6= 13.Rad1 Bb7 14.f3

Consolidates e4

14...h6

Black threatens to win material: h6xg5

15.Nge4 c5 16.g4 cxd4µ

With this move Black takes a definitive edge

 17.exd4 Nd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5

A sound move

19.b3

Secures c4

19...Rac8 20.a4?

[¹20.Rf2µ]

20...Qb4–+ 21.Rb1 Bxe4 22.fxe4?

[22.Qxe4 Rc3–+]

22...Qxd4+

[¹22...Rc3!? makes it even easier for Black 23.Qe2 Rxd4 24.Qf2–+]

23.Qxd4 Rxd4 24.Rfe1 Rc2 25.Rbc1 25.Rdd2

[25...Rxc1 keeps an even firmer grip 26.Rxc1 Rxe4 27.h3–+]

26.Red1?

[26.Rxc2 Rxc2 27.Re3 e5–+]

26...Kf8

[26...Rg2+!? seems even better 27.Kf1 Rcf2+ 28.Ke1–+]

27.b4?

[27.Rxc2 Rxc2 28.Rd8+ Ke7 29.Ra8µ]

27...Ke7

[27...Rg2+ might be the shorter path 28.Kf1 Rcf2+ 29.Ke1–+]

28.a5

[28.Rxc2 Rxc2 29.Rd4 f6–+]

28...b5

[28...Rg2+ makes it even easier for Black 29.Kf1 Rxh2 30.Kg1–+]

29.a6?

[29.Rxc2 Rxc2 (29...Rxd1+?! 30.Kg2–+) 30.e5 Rc4–+]

29...Rxd1+

[29...Rg2+!? and Black can already relax 30.Kh1 Rxh2+ 31.Kg1 Rhg2+ 32.Kf1 Rgf2+ 33.Kg1–+]

30.Rxd1 Rc4 31.Rb1 Kd6 32.Kf2 Rxe4 33.Rd1+

[33.Kg3 Re3+ 34.Kf4 Rc3 35.Rd1+ Ke7–+]

33...Ke7 34.Rc1 Rc4??

[34...Kd7 keeps an even firmer grip 35.Rd1+ Kc7 36.Kg3–+]

35.Rb1

[¹35.Rxc4 and White can celebrate victory 35...Kd7 36.Rc5+-]  

If White would have exchanged rooks there, the tChess analysis went from -3.75 to +3.84!

On the prior move, Black should have moved the king to the queenside, instead of back to the kingside, and then it would have been in position to stop the white pawns (and hence the rook move would have been good).

35...Rxg4–+ 36.Ke3 e5

[36...f5 and Black can already relax 37.Rc1 Kd7 38.Rd1+ Kc7 39.Rb1–+]

37.Kf3

[37.Rc1 does not improve anything 37...Kd6 38.Rc8 Rxb4–+]

37...Rc4 38.Ke3 f5

Black prepares the advance e4

39.Kd3 Ke6 40.Rb2 g5 41.Rc2 Rxc2 42.Kxc2 e4 43.Kc3 Ke5 44.Kd2 f4 45.Ke2 Kd4

Black intends e3

46.Kf2 Kd3 47.h3 Kd2 48.Kg2 e3 49.h4 e2 50.h5 e1Q 51.Kh3 Qg3# 0–1

Black Mates

Analysis by Deep Rybka 4.1 and tChess

Annotation by Mike Rohe and Taylor Scott

Download .PGN