Game of the Week

T.Scott-M.Rohe

RVCCA Ladder Match
A Better Buzz Café, Arena, WI.

May 26th, 2011

Time Control: G/50 +5
[D10: Slav Defence: 3 cxd5 (without early Nf3) and 3 Nc3]

1.d4 c6

Black offers to transpose to the Caro-Kann

 2.c4 d5

The Slav Defense

3.c5 Bf5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bxf6 Nxf6

[Black has the pair of bishops]

8.Ne5 e6 9.e3 Be7 10.Bd3 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 0-0 12.0-0 Qc7 13.e4

[13.f4 Nd7= ]
White's move may be a small mistake

13...Rfe8

[13...Bxc5!? should be investigated more closely 14.exd5 exd5=/+ ]

14.exd5= exd5 15.a3

[15.f4 a5+/= ]

15...Nd7

[Better is 15...Bxc5 16.f4 Bd6-/+ ]

Black could have won a pawn with 15... Bxc5  (16. dxc5 Qxe5)

16.Nxf7??

[forfeits the advantage {>=16.f4= would keep White in the game}]

A dangerous knight sacrifice in a desperate position portents the outcome.

White did not have sufficient pieces positioned for an attack, to warrant the knight sacrifice in this position.

16...Kxf7-+ 17.Qf5+

[17.Rae1 Bf6-+ ]

17...Nf6

[17...Bf6 18.Rfe1-+ ]

18.b4 Qc8

With a material advantage, Black would like to trade queens.

19.Qf3 Qg4 20.Qe3??

[but even a better move would not have saved the game {20.Qd3 Nh5 21.Rad1 Nf4-+ }]
White should play Qd3

20...Bd8

[Better is 20...Bxc5 makes sure everything is clear 21.Qd3 Qxd4-+ ]

Black could have won a pawn+ with Bxc5.

21.Qd3 Bc7 22.g3 Qh3 23.Rfe1

[23.Qf3 Re7-+ ]

23...Ng4 24.Qf3+ Kg8

[24...Bf4 keeps an even firmer grip 25.Nxd5 cxd5 26.Qxd5+ Kg6 27.Qg2 Qxg2+ 28.Kxg2-+]

25.Rxe8+

[25.Qg2 Qh5-+ ]

25...Rxe8 26.Ne2

[26.Qg2 praying for a miracle 26...Qh5 27.Rf1-+ ]
White has a stronger defense with Qh1.

26...Nxh2

[Better is 26...Qxh2+ and Black has it in the bag 27.Kf1 Rf8-+ ]

Black may have had a quicker win with 26... Qxh2+, but the move played was a safe route to victory.

27.Qg2 Qxg2+ 28.Kxg2 Rxe2 29.Kxh2 Rxf2+ 30.Kh3 Rf3 31.Rg1

[31.Kg2 is not much help 31...Rxg3+ 32.Kf2 Rd3-+ ]

31...Rxa3 32.Kh4

[32.Rb1 does not win a prize 32...Rxg3+ 33.Kh4 Rd3-+ ]

32...Bxg3+!

[a beautiful, forced end to the game]

Black could have picked off a few more pawns, but getting rid of all the remaining pieces on the board was a sure path to the win, with no possibility of counterplay by White.  The rest of the game is an easy king-pawn ending for Black.

33.Rxg3

[33.Kg4-+ there is nothing else anyway]

33...Rxg3 34.Kxg3 Kf7 35.Kg4 g6

[35...Kf6 seems even better 36.Kh5-+ ]

36.Kh4 Kf6 37.Kg4 h5+ 38.Kh4 Kf5 39.Kg3 g5 40.Kf3 h4 41.Ke3

[41.b5 doesn't get the cat off the tree 41...cxb5 42.Ke3 h3 43.Kf3 b4 44.Kg3 g4 45.c6 bxc6 46.Kh2 b3 47.Kg1 b2 48.Kf1 b1Q+ 49.Ke2 Qc2+ 50.Kf1 h2 51.Ke1 h1Q# ]

41...h3-+ 42.Kf3 g4+ 43.Kg3 Ke4 44.Kxg4 h2 45.Kg5 h1Q 46.Kf6 Qh5

[46...Qh4+ 47.Ke6 Qd8 48.b5 cxb5 49.c6 bxc6 50.Kf7 Kf5 51.Kg7 Qc7+ 52.Kh8 Kg6 53.Kg8 Qg7# ]

47.Ke6 Qf5+ 48.Kd6

[48.Ke7 is not the saving move 48...Kxd4 49.Kd6 Kc4 50.Kc7 Kxb4 51.Kd6 Kb5 52.Kc7 Kxc5 53.Kxb7 Qd7+ 54.Kb8 Kb6 55.Ka8 Qc8# ]

48...Qf6+

[48...Qc8 49.Ke7 Kf5 50.Kf7 Qc7+ 51.Ke8 Ke6 52.Kf8 Qf7# ]

49.Kc7

[49.Kd7 doesn't change anything anymore 49...Kxd4 50.Ke8 Kc4 51.Kd7 Kxb4 52.Ke8 Kxc5 53.Kd7 Qf7+ 54.Kc8 Kb6 55.Kd8 d4 56.Kc8 Qe8# ]

49...Qe7+ 50.Kc8 Kf5

[50...Kxd4 51.Kb8 Kc4 52.Kxa7 Kxb4 53.Kb6 d4 54.Ka7 Kxc5 55.Ka8 Kb6 56.Kb8 Qf8# ]

51.Kb8

[51.b5 cannot change destiny 51...cxb5 52.Kb8 Ke6 53.Kc8 b4 54.Kb8 b3 55.Kc8 b2 56.Kb8 b1R 57.Kc8 Qe8+ 58.Kc7 Ke7 59.c6 Qd8# ]

51...a6 52.Ka7

[52.Kc8 doesn't change the outcome of the game 52...Ke6 53.b5 axb5 54.Kb8 Kd7 55.Ka8 Kc8 56.Ka7 Qc7 57.Ka8 Qb8# ]

52...Qc7 53.Ka8

[53.b5 cannot change what is in store for ? 53...axb5 54.Ka8 Ke6 55.Ka7 Kd7 56.Ka8 Kc8 57.Ka7 Qa5# ]

53...Ke6 54.Ka7

[54.b5 a fruitless try to alter the course of the game 54...axb5 55.Ka7 Kd7 56.Ka8 Kc8 57.Ka7 Qa5# ]

54...Kd7 55.b5

[55.Ka8 doesn't improve anything 55...Kc8 56.Ka7 b6+ 57.Kxa6 Qb7# ]

55...Kc8 56.bxa6

[56.bxc6 does not help much 56...a5 57.cxb7+ Qxb7# ]

56...b6+ 57.Ka8 Qb8#

0–1

Black Mates  

[Analysis by Deep Rybka 4.1 ] and tChess

Annotation by Mike Rohe and Taylor Scott

T.Scott-M.Rohe - 0-1 - Better Buzz Cafe - Arena, WI - 5/26/2011

ANALYSIS - T.Scott-M.Rohe - 0-1 - Better Buzz Cafe - Arena, WI - 5/26/2011

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