1983-08-12 - Burgess, Graham ½-½ Galloway, I

The second of Graham Burgess's Memorable trio from issue 10. Albin Counter-Attacks have a reputation for being explosive tactical games. This one doesn't disappoint and Deep Rybka has a field day exploring the long variations.

[Event "BRITISH U16 CHAMP (SOUTHPORT)"] [Site "?"] [Date "1983.08.12"] [Round "5"] [White "Burgess, Graham"] [Black "Galloway, I"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D09"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "53"] [EventDate "1983.??.??"] {The second of three Graham Burgess games from Issue 10 of Versus. "In accordance with the Fischer tradition they are not all wins." This is the draw. Original notes by Graham marked with GKB.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. g3 Bg4 {"Theory considers 5...Be6 a little sounder." GKB. A note written 34 years ago but times change. According to my database 5...Bg4 is played slightly more frequently than 5...Be6 but the latter has a better percentage score. The third most frequent move is 5...Nge7 which has a better score than both the Bishop moves.} 6. Bg2 Nge7 7. O-O Qd7 8. Qa4 {"8 Qb3 is more common but this move seems quite interesting." GKB. Graham was never averse to trying out new moves in the opening. He is correct in saying that 8 Qb3 is more common as it appears in 13 games on the database yet 8 Qa4 appears just once.} Ng6 9. Rd1 O-O-O 10. Nc3 Qf5 {Only now do we diverge from Balhar-Slovak, Prague Open 2005 which went on disastrously with 10...Kb8? 11 Nxd4! Nxd4 12 Rxd4!! Qxd4 13 Be3 Bd7 (if 13...Qxe5 then 14 Qxa7+ Kc8 15 Bxb7+ Kd7 16 Rd1+ Bd6 17 c5 with a massive initiative for minimal material investment.) 14 Qb3 Qb6 15 Bxb6 axb6 16 a4 1-0! Alternatives suggested by Deep Rybka are 10...Bxf3, 10...a6 and 10...Bc5 of which I can only endorse the last one. After the text Deep Rybka says White is +1.} 11. Nb5 {"11 Nd5 intending b2-b4-b5 was possibly superior." GKB. Indeed it was. Deep Rybka gives 11.Nd5 Bc5 12.b4 d3 13.Rxd3 Ngxe5 14.Rb3 with +1.25 to White.} Bc5 12. b4 {A strong advance regardless of the resource that Black finds next move. The point is that if a) 12...Bxb4? - dropping the Bishop's defence of a7 - 13 Nfxd4 Nxd4? 14 Bxb7+! Kd7 (if 14...Kxb7 15 Qxa7+ and 16 Qxc7 mate) 15 Nxd4+ wins the Queen. No improvement is 12...Bxb4 13 Nfxd4 Rxd4 14 Rxd4 Nxd4 15 Bxb7+! Kd8 16 Nxd4 and at least the Bishop on b4 is going after 17 Nc6+. Or, b) 12...Nxb4 13 Nfxd4 Qxe5 14.Nxa7+ Bxa7 (if 14...Kb8 15.Ndc6+ bxc6 16.Nxc6+ Nxc6 17.Rb1+ Bb6 18.Rxd8+ Rxd8 19.Bxc6 wins) 15.Qxa7 c6 16.Rb1 Qd6 17.Qb6 and the b4 Knight is lost - if 17...c5 simply 18 Qxb7 mate. The activity of the White pieces is very impressive. The Bishop on g2 was always going to be a good piece and the extra options based on the Queen being on a4 instead of b3 justify Graham's choice at move 8.} d3 $5 {Given an !! by Graham. "Ouch! That's annoying. Black's pieces come to life and the foundations of White's position are shaken. The next few moves cost me well over an hour on the clock. " GKB. The obvious difference between the game and the previous note is that there is no Knight on d5 blocking the d-file so now 13 Rxd3 is just met by 13.. .Rxd3 14 exd3 Bxf3 with a fine game for Black.} 13. exd3 $2 {Deep Rybka comes up with 13.bxc5! dxe2 14.Rxd8+ (14.Nxa7+ Kb8 - if 14...Nxa7 15 Rxd8+ Rxd8 16 Ne1 Rd1 will transpose - 15.Nxc6+ bxc6 16.Re1 Bxf3 17.Qb3+ winning a piece is also good) 14...Rxd8 15.Ne1 Rd1 (If 15...Ncxe5 16.Bxb7+! Kd7 17.Nd4+ is a tactic seen in a previous note.) 16.Nxa7+ Nxa7 17.Qe8+ Rd8 18.Bxb7+! Kxb7 19. Qxd8 wins. There's a lot to think about and one can understand why Graham took so long.} Bxf3 {"13...Bxf2+ 14 Kxf2 Ngxe5 was worth considering." GKB. Deep Rybka comes up with 13...Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2 Ngxe5 15.Bf4 (15 Nxa7+ will transpose) 15...Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Nxf3 17.Nxa7+ Nxa7 18.Qxa7 Ng5 19.Qa8+ Kd7 20. Qxb7 Nh3+ 21.Kg2 Nxf4+ 22.gxf4 claiming that White is +1. The position here still looks unbalanced with both Kings exposed so that justifies Graham's comment. However, the text is better and clearer and Deep Rybka now has Black at +1.} 14. Bxf3 Nxb4 $2 {"I was expecting 14...Qxf3 [then]15 bxc5. Maybe Iain didn't realise that I could give up a piece for a raging attack." GKB. After 14...Qxf3 15 bxc5 Deep Rybka claims Black has a small advantage. Much better however is 14...Ngxe5 because if 15.Bxc6? Qxf2+ 16.Kh1 Ng4 17.Bg2 Qg1+ 18.Rxg1 Nf2 mate! The engine reconsiders and comes up with 14...Ngxe5 15 bxc5 Nxf3 16 Be3 a6 still with +1 to Black. By contrast here 15...Qxf3 16 Bf4 Nxd3 16 Nxa7+ Nxa7 17 Qxa7 Qxf2+ (not 17...Nxf4 18 Qa8 mate) 18 Kh1 Qf3+ with a perpetual.} 15. d4 {Deep Rybka gets to this after a lot of analysis of both 15 Be3 and 15 Bxb7+. It seems that once again the lines transpose: 15.Be3 Bxe3 (if 15...Qxf3 16 Bxc5 is good for White.) 16.Bxb7+ Kxb7 (16...Kb8 17.fxe3 just wins while 16. ..Kd7 17.Nd4+ is a repeat of a previous tactic) 17.fxe3 Nc6 (if 17...c5 18. Qxa7+ Kc8 19.Qc7mate, while 17...Na6 18.Rab1 is winning) 18.Nd6+ cxd6 19.Qb5+ Kc7 (if 19...Kc8 20.Qxc6+ Kb8 21.Rab1 mate) 20.exd6+ Rxd6 21.Qxf5 wins the Queen. However, Black does have a save. After 15.Be3 Bxe3 16.Bxb7+ Kxb7 17. fxe3 he plays 17...a5! 18.Qxa5 Qxe5 19.Qxb4 Qxe3+ 20.Kg2 Qe2+ with a perpetual check again.} Qxf3 16. Be3 Be7 {"Black could try 16...h5 instead of trying to hang on to the extra material." GKB. Deep Rybka says Black should play either 16...Nxc6 or 16...Nxe5 when it says the position is roughly equal. After 16... h5 17 bxc5 it produces 17...Nh4! 18 gxh4 Qg4+ 19 Kf1 Qxc4+! and White must go back to the g-file and endure a perpetual again because 20 Ke1?? loses the Queen to 20...Nc2+.} 17. Nxa7+ Kb8 18. Rab1 {"18 Rdb1 keeps more options open as the White Queen does not have to defend the d1 Rook." GKB. I agree but Deep Rybka says there is no immediate difference because against either Rook move it wants to play 18...Nh4 with the same drawing combination as in the previous note. That's effectively saying that White stands better because of his attacking prospects.} h5 {Playing Graham's suggestion but a couple of moves late. If White should try to block the advance of this Pawn with h2-h4 at any point then Black will reply ...Ng6xh4 with at least a perpetual check.} 19. Rxb4 Bxb4 20. Rb1 {"The other Rook prepares for kamikaze action. At this point GMs Speelman and Mestel started watching the game and seemed quite interested. I had about two minutes to reach move 40." GKB. Graham's point in the note to his 18th note is that if the Rook was on a1 rather than d1 then here 20 Qxb4 would be playable. If 20...Kxa7 21 d5+ produces a winning attack. Black is in no position to cope with a subsequent Bishop sacrifice on b6. The difference is that it's a Rook that's going to be sacced on b7 instead.} c5 21. d5 {"Cutting the Queen off and preparing another sacrifice." GKB. To their credit both sides are refusing to take the drawing continuations on offer. White's opportunity was 21 Nb5 Qe4 22 Qa7+ Kc8 23 Rxb4 cxb4 24 Qc5+ Kb8 25 Qa7+ Kc8 26 Qc5+ etc because 24 (26)...Kd7 25 Qd6+ and mates on c7 as appropriate next move.} h4 $2 {Intent on his own counterattack Black allows White chances. He should play 21...Nxe5 Now 22.Bxc5 Bxc5 23 Rxb7+ Kxb7 gets White nowhere because Black controls c6 and there is no perpetual. However after 21...Nxe5 there is instead 22.Nb5 Qe4 23.Qa7+ Kc8 24.Rxb4 cxb4 25.Qc5+ and now 25...Nc6 stops the perpetual. What's more if 26 dxc6?? the point of 22. ..Qe4 is revealed after 26...Rd1+ and mates. White does have a way out though even though he is currently two Exchanges down! The calm 26.h4 Rd7 27.Kh2 Kd8 28.Nd6 Rxd6! 29.Qxd6+ Kc8 30.dxc6 Qxc6 31.Qxb4 leaves White an Exchange for a pawn down and Black will be hard put to win this because of his exposed King. However, Graham would find it difficult to calculate this with less than two minutes on the clock.} 22. Bxc5 {This move forces a draw, but with 22.Nc6+ White forces a win! If 1) 22...bxc6 23.Rxb4+ cxb4 24.Qa7+ mates by force, 24.. .Kc8 25.Qa6+ Kc7 26.Qb6+ Kc8 or (26...Kd7 27.Qxc6+ Ke7 28.Bc5+ Rd6 29.Qxd6+ Ke8 30.Qc6+ Kd8 31.Bb6+ Ke7 32.Qd6+ Ke8 33 Qd8 mate) 27.Qxc6+ Kb8 28.Qb6+ Kc8 29.Qa6+ Kc7 30.Bb6+ Kd7 (or 30...Kb8 31.Qa7+ Kc8 32.Qc7 mates) 31.Qb5+ Ke7 32. Bc5+ and back in the same sequence as before. Or: 2) 22...Kc8 23.Qa7 (If 23. Nxd8 Rxd8 24.Rxb4 cxb4 25.Qa8+ Kd7 26.Qa4+ Kc7 27.Qa5+ Kc8 28.Qa8+ is a draw. The threat after 23 Qa7 is 24 Qb8+ Kd8 25 Qd6+ Ke8 26 Qxd8 mate so Black hasn't got time for 23...h3. Now 2a) 23...Kc7 24.d6+ Kd7 (24...Rxd6 25.exd6+ Kxc6 26.Bxc5 Bxc5 27.Qxb7+ Kxd6 28.Qxf3 wins the Queen.) 25.Qxb7+ Ke8 26.Qc7 wins, or 2b) 23...Rxd5 24.cxd5 Qxd5 25.Nxb4 (simplest) 25...cxb4 26.Rc1+ with a winning attack but no longer material down. There may well be other winning continuations.} Bxc5 {"After forty minutes thought leaving neither of us with any time. 22...h3 runs into 23 Nc6+ and a perpetual check." GKB.} 23. Rxb7+ Kxb7 {"23...Ka8 24 Nc8+ draws." GKB.} 24. Qc6+ Kb8 25. Qb5+ Kc7 26. Qc6+ Kb8 27. Qb5+ {"Not just another boring draw!" GKB} 1/2-1/2

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