1984-01-01 - Guyatt, Fred 0-1 Humphreys, Jerry
An exciting game. Just as it looks that Jerry has it sewn up time-trouble intervenes. Fred finds a remarkable way to stay alive, then misses a draw while trying to win. Still, Jerry has to walk a tightrope with his flag hanging.
[Event "D&F CLUB CHAMP"] [Site "?"] [Date "1984.01.01"] [Round "?"] [White "Guyatt, Fred"] [Black "Humphreys, Jerry"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A16"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "64"] {Another 1984 club championship game between club stalwart Fred Guyatt and club captain Jerry Humphreys. At the time Jerry had only just joined the club. } 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. b3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. Ba3 {"About now White starts to neglect his Kingside development, losing several tempi and a lot of space." The text is an obvious attempt to avoid main lines. Fred was a devotee of the English opening but also quite happy to throw the opponent a curve ball. In this case Jerry already had a reputation as a time-trouble addict so the earlier he had to start thinking for himself the better from Fred's point of view. Deep Rybka actually agrees with White's choice despite the natural post being on b2. However, we don't see this Bishop again for a long time.} d5 6. Rc1 $2 {Originally passed over without comment but definitely an error. The c-file is never opened so posting the Rook here is a waste of time. Clearly 6 cxd5 is a natural move if one views the English as a Sicilian Defence Reversed, although after 6...Nxd5 the pressure on c3 needs to be sorted out. Another move is 6 e3 to hold up ...d5-d4. Now in reply to the text Black has two sensible moves. One is 6...dxc4 which after 7 bxc4 proves that the Rook is misplaced, but the obvious game move gains even more time.} d4 7. Nd5 $5 { Refusing to go backwards and replying on the tactic 7...Nxd5 8 cxd5 Qxd5 9 Bxe7 to avoid the loss of a Pawn, although after 9...Re8 I'd be concerned about the follow-up 10...d3 and the pressure on e2 hamstringing White's development. Upon reflection White could play 10 Bg5 (not 10 Rxc7? Na6 winning material) and after 10...d3 go 11 Be3 but Black doesn't have to commit to 10... d3. He is well-placed and there are plenty of other moves to choose from while White's current state of development can't possibly be described as co-ordinated. That would be my choice.} Nc6 $2 8. Nb4 $2 {Missing a golden chance to justify his eccentric play and come out of the opening unscathed with Deep Rybka's suggestion of 8 Nxd4! The point is 8...Nxd4? 9 Bxe7 followed by taking twice on f6 emerging a Pawn up. Black should play 8...Nxd5 and after 9 Nxc6 Bxc6 10 cxd5 cxd5 the engine says that White stands better. There is a clear weakness on c5 and White has a flexible Pawn position. The text is a further loss of time and White soon starts to feel the pinch.} Nxb4 9. Bxb4 a5 {Again pushing White around and creating the possibility, although it never happens, of developing the Rook on a6 with sideways options.} 10. Ba3 Re8 { Black has more space and better development so no wonder that Deep Rybka already has the second player at over +1.} 11. e3 e5 {"11...d3 is also good." Actually it's not so clear after 12.Rc3 Bf5 13.Nh4 Bd7 and now a) 14.Bxd3? Ng4 15.Rc1 e5 and now: a1) 16 g3 (Not 16.Nf3?? e4 winning a piece) 16...Bc6 17 Qxg4 Bxh1 18 Bc2 Bc6 and Black has won an Exchange, or a2) 16 f3 Qxh4+ 17 g3 Qd8! 18 fxg4 Bc6 hitting h1 and d3 simultaneously, or b) 14.Rxd3 e5 15.f3 e4 16.fxe4 Nxe4 17.Nf3 looks unclear to me despite Deep Rybka claiming a small plus to Black. The text is so much simpler.} 12. g3 $2 {"Inconsistent and weakening a lot of squares." Deep Rybka suggests this move! The problem is that the natural 12 d3 is met by 12...dxe3 13 fxe3 Bh6 followed by ...Ng4. There is also the positional 13...e4 isolating the e3 Pawn but this will involve the swap of Queens. The engine's other alternative is 12 Rb1 so as to play 13 d3 and after 13...dxe3 14 fxe3 Bh6 to go 15 e4 because the Pawn is no longer pinned. That could be one of those cures that is worse than the disease! Another suggestion by the engine is 12 h3 which rules out ...Ng4 in the above line, but White is undergoing contortions to play a move that he could have done so much earlier. One begins to understand Fred's choice of the text.} Bg4 {Deep Rybka come up with the positionally desirable but deeply tactical 12...c5!? The point is that after 13.Bxc5 Bg4 14.h3 e4! 15.hxg4 exf3 16.Qxf3 Ne4! White is at a loss for a reply. If 17 Ba3 dxe3 and there is a threat of mate on d2. Taking with the Queen doesn't help because of the pin on the e-file, and the same tactic applies after 17 Bxd4 Bxd4 18 exd4 Knight moves. Note that the Pawn on a5 prevents the defence 17 Bb4 safeguarding both the Bishop and the d2 Pawn. Once again the text seems so much simpler. As the game goes Jerry is willing to give up Bishop for Knight in the belief that trading an undeveloped Bishop for one of White's few sensibly developed pieces is worth the time invested.} 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 e4 15. Qd1 {Deep Rybka suggests 15...a4 in reply to other moves and even fancies it now. However, I can't see any human going 15 Qe2 provoking 15...d3 with tempo gain, while 15 Qf4 just looks exposed.} Nd7 $1 {"Enabling Black to play ...c7-c5 and ...f7-f5 supporting his massive centre." Universally approved and a smart example of a strong retreat. As long as Black has Pawns on d4 and e4 then White's Bishops should remain inactive. White would like to play d2-d3 in an attempt to dissolve the Black centre but he can't while so behind in development and also with his King targeted by the Black Rook on e8.} 16. Bg2 f5 17. O-O Ne5 18. Qc2 Nd3 {At first Deep Rybka liked this move, then it suggested 18...Qd7 and, more to the point, 18...b6 with the intention of ...c7-c5.} 19. Rcd1 c5 20. f3 $1 { "Perhaps Black has been too quick to occupy d3 with his Knight. Now White tries to undermine it." Absolutely! He can't sit there doing nothing because Black will consolidate and squeeze White to death. Deep Rybka has already indicated that it wants to play ...a5-a4 and invade on the Queenside. White's Bishop on a3 could rapidly be in trouble as it currently has no retreat squares. To be fair, it's one of the features of this game that Fred does create some counterplay and it involves this Bishop going forward, however unlikely that may seem right now! Of course the text leaves Fred's Kingside looking very weak and Jerry immediately targets g3.} Qc7 21. fxe4 fxe4 {Deep Rybka does analyse 21...Qxg3 and finds it wanting after 22.Qxd3 fxe4 23.Qe2 Be5 24.Rf4! Bxf4 25.exf4, and here although 25...b6 keeps the a3 Bishop quiet the engine claims White is better by 0.56. Yet again Jerry chooses a straightforward alternative, in this case a simple recapture.} 22. Kh2 Be5 23. Rf4 $5 {"23 Bxe4 was better, but the text was an unexpected shock for Jerry who was now getting very short of time." After 23.Bxe4 Bxg3+ 24.Kg2 Rxe4 25. Qxd3 Rae8 Black clearly stands better, Deep Rybka says to the tune of +0.75 or so. The exposed White King and the out-of-play Bishop are the major factors here. I suppose as an English player (the opening, not the nationality!) there was a big reluctance on Fred's part to give up his King's Bishop. The text results in some practical chances of saving the game so the more confusion he can cause, the better.} Bxf4 24. gxf4 g5 {The natural attacking move but Black must be aware that he is exposing his own King as well. A double-edged sword when one is in time-trouble. Nevertheless Deep Rybka has Black at over +3 now.} 25. Bxe4 {Deep Rybka has a preference for 25 Rg1 and answers it with 25...Kh8. Personally I would choose 25 Rg1 and save Bxe4 until later. I suppose one may worry about lines such as 25 Rg1 Kh8 followed by 26... gxf4 and 27...f3+ 28 Kh1 Nf2 mate, but White has two moves in hand to sort out that problem.} Nf2 $2 {Unnecessarily complicated. 25...Nxf4! is far superior. After 26 exf4 Qxf4+ and taking on e4 Black will be winning. There is also 26. Bxh7+ Qxh7 27.Qxh7+ Kxh7 28.exf4 gxf4 29.Bxc5 Re2+ 30.Kh1 d3 which also leaves Black clearly winning but needs calculating. Perhaps Jerry thought that he was just winning more material.} 26. Bd5+ $1 Kh8 27. Qf5 $1 {"With Jerry's flag on the brink Fred produces a counterattack. If now 27...Nxd1 28 Bxc5!! threatens 29 Bxd4+ and if 28...Qxc5 29 Qf6 mate." Deep Rybka confirms that 27...Nxd1 is no good after 28.Bxc5 Re7 or Rg8 29.Bxd4+ Rg7 30.Qxg5. The point is that Black is tied down and White is going to play 31 Qg1 picking up the stranded knight. After this he will have several Pawns for two (!) Exchanges but one of the Rooks (Black's choice on move 28) is pinned. Black can get one Pawn for his steed by taking on e3 but eventually there will be a mass liquidation on g7. White will have Bishop and six Pawns versus Rook and three and he will be winning. Interposing the moves 27...Rf8 28 Qg5 doesn't change much as after 28...Nxd1? 29 Bxc5 Qxc5 30 Qe5+ mates. Instead here 28...Nd3 - possible now that the Queen is off f5 - holds the c5 square but Black hasn't taken the Rook or the Bishop that he went to f2 to fork and White has two Pawns for the Exchange! What's more 29 Be4 puts the Knight in trouble and the Queen adds to the pressure on c5. After 29...Nb4 30 Bb2! this triumphal return to the correct diagonal leaves Black's position creaking at the seams.} gxf4 $1 {The only move. Now Fred has a draw with 28.Qf6+leading to 28...Qg7 29.Qxg7+ Kxg7 30.Rg1+ Kf6 31.Bxc5 dxe3 32.dxe3 fxe3 33.Bd4+ Kf5 34.Rg3 Nd1 35.Rf3+ Kg5 36. Rg3+ Kf5 (going to the h-file will get mated by the Bishops.) 37.Rf3+ and a draw by perpetual check. I can't see any way for either side to deviate from this line without disadvantage. White finally has his Bishops working together and although Black's proud centre has crumbled the one remaining Pawn is dangerous.} 28. Bxc5 $5 {Instead Fred makes a winning attempt in Jerry's continuing time-trouble. The Bishop finally re-enters the game after sitting on a3 since move 5!} fxe3+ $1 {The right choice. Instead there is the tempting 28...f3+ when 29.Kg1?? gets mated after 29...Qg3+ 30.Kf1 Qg2+ 31.Ke1 Qg1. However, White has the improvement 28...f3+ 29.Qf4! Qxf4+ 30.exf4 and Black has no sensible defence to 31 Bxd4+followed by 32 Bxf2 and he is winning. By taking on e3 Jerry takes the Qf4 interposition out of the equation.} 29. Kg2 Rg8+ {This settles matters despite a momentary optical illusion by Jerry in two moves time!} 30. Kf1 {"30 Bxg8 Rxg8+ 31 Kf1 Qg7 also wins." It's worth following this through. The threat is obviously 32...Qg1+ 33 Ke2 Qxd1 mate so 32.Ke2 d3+ 33.Kxe3 Qg3+ 34.Kd4 Rd8+ 35.Qd5 (if 35.Kc3 Nxd1 mate is a very piquant finish. Even the a5 Pawn gets involved!) 35...Qf4+ 36.Kc3 Nxd1+ followed by taking the Queen will get a resignation because the time-control is reached.} Qxc5 31. Qf6+ {"Just for a moment Jerry thought this was mate!" It isn't of course but that was the whole point of checking on g8 before taking the c5 Bishop.} Rg7 32. Bxb7 Rf8 {The counterplay is at an end and White has all his pieces en prise. Time to resign.} 0-1
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