1984-01-23 - Burgess, Graham 1-0 Barton, R
The third of Graham's 'Memorable' games from Issue 10. This could probably be his Immortal Game. He attacks with everything he can but the game evaluation goes back and forth. The kitchen sink gets thrown in, but that bounces off. Finally Graham gets a last chance and Black gets flattened by the fridge - I mean a second Rook sacrifice!
[Event "SOUTHPORT CHAMPIONSHIP"] [Site "?"] [Date "1984.01.23"] [Round "?"] [White "Burgess, Graham"] [Black "Barton, R"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E83"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "63"] {The third of three Graham Burgess games from Issue 10 of Versus. Original notes by Graham marked with GKB.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O {A not so frequent way of playing the King's Indian Defence. The most common move here is 4...d6 which is played ten times more often than the text. The point of 4...0-0 is to encourage the over-extending 5 e5 but this has been out of fashion since the game Letelier-Fischer, Leipzig Olympiad 1960 which Bobby won in 23 moves finishing with a Queen sacrifice. Fischer of course played 5...Ne8, unlike three exponents who met 5 e5 with 5...Nh5?? losing a piece immediately to 6 g4. On the database 5...Ne8 has a 47% win ratio which speaks volumes. Graham comments that 5 f3?! is met by 5...c5!, his punctuation but without any explanation. In the game after 5 Be3 d6 6 f3 we have transposed into the S‰misch variation of the King's Indian Defence, named after German GM Friedrich S‰misch who pioneered and popularised the line.} 5. Be3 d6 6. f3 Nc6 7. Qd2 a6 8. Nge2 Re8 9. h4 h5 10. O-O-O b5 11. Qe1 $5 {"This is an idea borrowed from Spassky-Keene, Dortmund 1973, but in that game Black had a Rook on b8 and the b-Pawn was still at home. The basic idea is to play e4-e5 and to transfer the Queen to the Kingside. Black should play 11...Bd7 so that the White Rook no longer opposes his Queen." GKB. Once again Graham shows his willingness to experiment. This move is not in the database. Deep Rybka says that Black should play 11...Bd7 although 11...b4 12 Nd5 Rb8 is an alternative.} bxc4 12. e5 Nd7 13. e6 {"This looks good but 13 g4 at once is better." GKB. 13 g4 is what Spassky played against Keene in the analogous position and he went on to win in 23 moves. Deep Rybka has no preference saying both moves lead to equal positions.} Nb6 14. g4 {Deep Rybka has this as third choice behind 14 exf7+ and 14 Nf4. The intriguing line is 14.Nf4 Bxe6!? 15.d5 Nxd5 16. Ncxd5 Bxd5 17.Nxd5 e6 18.Nc3 d5 which the engine also says is equal. The intriguing part is an echo of Ray Keene's game with Spassky. Bear in mind Keene had a Rook on b8 rather than a Pawn on b5. He remarked that Spassky's 11 Qe1 was a TN probably intended for the previous year's World Championship match with Fischer, except the latter deliberately avoided playing the King's Indian. Keene's original idea was to play 11...b5 12 e5 bxc4!? 13 exf6 exf6 "getting two pawns, the b and e files and a forest of pawns around my King as compensation for the piece. I should have tried this since what I actually did was a disaster. " (RDK, Chessgames.com 14/10/2004). It's not quite the same position but I think we can take it as some sort of endorsement.} fxe6 $2 {Deep Rybka doesn't like this and neither do I. In view of the last note we both prefer 14...Bxe6 although the engine does look at 14...hxg4. Basically Black ought to leave his Kingside Pawns alone as much as he reasonably can.} 15. gxh5 e5 {This is Deep Rybka's second choice after 15...Nd5. There is 16 Nxd5 exd5 17 fxg6 which the engine says is clearly better for White by 0.5 or so, but this is not an everyday Pawn-formation and I can see much debate between people wanting to take on either colour here. Deep Rybka prefers, instead of 16 Nxd5, the alternative 16 Ng3. Instinctively the dark-squared Bishop is one I'd want to keep but the engine doesn't seem to mind, and it prefers taking on c3 rather than e3 anyway. Still it's a complicated, messy position ... and it gets worse, or better depending on your mind-set!} 16. h6 { This looks like the right move to me. It dislodges the Bishop from its best defensive square on g7 and leaves the g6 Pawn for White pieces to take. It's a positional judgement rather than tactical but obviously certain tactical factors are taken into account. Having said that I don't think Graham had his 24th move in mind right here! However Deep Rybka wants to disagree with us claiming that 16.hxg6 is better. After 16... Nb4 17.Ng3 and now: A) 17...exd4 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.Rxd4 e5 20.Rd1 Be6 is still given as better for White but Black has some space in which defend now. Or B) 17...Bb7 which seems dubious precisely because of the reply 18.Nf5 and now 18...Bxf3 19.Qf2 Bxh1? (19...e4 is better although White still has 20 Nxe4 because the following continuation works here as well.) 20.Nh6+! Kh8 (Not 20...Bxh6 21.Qf7+ Kh8 22.Qh7 mate) 21. Nf7+ Kg8 22.Nxd8 and White has won a Queen with apparently a big plus. Of course there are many other options for both sides.} Bf6 {An obvious alternative is 16...exd4 17.Nxd4 Bxd4 18. Bxd4 Nxd4 19. Rxd4 e5 20.Rd1 Be6 which is evaluated as almost equal. Barton prefers to keep his King's Bishop and most other KID players would do the same.} 17. Rg1 {Deep Rybka prefers 17 d5 and 17 h5 but the text is a good sensible move. Chess is not about replicating the computer recommendation but playing the human opposite. What's more, humans can imagine better than any engine!} Kh7 18. f4 $5 {Once again Deep Rybka suggests 18 d5 and 18 h5. The first closes the centre reducing counterplay and the second continues trying to open lines on the Kingside. So these look more direct. However, the text asks Black an immediate question. Which Pawn does he want to take his his own Pawn on e5 which is now under pressure? If White gets to play d4xe5 then Black can't recapture ...dxe5 because of the d-file pin. This is part of the theme of 11 Qe1. If Black takes on d4 then later when White plays h4-h5 Black can't safely reply ...g6-g5 any more because of the f4 Pawn. On the other hand 18...exf4 allows 19 Nxf4 with improved prospects for the Knight but this is the path Black chooses.} exf4 19. Nxf4 e5 20. Qg3 $5 {"I played this assuming that I had an immediate win if he took the Knight, not realising that things were not so simple." GKB. There are two obvious alternatives in 20 dxe5 and 20 Nfd5, both of which Deep Rybka say give White a small plus. Given that White seems to have more activity and the Black Queenside still needs developing I feel that's an under-estimation. However, I wonder what Graham overlooked.} exf4 21. Qxg6+ Kh8 22. Ne4 {After 22 Bxf4 Black has the simple 22...Rg8 simplifying and coming out a piece up.} Rxe4 {At first sight it looks like 22...Rg8 works here as well. The idea is that after 22...Rg8 23.Qxg8+ Qxg8 24.Rxg8+ Kxg8 25.Nxf6+ Kf7 White has two pieces en prise. However, we continue 26.Bg2 Bb7 27.Bxf4 Kxf6 28.Bg5+ Kg6 29. Be4+ Kh5 30.h7 Nd7 31.Bf5 and White is going to get access to f6 with his Bishop and win an Exchange! The text is quite understandable though. The only other move is 22...Rf8 and this loses simply to 23 Nxf6 Qxf6 24 Qg7+! Qxg7 25 hxg7+ and White again wins an Exchange but in much simpler fashion that the previous variation.} 23. Qxe4 fxe3 {"Three pieces for a Rook down, and still Black's dark-square control stops me getting at his King. I do have a few pieces left to sacrifice though." GKB.} 24. Rg7 $5 {"Everyone though that I had gone totally mad." GKB. Graham gave this move a !!? It's remarkable that he thinks of sacrificing more material instead of getting some back with 24 Qxc6. However, the text is the engine's second choice at -2.94.} Bxg7 25. hxg7+ Kxg7 $2 {Clearly 25...Kg8 sheltering behind the advanced Pawn must be better. Perhaps Barton didn't think Graham would play his next move, but anyone willing to play 24 Rg7 will play ..."} 26. Bxc4 $1 Ne7 {"26...Nxc4 27 Rg1+ seems to mate or win a lot of material." GKB. That's right. Deep Rybka gives 26...Nxc4 27.Rg1+ Kf7 28.Qg6+ Ke7 (if 28...Kf8 29 Qg8+ Ke7 30 Rg7+ Kf6 31 Qf7 mate) 29.Qg5+ Kf7 30.Rf1+ Bf5 31.Qxf5+ Kg7 (if 31...Ke7 or e8 32. Qf7 mate) 32.Rg1+ mates shortly. After the text the engine says the position is equal!} 27. Rg1+ Kh8 28. Qf4 $2 {"28 Qf3 is stronger. If 28...Bf5 29 Bd3!" GKB. 28.Qf3 is the right move, threatening mates on h5 and f6, and 28...Bf5 is Black's only move. White should now play 29.Qh5+ Bh7 30.Rg7!! - a nice echo of White's 24th - 30...Kxg7 (if 30...Qg8 31.Bxg8 Kxg7 32.Qxh7+ Kf6 or f8 33.Qf7 is a nice mate featuring the White Pawns on d4 and h4.) 31.Qf7+ Kh6 (Not 31...Kh8 32.Qf6 mate) 32.Qf4+ Kg7 (Not 32...Kg6 or h5 33.Qg5 mate) 33. Qf7+ Kh6 34.Qf4+ with a perpetual check. After 28 Qf3 Bf5 Graham's suggestion of 29.Bd3 doesn't work because of 29...Qe8 30.Bxf5 Qc6+ and the swap of Queens spoils White's fun.} Nf5 29. Qf3 Nh6 $2 {"29...Qxh4! might well win for Black, but it is never psychologically easy to give up a Queen when another move seems to be available." GKB. Deep Rybka agrees giving Black a plus of 2.33 after 29...Qxh4 30 Rh1 Qxh1+ 31 Qxh1+ Kg7. Note how the Knight on b6, which is the King's Knight(!) guards the Rook in the corner.} 30. Qh5 Qf8 $4 {Overlooking a very neat mate in four. The only way to play on was with 30...Qf6 31.Rg6 Qxg6 32.Qxg6 Nxc4 and now after 33.Qxh6+ Kg8 34.Qg6+ Kf8 35. Qg2! Deep Rybka says White is +1.25. When pushed it points out 35...Rb8 36 Qf1+ picks up the Knight, while 35...Nb6 guards everything but 36 h5 leaves Black with problems stopping the outside Pawn. The engine actually suggests 35. ..d5!? 36 Qxd5 Nb6 so White would still have some work to do.} 31. Rg8+ $1 Qxg8 32. Qxh6+ {White only declines to take the Black Queen for a move or so. After 32...Qh7 33 Qf8+ Qg8 34 Qxg8 is mate. Note that if the White King was on b1 then 32...Qh7 is check and Black wins! I count that as eight sacrifices of pawns and pieces by Graham. Possibly his Immortal Game yet he still only fifteen years old when he played it!} 1-0
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