1984-11-08 - Marks, John 0-1 Hicks, Arthur
A positional Queen sacrifice by Arthur Hicks. White reacts too straightforwardly and gets tied in knots. The second of three Queen sacs in one issue!
[Event "BRISTOL LEAGUE"] [Site "?"] [Date "1984.11.08"] [Round "?"] [White "Marks, John"] [Black "Hicks, Arthur"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B11"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "64"] {This was one of three games in Issue 8 that featured a Queen sacrifice. The other two were Barron-Wood and Butt-Mordue. John Marks also played for D&F but in this game represented YMCA, a club that shortly afterwards vanished from the League.} 1. e4 {Unusual for John who had favoured the Veresov Attack in the late 70s. Perhaps he was avoiding a prepared line.} c6 2. Nc3 {A less-frequently played line against the Caro-Kann than 2 d4 but still well-analysed and the second-most popular choice.} d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bg4 5. Bc4 e6 {Now that Black has his Bishop outside the Pawn chain he can happily play this move which cuts out Bxf7+ tactics. For example 5...Nf6? 6 Bxf7+ Kxf7 7 Ne5+ has won a Pawn while 5...Nd7? 6 Bxf7+ Kxf7 7 Ng5+ does the same.} 6. c3 {This is clearly to play d2-d4 without allowing Black the chance after 6 d4 to play 6...Bxf3 breaking up White's Pawns. Curiously in the two games I found on my database with 6 d4 neither Black player ventured 6...Bxf3.} b5 $5 {This is completely new. I commented "An enterprising attempt to gain space on the Queenside. White should take advantage of it by playing a2-a4 later but he never does." One thing was for certain. It would get John thinking and he was well-known for getting into time-trouble.} 7. Be2 Nf6 {I prefer for 7... Nd7 first so as to answer a later a2-a4 with a7-a6 and recapture axb5 axb5 now that the a8 Rook is defended.} 8. Nxf6+ Qxf6 9. d4 Nd7 10. h3 Bf5 11. Bg5 $6 { The more Deep Rybka looks at this the less it likes it. It prefers 11 0-0, although John might already be thinking of Queenside castling, or 11 Bf4 which keeps the options open. The problem with the text is twofold. As remarked in the previous commentary 12 a4 can be answered by 12...Bc2 whilst there is a threat of 12...h6 followed by 13...Qxg2. John clearly thought he had the answer to that.} Qg6 12. g4 {Remarkably Deep Rybka suggests both 12 a4 allowing 12...Bc2 and 12. 0-0 which seems to fail to 12...h6 13.Bf4 Bxh3. In the latter case it continues 14.Nh4 Qf6 15.Bg3 Bf5 16.Nxf5 Qxf5 17.Bg4 Qf6 18. Bf3 Rc8 19.a4 b4 and after 20 Qd3 or Qc2 claims White is better by +1! No doubt there will be many readers who disagree with that assessment. In the former case - 12 a4 Bc2 after 13 Qd2 the engine says that after 13...bxa4 White is slightly better - 0.2 to 0.3 - while after 13...Bxa4 14 Bd3 f5 (not 14...Qh5?? 15 g4 traps the Queen) it says White is plus 1 or so. Food for thought in both lines. Deep Rybka says that White loses all his advantage with the text move. I have little doubt that Arthur had already seen the following line of play including the sacrifice at move 14.} Be4 13. h4 {"Attempting to win more space by harassing the Black Queen but he has a surprise coming." The only alternative Deep Rybka offers is 13 Qd2 which leads to no advantage after 13...f6.} h6 {There is nothing wrong with 13...h5 either. After 14.gxh5 Rxh5 (14...Qxh5 15.Nd2 Qxg5 - 15...Qg6 is a staid alternative - 16.hxg5 Rxh1+ is analogous to the game but perhaps not as sharp.) 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.Bxh5 Qf5 17. dxe5 Bxh1 18.Qd4 Qe4+ 19.Qxe4 Bxe4 is, unsurprisingly, assessed by Deep Rybka as completely equal.} 14. h5 hxg5 $5 {Deep Rybka says 14...Qh7 15 Bh4 is completely level. I'm not so sure about that and it's obvious that Arthur wasn't! The Queen sacrifice carries a certain shock value and John must have used a lot of time subsequently trying to stabilise the position.} 15. hxg6 Rxh1+ 16. Bf1 O-O-O {"Black's Queen sacrifice gives White serious practical difficulties. One threat is ...Nc5 followed by ...Bd3. Probably he should try to mix it with a2-a4. By apparently completing his development he runs out of active prospects." In view of what comes up in the next note it seems that the conservative 16...Bxg6 is better. Clearly Arthur thought that initiative had priority over material and the ...Nc5 and ...Bd3 idea looks very strong.} 17. Qe2 {The alternatives are mind boggling but they do seem to favour White. First 17.gxf7 Nc5 18.Kd2 (18.a4!? is a suggestion too) 18...Rxf1 19.Qxf1 Bxf3 20.Ke3!? Bd5 21.b3 (not 21.dxc5?? Bxc5+ and Black regains his Queen coming out a piece up!) and Deep Rybka claims White has an advantage. I don't disagree with the evaluation but does White really want his King on e3? Secondly 17. a4 Nc5 18.axb5 cxb5 19.Rxa7 (The consistent follow-up. Also possible is 19.Nd2 Nd3+ 20.Ke2 Nf4+ 21.Ke3 Bc6 22.gxf7 with the same reservations as expressed above! And also playable is the simpler 19.gxf7 leading to 19...Rd7 20.Ne5 Nd3+ 21.Nxd3 Bg2 22.Kd2 Rxf1 23.Qxf1 Bxf1 24.Rxf1 Rxf7 25.Re1 Rf6 26.Re5 and White is clearly winning this endgame.) 19...Nd3+ 20.Ke2 f6 21.Qa1! Nf4+ 22. Kd2 Rd6 23.Nxg5! fxg5 24.Ra8+ Bxa8 25.Qxa8+ Kc7 26.Qxh1 and once again White is winning but this time he's kept his Queen. So plenty to think about but how long does it take you on the clock? Deep Rybka assesses White as 1.61 better after the text so we can't really criticise John's choice, despite what I wrote originally.} f5 {17...Bxg6 looks more natural but after 18 Nxg5 White threatens 19 Qf3 hitting c6, f7 and h1. The text seems to deal with two threats (Qxe4 and gxf7) at the same time.} 18. O-O-O $2 {This natural move is an error because despite removing the King from one pin it runs into another more awkward one. Deep Rybka once again prefers 18 a4, which really is the thematic move, and 18 Nxg5 which is not so much about grabbing material as trying to upset Black's centralised Bishop. In fact the engine says the strongest line for both sides is 18 a4 a6 19 axb5 axb5 20 Nxg5 which is noteworthy. Why would John turn these moves down? Perhaps after 18 Nxg5 he was concerned about 18...Bg2 but 19 0-0-0 sorts out that problem easily. In the same vein after 18 a4 b4 19 Qa6+ Kb8 maybe he missed the useful retreat 20 Nd2! Bd5? (the immediate 20...Bg2 is better) 21 c4 Bg2 22 0-0-0 and White is better in both variations. Whatever, the evaluation takes a nosedive from +3. 6 after 18 a4, +2.1 after 18 Nxg5 to +0.68 after the text.} Bd6 19. Nd2 Bf4 20. f3 $2 {Originally given without comment but now a big swing happens. Yet again Deep Rybka advocates 20 a4, which can't be as effective with the Rook gone from a1, and there is also my suggestion of 20 b3 to hasten the King to b2 and unpin the Knight. The text opens up the second rank and permits ...Rh1-h2 with more pressure on the pinned steed. This is one of the principles of a Queen sacrifice. If Black attacks a White unit with a Rook and Bishop then what point is there in defending it with a Queen? White has three long-range pieces here. The Bishop is doing nothing and is blocked by the Queen. The Rook, which could have been on an open a-file, only has one square available to it, while the Queen with combined powers of Rook and Bishop isn't faring much better and for the remainder of the game gets harried from pillar to post. Compare the White force with the Black pieces and there is only one side doing well.} Bd5 21. b3 {"If 21 Bg2 Rh2 22 Rh1 Rxh1 23 Bxh1 fxg4 is very strong." Better, but not much, for White here is 22 Rg1 but Deep Rybka improves first with 21...Bc4 22 Qf2 Nc5! 23 Kc2 Nd3 and if 24 Qe2 Nb4+ wins the Queen back. The text is the natural move and probably better than the suggested alternatives 21 exf5 and 21 Kb1.} Rh2 22. Qd3 fxg4 23. fxg4 {Deep Rybka suggests instead the suspicious 23.Kb1 and then promptly refutes it with 23... Ne5! 24.dxe5 Bxd2 25.Rxd2 Rxd2 and if 26.Qxd2 Be4+.} Nf6 {"Now White's position is collapsing". Black is now +4 which is possibly more than the number of sensible moves that White has here! Note that 24 Kb1 is met by 24... Rxd2 and 25...Be4. The consequences of White's 20 f3? are now clear to see.} 24. c4 Be4 25. Qc3 Rf2 $2 {"Threatening 26...Bxd2+ 27 Rxf1 Rxf1+ winning a piece. White should probably allow this and bid for freedom with 26 Qa5. As it goes the game ends not with a bang but a whimper." Note that the original note contains a typo with the suggestion 26 a5. However, 26 Qa5 is just stamped on by 26...Rxd4 and any checks will be spite ones. There is also a threat of 26...Bf3 hitting the Rook which will undermine the defence of d2. Nevertheless Black's move is not the most accurate. Instead better is 25...b4! when 26 Qxd4 allows 26...Rxd4 again while 26 Qb2 is answered by 26...Bf3 winning material.} 26. Bd3 $2 {Answering the threat but walking into yet another, this time unanswerable, pin. It was highly likely that John was in time-trouble here. Instead with 26.cxb5 White could create some unexpected chances. After 26...Bxd2+ 27.Rxd2 Rxf1+ 28.Kb2 Deep Rybka says Black is only better by 0.27. The piece co-ordination has gone, the White King is safe and Black's is becoming exposed. Instead the engine offers the more complicated 26...Rd6 27.Qc5 Bf3 28.Qxa7 cxb5 29.d5! (note the attack on the f2 Rook. This is why Black's 25...Rf2 was an error.) and now: A) not the tempting 29...Ne4 30.Qa8+ Kc7 ( or 30...Kd7 31.Bxb5+ is not good as White's miserable Bishop finally sees daylight as well as the Black King!) because of 31.Qa5+ Kb8 and the engine said 32. Qxb5+ is a perpetual check. I doubted this so I ran the King: 32...Kc7 33.Qa5+ Kd7 34.Bb5+ Ke7 35.Qa7+ Kf6 36.Qf7+ Ke5 37.Qxg7+ Kxd5 38.Qb7+ Ke5 39.Qg7+ and if 39...Nf6 40.Re1+ wins! See what happens when White's long-range pieces get into play. Instead, B) 29...Rh2! 30.Qc5+ Kb7 31. Qxb5+ Rb6 wins. The difference here is that the Black Knight controls d7. There is also 26...Bf3 to consider. After 27.bxc6! Bxd1? (27...Rd6 is level according to the engine but it might not be as simple as that.) 28.Ba6+ Kc7 29. Qa5+ is very strong. If 29...Kxc6 30.Qc5+ Kd7 31.Bb5 is mate while 29...Kd6 is, according to Deep Rybka, mate in 15 moves starting with 30 Qxd8+. A lot to think about. Since move 14 Arthur has regarded as the initiative more valuable than material so John should have returned the compliment, abandoning a minor piece to activate his other pieces. Admittedly this was a fleeting chance, but this is not the first time on this page that the engine has pointed out a hidden resource that hasn't been played because the player stopped looking too soon.} Rf3 {Pins upon pins.} 27. Kc2 b4 $5 {"Instead of winning the Queen Black proceeds to win all White's other pieces." Finally the early advance of the b-Pawn serves a useful purpose but I would have taken on d3.} 28. Qxb4 Bxd3+ 29. Kb2 Rf2 30. Qc3 {30 Qc5 and 30 d5 are final attempts to create activity but they both fail after 30...Rd6. Now the Bishops cut White apart.} Be2 31. Re1 Bxg4 32. Rf1 Bxd2 0-1
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