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Burgess 1-0 Karp

1985-08-21 - Burgess, Graham 1-0 Karp, M

This was the closest that Graham ever got to playing Anatoly Karpov. Black goes wrong in a King's Indian Defence and Graham establishes a clear advantage. Rather than wait to be squeezed Karp tries to break out. At move 22 though he misses his best chance. Graham winds up with a crisp finish. Lots to analyse here.

[Event "LLOYDS BANK MASTERS "] [Site "?"] [Date "1985.08.21"] [Round "2"] [White "Burgess, Graham"] [Black "Karp, M"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E97"] [PlyCount "59"] {Originally annotated by Graham Burgess (GKB) in BCT Issue 60, October 1986.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Nd2 c5 10. dxc6 bxc6 11. b4 d5 12. b5 dxc4 $2 {"In this line White aims to break up Black's Pawn centre to obtain dominating squares for his Knights, e.g. c5 and d6, and pressure along the sensitive a3-f8 diagonal. Black's compensation lies in his d-Pawn which he can thrust forward to cause confusion in White's ranks i.e. 12...d4 13 Na4 d3 14 Bf3 cxb5 15 cxb5 Bd7! and with further precise play Black should equalise. The text move gives White exactly what he wants." GKB. The line quoted with 12...d4 appears on the database nine times with several GMs involved and Black came out with a small plus score. Anyway I'm not going to argue with Graham who has written several books on the King's Indian Defence while I haven't written any!} 13. Ba3 {"13 Nxc4 Qxd1 14 Rxd1 cxb5 15 Nxb5 Ba6! appears to hold, 13 Bxc4 Qa5 14 Qb3 cxb5 15 Nxb5 Nc6 (15...Rb8 16 Qa3!) may be okay for Black, and in any case White wants a Knight on c4 - thus the text." GKB. In the only game on the database which featured 12...dxc4 Farago, I-Pfaffmann, Badenweiler Open 1985 continued 13.Nxc4 cxb5 14.Nxb5 Nc6? (14...Nxe4 is fine for Black.) 15.Ba3 Qxd1 16.Raxd1 Rd8 17.Nxe5 Bb7 18.Nxf7! Rxd1 19.Rxd1 Nxe4 20.Nfd6 Nxd6 21.Nxd6 Nd8 22.Nxb7 Nxb7 23.Bf3 Rb8 24.Bd5+! 1-0. A nice miniature and an echo of some of the problems Black faced in the main game. Nevertheless, Graham's 13th move is regarded by Deep Rybka as stronger than Farago's 13 Nxc4.} cxb5 14. Nxb5 a6 15. Nd6 Be6 {"15...c3 16 N2c4 and Ra1-c1xc3 does not help Black." GKB.} 16. N2xc4 $6 {"Ideally White would prefer the light-square Bishops exchanged: 16 Bxc4 Bxc4 17 N2xc4, but Black can try to throw a spanner in the works with 16.. .Qa5, e.g. 17 Bxe6 Qxa3 18 N2c4 Qc5 (18...Qb4 19 Rb1 and the Queen must still choose between c3 and c5, 18...Qc3 19 Nxf7 Rxf7 20 Qd6 is strong) 19 Nxf7 Rxf7 and now White has 20 Rc1! threatening 21 Nd6. Other moves are less successful 20 Nd6 Rd8 [or] 20 Qd6 Nxe4. After 20 Rc1 20...Nxe4 fails to 21 Qf3, 20...Nc8 to 21 Nd6 Qxd6 22 Rxc8+ and 20...Ne8 to 21 Qb3!! (this was the line that I missed at the board. The idea is that after 22 Bxf7+ Kxf7 23 Nd6 is a deadly double check and 21...Nd6 fails simply to 22 Nxd6). Also 20...Raf8 (hoping for an ending with three pieces against two Rooks which Black would hold easily despite White's extra Pawn.) leaves Black tied up: 21 Nd6 and Black will sustain heavy losses after either 21...Qd4 22 Rc7, 21...Qa7 22 Qb3 or 21...Qb6 22 Rb1 Q moves 23 Rb7. Thus 16...Qa5 does not work and 16 Bxc4 should have been preferred. It is due to the presence of light-square Bishops that Black has chances of a few tricks." GKB. In the line 16 Bxc4 Qa5 17 Bxe6 Qxa3 18 N2c4 Qc3 19 Nxf7 Rxf7 once again simplest is 20 Rc1 followed by 21 Nd6. e.g. 20...Qd4 21 Nd6 Raf8 22 Nxf7 Rxf7 23 Qb3. In the line 16 Bxc4 Qa5 17 Bxe6 Qxa3 18 N2c4 Qc5 19 Nxf7 Rxf7 20 Rc1 Ne8 once again simpler is 21 Bxf7+ Kxf7 22 Qb3 Kf8 23 Nb6 threatening 24 Rxc5, 24 Nxa8 and 24 Nd7 mate! White has a few other improvements based on move order but Graham's analysis is basically sound.} Nc6 17. Rb1 {"Evacuating the long diagonal and with ideas of invasions on b6 and b7. Black can now either sit and watch as White piles on the pressure or make a sacrificial attempt to break out. Karp understandably chooses the latter." GKB.} Nd4 $5 18. Nxe5 {"[If} 18 Nb7 Qc7!" GKB. The point being 19 Bxf8 Nxe2+ 20 Qxe2 Bxc4 and Black gets at least two pieces for a Rook in all lines,. Anyway a Knight is always bad on a Knight two! } Nxe2+ 19. Qxe2 Nh5 20. Nb7 {Deep Rybka much prefers 20 Nc6 with a plus of 1. 16, and so do I. I really don't understand what the Knight does on b7, other than permitting the win of the Exchange of course.} Qg5 21. Bxf8 Nf4 22. Qf3 { This position featured on the cover of Bristol Chess Times, Issue 60. The caption was "Black played ...Rxf8 and soon lost. What was his best chance?"} Rxf8 $2 {"Black had to try 22...Bxe5 23 Bd6. Pia Cramling thought that Black must have something here, but after considerable analysis we concluded that he could win back the Exchange but thereafter White's extra Pawn would be the dominant factor. A) 23...Bh3 24 Bxe5 winning. [24...Ne2+ 25 Kh1 Bxg2+ 26 Qxg2 Qxe5 27 Qf3 and White is a Rook up here. TM] B) 23...Bxd6 24 Nxd6 Rd8 (24... Bh3 25 g3 Bxf1 26 Qxf4 Qxf4 27 gxf4 Bb5 28 e5 is a typical endgame where the Knight dominates.) 25 Rb6 Nh3+ 26 Kh1 Qc5 27 Nb7 Qxb6 (27...Nxf2+ 28 Rxf2! [not 28 Qxf2?? Qxf2 and White can't recapture because of 29...Rd1+ and mates. TM]) 28 Nxd8 Ng5 (or 28...Qxd8 29 gxh3 Bxa2 (29...f5 30 Rd1 Qa8 31 a3) 30 Rd1 Qa8 31 Kg2) 29 Qd3 Bxa2 30 e5! (30 h4 Nxe4) intending h4 or f4 and the win is not overly difficult. C) 23...Bg4 24 Qe3 and now: C1) 24...Bf5 25 g3 Nh3+ 26 Kg2! (26 Kh1?? Qxe3 27 fxe3 Bxe4+ mates} 26...Nf4+ [if 26...Qxe3 27 fxe3 Bxe4+ 28 Kxh3 White comes out a piece up. TM] 27 Kh1 wins, C2) 24...Bc8 25 25 g3 Nh3+ 26 Kg2! (26 Kh1?? Qxe3 27 fxe3 Bxb7 [28 Rxb7 Bxd6 and Black has two pieces for a Rook or 28 Bxe5?? Bxe4 mate! TM] 26...Nf4+ 27 Kh1 wins, C3) 24... Bh3 25 g3 Bxf1 26 Bxe5 Nh3+ (26...Qxe5 27 gxf4.) 27 Kxf1 Qxe5 and White is a Pawn up whilst Black's Knight is in danger. C4) 24...Be2 25 g3 (25 Qg3 Qf6!) 25...Nh3+ 26 Kg2 Nf4+ 27 Kh1 Qh5 28 f3 [not 28 gxf4?? Bf3+ forces White to give up his Queen because 29 Kg1 Qg4 is mate. TM] 28...Bxf1 29 Rxf1 Bxd6 30 Nxd6 Ne6 31 e5 and White is a Pawn up and his pieces are active. [Deep Rybka has White at +1.5 to +1.7. TM] C5) 24...Bxd6 25 Nxd6 Rd8 26 Rb6 Be2 27 g3 Nh3+ 28 Kg2 Bxf1+ 29 Kxf1 and White is a Pawn up and his pieces are active. [Deep Rybka has White at roughly +1.5 but Black may have the difficult choice of swapping Queens or losing his a6 pawn. TM] This analysis is not exhaustive, but it shows that 22...Bxe5 was well worth trying. It is not totally clear that White is winning in all lines and he certainly has chances to go wrong. After the text White remains an Exchange to the good. It is only a matter of coordinating the forces." GKB. Graham was staying at the same hotel as Swedish WGM Pia Cramling during the event. He said that he learnt a lot from her and the above is just one very impressive example of GM analysis. It clearly demonstrates that Black has counter-chances that wouldn't been available to him if Graham, as he pointed out, had exchanged light square Bishops on move 16. A few points to clarify or add to this comprehensive note. Most of it is silicon-based but a few bits are my own. In B) after 23. ..Bxd6 24 Nxd6 Rd8 25 Rb6 Nh3+ 26 Kh1 Qc5 more efficient is 27 Qe3! because if 27...Qxe3 28 fxe3 Ng5 29 h4! traps the Knight which obliges Black to give up a second Exchange with 29...Rxd6 30 Rxd6 Nxe4, but White returns it with 31 Rxa6 Ng3+ 32 Kg1 Nxf1 33 Ra8+! Kg7 34 Kxf1 with an easy ending - but not 33 Kxf1?? Bc4+ wins! In C3) after 24...Bh3 25 g3 Bxf1 26 Kxf1! is a big improvement. After 26...Bxd6 27 Nxd6 Ne6 or h3 28 Qxg5 White is a clear Pawn up with a much better ending. Deep Rybka says this is +2 for White. In C4) after 24...Be2 25 Qg3 seems to be an improvement. After the given 25...Qf6 26 Bxd6 Qxd6 27 Rfe1 leaves White an Exchange and a Pawn up with no problems other than getting the Knight back into play. Note that 28 Rxe2 is not a threat because 28...Nxe2 is check. On the basis that 22...Bxe5 is a more active more and there are suddenly four Black pieces hovering around the White King, it's worth a go even if it seems incalcuable. I once had a game where barely out of the opening my opponent, in true coffee-house style, offered a double Rook sacrifice to obtain practical chances with his remaining five pieces against my King whilst my Queen was out of play on h8. I declined the sac as I simply couldn't calculate the consequences but I didn't fancy the defensive job. In Burgess-Karp Black could have gone into a similar scenario and Graham would have had no choice but to calculate his way through it, with all the risks that entails. However, Graham was good at calculating!} 23. Nd3 Nxd3 24. Qxd3 Bxa2 25. Rb6 Rc8 {To deter 26 Rxa6 and 26 Qxa6 because of 26...Bc4. The reply brings the White Knight back into play again with gain of tempo. One has to acknowledge that the side-trip to b7 has enabled White to net an Exchange.} 26. Nd6 Rc1 {Desperately trying for some play but the White attack involves a Queen, a Knight and a Rook. There should only be one outcome.} 27. Rb8+ Bf8 28. Qa3 $1 {Bearing in mind that one White threat is 29 Nxf7 one could say that all Black's pieces are under fire.} Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 Qd2 {Threatening a mate in one but Graham has it all worked out.} 30. Rxf8+ $1 {If 30...Kxf8 31 Nc4+ wins the Queen. Alternatively after 30...Kg7 31 Ne8+ Kh6 White has the pleasant choice of swapping Queens with 32 Qe3+, or finding the tidy mate in five that goes 32 Qh3+ Kg5 33 Qg3+ Kh5 34 Nf6+ Kh6 35 Qh4+ Kg8 36 Rg8 mate.} 1-0

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