1985-10-10 - Wood, Chris ½-½ Wood, Michael

Another tactical adventure where it's difficult to see the forest for the Woods! Both players insist on gambits instead of finishing development - think about it! Mike goes two ineffective pieces up but his King is chased over to the a-file. In the time-scramble Chris misses several instructive wins.

[Event "BRISTOL LEAGUE DIV 2"] [Site "?"] [Date "1985.10.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Wood, Chris"] [Black "Wood, Michael"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C58"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "70"] {"Here's a game for the Mike Wood fan club where he plays Chris Wood, another not averse to throwing his pieces around!" This was in Issue 11. but it's not clear who did the annotations so I've marked them as OAU - Original Annotator Unknown.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 {The Two Knights Defence where you need to know the theory.} 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 {5...Nxd5 invites the Fegatello Attack 6 Nxf7 Kxf7 7 Qf3+ Ke6 with a sharp game. I wrote recently that no master games had ever featured this line which is popular in League chess and the lower end of congresses. However, just a brief glance at a list of recent games has shown me Shirov winning as White and Norwegian GM Simon Agdestein losing as Black, so this late 19th century line is finally getting some proper notice taken of it in the first quarter of the 21st century! Meanwhile, back in the 20th century Mike Wood is playing the more-respected main line which is a well-known gambit.} 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Qf3 $5 { The most popular line is 8 Be2 h6 9 Nf3, although Bobby Fischer popularised 9 Nh3!? with a couple of wins in the 1960s including one over GM Arthur Bisguier. This can be found in Fischer's My Sixty Memorable games. The text is the most popular alternative to 8 Be2.} Bb7 $6 {"Black's most respectable answer to White's unusual 8th is 8...Rb8 since after 9 Bd3 h6! 10 Ne4 Nd5 11 Ng3 f5 Black has good compensation for the Pawn." OAU. As already pointed out 8 Qf3 is not unusual while 8...Bb7 is Black's second favourite instead of 8... Rb8. I was astonished by the stats on 8...Rb8 9 Bxc6+. In 49 games the results are roughly 20 White wins, a few draws and 60% Black wins, so the consensus seems to be that 9 Bxc6+ is a risky move to play even though it gains a second Pawn. Perhaps some Black players are happy to sac one Pawn but not two and Mike Wood is amongst that number. However, after 8...Bb7 there are three main moves for White, 9 Ba4, 9 Bd3 and 9 Be2 in descending order of popularity, and they all have very healthy White percentages.} 9. Bd3 h6 {9...Be7 is more popular but the text is okay as well.} 10. Ne4 Nd5 11. c3 {Given an ? originally with the comment "Threatening 12 b4 but he really cannot afford this loss of time." OAU. The moves on the database are 11 a3 - with the same idea as 11 c3 -, 11 0-0, 11 Ng3 and 11 Nbc3. The game with 11 0-0 is the only one of these that White won (Zhu-Wang, China 2015 but Black rather foolishly gave up two Rooks for a Queen and got creamed. Deep Rybka thinks the text is okay. It gives the d3 Bishop a retreat square which is immediately used and supports both b2-b4 and d2-d4. As we're coming up to a tactical fight I've got to give the engine some leeway, but that also sounds like a game played in China!?} Nf4 12. Bc2 f5 13. O-O {If the Knight moves 13.. .c5 will be devastating." OAU. True enough but with b2-b4 in the air White doesn't have to move the Knight as these lines prove. Instead of castling Deep Rybka gives 13 g3 fxe4 14 Bxe4 and then: A) 14...Ne6 15.b4 Ng5 16.Qh5+ Ke7 (or 16...Kd7 17.bxa5 Nxe4 18 Qf5+ with advantage to White.) 17.bxa5 Nxe4 18.Qxe5+ also with advantage. B) 14...Nd5 15.b4 Nc4 16.Bg6+ Ke7 (16...Kd7 17.Qg4+) 17.Qf7+ Kd6 18.Qxb7 again with pluses for the first player. The text gives Mike a chance to continue playing against the e4 Knight, although it must be added that 13...fxe4 14 Bxe4 Be7 15 b4 0-0 16 bxa5 Ba6! is also good for Black.} c5 {Maintaining the pin, giving a flight square on c6 to the Knight and holding up b2-b4. However, it doesn't develop a piece! } 14. Re1 {Deep Rybka is giving preferences to moving the d2-Pawn both one and two squares, although there's not much difference in the evaluation between the text or the two Pawn moves. However, there is a tactical point against the Rook move coming up in the game.} fxe4 {I see no reason for Black to hurry this move. How about just 14...Be7 instead and getting castled if allowed? Deep Rybka has Black at +0.72 or so.} 15. Bxe4 Bxe4 16. Qxe4 Nd3 $2 {Yet again 16...Be7 is fine. Black is a piece up and White only has two pieces in play. The text gives White the chance by sacking a second undeveloped piece to chase the Black King around.} 17. Re3 {Possibly Mike had missed or underestimated this move. Anyway, it's the best practical chance!} Nxc1 {"White, now two pieces down, goes King hunting." OAU.} 18. Qg6+ $6 {Deep Rybka says that after 18 Qxe5+ White is better by +0.67. Obviously 18...Kf7?? 19 Qe6 mate won't do. If 18...Be7 19 Qxg7 is giving White a fourth Pawn, and if we say White's next move is 20 Na3 winning the d1 Knight then it's four Pawns for just the one piece. Agreed that none of the Pawns is dangerous but Black's chances of winning even if he survives the middle-game are scant. It's not clear to me why Chris chose 18 Qg6+.} Kd7 19. Qf5+ $2 {This definitely an error because it pushes the Black King on to the c-file and gives Black the option of ...Qd8xd2 in reply to Nb1-a3, as actually happens in the game. The immediate 19 Na3 is preferable.} Kc7 20. Na3 {Assumedly turning down 20 Qxe5+ because of the immediate 20...Qd6. Now if White plays this sequence next move White has 22 Nb5+.} Qxd2 21. Qxe5+ Kb6 $2 {Black should take the opportunity to get his Bishop into play with 21...Bd6. After 22.Nb5+ (if 22 Qxg7+ Kb6 and White has nothing for being two pieces down again. The Knight on a5 stops the fork Nc4+.) 22...Kc6 23.Nxd6 (not 23.Qe4+?? Kxb5 and Black is okay.) 23...Qxd6 (23...Rad8 is apparently playable as well.) 24. Qe4+ (not 24.Qxd6+? Kxd6 25.Rxc1 Rae8 and Black is winning this ending easily.) 24...Kb6 25.Rxc1 Rae8 and Black has weathered the attack. Deep Rybka actually swaps the White Queen for the two Rooks here saying that it minimises the disadvantage! After the text Black risks losing.} 22. b4 $1 {Merely given an !? by OAU without comment. In the analogous position with the insertion of 21...Bd6 22 Qxg7+ Kb6 23 b4 simply loses to 23...Qd1+ mating. Of course here 22...Qd1+ is met by 23 Re1. Black would like to put a Rook on e8 here but he can't, the penalty for not playing ...Bd6.} Nc6 {There are a couple of alternatives analysed by Deep Rybka. A) 22...Qd1+ 23.Re1 Nc6 24.Nc4+ Kb7 25.Qe4 and if 25...Qd7 White has 26 Rxc1 or 26 b5 and I prefer the latter. The Knight on c1 isn't going anywhere. Or: B) 22...cxb4? 23.Qb5+ Kc7 24.Qxa5+ Kc8 25.Re8+ Kb7 26.Qb5+ Kc7 27.Qc4+ (if 27. Rxa8 Qe1+ 28.Qf1 Ne2+ 29.Kh1 Qxf1+ 30.Rxf1 bxa3 31.Rxa7+ is better for White but not necessarily winning.) 27...Kb7 28.Qe4+ Kc7 29.Nb5+ Kb6 30.Re6+ Ka5 31. h4 and White is better than +3 here, three being the number of unmoved Black pieces.} 23. bxc5+ {White also has 23.Nc4+ Kb7 24.Qe4 Qd7 25.b5 with effectively a transposition to variation A of the last note. With the text White now has the b-file for his hitherto unused Rook on a1.} Ka6 24. Qe6 Qd1+ {If 24...Bxc5 25 Qc6+ Bb6 26 Qa4+ Kb7 27 Nc4 ensures that White wins the Knight on c1 and he will have a two-pawn advantage to go with his big attack. With the text Black reverses the White Queen manoeuvre given above to defend the c6 Knight.} 25. Re1 Qa4 26. Raxc1 {"Now White is just a [single -TM] piece down for a few Pawns and the Black King is still in trouble. Black needs to play accurately to draw." OAU. Unfortunately for Black Deep Rybka has White at well over +3 so it's unlikely to happen. However, there's every chance both players were in time-trouble so White may be rewarded by an inaccuracy!} Bxc5 27. Re4 $1 {Now Black has to drop the Knight's protection and White closes in.} Qxa3 28. Qxc6+ Ka5 {Obviously if 28...Bb6? 29 Ra4+ wins the Queen.} 29. Rb1 { 29.Qc7+ wins as well. If A) 29...Ka6 30.Re6+ A1) 30...Kb5 31.Qc6+ Kc4 (31...Ka5 32.Qa6 mate) 32.Re4+ Kd3 33. Qd5+ Bd4 34.Qxd4 mate, or A2) 30... Bb6 31.Qc4+ Kb7 (if 31...Ka5 32.Re5+ wins.) 32.Qe4+ Ka6 33.Qe2+ Kb7 (if 33... Ka5 34 Rb1) 34.Re7+ Kb8 35.Qe5+ Kc8 36.Qe6+ Kb8 37.Rb1 Qc5 38.Qd7 Qxe7 39 Qxe7 wins on material for White. B) 29...Bb6 30. Re5+ Ka6 (30...Ka4 31.Qc6 mate) 31.Qc4+ transposes into line A, or: C) 29...Kb5 30.Rb1+ Ka6 31.Qb7+ Ka5 32.Qb5 mate.} Rab8 $2 {At the very least this must be an error because White gets to take on a7 in two moves time, hence 29...Rhb8 looks better.} 30. Qc7+ {Deep Rybka claims 30 Reb4 is a win. It isn't. After 30...Bxb4 31 cxb4 Qxb4 there is no guarantee that White wins with his Queen against the two Rooks. Also after 31...Rxb4 32 Qc5+ Ka4 33 Qxa7+ Kb5 White can't take on a3 because of the back rank mate. The engine expends a lot of time and energy trying to divert the Black King away from the defence of b4 and produces this long line: 34. Qb7+ Ka5 35. Qc7+ Ka6 36. Qc6+ Ka5 37. Qc5+ Ka4 38. Re1 Qb2 39. Qa7+ Kb5 40. a3 Qc3 41. Qb7+ Ka4 42. Qa6+ Kb3 43. Rb1+ Ka2 44. Rxb4 Qe1+ 45. Qf1 Qxf1+ 46. Kxf1 Kxa3 47. Rb6. Over the board White has great winning chances here but I'm not going to go into detail with the variation. Computers are very good with Queen and Rook against Kings in open positions so the analysis for the engines is much easier than for humans, particularly as the variations spiral out of even experienced player's control. There probably are instructive lines in here and the final position is worth study but in the game White still has good middle-game prospects. It is no surprise that Chris passes on 30 Reb4 even if he had seen it.} Rb6 $4 {After 30...Ka6 White seems to have nothing better than a perpetual on c6 and c7.} 31. Qxa7+ Ra6 32. Qc7+ $2 {32 Ra4+!! forces mate." OAU.} Rb6 33. Re5 $2 {And here 33 Ra4+!! Qxa4 (or 33...Kxa4 34 Qa7+ Ra6 35 Qxa6 mate) 34 Qa7+ Ra6 35 Qxc5+ Qb5 36 Qxb5 mate} Ka6 34. Rxb6+ {Deep Rybka also finds a win with 34.Re6! giving the long line 34... Bxf2+ 35.Kh1 (if 35 Kxf2 Qxa2+) 35...Qa5 36.Qc4+ Ka7 37.Re7+ Kb8 38.Qf4+ Ka8 39.Qf3+ Kb8 40.Rb7+! Kc8 41.R7xb6 Bxb6 42.Qc6+ Bc7 43.Qe6+ Kd8 44.Rd1+ wins.} Bxb6 35. Qc4+ Ka7 {Adjudication time reached and with a draw obvious after 36 Qf7+ Ka6 37 Qc4+ Ka7 the players agree to halve the point. As Black ventured a gambit as early as move 4 his stationary Rook will be disappointed to have done little in this game. On the other hand both players had chances in a tumultuous game. However, it is easier on the nerves if you are the one chasing a King across the board rather than the one being chased. If you have a material plus do not be afraid to return some of it to reduce the attacker's options in some way.} 1/2-1/2

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