1985-11-24 - Burgess, Graham 1-0 Moore, G
Another Burgess win against the King's Indian. Theoretical knowledge and deep calculation a speciality, although Deep Rybka pokes its nose in at a vital moment. Much to learn here despite the brevity.
[Event "TORBAY OPEN"] [Site "?"] [Date "1985.11.24"] [Round "?"] [White "Burgess, Graham"] [Black "Moore, G"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E91"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "53"] {Another Graham Burgess win against a strong player who, as board 1, came close to helping Hanham & Kingswood win the league in 1978-9. Original notes by Graham (GKB).} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 Bg4 {"This moves initiates a battle for control of d4, a battle Black cannot really hope to win." GKB. This is the Simagin variation which your annotator used quite successfully at that time before being persuaded that the major lines were probably sounder.} 7. Be3 Nfd7 {A major alternative here is 7...e5 and if 8 d5 Nh5!?} 8. Rc1 {"More accurate than 8 0-0 Nc6 9 d5 Nxf3 10 Bxf3 Na5 11 Be2 Bxc3 when Black has some play against the weak Pawns. 8 Ng1 is an interesting idea which has been tried by Kasparov, but may not be sufficient for much of an advantage." GKB. The obvious move is 8 0-0 but the text is the first choice in the database and 8 Ng1 is the second, so this shows Graham's theoretical knowledge to advantage. No wonder he went on to write several books about the King's Indian Defence.} e5 9. d5 a5 {"9...f5 is critical, but the theoretical lines after 10 Ng5 f4 11 Bxg4 Qxg5 12 h4! Qe7 13 Bd2 favour White." GKB. Despite Graham's assessment the few games I found on the database show a plus score for Black. 13...h5 looks hard to break down.} 10. O-O Bxf3 {"Possibly premature. The normal line would be 10...Na6 11 a3 f5 12 Rb1 Bxf3. I decided to try to exploit this by leaving out Rb1, trying to play b2-b4 by other means." GKB. 12 Rb1 was played in Petrosian-Bednarski, Tel Aviv Olympiad to which the young Pole replied 12...Nac5, earning a creditable draw against the then World Champion in 41 moves. The text is by far the more popular move but Black's record on the database in both lines is not very good. } 11. Bxf3 Na6 12. a3 f5 13. Qc2 {13 Rb1 is the only move in the database.} f4 {There is a lot to be said for maintaining the tension with 13...Nf6 but Deep Rybka likes the text.} 14. Bd2 Nf6 {But now the engine prefers to play on the Queenside with 14...c6 or 14...Nb6. It's a question of taste but if I was attacking on the Kingside I'd like to still have my light-squared Bishop.} 15. Na4 $1 {Graham merely gives this an !? but Deep Rybka says this improves White's plus to 0.75.} b6 $2 {"To discourage c4-c5 but leaving the Knight's position on a6 very precarious." GKB. Graciously Graham declined to say that I'd made exactly the same mistake in the same opening variation at the same event the previous year! The game result was the same in an identical number of moves: Burgess-Mordue, Torquay 1984: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 Bg4 7. Be3 Nfd7 8. O-O e5 9. d5 a5 10. a3 Na6 11. Rb1 Qe7 12. b4 axb4 13. axb4 f5 14. Ne1 Bxe2 15. Qxe2 f4 16. Bc1 Nf6 17. Nd3 b6 18. f3 g5 19. Ra1 h5 20. Ra4 g4 21. Qa2 gxf3 22. gxf3 Qd7 23. Rxa6 Rxa6 24. Qxa6 Qh3 25. Qa2 Kf7 26. Qg2 Qh4 27. Bd2 1-0. I suppose this is what they call deja vu.} 16. b4 axb4 17. axb4 Qd7 $6 {"Threatening 18...Nxb4 but inviting White to pile up on the a-file. This gives White lots of threats involving the Knight moving to c5 or b6 hitting the Queen." GKB. Better is the immediate 17...g5.} 18. Ra1 g5 {"18...b5 is met by 19 Nb2 [threatening 20 c5], and if 19...bxc4 20 Qxc4 Qc8 21 Be2 is a disaster for Black. 19...c5 looks like his best chance." GKB. Deep Rybka comes up with different methods of winning the Knight but it doesn't really matter. The engine agrees that after 18...b5 19 Nb2 then 19... c5 20 dxc6 Qxc6 21 Rfc1 with a fair plus to White.} 19. Ra3 $1 {Giving defensive options along the third rank rather than play the obvious 19 Be2 and 20 f3. Graham's calculation is cool and precise. Many players would panic at the sight of Black's advancing Pawns, but White has not weakened his Kingside and he has a light-squared Bishop whilst Black doesn't.} g4 20. Be2 f3 { "Otherwise Black will be wiped out on the Queenside." GKB.} 21. gxf3 gxf3 22. Bxf3 Qh3 23. Rfa1 Qh4 {"Now 24...Ng4 25 looks like an unpleasant threat but calculation convinced me it was harmless, so I decided to let the Knight on a6 meet its maker." GKB. Quite right. General considerations always falls to concrete calculations. However, the calculation has to be accurate, so we set a computer on the position!} 24. Nb2 $2 {It's a Knight on Knight two and it is a mistake but not an obvious one. Deep Rybka prefers 24 Qd3 to funnel the Queen across for defensive purposes.} Ng4 25. Bxg4 Qxf2+ $2 {"If 25...Qxg4+ 26 Rg3 is hopeless for Black and on 25...Rxf2 either 26 h3 or 26 Bh3 are adequate. " GKB. Actually after 25...Qxg4+ 26.Rg3 there is 26...Nxb4 regaining the sacrificed Pawn with a double attack. If now 27 Qb1 Rxa1 28 Qxa1 Qe2! 29 Bxb4 Qxf2+ 30 Kh1 Qe2 - threat 31...Rf1+ - 31 Kg1 Qf2+ 32 Kh1 Qe2 with a draw. Instead White should play 27.Rxa8 Qxg3+ 28.hxg3 Nxc2 29.Ra7 Nd4 30.Kg2 with a small plus in the ending. Also after 25...Rxf2 26 Be6+! Kh8 27 Rh3! Qf4 28 Bxf4 Rxc2 29 Bc1 White remains a piece up. The desperate text loses because Black no longer has any influence on the light squares.} 26. Kh1 Bh6 27. Nd3 $1 {"Black's flag fell in this hopeless position. After 27...Qxd2 28 Qxd2 Bxd2 29 Rxa6 White is a clear piece up." GKB. Also useless is 27...Qd4 28 Bxh6 Qxe4+ 29 Qg2.} 1-0
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