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Burgess 1-0 Walker

1987-03-14 - Burgess, Graham 1-0 Walker, S

<span class="bold">This is a classic, a best game prize-winner from the 1987 Varsity match</span>. A Franco-Indian or Keres Defence is demolished in style by Graham Burgess. Graham's Queen occupies the f4 square three times and each time Black's position gets a bit worse. Loads to look at in the analysis, yet it's only 23 moves!

[Event "OXFORD v CAMBRIDGE"] [Site "?"] [Date "1987.03.14"] [Round "?"] [White "Burgess, Graham"] [Black "Walker, S"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A40"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "60"] [EventDate "1987.??.??"] {This game was originally annotated by Graham Burgess (GKB) playing for Cambridge in BCT Issue 65, May 1987. It was played on board 6 of the annual fixture which was won that year by Oxford by a score of 5-3. Both players were studying Mathematics, and this is the same S Walker that Graham beat in a game featured elsewhere on this webpage. Among the spectators were GMs John Nunn and Michael Stean who took part in the post-mortem analysis. This victory won Graham the best game prize by a Cambridge player.} 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Bb4+ 3. Bd2 Qe7 4. Nf3 {"4 e4 e5 5 dxe5 Bxd2+ 6 Qxd2 Qxe5 7 Nc3 Nf6 looks OK for Black. " GKB. Gadalinski vs. Ciejka, Sopot 1946, is the only game on the database with 6...Qxe5. It was a disaster after 7 Nc3 d6 8.f4 Qc5 9.Nf3 Nf6 10.h3 O-O 11.g4 Re8 12.Bd3 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 f5 14.b4 Qc6 15.Nd4 Qb6 16.c5 dxc5 17.Nxf5 Bxf5 18. gxf5 c4 19.Bxc4+ Kh8 20.O-O-O Nc6 21.Ng5 h6 22.Ne6 Nd8 23.Nxd8 Raxd8 24. Qxd8 Rxd8 25.Rxd8+ 1-0. Instead Karasev vs. Kalinitschev, Novosibirsk 1989, featured a gambit declined with 6...f6 7. Nc3 fxe5 8.Nd5 Qd8 9.c5 c6 10.Ne3 Nf6 11.Nc4 O-O 12.Nd6 b6 13.Bc4+ Kh8 14.Nf3 Qe7 15.Ng5 Ba6 16.Ngf7+ Kg8 17. Nh6+ Kh8 18.Ndf7+ Rxf7 19.Nxf7+ Kg8 20.Qd6 Qe8 21.Bb3 bxc5 22.Nxe5+, and 1-0 in 44 moves. After 4 e4 both 4...Nf6 and 4...d5 have better percentage scores on the database and the latter looks more combative.} f5 5. g3 b6 {"Black's set-up is risky - a well-timed d5 can wreak havoc especially if White's Knight obtains e6." GKB.} 6. Bg2 Bb7 7. O-O Bxd2 8. Qxd2 Nf6 9. Nc3 Ne4 {The more frequent move is 9...0-0 which has a better score on the database.} 10. Qf4 $5 {"Highly committal and going all out for the win by violent means. Objectively best is 10 Nxe4 Bxe4 11 Ne1 when White has a slight edge in a dull position." GKB. Deep Rybka likes this move, both now and after 10 Nxe4 Bxe4, evaluating it as roughly +0.38 for White. As Graham says this commits White to having doubled Pawns but it's not easy to shift the Queen from f4 where it is very active. In fact Her Majesty visits this square three times, and on the next two occasions she is chased here! Black's 11th is probably critical. The Varsity match is an established feature of the British chess calendar. Not only is it a signal honour to play in it, but if you want to make a splash and get yourself noticed then this is one of the occasions on which to do just that. Besides you have a one in eight chance of winning a prize which is very good odds!} Nxc3 11. bxc3 c5 $2 {"11... d6 12 d5 is critical. White is trying to make his development advantage tell, Black is hoping his sounder Pawn formation is more significant e.g. 12...Na6 13 e4 (Stean's suggestion) 13... Nc5 14 e5!?" GKB. An interesting line worth analysing. I think it is important to stop the White Queen occupying c7 so the text does not do the job. Deep Rybka opines that 11...d6 is best but also offers 11... Qd6 which is worth study. If White swaps on d6 then Black is given an open file straight on to White's doubled Pawns.} 12. d5 $1 {The engine says that White is now +0.67 better. Graham has achieved part of what he outlined in the note to Black's 5th move.} O-O $2 {"This seems to lose by force, but it's hard to suggest anything better. 12...d6 fails to 13 Ng5 whilst 12...Na6 is strongly met ny 13 Nd4 and 12...exd5 13 Nh4 g5 14 Qc7 leaves Black in a mess." GKB. Deep Rybka says that the best line for Black is 12...exd5 13 Nh4 g6. After 12...d6 it suggests 13 dxe6 is stronger than 13 Ng5. The concensus of opinion is that Black is poorly placed.} 13. Qc7 {"[If] 13...Ba6 14 dxe6 Rc8 [if 14...Qxe6 15 Ng5 wins at least an Exchange. TM.]15 Qf4 dxe6 16 Ng5 Nc6 17 Nxe6." GKB.} Bc8 14. dxe6 Na6 15. Qe5 $3 {"Linked with 18 Qh4 this reduces Black's position to ruins. Instead 15 Qf4 is not so effective: 15...dxe6 16 Ne5 Bb7 or 16 Nd4 Bb7 17 Bxb7 Qxb7 18 Nxe6 Rf6 when Black has good compensation. 19 Ng5 Re8 intending ...h6 and ...Re4 or 19 Qe5 Re8 20 Qd5 Qf7 21 Ng5 (if 21 Nf4 g5) 21... Qxd5 22 cxd5 Nc7!" GKB. After 15.Qf4 dxe6 16.Nd4 Bb7 17.Bxb7 Qxb7 18.Nxe6 Rf6 firstly in the line 19.Ng5 Re8 20.Rad1 h6 21.Nf3 Re4 22.Rd8+ Kh7 23.Qd2 Rxc4 24 Ne5 White has very good play. Secondly the alternative continuation 19.Qe5 Re8 20.Qd5 Qf7 21.Ng5 Qxd5 22.cxd5 Nc7 White can claim a clear advantage after 23.c4 Rxe2 24.Rfe1 Re8 25 a4! Lines supplied by Deep Rybka with some prompting from me. Now if both these lines are good and Graham claims the text is better then it must be one heck of a move. Perhaps that's why Graham gave it two exclamation marks. The engine thinks that it's a better move too.} d6 {"Now 15. ..dxe6 16 Nd4 simply wins for White. Or 15...Qxe6 16 Qf4 gives White many threats whilst 16 Qxe6 dxe6 17 Ne5 gives White a big endgame plus." GKB. After 15...dxe6 16 Nd4 Bb7 17 Bxb7 Qxb7 18 Nxe6 R either to e8 19 Qd5 White has won a good Pawn with a fine position, but I've seen players lose from here before. I wouldn't yet call it won but I can see where Graham's coming from. Instead after 15...Qxe6 16 Qxe6 dxe6 17 Ne5 Deep Rybka rates this as +1.52 to White which is a big margin considering material is still even. However, looking at it piece for piece gives White a plus in most departments, the Pawn structure is definitely in White's favour as he's already occupied the hole on e5. There doesn't seem to be anyway for Black to attack the doubled c-Pawns, and finally the d-file is just about to fall into White's hands. Two questions. Given that 15...Qxe6 is demonstrably bad, is 15...d6 better than 15. ..dxe6? Do these variations prove that 15 Qe5 is better than 15 Qf4? A lot of the evaluations are down to how much play White gets out of these lines, as Black is not getting much at all even in those variations where he has material equality. Personally I wouldn't like leaving White with a Pawn on e6 like that because supposedly 'doomed' Pawns can sometimes have a big say in a position - this one does. If the idea of 15 Qe5 is to provoke 15...d6 then it works. It's a close call to answer the second one but it looks like Graham did a lot of analysis to justify his selection, and the game continuation and quick finish are a consequence of that choice.} 16. Qf4 Bb7 17. Rfd1 $1 {"To force Black's Rooks into a possible Pawn fork and to remove White's Rook from the attack of a Black Bishop on g2. This move ensures that the tactics work for White." GKB.} Rad8 {It looks like 17... Rfd8 just drops the f5 Pawn but it's even worse than that! 18.Ng5 Bxg2 19.Qxf5 g6 20.Qf7+ Qxf7 21.exf7+ Kf8 22. Ne6+ Kxf7 23.Nxd8+ Rxd8 24.Kxg2 and an Exchange has gone along the way also.} 18. Qh4 $1 {"The killer. 18...Qxe6 19 Ng5 and 18...Qxh4 19 Nxh4 Bxg2 20 e7 are both terminal." GKB. Two points to note here. Graham's already indicated that 17 Rfd1 has removed this Rook from the diocese of the Black Bishop, and White can afford to win the Exchange at the cost of a Pawn because he was already a Pawn up. Sometimes winning the Exchange for a Pawn isn't enough to create a winning position but here it doesn't matter.} Rf6 19. Ng5 Rh6 {A better try is 19...h6 when after 20.Nf7 Black has a couple of choices. A) 20...Rf8 21.Bxb7 Qxb7 22.Nxd6 Qe7 - dropping the f5 Pawn but the only way to get any play - 23. Nxf5 Qxe6 (if 23... Rxf5?? 24 Qxe7) 24.e4 Qxc4 25.Rd7 and White has an active and very favourable position, +1.46 according to Deep Rybka. B) 20...Bxg2 gives a bit more analytical trouble. White has to play accurately because there are several false trails. We start with the obvious 21.Nxd8 g5 22.Qh5 Be4 and now 23.Nf7! ( The right sequence. If 23.f3 Bc2 24.Nc6 Qxe6 25.Rdc1 Qe3+ Black has play.) 23...Rxe6 - forced to guard d6 - 24.f3! (Again the right move. If 24 Nxh6+ Kg7 the Knight is trapped and after 25 Nxf5+ Bxf5 Black has two pieces for a Rook.) 24...Bc2 25.Rdc1! (if 25 Rd2 Ba4 26 Nxh6+ Rxh6 27 Qxh6 Qe3+ and 28... Qxd2 again with two pieces for a Rook.) 25...Ba4 (not 25...Rxe2 26 Nxh6+ Kg7 [if 26...Kf8 simply 27 Rxe2 Qxe2? 28 Qf7 mate] 27 Rxc2! because if 27...Rxc2 28 Nxf5+ wins the Queen and interposing 27...Qe3+ is no good as it's still a fork square.) 26.Nxh6+ and by forcing the BIshop off the b1-h7 diagonal White has ensured his Knight gets out of h6 via f5 and he keeps his extra Exchange. The engine has White at about +3.8 at the end of this line but it was delicate work getting there.} 20. Qf4 {Back to the old staging post, but now Black is fatally compromised. Only now does Deep Rybka appreciate Black's full difficulties and the depth of Graham's finesse with 17 Rfd1 becomes apparent.} Bxg2 {Already a Pawn down and with White threatening a fork on f7 Black has nothing else to try.} 21. Nf7 {"The tactics are still going against Black. The problem is now his back rank." GKB.} Rxe6 {"If 21... Be4 22. Nxd8 Qxd8 23. Rxd6 Qe7 24. Rad1 Rf6 25. Rd8+ Rf8 26. Qd6 Qxd6 27. R1xd6 Nc7 28. e7 Re8 29. R6d7. Or 21... Bc6 22. Nxd8 Qxd8 23. Rxd6 Qc7 (23... Qc8) . 24. Rad1 Be8 25. Rd8 Qe7 26. Rxe6 Qxc7 Nxc7 R1d7 wins the Knight [ Na6 Rxa7 TM] or 25... Qc6 26. Qd6 Qxd6 27. Rxe8+ Qf8 28. Rdd8 Rf6 29. Rxf8+ Rxf8 30. e7 R1d7 31. Qxe6 Qg5 32. Rg6 Qe7 " GKB. Delightful variations. No surprise that a co-ordinated Queen, two Rooks and a Pawn on the sixth rank outgun a disorganised Queen, Rook and Bh1 with the King on the rim only getting a mention in one line, and a fatal mention at that.} Nxd8 g5 23. Qxf5 {Now 23...Rxe2 24 Kxg2 Rxd8 25 Qd5+ Kg7 26 Qxd6 is going to be no fun at all for Black, while 23...Re5 24 Qc8! Bh3!? (Deep Rybka showing off!) 25 Ne6+ Kf7 26 Nxg5+! and 27 Qxh3 costs Black more Pawns. Hence he concedes to give Graham a miniature in a Varsity match, a rare achievement.} 1-0

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