1988-07-25 - Ljubisavljevic, Z 0-1 Burgess, Graham
This is one of three games annotated by Graham Burgess that he played at the Val Thorens event in 1988. Val Thorens was the highlight of Graham's playing career. He finished equal first with several titled players and made an IM norm. This particular game is one of my all-time favourites. Graham's provocative King's Indian is met by wholesale White Pawn advances but Graham proves White's pieces aren't in the right places. When White finally castles Queenside he runs into a strong attack. In the complications Graham traps the White Queen. After that it's just a question of getting to the time control safely, which he does despite a large hiccup!
[Event "VAL THORENS"] [Site "?"] [Date "1988.07.25"] [Round "5"] [White "Ljubisavljevic, Z"] [Black "Burgess, Graham"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E80"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "84"] [EventDate "1988.??.??"] 1. c4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. e4 d6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. f3 a6 6. Be3 Nc6 7. Qd2 Rb8 8. d5 { "The start of a 'plan' to 'exploit' Black delaying castling." GKB.} Ne5 9. h3 $2 {The only game in the database with this line featured a loss by a Soviet GM to a lower rated player! Suetin vs. Sale, Sibenik 1988. I can't resist giving the game in full: 9...Nh5 10.Qf2 f5 11.f4 O-O 12.fxe5 fxe4 13.Qh4 Bxe5 14.Nge2 b5 15.g4 Ng3 16.Nxg3 Rf3 17.Nge2 Rxe3 18.Bg2 Qf8 19.Nxe4 bxc4 20.Qf2 Rxe2+ 21.Qxe2 Rxb2 22.Qf3 Rxg2 23.Qxf8+ Kxf8 24.Rc1 Bb7 25.Rf1+ Ke8 26.Nd2 Bxd5 27.Nxc4 Bg3+ 28.Kd1 Rxa2 29.Rc3 Bg2 30.Rg1 Ra1+ 31.Rc1 Rxc1+ 32.Kxc1 Bf4+ 33.Kd1 Bd5 34.Nd2 Kd7 35.Kc2 Be5 36.Kd3 c5 37.Nc4 Bxc4+ 38.Kxc4 Kc6 39.Rd1 g5 40.Rd3 a5 41.Rd2 a4 0-1. Looks like a classic John Nunn game!} O-O {Deep Rybka prefers this to the 9...Nh5 of Suetin-Sale above.} 10. f4 Ned7 11. Nf3 {"The 'point' - but White's position is a mess." GKB. Deep Rybka says that White is roughly +0.33 better but King's Indian players, and I include myself in that group, don't really care about the numerical evaluation. More important is the potential play and activity they can produce from an apparently cramped position, and cramped positions do carry a lot of potential. I recall analysing one of my own KIDs with Deep Rybka on one occasion. OTB I had been looking forward to my long range Queenside attack crashing through and, sure enough, in the game it did, leaving my opponent's King wandering alone a wasteland. Yet according to the computer White had a clear plus before the complications erupted. I found this odd. Upon much deeper analysis it turned out that the engine had badly underestimated Black's potential, particularly as it was coming from long range (Bishop on g7, Rook on b7 although the file was actually closed, undeveloped Bishop on c8, and Queen on e8. After Black's first sac and five moves in the engine started to realise that the mass of White pieces bunched on the Kingside had little defensive value for a White King that was becoming more and more exposed as the variations went on. I am sure other KID players have similar tales and, in fact, Graham could probably say that this is one of his. Looking at this position carefully Black has effectively lost two tempi with the d7 Knight - it could have got there in just one move rather than three - but what are White's two extra moves? One is h2-h3 which is of little value if White pushes on with h3-h4, and the other is d4-d5 which has weakened some dark squares (c5 and e5), and allows the g7 Bishop good scope on the long diagonal. Some players would disagree that "White's position is a mess", probably preferring the first player, but there is little for Black to fear here. The only real precaution he has to take is to avoid a premature ... b7-b5 which may be met by Nf3-d4 threatening to either invade on c6 or to capture on b5 without any compensation to Black. As it goes Graham sidesteps this minor problem efficiently.} e6 12. dxe6 fxe6 13. Bd3 Qe8 $1 {"In each Black game at Val Thorens I played ...Qe8. Here it prepares ...b7-b5, covers c6, eyes h5 and a4, and hinders f5 by White!" GKB. It was about this time (late 1980s) that playing ...Qe8 in the King's Indian as an attacking move really began to come into vogue. Of course one has to be aware of the reply Nc3-b5 tickling c7 but systems were evolving that not only featured ...a7-a6 preventing Nb5, here already played, but also an early ... Nb8-a6 defending c7 in advance. It came as a surprise to me that ...Qd8-e8 could be an aggressive move, yet in the Ruy Lopez Exchange variation there are some useful lines where Whites goes Qd1-e1. Such is the variety and depth of modern opening analysis.} 14. g4 $6 {"To call this naive would be very polite. " GKB. Yet some people would call this consistent! Deep Rybka doesn't though, giving this as a 0.18 plus for White instead of the +0.54 evaluation after 15 0-0. What's more this is almost as far as these Pawns ever get. There they certainly have little influence until a tactic right at the end which is summarily dismissed. Subsequently Graham shows up both f3 and the h1-a8 diagonal as weaknesses.} b5 $1 {White is playing on the Kingside so the usual counter should be a break in the centre. Black doesn't yet have the space for that - for example 14...e5 is well met by 15 f5 - but the text does strike obliquely at the centre as well as directly at the Queenside. Should the centre be blasted open then the White King and the Black Queen are on the same file which could be significant.} 15. cxb5 $6 {"15 e5 dxe5 16 fxe5 Nxg4 is no good, but why open things up?" GKB. I think the answer to that is that White hoped to keep the b-file closed, a point that we'll come back to later. Deep Rybka adds that in the line 15 e5 dxe5 the alternative 16 Nxe5 is met simply by 16...Nxe5 17 fxe5 Nd7 and, as indicated in the previous note, the opening of the centre favours Black, the engine giving him nearly +1.} axb5 16. g5 {"16 Nxb5 Nxe4 17 Nxc7 Nxd2 18 Nxe8 Nxf3+ wins a piece; 16 Bxb5 Nxe4 17 Bxd7 Nxd2 is also winning for Black." GKB. The scenario of Black's b5 Pawn being indirectly swapped for White's e4 Pawn is a frequent one in King's Indian, Benoni and Pirc/Modern structures. Here 16. Nxb5 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 Rxb5 18.Nd4 Rb6 is evaluated by Deep Rybka as roughly +1 to Black despite a modest looking position at this moment. However, it's all down to the potential of his pieces and White's centre is disintergrating - ... e6-e5 will be very strong with the afore-mentioned vis-a-vis of the White King and Black Queen, while White castling Queenside means Black's focus will be on b2.} Nh5 {"16... b4 is OK, but there's no need to give White the c4 square yet. " GKB. The text doesn't really relieve the pressure on e4 because Black has ...Ng3 putting it back on again. What's more the newly-created pressure on f4 may be an inconvenience to White. The h5 square can often be a useful one for Black in some Indian/Benoni/Pirc structures, an intended echo of the previous note, so bear in mind that the adage "A Knight on the rim is always dim" does not always apply.} 17. O-O-O {"Good advice is hard to give. [If] 17 Nxb5 Ng3 18 Nxc7 (18 Rg1 Nxe4 etc. [Exactly the point that I made in the previous note but worth repeating. TM]) 18...Qe7 19 Rg1 Rxb2 [or] 17 Bxb5? Bxc3." GKB. Remarkably, despite the fact that the White King seems to be going towards more shelter, Deep Rybka says that after the text Black is better by +1.16, whereas after 17 0-0 the evaluation is only 0.56 to the second player despite the more open nature of the Kingside. The point is that quite a few of the Black pieces are pointed more readily at the Queenside than the Kingside so the White monarchy, yes both KIng and Queen, are more vulnerable there. Switching gears and going Kingside would be a significant change for the aggressive Yugoslav and he isn't prepared to do that, yet in merely a few moves he does alter his perspective. By then however, his King is four squares away from g1!} b4 18. Ne2 {"18 Na4 e5 19 f5 gxf5 20 exf5 e4 21 f6 Ndxf6 22 fxg6 Nxf6." GKB. Unfortunately at the end of this line White has the simple 23 Bc4+ Kh8 24 Ng5 because after 24...Qxa4 25 Nf7+ White has at least a perpetual check. Saccing the Exchange with 25...Rxf7 would be good if Black could then take on a2, but the Bishop guards it backwards. This does make Graham's previous comment about giving the c4 square to White more understanadble. However, 18 Na4? is so bad that Deep Rybka doesn't even consider it and the refutation is easy. Instead of 18...e5 Black should merely choose 18...Ne5! instead when after 19 fxe5 Qxa4 both a2 and f3 are en prise.} Nb6 19. b3 {Deep Rybka looks at alternatives with 19 R (either) f1 but Black has good options with either the Queen or the Knight going to a4 in these lines. Hence White's understandable text to take control of a4, but it does set up an easy target for ...c7-c5-c4 as well as giving the Black g7 Bishop full view of the diagonal.} e5 $1 {"It's all over bar the hacking!" GKB. This move is so much easier to play now that the c8 Bishop is looking at the f5 square. Indeed the pin on the f-file is so strong that Black is on the brink of winning the f4 Pawn for nothing.} 20. Qxb4 $2 {[My ? TM] "Rather than go a Pawn down, the big Yugoslav (as they call people with such names at Wimbledon) bravely exposes his King." GKB. This is one of my all-time favourite notes. The point is a reference to Slobodan Zivojinovic, a former Serbian tennis professional who was prominent in the 1980s. He reached the Wimbledon semi-finals once in 1986 where he lost to defending champion Boris Becker. His height was a shade under 6 feet, 6 inches. In his Wikipedia article it notes that "Together with Nenad Zimonjic, he is the only tennis player from Serbia to be the world No. 1 in doubles." Quite an acolade. Obviously Graham's remark is more to do with the number of syllables in the players' names rather than Mr Ljubisavljevic's tennis ability. Getting back to the game I much prefer 20 f5 attempting to get open lines towards the enemy monarch rather, as Graham points out, opening them towards his own King. I remarked earlier that this is a change of attitude by Ljubisavljevic, and perhaps he was now wishing he has castled on the other wing back on move 17. However, I think the text is inconsistent and dangerous, and Graham makes hay while the sun shines down the b-file. From Deep Rybka's perspective the difference is about 0.5 to Black after 20 f5, as opposed to +1.7 or so after 20 Qxb4.} exf4 21. Bf2 {"[If] 21 Bd4? c5 [or] 21 Bc4+? d5." GKB. After 21 Bc4+ Deep Rybka prefers 21...Nxc4 instead with the point that 22 Qxb8 Qxe4, threatening 23..Bf5 amongst other things, is crushing. If 22 Qxc4+ Be6 wins a piece. Simpler is 21 Bxb6 reducing the attacking force. Most White players facing the KID are reluctant to give up their dark-squared Bishop for a Black Knight, but here White's dark squares are so badly weakened and the DSB such an inactive piece that it hardly plays a role. Of course White would like to play ...Bd4 but, as Graham's note indicates. ...c5 prevents this. So swapping it for the Black Knight on b6 actually makes some kind of positional sense despite it being counterintuitive.} Be6 {"Intending ...c7-c5, ...c5-c4, ... splat!" GKB.} 22. Qd2 c5 23. Bc2 {Objectively this is a poor move that reduces the scope of this piece and takes away an important flight square for the White King. It's actually quite understandable because it gets out of the way of the advancing Black c-Pawn, shores up b3 and gives White's major pieces some scope down the d-file although, as Graham's note to White's 25th points out in reverse(!), White probably doesn't really want to take on d6 and open the d-file. The suugested alternatives by Deep Rybka are 23 Rde1 or 23 Rdf1 or, probably more constructively, 23 Nc3 which blocks the long diagonal and also controls a4. It also provides some justification for 20 Qxb4 which got control of the c3 square. Regardless, White's position now really does look a mess!} Nc4 {"Now I prayed for the obvious move 24 Qe1 Qa4!! 25 bxa4 Bb2+ 26 Kb1 Na3 mate is incredibly gorgeous." GKB. A lovely line, and one that 23 Nc3 would have anticipated. John Nunn once forked his own Knights in a BBC Master Game encounter with Tony Miles in 1986 and went on to win. Here Graham envisioned forking his own Queen and Knight. After 24...Qa4 White runs out of constructive replies. Of course the really obvious move is 24 bxc4 which loses the Queen trivially to 24...Bb2+ 25 Kb1 Bc3+.} 24. Qd3 {Given an (!) by Graham. It's about the only sensible move but Deep Rybka still has Black at +2.79, and he hasn't given up any material for the attack! Remember that White effectively swapped his f4 Pawn for Black's one on b4.} Qb5 $1 { "Now 24...Qa4 25 bxc4 Bb2+ 26 Kd2 Qb4+ 27 Nc3 Bxc4 28 Bb3 leaves Black's compensation unclear." GKB. Deep Rybka continues 28...Ng3 29 Rhe1 (if 29 Bxg3 fxg3 Black has the awkward threat of 30...Bxc3+ 31 Qxc3 Qxc3+ 32 Kxc3 Rxf3+. This stops White swapping Queens on c4 because the f3 Knight is simply loose afterward.) 29...Qxb3 and evaluates Black at about +1.2. After 24... Qa4 25.bxa4 is refuted by 25...Bb2+ 26.Kb1 Na3+ 27.Qxa3 Bxa3+ 28.Ka1 (or 28. Bb3 Bxb3 29.axb3 Rxb3+ 30.Ka2 Rxf3 once again exploiting the loose steed on f3. ) 28...Rb2 - threat 29...Rxa2+ 30 Kb1 Rb8+ winning a lot of material.) 29.Bb3 Bxb3 30.axb3 Rxe2 with a fine position. With the text Graham simply intends to go with his Queen to a3 via a5 or b4 and deliver mate. Deep Rybka also suggests the immediate 24...Bb2+ although the point is not clear, and 24...Na3 pointing out that 25 Qxd6?? is answered by 25...Bb2+ 26 Kxb2 Nc4+ winning the Queen. Why White is taking on d6 here is incomprehensible.} 25. e5 $2 {"In mutual time trouble White underestimates the importance of the d-file. 25 bxc4 Bxc4 26 Bb3 Bxb3 27 Qxb3+ Qxb3 28 axb3 Rxb3 29 Nd2 f3 30 Nxb3 fxe2 is also good for Black. At the board 25 Nd2 concerned me but 25...f3 looks good." GKB. After 25.bxc4 Bxc4 (if 25...Qb2+ 26 Kd2 is just about okay for White.) 26.Bb3 Bxb3 27.Qxb3+ Qxb3 28. axb3 Rxb3 29.Nd2 f3 30 Nxb3 fxe2 Deep Rybka is so convinced that it wants to play 31 Be3 returning the Rook and leaving Black with an extra Pawn in a very good ending. The engine also offers an alternative after 25.bxc4 Bxc4 26.Bb3 which is 26...d5 and continues 27.Qc2 (27.Bxc4 Qb2 mate) 27...Bxb3 28.axb3 dxe4 29.Qxe4 Bb2+ 30.Kb1 Qxb3 31.Qd5+ Qxd5 32.Rxd5 Bd4+ 33.Kc2 Bxf2 recovering all the material with a good ending. Finally after 25.Nd2 f3 26.Nxf3 Qa5 Black has effectively played ...Qe8-a5 for free - if 27 a4 Qb4 and finally the g7 Bishop's control of a1 becomes relevant. Upon other sensible 26th moves, for example 26 Nxc4, Black can reply 26...fxe2 when the loose Bishop on f2 also becomes a factor. The point of the text is to block the a1-h8 diagonal, but unless White plays 26 Qe4 keeping it closed then the move won't be effective.} dxe5 26. Nd2 {"[If] 26 bxc4 Qb2+ 27 Kd2 Rdf8 [or] 26 Qe4 Qb4 27 bxc4 Qb2+ 28 Kd2 Bf5 29 Qd5+ Kh8 30 Ke1 Bxc2 and the e-Pawn advances decisively." GKB. The first line demonstrates why opening the d-file wasn't good, while the second shows that the e4 blockade can't be maintained. Although there's only a difference of a Pawn in that line Deep Rybka says Black is better to the tune of +7 or so. Note the White King is heading for g1 where it should have gone earlier!?} Rfd8 27. Qc3 {"27 Qe4 Nxd2 28 Rxd2 Rxd2 29 Kxd2 Rd8+ and 30...Bd5 wins the Rook." GKB.} e4 28. bxc4 Qa6 { "Winning the Queen. Now it's a case of not doing something stupid with my flag hanging ..." GKB.} 29. Nxe4 Bxc3 30. Rxd8+ Rxd8 31. N2xc3 Ng3 {Useful liquidation but simply 31...Qa3+ 32 Kb1 Rb8+ 33 Bb3 Bxc4 completely destroys the White Queenside.} 32. Bxg3 fxg3 33. Kb2 {If 33 Nxg3 Qa3+ wins the c3 Knight.} Rb8+ 34. Bb3 Bxc4 35. Rd1 Bxb3 36. axb3 Qc4 $4 {"Something stupid! Fortunately, not quite stupid enough." GKB. Easy alternatives are 36...c4 winning the b3 Pawn, and 36...g2 which cuts out 37 Rd7 intending 38 Nf6+ with a mate or a perpetual because of 37...g1=Q 38 Nf6+ Qxf6 and Black keeps a Queen. This tactic eventually finishes the game.} 37. Rd7 $6 {"The crowd (and I) were waiting for 37 Rd8+ Rxd8 38 bxc4 g2 39 Ne2 Rd1 winning fairly easily. I was so stunned by the Rook stopping at d7 that I nearly played 37...Rd8?? (!) " GKB. White clearly agrees the ending in the above line is a simple win for Black, moves that Graham could play instantly and get to the time control, so he goes back to trying for Nf6+. The fact that the Knights defend each other is useful here, but not useful enough.} Qxb3+ {Not 37...Rxb3+ 38 Kc2 when Black has no checks and needs to find 38...Kf8, avoiding 39 Nf6 with check, in what little time he has remaining to maintain his winning chances.} 38. Kc1 Qb2+ 39. Kd1 Qa1+ 40. Ke2 Rb2+ 41. Kd3 {It doesn't really matter which third-rank square the White King chooses as long as Black gets to f1 with check, hence 41 Ke3 Qe1+ and 42...Qf1 is check. The other line is 42 Kf3 Qf1+ 43 Kxg3 Rg2+ 44 Kh4 Qf4 mate and 43 Kg4 g2 doesn't change anything, although 43...Qf5+ 44 Kxg3 Qxd7?? 45 Nf6+ will!} Qf1+ 42. Ke3 g2 {"Since 43 Nf6+ is met by 43. ..Qxf6 White resigned."} 0-1
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