1988-07-26 - Burgess, Graham 1-0 Lane, Gary
The second of Graham Burgess's three games from the Val Thorens tournament and a convincing win over a young IM. Graham seems to find a TN at move three and quickly gets a good game after his opponent plays a lot of weakening moves. A tense early middlegame sees both sides missing chances to improve their positions, but by the time we get to move 19 Graham has a big initiative. The coffee-house style finish sees the Black King stranded at the White end of the board.
[Event "VAL THORENS"] [Site "?"] [Date "1988.07.26"] [Round "6"] [White "Burgess, Graham"] [Black "Lane, Gary"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A80"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "69"] [EventDate "1988.??.??"] {Original notes by Graham Burgess (GKB) in BCT Issue 73, September 1988.} 1. d4 f5 {"Surprising - Gary stopped playing this years ago." GKB. Indeed I often saw Gary play it at WECU Championships and other congresses when we were both youngsters (yes, I was young once but my junior career was very brief!), but it never really fitted in with his essentially positional style.} 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bf4 $5 $146 {"3 Bh4 g5 = or 3...c5 4 e4 with a good plus for White but holding unhappy memories for me." GKB. I know that 3 Bh4 g5 4 Bg3 f4 5 e3 h5 (not 5. .. fxg3 6 Qh5 mate) 6 Bd3 Rh6?? (6...Bg7) 7 Qxh5+!! Rxh5 8 Bg6 mate has happened a few times although none of those appear on the database. Despite Graham saying that after 3...g5 it's equal the database shows a very good percentage for White. The text is an attempt to show up 2...h6 as a weakening move and also begins a battle for the e5 square, a typical theme in many variations of the Dutch Defence. I should say now that Graham succeeds in both winning the e5 square and demonstrating that the g6 square has been weakened by both .. .f7-f5 and ...h7-h6, which happen to be Black's first two moves so that is some achievement! Graham claims that this move may be a theoretical innovation. The move is known with the interposition of 2 Nc3 d5 first but, as yet, I haven't found any other games which predate this encounter so he may be right.} Nf6 {"[If] 3...g5? 4 Be5. Most other moves are met by 4 e4." GKB.} 4. Nc3 d5 {"[If] 4...d6 5 e4! fxe4 6 Nxe4." GKB. This variation looks like a Paulsen variation from the Sicilian Defence except the wings have been switched around. Superficially with the White Queen on the d1-h5 and the hole on g6 it looks even better for White than normal. The tactical point is 6...Nxe4 7 Qh5+ Kd7 8 Qf5+ regains the Knight while Black loses his castling rights. However, the text almost gives up the battle for e5 without ever really starting it. Black now has to rely on pieces to cover this important central square.} 5. e3 g6 $2 {My ? with the backing of Deep Rybka. We are now out of the database which featured mainly 5...e6 and 5...c6. The text runs into a potential tactic as Graham promptly demonstrates.} 6. Qf3 $1 { "Threatening 7 Qg3." GKB. This is highly awkward for Black. While g6 is easy to defend the protection of c7 is a problem. After 7 Qg3 Black can't simply play 7...c6 because 8 Bxb8 wins a piece, while 7...Na6 is met by 8 Bxa6 and 9 Bxc7.} Kf7 $6 {Once again my punctuation. Preferable are either 6...g5, which is at least consistent, or 6.. .Rg8. The problem with the text is that White quickly gets to threaten a powerful Ne5+.} 7. Be2 {Graham gives this an ?! and comments "To prepare Qg3 by preventing ...Nh5, but 7 Nb5 Na6 8 c4 is very strong [according to Angus] Dunnington." Angus Dunnington is an IM, a former profesional player, and a former chess correspondent for the Yorkshire Post. He was also playing at Val Thorens and accompanied Graham in several post-mortems. Deep Rybka agrees with Graham's choice and says that after 7 Nb5 Na6 8 c4 c6 or 8...Ne4 Black is fine. Also possible is 8...e6 when a possible . ..Bb4+ may cause White a problem.} c5 {Deep Rybka prefers 7...Nc6 immediately but that seems a bit rigid. The text gets the c-Pawn away from c7 where it was a potential target. Also there is an old adage about not blocking the c-Pawn with the Knight in Queen's Pawn openings, although Graham has done exactly that! If now 8 dxc5? Nc6 and Black threatens 9...e5 with a big Pawn centre. Of course the last thing White wants to do is give up the d4 Pawn's control of e5. } 8. Qg3 Nc6 {So Black has managed to get both vulnerable units off the h2-b8 diagonal and assert some control over e5 before a White Knight gets there. On the other hand his Pawn structure leaves something to be desired.} 9. Nf3 { Deep Rybka has a fancy for playing 9 Bc7 first before 10 Nf3, presumably to avoid ...Nh5, but as the next note shows this isn't a concern. And what is the Bishop doing on c7?} e6 {Not 9...Nh5? 10 Ne5+ Nxe5 11 Bxh5 Ng4 - what else? g6 is otherwise en prise. - 12 Bxg6+ Kxg6 13 h3 with a big Kingside initiative for White who now dominates the e5 square to boot.} 10. Be5 {"10 Ne5+ is roughly equal. 10 Bb5 Nh5 is annoying," GKB. After 10 Bb5? Nh5 Black is simply winning a Pawn after both 11 Qh4 Qxh4 12 Nxh4 Nxf4 13 exf4 Nxd4 or 11 Qh3 Nxf4 12 exf4 Nxd4. Deep Rybka gives White a plus of 0.4 after 10 Ne5+ Nxe5 11 Bxe5 cxd4 12 exd4. I'm not sure about 11...cxd4 opening the e-file for White although the counterclaim is that Black has the open c-file. Of course we didn't have strong computers in 1988 so I don't know if Graham would consider +0.4 as equal or not, but the undisputed control of e5 would persuade me towards a 'clear advantage for White' evaluation. The engine actually prefers 10 Bc7 (again) but does agree that the text is not accurate.} Rg8 $2 {"A 'reflex' move. After 10...c4 (Lane and Hindsight) it is hard to see how White is getting rolled up on one flank or the other." GKB. Hindsight is a strong international spectator rated about 3000 Elo who never actually plays a game. Both Lane and Hindsight are probably correct that 10...c4 is a practical improvement. However, Deep Rybka has some input and analyses 10...c4 11.Bc7 Qe8 (11...Qd7 merely blocks the Bishop but there's little practical difference. See Black's 14th here.) 12.Ne5+ Nxe5 13.Bxe5 Bb4 14.f3 Qd8 15.0-0 Bd7 16.e4 Bxc3 17.bxc3 and the potential play down the f-file prevents Black safely taking on e4. This line probably demonstrates that White doesn't get rolled up (a term for facing an unstoppable advance of Pawns.) on either wing although it's not forced. It certainly proves that by taking the tension out of the centre with ...c5-c4 it makes it much easier for White to play f2-f3 and e3-e4. Certainly there's plenty to look at here.} 11. Bb5 $1 {"Now White can carry out his idea of establishing a horse on e5." GKB. Given that Black Pawns do not influence the battle for e5 it's down to the minor pieces on each side. If White swaps his light-squared Bishop for a Black Knight that leaves him with three minor pieces that can connect to e5 one way or another. Yes, the c3 Knight may take a while getting there but that's what Knights are for - wriggling on to good squares by intricate paths. On the other hand Black's three minor pieces include the traditional problem child of the Dutch Defence (and certain Queen's Gambit lines as well), his light-square Bishop, which does not contribute to the fight for e5. In fact it hardly does anything at all in this game other than move once.} Nh5 {A necessary prelude to taking on e5. The immediate 11...Nxe5 is met by 12 Nxe5+ and g6 collapses with check as well.} 12. Qh3 Nxe5 13. Nxe5+ Kg7 14. Rg1 {"Surprisingly Black is powerless against the crude plan of putting Rooks on the g-file and mating the Black King. At the time it occured to me that the spectators must have thought I was a real hacker." GKB. It turns out that there is a way of slowing the Kingside onslaught but Lane doesn't find it.} Nf6 15. Be2 {Presumably played to stop the Bishop getting cut off by ...c5-c4 but the immediate 15 g4 is okay because 15...c4 can be answered by both 16 gxf5 and 16 g5 and once again g6 collapses. 2...h6 is being to look like a really bad move!} Bd6 $2 {"15...h5 16 f3 is no improvement." GKB. Deep Rybka prefers to eliminate the e5 Knight with its own steed. The specific point is to be found after 15...Nd7 16. g4 cxd4 17.exd4 Nxe5 18.dxe5 with 18...Qg5! The g4 Pawn is pinned, White can't castle and if 19 Kf1 to resolve both problems then Black just blocks the Kingside with 19... f4 and the engine says Black is better by about 0.48. The culprit in this line seems to be a premature 16 g4 and Deep Rybka prefers 16 Nd3 instead saying that it's equal. So why does Lane play 15...Bd6 rather than 15...Nd7? I suspect part of the answer is that the Black Knight has already moved three times so there's an element of 'a waste of time'. However, the White Bishop has been running up and down the f1-b5 diagonal so, on balance, there is time lost on the White side as well.} 16. g4 Bxe5 $2 {This is consistent with Black's intentions but Deep Rybka says that exchanging on d4 first with 16... cxd4 is an improvement. This makes positional sense to a certain degree because at the end of the forthcoming liquidation White has a good Knight against a bad Bishop. This is in a position where although a wing in opening up it's the Kingside and the Bishop is on the Queenside. There's the further point that ...c5xd4, e3xd4 frees up dark squares and it's a light-square Bishop so what does it actually achieve? The more relevant side of 16... cxd4 is in the open c-file. If White were to castle Queenside as he does in the game then Black could consider counterattacking on that wing. The text doesn't help in that respect as the position still has a closed aspect to it.} 17. dxe5 Nxg4 18. Bxg4 $6 {The natural move but Deep Rybka contends that instead 18 Qg3 is virtually winning a piece. The e5 Pawn is defended and upon 19 h2-h3 not only does the Knight not have a square available but even if it did, say after 18...h6-h5 to allow 19...Nh6, the follow-up 20 Qxg6+ just mates. The engine analyses 18 Qg3 Qc7 19 h3 Nxe5 20 f4 d4 21 fxe5 g5 22 Nb5 as about +1 to White, which seems to be low value as he has an extra piece plus an attacking position, and engines usually overestimate material advantages!} fxg4 $2 {In turn Black also overlooks a useful zwischenzug, but as he already stands worse the consequences are more serious. After 18...Qg5, a move mentioned is a previous line that takes advantage of the Bishop being temporarily pinned, Lane would be to place his Queen on the active square f5 with enhanced defensive prospects. In reply to 18...Qg5 White can castle, a resource not available if Black had exchanged on d4 at move 16 or even earlier. The summary is that despite riddling himself with Kingside weaknesses early in the game Black has had subtle chances to improve his position. This demonstrates that even poor positions have resources available and it's a question of looking for them. To be frank Lane's handling of the Black position here has had an air of casualness to it, but from this point on White is well on top and some players would already regard Black as lost.} 19. Rxg4 Bd7 20. O-O-O Qe7 21. Rdg1 Kh7 22. Rh4 Qg7 { "22... h5 23.Rxh5+." GKB.} 23. Ne2 g5 24. Rh5 Raf8 {"24...g4 25. Rxg4 Qxg4 26. Rxh6+ Kg7 27.Qxg4+ Kxh6 28.Qh4+ Kg6 29.Qf6+ and White picks up the Bishop." GKB. Actually White doesn't win the Bishop after 29...Kh7 30 Qe7+ Rg7. An improvement is 29 Nf4+ Kf7 30 Qf6+ Ke8 31 Nxe6 and, although Black has two Rooks for the Queen, White is picking up Pawns very quickly. After 31...Rg1+ 32 Kd2 Bxe6 - the only defence against both 33 Nc7+ and 33 Ng7+ - 33 Qxe6 Kf8 34 Qxd5 White is probably getting a fifth Pawn and Deep Rybka has White at +7. There is also the try 24...Be8 but after 25 Rhxg5 Qxg5 26 Rxg5 Rxg5 the e6 Pawn is loose. After 27 Qxe6 White has two extra Pawns and every chance of either creating a roller with the e and f-Pawns or picking up more Pawns. Clearly this is better than the above line but even so it would be a desparate player who would try it. Then again, how desparate do you feel Black's position is?} 25. f4 g4 {This results in in an even worse material imbalance than the line with 24...Be8 above but Black had run out of sensible options.} 26. Rxg4 Qxg4 27. Rxh6+ Kg7 28. Rh7+ $1 {Of course Graham can take the Queen and end up with Queen and two Pawns for two inactive Rooks. With the game continuation he improves by a whole Exchange.} Kg6 29. Qh6+ Kf5 30. Ng3+ Qxg3 31. hxg3 Bc6 32. Qh3+ Ke4 {Occupying e4 with a piece is a typical Black objective in the Dutch Defence, but not with the King. However, 32...Kg6 33 Qh5 is mate.} 33. Qg2+ Kxe3 {If 33...Kf5 34 e4+! Kg6 (or 34...dxe4 35 Qh3+ Rg4 36 Qh5+ mates or 34...Kg4 35 Rh4 mate.) 35 Qh1 is the engine trying to be artistic! With the Black monarch now cut off on the wrong side of the Pawn chains there can only be one result.} 34. Rh1 Kd4 35. c3+ 1-0
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