2006-12-03 - Bayliss, Lyall 0-1 Mordue, Tyson

Tyson - This is an interesting game and also memorable for me. The memorable bit is that it was the start of a nine-game winning streak in the 4NCL, which culminated in my FIDE Elo exceeding 2300 and my being able to claim the FIDE Master (FM) title. The interesting bit is the Queenless middle-game where the advantage goes back and forth amidst various complications. When the dust settles it looks like the opposite-coloured Bishops will guarantee White a draw, However, White's King is stuck in the corner and ultimately gets mated there!

[Event "4NCL"] [Site "WEST BROMWICH"] [Date "2006.12.03"] [Round "4"] [White "BAYLISS, L."] [Black "MORDUE, AT."] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "100"] [EventDate "2006.??.??"] 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 e6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Be3 {Not the most common move in this position. More frequently played are 6 Bd3, 6 Be2 and 6 Na3. The point of the text is to snaffle the Pawn on c5 and try to keep it. Black can of course play 6...cxd4 but I'm not afraid of 7 dxc5 lines and I was happy to keep the tension with a developing move.} Nc6 7. c4 {White follows his infrequent 6th move with an even rarer one. The usual move is the immediate 7 dxc5 and now not 7...Bxc5?? giving away a piece after 8.Qxd5 Nxd5 9.Bxc5. The game Stevandic (2079) vs. Stojcevic, Nuem 2005 didn't stop there though. After 9...b6 10.Bb5 Ne7?? 11.Bxe7 Black had lost a second piece and he resigned here! Instead 7 dxc5 the main line is 7...Qxd1+ 8 Kxd1 Ng4 9 b4 and there are now two main moves 9...a5 and 9...Nxe3+ both of which score slightly better for White in practice but Black has play for his Pawn. After the text Black is invited to retreat his Queen. As the move ...Qd8 is a main line after the usual 6 Be2 (or d3) Nc6 7 0-0 cxd4 8 cxd4 Be7 9 Nc3 then I wasn't averse to playing it.} Qd8 8. dxc5 $6 {This came as a surprise but a pleasant one. I don't know if my opponent was experimenting or mixed up his lines, but this is a poor move from the point of view of keeping an opening advantage as White. It doesn't even feature on the database! Of the eight games on the database after 7...Qd8 seven feature 8 Nc3 cxd4 9 Nxd4 and Black scored okay with both 9...Nxd4 and 9....Bb4. After the text Black persued an obvious line of play. I had happy memories of my game against Gary Lane at Paignton 1985 which began 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 e6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Na3 6...Nc6 7.Nb5 Qd8 8.Be3? Nd5!? 9.c4?! 9...Nxe3 10.fxe3 cxd4 11.exd4 Bb4+ 12. Nc3 0-0 when Black has a small but clear advantage in an open position where he also has the Bishop pair. The same applies in Baylis vs Mordue but the Queens are off. In Lane vs Mordue play continued 13.Qd3? e5! and Black had a strong initiative and White was routed in 27 moves.} Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 Ng4 10. Bd3 {The simple difference between this position and other lines is that White has his Pawn on c4 instead of c3. Hence b2-b4 keeping the c5 Pawn merely puts the b-pawn en prise. That means Black gets to take off the White Bishop on e3 - it can't move because of the fork on f2 - damaging White's structure and recapture on c5 with no problems. However, from White's perspective he has achieved two things from the opening that 2 c3 adherents prefer. He has obtained a Queenside Pawn majority and he has swapped Queens. There is a view amongst lower graded players that if they trade Queens when playing higher-graded opposition that they have less chance of losing. Not quite - they just have less chance of losing quickly as the opponent is likely to be more experienced at playing endings!} Nxe3+ 11. fxe3 Bxc5 $15 12. Ke2 O-O 13. Nc3 f5 $1 {The correct approach. Black's extra Pawn is in the middle of the board so he wants to advance in this sector. It's a bonus that White's King is there too defending a weak Pawn. The backwardness of the e6 Pawn should not be a factor as ...e6-e5 should arrive soon enough.} 14. a3 a5 $6 {A natural enough move to slow down b2-b4 but it's a mistaken idea. It transpires that it's the wrong Pawn to restrain in this position. I wanted to maintain the Bishop on the a7-g1 diagonal to pressure e3 but the right continuation is 14... b6 15 b4 Bd6.} 15. Na4 Ba7 $6 {And here 15...Be7 rerouting to f6 was correct. I suspect I didn't want opposite coloured Bishops after 16 Nb6 but the LSB Bishop can be a problem piece in this line. I should have been grateful if White was going to expend for tempi to take it on its home square! After the text the Bishop gets stifled by White's next Pawn advance which also gives him the c4 square for his own Bishop.} 16. c5 Bd7 {16...e5 looks more natural but I refrained because of 17.Bc4+ Kh8 18.Ng5 h6 19.Nf7+ Kh7 20.Nb6 Bxb6 21.cxb6 and White seems to stand well. Maybe it's not as bad as it appears because if White puts a Rook on d1 he has to be wary of ...f5-f4 and ...Bc8-g4+ ideas but I prefered to get my laggard Queenside pieces out.} 17. Bc4 Kh8 $2 {Another automatic move that misses a trick. It's not usual that one finds a King moving towards danger but in this position it was much better to play 17... Kf7! and 18...Kf6 shoring up the dark squares and enabling ...e6-e5. The text is an obvious attempt to unpin the e-Pawn but after White's next two moves it becomes apparent that it can't move because of Nf7+ winning an Exchange.} 18. Rhd1 $14 {Deep Rybka evaluates White as +0.69 better after this move and I was begiining to feel the pressure. Black's Bishop pair and mobile centre don't do much here.} Rad8 19. Ng5 $6 {Rushing slightly and losing some of the advantage. Better for White are either 19 Rd2 with the straightforward intent of doubling Rooks and increasing the pressure, or 19 Nb6. The problem with the latter is that if Black swaps on b6 then the White Queenside majority isn't viable any more and the b6 Pawn may be weak. It's better to keep this option in hand for a better moment if such arises.} Ne5 $5 {Played quickly and confidently and occupying a key central square that White has just relinquished control of. It also means that two White pieces are under attack and the Knight happens to control the fork square on f7. After some considerable thought White played the obvious move.} 20. Bb3 $2 {Defending both attacked pieces but handing the initiative to Black. Instead the most incisive move is 20.Nxe6 Bxa4 21.Rxd8 Rxd8 22.Nxd8 Nxc4 23.Nxb7 when White has a Rook and two Pawns for two Bishops. It's not easy to judge this position as the Bishops aren't quite as active as they would like to be and the White Knight is on an odd square - a Knight two which is always bad according to Mordue! The engine evaluation is roughly +1 but there will be a bias because of the extra material. However, it does seem to be unbalanced which perhaps made my opponent just the simpler line. Then again I think I can safely say that Black's next was not in White's calculations two moves ago! There is a myth that promising juniors are good at tactics. It may be so in many cases, but if it's the opponent initiating unexpected tactics then there is an understandable reluctance to start calculating for the fear that one will miss something. Instead here there seems to be a simple move so we'll play that instead.} (20. Nxe6 Bxa4 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Nxd8 Nxc4 23. Nxb7 $16) 20... Bb5+ $17 {Two moves ago there were a Knight on c6 and a Bishop on c4 in the way of this check. Black still has to be concerned about forks on e6 or f7 after Rxd8 Rxd8, Nf7+ but at least he now has some time in which to sort himself out.} 21. Kf2 {Not 21 Ke1 Nd3+ when White has to give up the Exchange if he doesn't want to walk into a discovered check, probably 22...Nxb2+ winning material.} Rxd1 $2 {This is good but much stronger is 21...Rd3! There are threats of 22...Rb3 and 22 Ng4+. If 22 Rxd3 Nxd3+ 23 Kg1 Bxa4 24 Bxa2 Nxc5 also wins a Pawn but in a better fashion. White has to retreat his Bishop and 25...h6 will repel the Knight also. After 22 Nc3 Black has both 22...Bxc5 based on the point that 23 Nxb5 Bxe3+ wins the g5 Knight, and 22...Ng4+ first as 23 Kg1 Bxc5 is even stronger now. The engine says White should play 23 Ke1 allowing 23...Rxe3+ when Black is doing well. I suspect that I didn't see 21...Rd3 as I was only too happy to play a move that both avoided the knight fork on e6 and left me better having been in some bother.} 22. Rxd1 Nd3+ 23. Kg1 Nxc5 24. Nxc5 Bxc5 $15 {So Black emerges from the complications with an extra Pawn and a nice-looking pair of active Bishops. It seems likely that both the e3 and e6 Pawns will go leaving black with a viable 3-2 Kingside majority, so White must be thinking that he has reasonable chances of a draw. He probably has, but a few moves ago he had the initiative and was pushing Black around so the psychological position has changed.} 25. Kh1 $2 {A subtle mistake after considerable thought. White voluntaily retires into the corner instead of waiting to be forced there. This is an error that he regrets for the rest of the game. Instead he should play 25.Nxe6 Bxe3+ 26. Kh1 Rc8 and now 27.Rd8+! Rxd8 28.Nxd8. At this point he not only threatens b7 directly but also the annoying 29 Nf7+ Kg8 30 Nd6+ winning the b5 Bishop! Hence 28...a4 29.Be6 g6 30.Nxb7 and White gets to play b2-b3 ensuring Black's last Queenside Pawn is exchanged. Play could go 30...Bc1 31 b3 Bxa3 31 bxa4 Bxa4 when Black can play on for a long time in an attempt to win.} (25. Nxe6 Bxe3+ 26. Kh1 Rc8 27. Rd8+ Rxd8 28. Nxd8 a4 29. Be6 g6 30. Nxb7 Bc1 {[%emt 0: 00:00]} 31. Nd6 {[%emt 0:00:06]} (31. b3 Bxa3 32. bxa4 Bxa4)) 25... Be7 $1 {A surprise for White. The e3 Pawn isn't going anywhere but Black takes the opportunity to rule out Rd1-d8+ swapping Rooks. He has a lot of activity and White has to be careful. However, he also has to take his own opportunities when they arise and so far he's turned down Nxe6 at both moves 20 and 25. However, White's 25th did have a little drop of poison. After 25...Bxe3? there is 26 Nf7+! Kg8 (not 26...Rxf7 27 Rd8 mating) 27 Bxe6 when White threatens both 28 Nh6++ Kh8 29 Nf7+ Kg8 30 Nh6++ with a perpetual check, and 28 Nd6+ picking up the b5 Bishop as in a previous note. Black has 27...Re8 whereupon White can try the remarkable 28 Ng5+ Kf8 29 Nxh7+ Ke7 30 Bxf5 when he is a Pawn up but his Knight is stuck on h7. The engine claims that after 30...a4 Black is about 0.3 better and while this is a fascinating position to analyse I was happy with the text move. It meant I still had winning chances.} (25... Bxe3 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. Bxe6 Re8 28. Ng5+ Kf8 29. Nxh7+ Ke7 30. Bxf5) 26. Nxe6 Rc8 27. Nd4 Bd7 28. Nf3 {It's interesting to speculate if this move is a mistake or not. The Knight seems restricted on this square by the d7 Bishop, so moving it gives it fresh vistas and gets out of the way of the d1 Rook. However, the Knight was one of two White pieces controlling c2 and Black invades there shortly. Also the engines are looking at the White King and suggesting 28 Kg1 or the weakening-looking 28 g3. Any experienced human would shy away from the latter suggestion, but the silicon units have a point. White is also weak on the back rank.} Be8 $1 {More subtle stuff. This arrangement of the Bishops ensures that White's Rook isn't coming in on a sensitive square. The e7 prelate has his eyes on f6 eyeing the b2 Pawn. Should that drop then the two Bishops can shepherd the Queenside majortity forward from afar very effectively. I'd already won analoguous endings twice. Once again White has to careful.} 29. Be6 $2 {And he isn't! White should not allow the Black Rook into d2. Instead the engine suggests 29 Nd4 controlling c2 which involves the loss of two tempi, so it begs the question whether 28 Nf3 was a mistake.} Rc2 30. b3 {It's possible that White thought he could play 30 Rd2 and after 30...Rc1+ 31 Ng1, and only here realised that there's the strong 31...f4! - 32 exf4?? Bc5 wins the Knight because 33 Rd8 Rxg1 is mate first! Deep Rybka suggests the passive 30 Rb1 instead of the text but maybe White was hoping after the text 30...Bxa3 wasn't on because of 31 Rd8. Unfortunately Black's Rook now has the c3 square and the White Pawns are lined up for capture.} g6 $17 {Guarding the f5 Pawn and giving the Black King a flight square off the back rank. He can't yet rush into ...Bxa3 because of Rd8 as mentioned in the last note, but ...Kg7 will threaten it and probably force a3-a4.} 31. Nd4 {Back to d4 again. After Black's obvious reply Deep Rybka says Black is better by roughly 1.6. This is curious because if you compare the two pairs of minor pieces the White ones are apparently better placed. However, they have no targets to bear on.} Rc3 32. Bd5 b6 {Deep Rybka says that 32...b5 preventing 33 a4 is better and it may well be right. I didn't want this line because I thought might play 33 a4 regardless and force the liquidation of most of the Queenside Pawns. In fact I'd looked quite deeply into the position and realised that c5 was a great square for my DSB and a Pawn on b6 would defend it very handily. Now White has both a3 and e3 en prise. Bearing in mind that the two Black prelates are ideally placed to support the advance of a Queenside majority, White saves his a-Pawn and hopes he can hold up the Black Kingside majority because that's where his own King is. Reasonable thinking but it rebounds.} 33. a4 Rxe3 34. Bc4 Kg7 35. Ne6+ {White has spotted an active sequence and readily goes for it, but he has another surprise coming.} Kf6 36. Nc7 Bc6 37. Nd5+ Bxd5 38. Bxd5 Bc5 $1 {Now it becomes apparent that White's King is not getting into the game so easily. The plan that Black adopts in the game is to push his Pawns on the Kingside. An alternative is to play his King to b4, sack the Exchange on b3 and create a passed Pawn there that will ultimately cost White his Rook, his King being too far away to help.} 39. h3 h5 40. Bc4 g5 41. Rf1 {Despite having created a loophole for his King with h2-h3 White can't go active with his Rook. Here 41 Rd7 or d8 loses on the spot to 41...Re1+ 42 Kh2 Bg1+ and now 43 Kg3 Re3 is mate, or 43 Kh1 Bf2+ 44 Kh2 h4 threatening 45...Bg3 mate. The only reply is 45 g3 or g4 whereupon Black can take en-passant and be two Pawns up. White's LSB is of no help covering weak dark squares.} (41. Rd7 Re1+ 42. Kh2 Bg1+ 43. Kg3 (43. Kh1 Bf2+ 44. Kh2 h4) 43... Re3#) 41... g4 42. hxg4 $2 {This is fatal. White does not realise that he has now opened up a decisive line of attack for Black. After 42 Kh2 Bd6+ forces the win of a second Pawn but at least the White monarch will have space in which to breathe.} hxg4 43. Kh2 g3+ $1 {Tightening the noose. If White now retreats 44 Kg1 Re8+ 45 Kh1 Rh8 is mate, while 44 Kh1 Re8 the threaten of 45...Rh8 mate leaves White with only desparate sacs to delay the mate. Note that he won't be stalemated as his b3 Pawn can still move.} 44. Kh3 Bd6 {Now Black just has to switch his Rook to the h-file to mate White down it. It doesn't matter if White goes R-f3xg3 as Black doesn't take but mates regardless. White wriggles but Black's pieces cover each other and he's just as willing, and able, to mate from h1 as well as h7 or h8.} 45. Rd1 Bf4 46. Rd4 Kg5 47. Rd8 Re1 48. Rg8+ Kh6 49. Rh8+ Kg7 50. Rg8+ Kh7 {The Bishop's redeployment to f4 means that g5 is not available to the White King. Time to resign. The opposite coloured Bishops were a factor in the endgame. They meant that White got mated faster!} 0-1

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