B Player Draws Against Master
Dear Viewers: Because of font compatibility problems, my diagrams and symbols that follow may not display properly in your browser. A superscript 1, for example, should be the symbol for "better is." A superscript 2 should be the symbol for "White has a slight advantage." I have decided to post this game anyway because of its instructional value.
Whalen - Treger (2240) [B32]
Oxygen Tank, Part 2, August 2002
[Whalen,Patrick]
It was time again for a third-round game. Since I did not want a repeat of what had happened in Oxygen Tank, I spent several minutes outside before the start of the game. The Marshall Chess Club has outdoor seating when the weather permits. I took advantage of it while swallowing a B12 tablet to maintain mental alertness. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 d5 5.Bb5 [5.exd5 is the other main line for White against this variation. Debbie, without the benefit of her opening book, selected it after several hours of thought. As for myself, I was completely on my own after White's fifth move.] 5...dxe4 6.Nxc6 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 a6 Diagram
r1b1kbnr/
1p2pppp/
p1N5/1B6/
4p3/
8/
PPP2PPP/
RNBK3R w kq - 0 8
8.Nd4+ [8.Ba4 Bd7 9.Nc3 bxc6 (9...Bxc6 10.Bxc6+ bxc6 11.Nxe4 e6 (¹11...e5 (Debbie) 12.c4?! Shirov-Szabolcsi, Lyon 1994 12...Rd8+ as an improvement over the immediate 12...Nf6.) 12.Ke2² (¹12.c3) ; 10.Nxe4 e5 11.Be3 (¹11.Re1 (Debbie)) 11...f5 12.Nc5 Nf6 13.Ke2 Nd5 14.Rhd1 ECO: White has the upper hand. Debbie: No way! Black has equalized.] 8...axb5 9.Nxb5 Bg4+ 10.Ke1 0-0-0 11.N1c3 e5 12.h3 [12.Bg5 (a little stronger) 12...f6 13.Be3 f5 14.Na4² Nf6 15.c4? (15.Nb6+ Kb8 16.Nc4²) 15...Bb4+³ Ginzburg-Paglilla, Villa Martelli 1996] 12...Bd7?! [¹12...Bh5 continuing to hit d1 with the Rook. ] 13.Be3² Bb4 Diagram
2kr2nr/
1p1b1ppp/
8/
1N2p3/
1b2p3/
2N1B2P/
PPP2PP1/
R3K2R w - - 0 14
14.Ke2 [14.a3 Slightly better is 14...Bxc3+ (14...Bxb5? 15.axb4+- Bc4 a)15...Bc6 16.b5 Be8 (a)16...Bd7?? 17.Ra8+ Kc7 18.Nd5+) 17.Ke2! Now 18. Ra8+ would be devastating. 17...Kb8 (a)17...Kc7 18.b6+ Kc6 (a)18...Kb8? 19.Ra5 with Rha1 to follow.) 19.Rhd1 Rxd1?? It's the mating season again. (a)19...Rd7 20.b4) 20.Rxd1 f5 (a)20...Ne7 21.b4 Nd5 22.Rxd5 and b5#) 21.b4 followed by b5#; 18.Ra5+-;
b)15...Ba6?? 16.b5+-; 16.Ra5+-; 15.Nxc3 Bc6²] 14...Bxc3? [¹14...Be6 15.a3 Bxc3 16.Nxc3 f5 17.Rhd1²] 15.Nxc3 Bc6 Debbie prefers 16.Rhd1 but considers 16. a4 to be not far behind in merit. Here I was playing the man rather than just the board. In a previous encounter, Mr. Treger defeated me because I did not get my Pawns going soon enough against his King. That King also was castled on the Queenside. 16.a4 Ne7 17.b4 [¹17.Bb6 in the boa constrictor style of Karpov.] 17...Nd5?! [17...Nf5! 18.Rhc1 Debbie thought two hours on this move. I guess her plan is to move the Knight and then advance the c Pawn. 18...Nd4+ 19.Ke1 f5÷] 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 Diagram
2kr3r/
1p3ppp/
8/
3bp3/
PP2p3/
4B2P/
2P1KPP1/
R6R w - - 0 19
[18...Rxd5? 19.b5 Bd7 20.c4 Rd6±] 19.Rhd1?! The text is not an outright error, but it does not squeeze the most out of the position. [¹19.Bb6 Rd7 (19...Rd6 20.a5 Rc6 (20...f5 21.Rhd1 Bc4+ (21...Rd7 22.Ke1²) 22.Ke3 Kd7 23.Bc5 Rd5²; ; 20.Ra3 Kb8 21.Rc3²] 19...f5 [19...Bc4+ 20.Ke1 Rxd1+ 21.Rxd1 Rd8 22.Rxd8+ Kxd8 23.a5=] 20.g3?! [¹20.Ke1 Bc4 21.Bb6²] 20...Rhf8 [20...Bc4+ 21.Ke1 Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1] 21.b5 [21.Bb6 Rd7 22.a5] 21...f4 [21...Bc4+ 22.Ke1 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Rd8=] 22.Bb6 Bc4+ 23.Ke1 Rxd1+ 24.Rxd1² e3 25.gxf4 exf2+ 26.Kxf2 g5! [‹26...exf4 27.Rd4] 27.c3? [27.f5! Debbie says, "Don't connect his Pawns!" 27...Rxf5+ 28.Ke3 Rf8™ 29.Rd6²] 27...gxf4= 28.Kf3 Bf7 He was probably hoping that I would overlook ...Bh5+. In Oxygen Tank, Part 1, that might have happened, but not here. 29.Rd6 [29.Ke4 is good too. 29...Re8 30.Rd6=] 29...Bg6 30.a5?! Debbie didn't like this move, but when I played the continuation, it did not lead to anything worse than her suggestion. [30.Bc5 Debbie: 30...e4+ 31.Kf2 e3+ 32.Ke1=] 30...e4+ 31.Kf2 e3+ 32.Ke1 We made some good moves. 32...Bh5? I could sense that my opponent was growing fatigued. Again there was no oxygen tank available. [¹32...Bf5 33.a6 bxa6 34.bxa6 Bxh3 35.a7 Bg2³] 33.a6 Debbie says 33. Rc5 is good too; but since I was too slow to get my Pawns going in a previous game against my opponent, I would have felt more comfortable with the text move anyway. 33...bxa6 34.bxa6= Bf3 [34...Rg8 is another good try.] 35.c4? [¹35.Rd4 Rg8 (35...Bg2 36.Rc4+²) 36.Kf1=] 35...Rg8µ 36.Kf1 Bg2+ 37.Ke1 Diagram
2k3r1/
7p/
PB1R4/
8/
2P2p2/
4p2P/
6b1/
4K3 b - - 0 37
This time I was staying ahead of my opponent on the clock; nevertheless, with only five minutes remaining for me, I was not required to keep score. 37...Re8 Somehow I held the fort. The position eventually reduced itself to my King and Bishop vs. my opponent's King, Bishop, and Pawn. With two minutes left on my clock and about one minute left on his, the game ended in a draw. The result was gratifying. It convinced me that the other draw against a master was not a fluke. But what's the verdict here? Was I lost?[¹37...Bxh3µ 38.Ke2 Bg4+ 39.Kd3 (39.Kf1? Bf3 (39...h5? 40.Rf6 Bh3+ (40...e2+? 41.Kf2=) 41.Ke2 Rg2+ 42.Kf3 Rf2+ 43.Ke4 Rf1=; 40.a7 Kb7 41.Bd4 Be4 42.Rb6+ Kc7 43.Rb3 Rg3-+; 39...Re8 40.Rf6 e2 41.Bf2 e1Q 42.Bxe1 Rxe1 43.Rf8+ Kd7 44.a7 Bf3 45.a8Q Bxa8 46.Rxa8³] ½-½
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