Saturday, July 26, 2008

Tromp against Veech - Close escape

I could have lost the game ! Missed a knight fork and had terribly bad position - passive and underdeveloped. I was committed to try my best. My young opponent played a very good game and missed his chance narrowly. Well played Veech !

Following is the link to the game in JavaScript window (you can play through the game)

http://www.geocities.com/saubhikr/veech.htm


Roychoudhury,Souvik (1976) - Veech,John (1813) [A45]

SWCC Club Championship, Hales Corner (3.3), 24.07.2008


1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 The most common response 3.Bf4 c5 Sharpest variation....can be said the main line 4.f3 Qa5+ 5.c3 Nf6 6.Nd2 I liked to play d5 here which is a complex, tactical game and have won a convincing game again Fricano on this line. But against a young player, wanted to play positionally. 6...cxd4 7.Nb3 Qb6 8.Qxd4 cxd is just bad. White's kingside is cluttered and black gets a free game 8...Nc6 9.Qxb6 axb6 10.Nd4 e5 11.Nxc6 exf4 12.Nd4 This is all theory and we played it within 1 min. One funny point is if you put this position to Fritz or Rybk, it wl show aslight advantage to black. I must repeat white has NO ADVANTAGE in Tromp. Then why do I play this ? I play this because the positions are complex enough and one can play for win. My 70+% score in Tromp is because I played the middle gamm better than my opponent. When they were better (like Amanov, Santarious), I lost. 12...d5 Few other common response here are Nd5 (which I feel best) and Bc5. d5 is also comon. It frees the c8 Bishop and stops white's Nh3 move. 13.e3!?



Not a pawn sac as white will get this back in two moves 13...fxe3 Ke2 is the main move. But over the board I felt Bb5+ with a tempo is better as a later Ne2 does not block the bishop.Plus exchanging pieces will help white to exploit the Black's bad pawn structure in end game. I mised the point. 14.Bb5+?! Bd7 15.Ke2 Bc5 16.Bxd7+ Kxd7 17.Kxe3 Rhe8+ 18.Kd3 Bxd4!? I was shocked to see this move. Black has a bad pawn structure which is compensated by his better development and having the good bishop. But this move made me think for a long as my King in center can be subjected to a lot of attack. Plus I have to waste a tempo to play Kd3 to develop my knight on best square e2. 19.Kxd4 [19.cxd4 Shredder thinks this is better. Because black has bad queenside pawns and white can play Ne2-Nc3 and then either play for Rc1-c7 (after Nb5 or attack the d5 square. I felt I can not win this unless black really playes bad. ] 19...Kd6 [19...Re7 I was really worried about this move and this made me think for almost 15 mins to evaluate the subsequent position. 20.Kd3 Rae8 21.Rd1! This is the key defense. 21...Re1 22.Kd2 R1e3 23.Kc1 (23.Kc2 Re1 24.Kd2 R1e3 White can not free the knight.) 23...Kc6 24.Nh3 Nh5 25.Rd4 Position is still equal but black with bad pawn stucture has more to worry.; 19...Nh5 20.g3 This variation is also good as it weakens the f3 pawn.] 20.Kd3 This is the catch. If I would not have played Bb5+, I had controll on e2 square and could have pplayed Ne2. Now I had to waste a tempo to play that. This is why Bb5+ check is not played. Black bishop had no good square as after Bf5+ Kd3, I can kick it with Nd4 and then exchange it favorably with Bd3. 20...Nd7 21.b3?? Too clever and outright blunder ! I was afraid that after Ne2, black can play Ne5+ followed by Nc4+ and get a good position. This was a profilactic move move to stop that. I missed one point. [21.Kd2! This was the right profilactic move in anticipation on Ne5 or Nc5.] 21...Nc5+




Here I planned Kd2 followed by Nd2. But suddenly saw that I am losing an exchange and a pawn and the game by a knight fork on b3 !! The a1 rook is undefended. 22.Kc2 Black is clearly winning here. Fritz assessment is black is 3 pawns up ! HOWEVER, I recently realizzed that I generally did not lose games with just one blunder. I always had another shot and when I lost, I lost for the second blunder. I was committed to apply that lesson and try hard and wait for my chance. 22...b5? Unnecessary waste of time. Ra3 wins easily. 23.b4 I was desparate to complicate the position 23...Nd7? Na4 attacking c3 is much simpler. Black gave few tempo to white. Black has slight advantage only now. 24.Kd2? Counter favor. Kd1 was better as on d2, white gets into the knight check from c4. Black has again clear plus 24...Ne5 25.Ne2 Nc4+ 26.Kd1 Ne3+ 27.Kd2 Nc2!! I saw it is coming few moves back but could do nothing to stop it. If Veech played very well in this game. Excellent move.



28.Nd4!? White sacs the exchange but stays in the game as he will get the b5 pawn back and has a fortress in center. Maaaaay beee some complication can bring him back to the game. [28.Kxc2 Rxe2+ 29.Kb3 Rxg2 Black is a pawn up and white has nothing to show in return. Passive and bad.; 28.Rac1 Rxa2 29.Rxc2 Rxc2+ 30.Kxc2 Rxe2+ 31.Kd3 Rxg2-+] 28...Nxd4?! Too smart [28...Nxa1 29.Nxb5+ Kd7 30.Rxa1 Re6 Black should have played this line. Soften the kingside and open the lines for rook.] 29.cxd4 Ra3 I personally felt Rc8-c4 is better 30.Rhc1 Though now I see black is still clearly better but at this point I was much relieved over the board 30...Ree3 31.Rc5 I was thinking I am getting the b5 pawn back. I missed something. 31...Rad3+?! [31...b6! My rook will be trapped if I take on b5 ! neither of us saw it over the board.] 32.Kc2 Rxd4 33.Rxb5 Re2+ 34.Kc3 Rc4+ 35.Kd3 I was thinking Kb3-followed by Rd1 to get the d-pawn but black will take on king side pawns and win 35...Rxg2 36.Rxb7 White is very close to being saved here. Rook endings are easier to defend for losing side. 36...Rxh2?! Rf4 defending the f7 while attacking the f3 was better. 37.Rxf7 I was thinking whether to play a4-a5 trying to get the pawns first. They say, in Rook ending the activity is more important than material. But today I had enough for trying subtle moves. Played simple. Actually a4-a5 or b5 ideas loses as black will also roll with h5-h4 and might get some mating attack for the cut off king with f5-f4. 37...Rxb4 38.Rxg7



Here I offered draw. a, c, f, h pawns dow not win rook endgame. So I realized I had no chance to win unless he blunders big time. I had just 20 mins vs 60 misn for Veech. With equal pawn and free passer to each, draw is the likely solution. And who knows that better than Veech who just offered a lecture that evening on Rook Endgames. After a short thought, he accepted. I saved from a close defeat! 1/2-1/2

4 comments:

Southwest Chess Club said...

Souvik,
interesting game and thoughtful annotations. I like your theory of "two blunders" (reminds me of the theory of two weaknesses). Even it not exactly correct, it enables you to play on optimistically in a tough position, and that's what you needed to survive. Veech is certainly getting stronger; when I came by your game I felt you had a long way to go to save the game, so good job!
Allen

Anonymous said...

Souvik, Thanks for publishing this game. I find your detailed commentary on your games to be highly instructive. I almost always learn something from them. Tom

Anonymous said...

Lucky you

Southwest Chess Club said...

That's now at least two of us who have had narrow escapes against Veech. Clearly, a strong and improving player!

Allen