NEW YEAR'S GAME

This week's game selection comes from my own personal files. It isn't the sharpest game, but it is quite instructive and contains an amusing ending. In this short game I have the black pieces and commit an early tactical blunder that I am nevertheless able to overcome, demonstrating that perserverance is as important as tactical skill and positional knowledge over the board.

W: Salazar, C. (1556)  B: Garcia, F.  (Unrated)  Correspondence  Mar. 98

1. d4  Nf6  2. c4  e6  3. Nc3  Bb4  4. e3  d5  5. Qc2  Nbd7  6. Nf3  0-0  7. a3  Bxc3+  8. bxc3  c5  9. cxd5  exd5  10. Bb5  c4!  11. 0-0?  Nb6  12. Ne5  a6  13. Ba4  Rb8  14. Rb1  Na8? {Yes, I played  this  in a correspondence game - it can happen. I had intended Qd6.} 15. Nc6  Qc7? {Better was Bf5!}  16. Nxb8  Ng4  17. f4  Qxb8  18. Bc6  Nc7  19. e4  Nf6  20. e5  Ne4  21. Rf3  b5  22. Bxd5  Nxc3!  23. Bxf7+  Rxf7 {White would have been better served playing 23. Rxc3!  Nxd5  24. Rxc4  Qa8  diminishing Black's chances for counterplay.}  24. Qxc3  Bf5  25. Rb2  Qd8  26. g3?  Nd5  27. Qe1  Qb6  White resigns!

Yes, White resigned in that position ( I think out of mostly out of frustration). Black is down a pawn and  an exchange, but not only has the initiative and strong counterplay. On closer analysis, you will see  that Black is winning. White's pieces are cramped and disorganized. And although, it is far from over.  Black's well supported queenside pawn roller will soon enough decide this game (material losses will  be inevetible for White and, unfortunately, White's central pawn mass is restrained diminishing any  chances White may have.)

Here's a short, possible continuation demonstrating Black's superiority with some of my own  commentary:

28. Be3 (the only good way to defend d4)  c3!  29.Rb3?! (trying to exchange on c3 to relieve pressure,  better is Ra2, but I am selecting this move for brevity and because it is a move that I find would be in the  spirit of my opponent's play - in other words, a more natural move.) Rc7 (Not allowing the exchange  on c3, which would go a long way towards solving White's problems.) 30. Rf2  a5  31. Qe2 b4  32. axb4  axb4  33. Qf3  Nxe3!  34. Qxe3  Be6  (Black's pawns reach the sixth rank together and White  soon loses.)

The text move 29. Rb3 is not the stongest as I said and 29. Ra2 would give Black more problems, but  you can analyze this yourself if you'd like and see that Black still will win.

Please E-mail me with any commentary and input that you may have on this game.

Fred

Harrison Chess@GameBox.net

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