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//-->MIGUEL ILLESCAS:PRACTICAL ENDGAMESCENTER CONTROL AND PIECECOORDINATION IN THE ENDGAME.Delicate play: when one little mistake may beenough to loose!Andersson,Ulf - Illescas Cordoba,MiguelPamplona 1998We all know how important is to fight for the centerin the opening and the middlegame. But theimportance of center control on the endgame is notso obvious. In this game I was the lucky protagonistof an exciting battle with a very respected player asUlf Andersson. The swedish grandmaster wasalways very strong in endgames, which makes meparticularly proud of this game. After a quietopening we soon entered a queenless middlegamewhere Andersson started to press but in the next fewmoves the position became equal. Andersson waslater a bit overoptimistic and as a result he gotslightly worst around move 30, where we reached avery interesting endgame. White got a far awaypawn but black was very active in the center,enjoying good coordination. As usually happens inchess, dynamic factors proved to be more important,but steadily I managed to increase the advantage.1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.g3 dc4 5.Qa4This solid move never appeared like a real threat forblack. Of course, after 5.Bg2 white has to be readyto play a pawn down if black chooses 5...a6.5...Bd7Very popular is also 5...Nbd7.6.Qc4 Bc6 7.Bg2There is no time for 7.Nc3, since after 7...Bf3 8.ef3Nc6 black will establish a firm control on d5. Theclassical game Szabo - Kortschnoj, Palma deMallorca 1969, continued 9.Be3 Be7 10.Bg2 0–011.0–0 and now black could have equalised with11...Nb4 12.f4 c6.7...Bd5The bishop must leave the way open for the c5break.8.Qd38.Qa4!? Qd7 9.Qd1, Kortschnoj - Petrosian,Moscow 1971/Candidates.8...Be4!XIIIIIIIIY9rsnlwqkvl-tr09zppzp-+pzpp09-+-+psn-+09+-+-+-+-09Q+pzP-+-+09+-+-+NzP-09PzP-+PzP-zP09tRNvL-mKL+R0xiiiiiiiiyXIIIIIIIIY9rsn-wqkvl-tr09zppzp-+pzpp09-+-+psn-+09+-+-+-+-09-+-zPl+-+09+-+Q+NzP-09PzP-+PzPLzP09tRNvL-mK-+R0xiiiiiiiiyThis is an important intermediate move. After 8...c59.Nc3 Bc6 10.0–0 Nbd7 11.Rd1, white has acomfortable edge, as in Alekhine - Rabar, Munich1942.9.Qd1There is not a good square for the queen.9...c5 10.Nc3 Bc6 11.0–0 Nbd7 12.Be3It seems that the position is pretty equal, as showedby the following examples. In a previous game myopponent made a quick draw after 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bf6Nf6=, �½–�½, Andersson - Krasenkow, 34thRubinstein mem 1997; 12.Bf4 cd4 13.Qd4 Bc514.Qd3 0–0=, Huebner - Lutz, GER- CupT 1992;12.Qd3!? cd4 13.Nd4 Bg2 14.Kg2 Be7 15.Rd1 0–016.Qb5 Qc8 17.Bf4 a6 18.Qd3 and white wasslightly better in Petrovs - Kotov, Moscow 1940;12.Re1 cd4 13.Nd4 Bg2 14.Kg2 Bb4 15.Bd2 0–016.a3 Ba5=, Golombek - Gobert, Amsterdam (ol)1954; 12.b3 Be7 13.Bb2 0–0 14.Rc1 Rc8 15.Rc2Qa5=, Keres - Arulaid, Tallinn 1969.12...Be7 13.dc5The move in the game is very much in Andersson'sstyle. There was some illustrious examples in thisposition as the following one: 13.Rc1 cd4 14.Qd4 0–0 15.Rfd1 Qa5 16.Ng5 Bg2 17.Kg2 Rfd8 18.Qc4Ne5 19.Qb5 Qb5 20.Nb5 Rd1 21.Rd1 Nd5 22.Bc1a6 23.Nd4 Rd8=, K. Georgiev - Portisch, Dubai (ol)1986.13...Bc5 14.Bc5 Nc5XIIIIIIIIY9r+-wqk+-tr09zpp+-+pzpp09-+l+psn-+09+-sn-+-+-09-+-+-+-+09+-sN-+NzP-09PzP-+PzPLzP09tR-+Q+RmK-0xiiiiiiiiy15.Qd8NI still remember the situation after my opponentplayed this move. I was thinking that the game wasbasically over, and would calmly head for a drawfrom this boring symmetrical, but for Andersson thebattle was about to start! He looked so happy that Ifelt intimidated, and after some few moves I startedto feel uncomfortable with my position. The moveon the game was a novelty. The only precedent wasa short draw played in France some years ago: 15.b4Nce4 16.Ne4 Be4 17.Qa4 Bc6 18.b5 Bd5 19.Rfd10–0 20.Ne1 �½–�½, Bricard - Prie, Chambery 1994.15...Rd8 16.Rac1 Ke7 17.b4!XIIIIIIIIY9-+-tr-+-tr09zpp+-mkpzpp09-+l+psn-+09+-sn-+-+-09-zP-+-+-+09+-sN-+NzP-09P+-+PzPLzP09+-tR-+RmK-0xiiiiiiiiyA good move, which gives white some spaceadvantage on the queenside.17...Ncd7Black must be careful with the jumps of the f3knight. After 17...Nce4? 18.Ne5 Nc3 19.Nc6 bc620.Rc3 white gets a nice advantage.18.Rc2!?This quiet move made me understand that myopponent was not joking: he was trying to squeeze aminimal advantage and he knew well what he wasdoing. I got a bit nervous and my answer was notaccurate. Strategically harmless was 18.b5 Bf319.Bf3 b6=; more interesting but still inocuous18.a4 Rc8 19.a5 Rhd8=.18...Ne8?!I don't like this move. Not such a bad idea for the f6knight but try to ask to the h8 rook! I wanted toarrange my rooks in the open lines but after18...Rc8?! 19.Rfc1 white pressure over c8 isannoying.; I didn't think on 18...Bf3!? 19.Bf3 Ne5which looks close to equality. After 20.Bg2 (20.Bb7Rb8=) 20...Rd7 21.Rfc1 Rhd8 22.h3 g5= black isdoing fine. Not difficult to find was howewer18...Rb8 19.Rfc1 Rhd8=.19.e4!Putting under serious doubt black's last move. Thec6 bishop is left without escape and Nd4 starts to bea threat. After 19.Rfc1 Nd6= black seems to be ok.19...Nd6XIIIIIIIIY9-+-tr-+-tr09zpp+nmkpzpp09-+lsnp+-+09+-+-+-+-09-zP-+P+-+09+-sN-+NzP-09P+R+-zPLzP09+-+-+RmK-0xiiiiiiiiy20.Rd1?!Lucky for me, white was hesitating and decided toput the rook into play before starting further action.20.Nd4! was the natural continuation. I was planningto play 20...Rc8 (20...Ne5 doesn't work in view of21.f4 Ndc4 22.Nd5! ed5 23.Nf5), but 21.a4! wouldbe strong. With such a quiet move white keeps theinitiative. It is not easy to play with black. I was onlycounting on 21.b5? Bb5 22.Ncb5 Rc2, where blackis more than ok, for example: 23.Nd6 Rd2 24.N6b5a6 25.Nf3 Ra2.20...Nb6!Now I will have time to coordinate my forces. Ofcourse it was bad 20...Be4? 21.Ne4 Ne4 22.Rc7; butit was possible to take with the knight. After20...Ne4 21.Ne4 Be4 22.Rc7 Bd5! 23.Rdc1 whitehas compensation but black should hold.21.Nd4 Ndc4 22.Nc6?!Amazingly this move seems to liquidate the slightestwhite's advantage. Black will enjoy nice play on thed line while black's king is for the moment moreactive than his counterpart. The weakness on c6 willbe irrelevant, since white will have no time to attackit. It was better to keep the pressure with 22.a4!?although black is very close to equalise.22...bc6 23.Bf1 Rd1 24.Nd1 Rd8XIIIIIIIIY9-+-tr-+-+09zp-+-mkpzpp09-snp+p+-+09+-+-+-+-09-zPn+P+-+09+-+-+-zP-09P+R+-zP-zP09+-+N+LmK-0xiiiiiiiiyWith this move black is just in time to develop andcan fairly claim full equality. But my opponent wasstill under the impression of the last few moves andhe kept playing as if white would still have an edge.25.Be2?!The bishop is not better than the black knights. Theline 25.Nb2 Nb2 26.Rb2 Rd4 27.f3 Kd6 shows whatwe were stating on the previous comments. Blackhas the initiative and c6 is not weak at all. It was theright moment to look for simplification: 25.Bc4 Nc4(25...Rd1 26.Bf1 Kd6 27.f4=) 26.Rc4 Rd1 27.Kg2Ra1 28.Rc6 Ra2= it would be time to shake hands.25...Rd4 26.f3 Kd6 27.Kf2 g5A typical way to restrict white's pawn chain. Blackwants to make e5 avalaible for his piecking andknights.28.a4?!XIIIIIIIIY9-+-+-+-+09zp-+-+p+p09-snpmkp+-+09+-+-+-zp-09PzPntrP+-+09+-+-+PzP-09-+R+LmK-zP09+-+N+-+-0xiiiiiiiiyAndersson still seems to be playing for a win, butthis "active" pawn advance will bring white onlytrouble. 28.Nb2= was wiser, trying to change pieces.28...a5!Logical and strong. The a4 pawn is stopped.29.Bc4Time to start thinking on how to make a draw. After29.ba5 Na5 white's bishop looks rather clumsy.29...Nc4 30.ba5 Na5The a4 pawn becomes a target, kind of isolated fromhis own army. Still, black will need to do a lot ofwork before the pawn can be taken.31.Nc331.Nb2 looks very passive: 31...c5 32.Ke3 Rb4 andwhite's pieces feel uncomfortable.31...Rc4Now the knight is pinned.32.Ke3After 32.f4 gf4 33.gf4 e5 34.f5 Kc5 black is better.32...e5!XIIIIIIIIY9-+-+-+-+09+-+-+p+-09-+pmk-+-+09sn-+-zp-+p09Ptr-+P+-zP09+-sN-+P+-09-+R+K+-+09+-+-+-+-0xiiiiiiiiyAfter some thought I found this move which allowsme to keep pressing.39.Rd2Now 39.Kd3?! allows 39...Nb3 and the black knightbecomes very dangerous.39...Kc5 40.Rd7Looking for some active play. The passive 40.Rc2!?was not appealing, since after 40...Rc4 41.Kd3 Nb3black continues to make progress.40...Rb2XIIIIIIIIY9-+-+-+-+09+-+-+p+p09-+pmk-+-+09sn-+-zp-zp-09P+r+P+-+09+-sN-mKPzP-09-+R+-+-zP09+-+-+-+-0xiiiiiiiiyStronger than 32...Kc5 33.e5! Kb4 34.Kd3 Kb335.Rc1= and white manages to hold.33.h4There is no time for 33.f4 gf4 34.gf4 ef4 35.Kf4 Nb3and white is unable to coordinate.33...gh4 34.gh4 h5 35.Kd3 Rd4 36.Ke2 Rc437.Kd3 Rd4 38.Ke2 Rb4!XIIIIIIIIY9-+-+-+-+09+-+R+p+-09-+p+-+-+09sn-mk-zp-+p09P+-+P+-zP09+-sN-+P+-09-tr-+K+-+09+-+-+-+-0xiiiiiiiiy41.Kd1?Maybe this is the decisive mistake. White's king willbecome very vulnerable cut on the first rank. Ofcourse 41.Kd3?? Nc4 is loosing for white, but41.Rd2! was still giving some hopes for the defence,since 41...Rd2 42.Kd2 Kb4 43.Ne2! and the weak h5pawn will give white enough counterplay.41...Rh2! 42.Rf7 Rh4 43.Ne2With the idea of simplifying the position with f4.43...Rh1 44.Kc2 Nc4XIIIIIIIIY9-+-+-+-+09+-+-+R+-09-+p+-+-+09+-mk-zp-+p09P+n+P+-+09+-+-+P+-09-+K+N+-+09+-+-+-+r0xiiiiiiiiy45.Rh7White will be tied up after this move. Maybe whiteshould stick to 45.f4!? where black is better but it'snot so easy. It was not advisable to try to activate theknight because after 45.Nc1 h4 46.Nb3 Kb6! black'sh pawn becomes too dangerous.45...Rh2 46.Kd146.Kd3 looks better, but after 46...Nb2 47.Ke3 Kc4!black is threatening mate in one! So white has toplay 48.f4, but after 48...Nd1 49.Kf3 Rf2 the game isover.46...Rh1 47.Kc2 Rh2 48.Kd1 Nb2 49.Ke1After 49.Kd2 Na4 white is unable to createconterplay by playing f4.49...Nd3!The knight returns to the strong hold on d3.Correctly, I estimated that I would loose theinitiative if I take the pawn. After 49...Na4 50.f4white gets some counterplay. It is also possible toplay 50.Ng3 h4 51.Nf1!50.Kd1 Nb2 51.Ke1 Nd3 52.Kd1 h4!Finally I decided to advance the h pawn and keep thegood coordination between my pieces.53.a5 Kb5XIIIIIIIIY9-+-+-+-+09+-+-+-+R09-+p+-+-+09zPk+-zp-+-09-+-+P+-zp09+-+n+P+-09-+-+N+-tr09+-+K+-+-0xiiiiiiiiyOnly now it becomes clear that white is in realtrouble.54.Rd7The knight on d3 is too annoying and must bedestabilized. After 54.Rh6 h3 55.a6 Ka6 56.Rc6 Kb557.Rh6 Rg2! it's possible to feel the strenght of theblack's knight on d3.54...Nf2 55.Ke1 Ka5Twenty five moves later after the a pawn wasblocked, finally it falls under black's pressure. Blackis now pawn up but his pieces need to coordinatebetter.56.Kf1 h3XIIIIIIIIY9-+-+-+-+09+-+R+-+-09-+p+-+-+09mk-+-zp-+-09-+-+P+-+09+-+-+P+p09-+-+Nsn-tr09+-+-+K+-0xiiiiiiiiy57.Rd2?!The endgame will be lost after this passive move.White cannot pretend to trap black's pieces. After57.Ng1? Nh1! 58.Re7 Ng3 59.Ke1 Rh1 60.Kf2 h2 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]