Saturday 7 April 2018

Oppo Bishops In The Middlegame

IN round three at Jersey, I again had opposite-coloured bishops, but this time in a late middlegame.
White offered a draw after giving check in Aditya Verma (2002) - Spanton (1851)
27...Kh8 28.Bb3 Bxb4?
Clearly better is 28...Nxb4, even though, after 29.Bxf7, White gets an outpost for the bishop at e6, eg 29...Bc5 30.Be6 Rd1+ 31.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 32.Kh2 Rd8. Black has a dangerous passed pawn, and a target at f2, but thanks to a pair of rooks having come off, Black's king is not in serious danger. 29.Ra6 Nd4 30.Nxd4 exd4 3mins more 31.Rxf6 Bc3 32.Rh6 
Probably best.
The trouble with 32.Rxf7 is that after 32...Rxf7 33.Bxf7 d3, White is a pawn up but Black's passers are quicker. eg 34.Bb3 d2 35.Bd1 Re8 36.Kh2 b4 with the better chances.
32...d3??  3.f6
White threatens to mate, and Black can only avoid it by swopping off into a probably-lost ending.
33...Bxf6 34.Rxf6 d2 35.Kh2 d1Q 36.Bxd1 Rxd1 37.Rxf7 (1-0, 44moves).

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