Wednesday, 14 August 2019

Seventh Heaven

BLACK offered a draw while I was thinking about my 25th move in round six of the Olomouc seniors.
Spanton (1881) - Vilem Feldvabl (1682)
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White has a passed pawn, but his exposed king and weak h pawn mean Black is better (or at least I thought so during the game). I was somewhat surprised to later discover my main analysis engines, Stockfish10 and Komodo9, reckon Black's advantage is worth less than half a pawn. Indeed, given enough time, Stockfish10 comes to believe the position is equal.
25.Bd4 Qf5
I was more concerned about 25...Qe7, although I could not see a particularly strong continuation for Black after 26.Qg4, and it appears there is none - the position is roughly equal.
26.Kh1 Be5!?
This comes to be Komodo9's top choice, although I thought exchanging pieces was dubious for Black as it reduces the danger to my king and brings nearer an endgame in which my passed pawn can shine. However, thinking about it now, I have to concede that White's bishop is a lot more active than Black's.
27.Bxe5
Stockfish10 prefers 27.Bc5!?, but Komodo9 is unimpressed. The engines agree that best play continues 27...Rf7 28.d6 Rd8 29.Rd5 Qf6 30.Qg4 f3, with a position hard to assess (Stockfish10 gives an edge to White; Komodo9 reckons it is dead equal).
27...Qxe5 28.Rfe1 Qf6
28...Qxb2 29.d6 gives White a dangerous initiative, although the engines reckon Black's position is defendable.
29.Qg4 Rae8?!
This time I intended meeting ...Qxb2 with 30.Re7, which the engines reckon gives full compensation. They also like 30.Re2 and 30.d6, again with full compensation for the material deficit.
However, capturing may have been Black's best option as Black runs into difficulties after the text. If he did not want to capture, then best, according to the engines, is 29...Rad8, when 30.b3 is their best try for a small edge for White.
30.Re6?!
White seemingly poses more problems with 30.Rxe8 Rxe8 31.d6, when his passed pawn is one step away from seventh heaven.
30...Rxe6
Black can still capture on b2, apparently. The engines give 30...Qxb2!? 31.Rxh6 Qxf2 32.Rg1 Rf7 33.Qh5 Qxg1+ 34.Kxg1 gxh6 as dead equal.
31.Qxe6+
Black to play and draw
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31...Kh8?
Ironically, after exchanging as many pieces as possible, Black chooses the wrong moment not to exchange. Correct is 31...Qxe6 32.dxe6, and now the active 32...Rc8! gives Black sufficient counterplay to draw, according to the engines.
32.Qxf6 Rxf6 33.d6 Rf8  34.d7 Rd8
The pawn has reached seventh heaven, and its power there is too much for Black's position to hold.
The remaining moves were:
35.Kg2 Kg8 36.Kf3 Kf7 37.Kxf4 g6 38.Ke5 Ke7 39.Rd6 Rxd7 40.Rxd7+ Kxd7 41.Kf6 g5 42.h5 Kd6 43.Kg6 Ke5 44.Kxh6 Kf6 45.b4 g4 46.a3 Kf5 47.Kg7 Kf4 48.Kg6 1-0

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