Sunday 1 September 2019

Resigning In A Won Position

TODAY is the double-round day in the nine-round 'Paignton' premier.
White to make his 30th move in Spanton (1881/168) - Jim Robertson (1576/133)
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White is a pawn up but Black's active pieces give full equality. I decided to try a trap.
30.Ke3??
This loses in several ways even if, as in the game, Black falls hook, line and sinker for the trap I think I have set.
30...Re8+ 31.Kf2 Rxe2+ 32.Kxe2 Kc4 33.g3 hxg3
In playing my 30th move, I had failed to consider 33...h3. But the text also wins.
34.h4
Black resigned instantly.
I had expected 34...Kd5? 35.f4, when the g pawn falls. But even this is only a draw.
Winning is 34...Kxc3 35.h5 b4! 36.h6 (36.axb4 a4! is even worse, according to Komodo10 and Stockfish10) bxa3 37.h7 a2 38.h8=Q a1=Q 39.Qxf6 Qa2. Black wins thanks to his passed pawns, eg 40.Qxf5? (White has better than this, but this line graphically illustrates the problem with White's set-up) Qxc2+ 41.Qxc2 Kxc2 42.f4 a4 43.f5 a3 44.f6 a2 45.f7 a1=Q 46.f8=Q Qd1+ 47.Ke3 Qe1+ etc.
There is a lot to be said for the adage that it is better to be lucky than good.

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