FACED another Polish grown-up.
Konrad Kokurewicz (1715) - Spanton (1808)
Wrocław B
Scotch
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6
After the game KK said he played 5.Be3 in the rapid event at the start of the festival and was afraid I would have seen the game.
5...Qf6 6.Qf3!?
The main move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database is 6.Qd2, but the text is also very popular and is preferred by Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1.
6...dxc6
The text, which stresses speedy development over pawn-structure, 6...bxc6, 6...Qxf3 and 6...Qxc6 are all popular - even 6...Qd4?? appears in Mega21.
7.Nc3 Be6 8.Be3 Qxf3!?
But now I decided to smash up White's kingside. In Mega21 White scores 80% after the text, albeit from only 15 games.
9.gxf3 Bxe3 10.fxe3
In the postmortem KK sd he likes the central control White's structure gives.
10...0-0-0 11.Rg1 g6 12.Na4!?
This seems to be a novelty. Grandmasters have played 12.Ne2!?, 12.Bd3 and 12.h4. KK's idea soon becomes apparent.
12...b6 13.b3 Ne7 14.Nb2 f5 15.Nd3?!
The engines do not hate this, but prefer other moves. Komodo12.1.1 gives 15.Bh3 Kb7 16.Ke2 Rhg8 17.Rad1, claiming equality although Stockfish14 reckons White is slightly better. The latter engine suggests 15.Ba6+ Kb8 16.exf5 Nxf5, giving a slight edge to White, although Komodo12.1.1 reckons Black is slightly better.
15...fxe4 16.fxe4 Rhf8 17.Nf4 Bd7 18.Rd1 Ng8
Targeting e4.
19.Nd3?!
The engines reckon 19.e5!? Bf5 20.Ba6+ Kb8 21.Rxd8+ Rxd8 22.Bd3 is equal.
19...Rde8 20.Nf2?!
This is probably too passive.
The engines give two interesting lines: 20.Nb4!? Rxe4 21.Ba6+ Kd8 22.Nxc6+ Ke8 23.Nxa7 Rxe3+ 24.Kd2 Re5 and 20.Rg5!? Rxe4 21.Ne5 Nf6 22.Ba6+ Kd8 23.Nxc6+ Ke8 24.Re5+ Rxe5 25.Nxe5, in both cases with at best a slight edge for Black.
20...Nf6 21.Bd3 c5 22.Rg5 Bc6 23.Ke2?!
This seems to give up a pawn too easily. One line suggested by the engines runs 23.e5 Nd7 24.Ba6+ Kd8 25.Ng4 Ke7 26.h4, when they agree Black is better but Black is not ahead on material.
23...Bxe4 24.Nxe4 Nxe4 25.Bxe4 Rxe4
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| This rook-and-pawn ending is very difficult for White |
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26.Rgd5?!
This may look natural but probably makes Black's task easier.
Komodo12.1.1 suggests 26.Rg3, giving Black the upper hand, although Stockfish14 reckons Black is winning.
26...Rh4
Possibly more precise is 26...Rfe8 27.R5d3 and then 27...Rh4, meeting 28.Rh1 with 28...Rh3.
27.Rh1
A horrible move to have to make, but White has little choice.
27...Re8 28.c4?
Better is the engines' 28.Rg5 so as to meet 28...Rh3 with 29.Rg3. But instead Black can play 28...c4, getting rid of his doubled pawn (if 29.b4 then 29...Rd8 with ...c3 to come is very strong).
28...Rh3 29.Rd3 Re5 30.Kf2 Rf5+ 31.Ke2
I intended meeting 31.Kg2 with 31...Rhf3.
31...Rfh5 32.a4 a5 33.Kf2 Rxh2+ 34.Rxh2 Rxh2+ 35.Kg3 Rh5 36.e4 Re5 37.Kf4 Re7 38.e5 Rd7 39.Re3 Kd8 40.e6 Rd4+
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Not 40...Re7?, when White draws with 41.Ke5.
41.Ke5
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41...Ke7?
Now White has a draw.
The engines give 41...Rg4 42.Rd3+ Ke8 43.Rd7 Rg5+ 44.Kf4 Rf5+ 45.Kg3! (White loses a tempo with 45.Kg4 h5+) h5 46.Rxc7, when they reckon 46...g5 47.Rb7 g4 48.Kh4 Rf1 is winning for Black.
42.Rf3 h5 43.Rf7+ Ke8 44.Kf6 Rf4+ 45.Kg7 g5
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46.Rxc7?
White is still drawing after 47.Kg6 h44 48.Rh7, according to the engines.
46...h4 47.Kg6
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47...g4?
Winning is 47...h3 48.Kxg5 (48.Rh7 Rh4) Rh4!
48.Kg5 Re4 49.Kf6 Rf4+ 50.Kg5
KK offered a draw.
50...Rf3 51.Kxg4 Rxb3 52.Kxh4 Rb4 53.Kg5 Rxc4 54.Kf6 Rf4+ 55.Ke5 Rxa4
Black is two pawns ahead again but the powerful e pawn means the position is drawn.
56.Rc8+ Ke7 57.Rc7+ Kd8 58.Rf7 Ke8 59.Rb7 Rb4 60.Rb8+ Ke7 61.Rb7+ Kd8 62.Rb8+ Kc7?
A reckless attempt to go for a non-existent win.
63.e7 Kxb8 64.e8=Q+ Kb7 65.Qe7+
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65...Ka6?
Black still has a draw with 65...Kc6, but the text lets the white king close in with deadly effect.
66.Kd5 a4 67.Kc6 Rb3
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68.Qb7+?!
This looks natural but the engines are already finding mating lines, eg 68.Qe1 c4 (not 68...Rb4? 69.Qe8 etc) 69.Qf1 Ka5 70.Qxc4 b5 71.Qc5 a3 72.Qa7+ Kb4 73.Qd4+ Ka5 74.Kc5 Rb2 75.Qe4!, whereas after the text the win becomes tricky.
68...Ka5 69.Qa7+ Kb4 70.Qxb6+ Ka3 71.Qxc5+ Ka2 72.Qc2+ Ka3 73.Qc1+ Ka2 74.Qc2+ Ka3 75.Kc5
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75...Rb5+!
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76.Kc4?
Not 76.Kxb5? as that is stalemate. However the endgame tablebase Syzgy gives the quickest win against best play by Black as 76.Kc6! Rb2 77.Qc4 Rb1! 78.Qa6! Rb2 79.Kc5 Rb3 80.Qa5 Rb2 81.Kc4 Rb3 82.Kd4 Rb1 83.Kc3 Rc1+ 84.Kd2 Rb1 85.Kc2 Rb2+ 86.Kc1 Rb3 87.Qe5 Kb4 (87...Ka2 allows a quicker mate starting with 88.Kc2) 88.Kc2 Kc4 89.Qa5 Rb4 90.Kd2! Kb3 91.Qd5+ Kb2 92.Qc5 Rb3 93.Qd4+ Ka3 94.Kc2 Rb7 95.Qa1+ Kb4 96.Qb1+ etc, but good luck finding all that over the board.
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76...Rc5+! ½–½
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