I Am #1! (part two)

THERE is a silly but fun pastime at the end of a college football season in the United States where boosters of even the lowliest university set out to prove that their school is really number one. or, as it is usually written, #1!

For example, in 2022 the national championship game was won by the team I support, Georgia Bulldogs.

But during the season they lost to Alabama Crimson Tide, who in turn had lost to Texas A&M, who lost to Mississippi State, who lost to Memphis Tigers, etc, etc.

Eventually the chain leads to one of the lowliest teams in the land, which can thus make a claim to be #1!

It is possible to play a similar game in chess, by which you trace your wins up to a victory over a reigning world champion, thus putting yourself in position to claim, however far-fetched the claim may be, to be #1!

The second link in my chain comes from the 12th round of the 1948 US Open at Baltimore, Maryland.

Larry Evans - George Kramer

Queen's Pawn Game

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.c4 dxc4!?

This may have been a novelty. Known moves were 4...Bg7 and 4...c6.

5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Na3

There are 4,328 examples of this position in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database

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7...Nbd7 8.Nxc4 c6 9.b3 Nb6 10.Nce5 Nfd7 11.Bb2

Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 reckon 11.Nd3!? leaves White with the upper hand.

11...Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Nd7 13.Nd3 Qb6 14.e3 Re8 15.Qc2 e5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Bxe5 18.Bxe5 Rxe5

Now the flurry of tactics is over, who stands better?

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The engines reckon the position is completely equal.

19.Rfd1 Bf5 20.Qb2 Rae8 21.Rd2 Qc7 22.Rad1 c5!?

Gaining space, but White's light-square bishop was biting on granite before this.

23.Rd6 Qe7 24.Qd2 Kg7 25.Qc3 Kg8 26.R1d2 b6 27.Bc6 Rc8 28.e4

How should Black proceed?

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28...Bh3?!

The engines reckon Black had to find 28...Re6! 29.Rd7 Qf6, although they prefer White.

29.f4

The engines' 29.Bd5! is strong, eg 29...Rf8 30.f3 Re8 31.Bc4 Bc8 32.h4, when White's more-active heavy pieces and kingside majority pose Black problems.
29...Re6 30.Rxe6 Bxe6 31.Bb5 Rf8 32.Bf1 Bg4 33.Bg2 Be6 34.Bf1 Re8 35.Bg2 Rb8 36.Bf1 Rf8 37.Bg2 Rc8 38.Bf1 Rb8 39.Bg2 Rf8 40.Bf1 Rb8 41.Bb5!?

After much inconsequential toing-and-froing, White decides to play on.

41...Rf8 42.Bc6!?

The engines suggest 42.Qd3.

42...Rc8

Black gets an edge after 42...c4!? (threatening to win the white bishop by 43....Qc5+ etc) 43.Bd5 Bxd5 44.exd5 Qe1+ 45.Kg2 Re8, although the engines' 46.d6! seems to hold, eg 46...Re2+ 47.Rxe2 Qxc3?? loses to 47.d7 etc. So the engines give 46...cxb3! 47.Qb2 (47.axb3?? loses as now 47...Re2+ 47.Rxe2 Qxc3 48.d7 loses to 48...Qc6+ and 49...Qxd7) bxa2, when 48.d7 Rd8 49.Qxa2 Qe4+ leaves Black with at least the better part of equality.

43.Bd5 Bxd5 44.exd5 Qe1+ 45.Kg2 Re8

The engines agree the position is completely equal, but it is a position in which a mistake is easilly made

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46.Qc2 Qe4+!?

Keeping queens on may be more circumspect.

47.Qxe4 Rxe4 48.d6 Re8 49.Kf3

The engines reckon 49.g4!? may give a tiny pull.

49...f5 50.d7 Rd8

What should White play?

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51.Rd1?

The engines reckon 51.g4 maintains complete equality.

51...Kf7 52.Ke3?!

It is not clear if White can save the game, but he had to generate counterplay for the coming loss of the d pawn, eg 52.g4, although 52...fxg4+ 53.Kxg4 Ke6 is good for Black.

52...Ke6 53.a4 Rxd7 54.Ra1 Rd4 55.a5 Rb4 56.Rb1 Kd5 57.Kd3?!

White is lost anyway, but this allows a simple combination.

57...Rxb3+ 58.Rxb3 c4+ 0-1