[Event "Dublin SN70/5"] [Site "?"] [Date "1962.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Wade, Robert G"] [Black "Persitz, Raaphy"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D97"] [Annotator "Persitz, Raaphy"] [PlyCount "86"] [EventDate "1962.??.??"] [SourceTitle "StarBase 4.56"] [SourceDate "2004.11.04"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2004.11.04"] [SourceQuality "2"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 c6 8. e5 Nd5 9. Nxd5 cxd5 10. Qb3 Nc6 11. Be2 Bg4 12. O-O e6 13. Rd1 Qb6 14. Qxb6 axb6 15. h3 Bxf3 16. Bxf3 f6 17. Bg4 f5 18. Be2 Ra4 {[Unlike the majority of games that have, over the years, appeared in the Student's Corner, the following dour struggle between Bob Wade (White) and myself (Black), from Dublin, 1962, is in no way outstanding: it does not contain any brilliant combinations; it is not a positional masterpiece; it is certainly not devoid of mistakes. Nor is it amusing, or original, or of theoretical interest or particularly instructive. Yet (with the aid of the interspersed comments) it ought to give the student a pretty shrewd and realistic idea of the stuff competitive chess is made of: the endless number of laborious variations that have to be examined; the annoying little threats that must be attended to; the treacherous pitfalls to be sidestepped; the technical hurdles to be surmounted; the frustrating little details, indifference to which may be fatal; in brief, the drudgery that has become part and parcel of contemporary tournament practice, without which success is unimaginable.[#] White's position does not inspire much confidence: the straightforward 19 Be3, to protect the hanging d-pawn, will not do, because of 19...f4 20 b3 Rb4, etc, whilst if 19 Bb5, simply 19...Rxd4. After 40 minutes' reflection, White hits upon a drastic solution which displays a profound understanding of the position.]} 19. b4 $1 { [The idea behind this remarkable move is as simple as the move itself is startling: since White's central pawns exercise a cramping influence on Black's king's flank, he will go out of his way to hold on to them, even if this involves jettisoning both his queenside pawns. Black's b-pawns will be subjected to a frontal attack along the b-file.]} Nxb4 $2 ({Frittering away most of his advantage. Admittedly, neither} 19... Rxb4 $5 20. Ba3 Rxd4 21. Bxf8 ) ({nor} 19... Nxd4 $5 20. Rxd4 Bxe5 21. Bb2 Bxd4 22. Bxd4 Rxb4 23. Rd1 { yields Black any superiority.}) ({But the tranquil} 19... Rfa8 {does. For example,} 20. a3 Rxb4 $1 21. Be3 (21. axb4 Rxa1) 21... Rb2) 20. Bb5 $1 (20. a3 $2 Nc2) 20... Rxa2 $2 ({Unnecessarily jeopardizing the black knight, thus handing over the initiative to White. The safe course is} 20... Raa8 21. a4 Nc6 {, with roughly equal chances.} (21... Rfc8 $2 22. Bd7) ({or} 21... Kf7 $2 22. Ba3)) ({Less good is} 20... Nc2 $2 21. Bxa4 Nxa1 22. Bb2 Ra8 23. Bd7 Nc2 24. Bxe6+ Kf8 25. Bxd5 {when White's connected passed pawns carry the day.}) 21. Rxa2 ({After} 21. Rb1 Nc6 (21... Na6 $2 22. Bd7) 22. Bxc6 bxc6 23. Rxb6 Rc2 { White does not appear to have enough for his minus pawn.}) 21... Nxa2 22. Bd2 Ra8 ({When playing 20...Rxa2?, Black had originally planned to follow it up with} 22... Kf7 {, preparing for 23...Rc8-c2 (which is not feasible right away on account of 23 Bd7). At this stage, however, he noticed that 22...Kf7? would enable White to trap his displaced knight by means of} 23. Ra1 Ra8 24. Bd3 { -b1. Hence the text move, whose aim is to rescue the knight - after 23 Ra1 Bf8 24 Bd3 Ra3 25 Bb1 - by way of 25...Nc1!}) 23. Rb1 Kf7 24. Bd7 $2 ({If} 24. Be2 {, 24...Rc8 or 24...Ra4 suffices. For example,} Rc8 ({or} 24... Ra4 25. Bd1 ( 25. Rxb6 Rxd4 26. Rxb7+ Kg8 27. Rb8+ (27. Rb2 Ra4) ({and} 27. Be3 Rb4 28. Ra7 Nc3 {are both innocuous}) 27... Kf7 28. Rb7+ Kg8 29. Rb8+ {, with a draw by repetition of moves}) 25... Rxd4 26. Rb2 Nc3 $1) 25. Rxb6 Rc2 {,etc}) ({ More promising, however, than 24 Bd7 is} 24. Rb2 $1 {, with 25 Rc2-c7 to follow, whereupon Black would find it extremely difficult to avoid the loss of his weak e-pawn.}) 24... Ke7 ({On} 24... Ra6 {comes simply} 25. Bc8) 25. Rxb6 ( {Now} 25. Bb5 {, so as to continue 26 Rb2-c2 as in the previous note, as in the previous note, can be met by} Rc8 $1 {, viz.} 26. Bg5+ Kf7 27. Bd7 Rc7 $1 { or 27 Rb2 Nc3!.}) 25... Kxd7 ({Keeping the game alive, in preference to the scrimmage} 25... Bxe5 26. Bxe6 $1 Bxd4 27. Bg5+ Bf6 28. Bxf6+ Kxf6 29. Bxd5+ { , which peters out into a draw.}) 26. Rxb7+ Kc6 {[The king is destined to play a leading part in the ending.]} 27. Rxg7 {[The game now enters a new and tricky phase. White's king is out of play; but so is Black's knight.]} Ra4 ( 27... Kb5 {, in order to answer 28 Re7 with 28...Ra6, is too slow;} 28. Rxh7 Kc4 29. Be3 {(or 29 Rg7), and White's h-pawn becomes dangerous}) ({After} 27... Ra4 {, on the other hand,} 28. Rxh7 {tends to favour Black, i.e.} Rxd4 29. Bg5 Rd1+ 30. Kh2 d4) 28. Re7 ({This is superior to} 28. Be3 Nc3 29. Rxh7 ({better: } 29. Re7) 29... f4 $1 30. Bd2 (30. Bxf4 $2 Ne2+) 30... Ne2+ 31. Kf1 {(best)} Nxd4 {, with advantage to Black.}) 28... Rxd4 29. Rxe6+ Kb5 {[#]} 30. Be3 Re4 { [Keeping a watchful eye on the e-pawn.]} ({Setting Black a discreet pitfall:} 30... Rd1+ 31. Kh2 d4 32. Rd6 $1 d3 (32... dxe3 33. Rxd1) ({and} 32... Kc5 33. Bxd4+ $1 {are no better}) 33. e6 {and White wins.}) 31. Rb6+ Kc4 32. Rc6+ Kd3 ( 32... Kb5 $2 33. Rc5+) 33. e6 Nc3 ({The knight returns from the cold. Instead} 33... d4 {loses outright to} 34. Rd6 {, threatening R(or B)xd4(+).}) 34. Rd6 ({ If} 34. Bc5 {or, more playfully,} Re1+ ({then either simply} 34... Ne2+ { , followed by 35...Nd4}) ({or sharply} 34... d4 35. Rd6 {(forestalling ...Nd5 and threatening Rxd4+)} Nb5 36. Rb6 Kc4 37. Bf8 d3) 35. Kh2 Ne4 36. Be3 f4 { (37 e7 fxe3).}) 34... f4 {[Warding off 35 Bg5, and depriving the white king of access to the flight square g3.]} 35. Bc5 ({The alternative is} 35. Bb6 { (threatening 36 Bd8, 37 e7, 38 Rf6, and 39 Rf8, etc.)} Re1+ 36. Kh2 Re5 37. Bd8 Ne4 38. Rd7 {, with a draw after} Rxe6 (38... Nxf2 39. Bh4 $1 Ne4 40. e7 g5 41. Rxd5+ Rxd5 42. e8=Q gxh4 43. Qf7 {being advantageous to White.}) 39. Rxd5+) 35... Re1+ 36. Kh2 Kc4 ({Abstaining from} 36... Ne4 $2 37. Rxd5+ Kc4 {, which goes down to} 38. Re5 $1) 37. Bb6 {[Angling for 38 Bd8, followed by e7, Rf6-f8 and e8Q.]} Ne4 38. Rd7 (38. Rc6+ Kb5 39. e7 {would lead to disaster after} Nd2) ({Likewise, if} 38. Ba5 $2 Ra1 {menacing three black pieces.}) ({Lastly, if} 38. Rd8 Ng5) 38... Nd2 ({Attacking the e-pawn and threatening mate in three moves, commencing with 39...Nf1+. To} 38... Nf6 {White retorts} {but} 39. Re7 { , with a level position.} ({not} 39. Rd6 Ne8 $1 40. Rc6+ Kb5) ({nor} 39. Rc7+ Kb5 40. Bd4 Rxe6)) 39. Ba5 {[Making the draw inescapable.]} Nf1+ 40. Kg1 ({ Of course, if} 40. Kh1 $4 Ng3+ {and mates next move; which goes to show that other things being equal, double check cause more damage than discovered ones.} ) 40... Nd2+ 41. Kh2 Nf1+ ({On} 41... Rd1 {(41...Re2 42 e7), White's safest course is} 42. g4 {, when Black does not appear to have anything more promising than} (42. Bxd2 {(instead of 42 g4)} Rxd2 {favours Black}) ({, while the consequences of} 42. h4 h5 {(threatening 43...Nf1+ 44 Kh3 Ng3!) are obscure.}) 42... Nf3+ 43. Kg2 Nh4+ 44. Kh2 Nf3+ {, drawing by perpetual check.} ) 42. Kg1 Ra1 {[A last, albeit harmless, gesture: Black renews the mating threat 43...Ng3+, etc.][#]} 43. g4 $1 Nd2+ ({The careless} 43... fxg3 $2 44. Kg2 $1 Rxa5 {would invite White to queen his passed pawn after} 45. e7 Ra8 46. Rd8 {(46...Ra7 47 e8Q)}) (43... Nd2+ {In anticipation of} 44. Kg2 (44. Kh2 Nf3+ 45. Kg2 Nh4+ {and so on}) 44... f3+ 45. Kh2 Nf1+ {and so on and so forth. If White deviates with 45 Kg3, he gets somewhat the worst of the ending after 45.. .Ne4+.}) 1/2-1/2