Shock And Awe
Most chess enthusiasts have any number of friends who share their love for the battle on 64 squares, and in playing them on a regular basis, their strengths and weaknesses in their conduct of the game usually become apparent. Once in a while this can induce us to play openings and variations that are experimental, dubious, or downright bad.
But when we come to our senses, and realize our opponent has outplayed us in, for instance, the opening phase of the game, the remainder of the game can take on a whole new character. When that occurs, what manifests itself is the type of chess described in Edward Lasker's (brother of former World Champion, Emmanuel Lasker) book, Chess For Fun & Chess For Blood, with which many of us are familiar.
The following game, from match play, started out as the former variety of chess-solely for fun. However, after Black's King's-side becomes compromised through reckless play, the sobering reality set in that the game would probably be lost for him, if not for chess of the latter variety-for blood. The game lives up to the adage, "Don't count your match a win, until you achieve or demonstrate the checkmate."
Before the game can transition into the middlegame stage, Black is forced to sacrifice material to buy time to Castle QR, and in the middlegame he has to avoid trading off heavy pieces, or else face a losing endgame. Despite much care and planning to realize this plan, he finds his winning chances diminishing, even with various mistakes and inaccuracies made by his opponent.
The endgame resulting from Black's struggle to equalize and deliver a combinational knock-out earlier in the game looks bleak, but in desperate situations, sometimes what remains to be tried is a bit of flim-flam--expounded on in detail in the book Chess Traps: Pitfalls And Swindles, by I. A. Horowitz & Fred Reinfeld.
1980 Hrostowski-Davisson Match Rd. 2
Dutch Defence (A80)
April 13, 1980
WHITE: H. Davisson BLACK: J. Hrostowski
1. d4 f5
Position after 1...f5
J. Hrostowski
H. Davisson
Black's 1...f5, in reply to White's 1. d5, earmarks this opening as a Dutch Defence, with which Alekhine created a masterpiece of a game against Bogolyubov in their 1922 Hastings encounter.
2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bg5 Nfd7
An eccentric continuation that is not recommended. 4...Nbd7 was slightly better, but perhaps best was 4...d5! White manages to obtain a strong initiative because of the text.
5. e4 h6
A much too risky method of proceeding. Black's vulnerability extends down the e8-h5 diagonal. The alternative, albeit an unpleasant one for Black, is 4...fxe4 5. Nxe4.
6. Bh4?
Retreating to d2 is White's best option, which avoids giving up a piece for two pawns. There might have followed: 6...fxe4 7. Nxe4 e6 8. Qe2 g5 9. O-O-O, and White stands ready to begin a King's-side attack.
6...g5 7. Nxg5
Black enjoys an appreciable advantage after either 7. Ng1 Nf6 8. e5 Ng4 9. h3 dxe5 10. hxg4 exd4 11. Bb5+ c6 12. Bxg5 dxc3 13. Qxd8+ Kxd8 or 7. Ne5 Nf6 8. Ng6 Rg8 9. Nxf8 Rxf8 10. e5 dxe5 11. dxe5 gxh4 12. exf6 Rxf6 13. Qxd8+ Kxd8.
7...hxg5
Protecting h5 from the intrusion of White's Queen, but leaving Black's King too exposed nonetheless.
8. Bxg5 Nb6
Avoiding capture of the pawn at e4, which would give White time for the attacking continuation 9. Be2 Nf6 10. Bxf6 exf6 11. Bh5+ Ke7 12. Nd5+ Kd7 13. Bg4+ Kc6 14. c4 b6 15. Bxc8 Qxc8 16. Nxf6, and Black's King is stuck in the center.
9. h4
This move is indicative of White's desire to reach an endgame in which his advanced passed pawn could be a telling advantage.
9...Bg7 10. h5 Be6 11. h6 Nc6!?
A multi-purpose sacrifice; it draws White's pawn off d4, enabling Black to play ...Bxc3, doubling White's pawns on the c-file, and it helps clear the back rank so Black can Castle QR.
12. d5 Bxc3+ 13. bxc3 Nxd5!?
The purpose of this further sacrifice is two-fold: it diverts White's e-pawn to the d-file, maintaining Black's f-pawn as an obstruction along the file, and it buys time for Black to get in ...Qd7, preparatory to Castling.
14. exd5 Qd7
Black's efforts, directed at ...O-O-O, have been costly. White, who is about to gain a winning material advantage, was no doubt congratulating himself on his good fortune at this point, and appears to become complacent about increasing his pressure by means of 15. Bc4! Bf7 16. dxc6 Qxc6 17. Bxf7+, which would have prevented Black from Castling QR.
15. dxe6?
Given a question mark for the above-mentioned reason, as well as for allowing Black a checking recapture.
15...Qxe6+ 16. Be2?
More consistent with the idea of simplifying when in possession of a piece advantage would have been 16. Qe2, leaving Black with little else than 16...Qg8 17. Bf6 Rh7 18. Qh5+, and Black loses the Castling privilege.
16...O-O-O 17. Kf1
A prudent defensive move, in that it unpins the KB and strengthens g2 in anticipation of Black's QR attacking along the g-file.
17...Rdg8 18. Qd2?!
Position after 18. Qd2?!
J. Hrostowski
H. Davisson
Developing the Queen in defence of the Bishop at g5 and the pawn at c3 has a 'natural' appeal to it, unlike 18. Bd2, which unobstructs the g-file, or 18. f4, which restricts the Bishop's mobility and creates holes at e3 and g3, yet it permits Black to get in a tactical shot which culminates in a central pawn advance.
18...Qg6! 19. f4 e5 20. Bh5?
Position after 20. Bh5?
J. Hrostowski
H. Davisson
Choosing to move the correct piece, but to the wrong square. With 20. Bc4! White would have gained control of the a2-g8 diagonal, preventing Black's next move, as well as strengthening the defence of g2.
20...Qe6
20...Rxh6 21. Bxg6 Rxh1+ 22. Ke2 Rxa1 23. Bxf5+ Kb8 24. Be6 Rh8 25. f5! Rh2 26. Bd5 e4!? 27. Ke3! leaves Black with no winning chances.
21. Re1?
Had White relocated the Rook to d1, there might have been a simplification, e.g., 21. Rd1 Qxa2 22. Be2 Rh7 23. Kf2 e4 24. Qd5! Qxd5 25. Rxd5 Ne7 26. Bxe7 Rxe7.
21...Qxa2
A speculative continuation, which could have led to sharp play: 22. fxe5 dxe5 23. Bf6 Rh7 24. Bxe5 Nxe5 25. Rxe5 Rd7 26. Qc1 Qc4+ 27. Kg1 Qxc3. White could also initiate this variation with 22. Bf6 Rh7 23. fxe5 dxe5 24. Bxe5 Nxe5 25. Rxe5 Rd7, and vary with 26. Qe3. Then Black must exercise caution and avoid playing 26...a5? because 27. Qa7! leads to mate.
22. Be2 Qf7
Position after 22...Qf7
J. Hrostowski
H. Davisson
Leaving the Queen somewhat out of play on the Queen's-side could be disastrous: 22...Kb8? 23. Qd3 e4 24. Qb5! Qxc2 25. Bf6 Qd2 26. Qxf5 Rf8 27. Rd1! Qc2 28. g4!, and White's passed pawns are menacing.
23. Bh5?!
Overlooking redeployment on the Queen's-side: 23. Bb5 e4 24. Bxc6 (if instead 24. Kf2 Ne7 25. Qd4 Kb8 26. Bc4 d5 27. Bb3 Rh7 28. Bxe7 Qxe7 29. Bxd5 Rd8, with a troublesome pin on the Bishop at d5) 24...Qc4+ 25. Kf2 Qxc6 26. Qd4 Qc5 27. Qxc5 dxc5 28. Rd1 Rh7 29. Ke3, and White should have no problem winning.
23...Qe6 24. Rh4
Position after 24. Rh4
J. Hrostowski
H. Davisson
Positional consolidation with 24. Rd1 Rh7 25. Kf2 Ne7 26. Bxe7 Rxe7 27. fxe5 dxe5 28. Qd5 Qb6+ 29. Ke2 seems more reasonable, particularly since 29...Rg3?? loses to 30. Qd8 mate. A more accurate flanking continuation, e.g., 24. Rh3 Rh7 25. Be2 Kb8 26. Rb1 Na5 27. Rb4 e4 28. Ra4 b6 29. Ba6 Qd7 30. Rb4, is also playable.
24...e4
(Off The Beaten Path (Page 2)
