| |
July 5, 2010
Following the Utah G/60 Championship, Enrique Arce-Larreta annotates one of his favorite games for us, an Evans Gambit against Richard Papalia of Salt Lake City. Two exciting Queen sac opportunities resulted from this wild game, though both were unfortunately overlooked.
C52
° Arce−Larreta, Enrique . . . . . . 1915
• Papalia, Richard . . . . . . . . . . . 1085
Game in 60 Championship 16.02.2008
[by Enrique Arce−Larreta]
60'+5"/99 192MB, Fritz8.ctg, BLD60-04
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 I was happy to play the Evans Gambit. I had spent the past three days looking at several games and lines in it. ...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 One of the main moves. 6.d4! Adopting the modern treatment. In the 19th century, the main line ran:
[6.0-0 Qf6 which Steinitz played several times against Chigorin, who found excellent ways to play it as White. It was Lasker who presented the correct continuation by (6...d6 7.d4 Bb6!)]
6...exd4 7.0-0 dxc3 Taking this third pawn is not recommended by Kasparov in his book, My Great Predecessors, and I followed his line. 8.Qb3 Qe7 [8...Qf6 9.e5 Qg6 (9...Nxe5? 10.Re1 d6
11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Qa4+ c6 13.Qxa5) 10.Nxc3 Nge7 11.Ba3 0-0 12.Rad1 Is similarly uncomfortable for black as in the game.]
9.Ba3 d6 [9...Bb4 10.Bxb4 Nxb4 (10...Qxb4 11.Bxf7+ Kf8 12.Nxc3 Qxb3 13.Bxb3) 11.Nxc3 and White still has uncomfortable pressure.]
10.Nxc3 I was still following a famous Steinitz game, which I had studied, and therefore had only used about ten total seconds of think time. Richard had used about half his time already.
10...Bxc3 The idea is to avoid tactics against the Bishop on a5 and to simplify to make the defense easier. 11.Qxc3 f6 [11...Ne5 12.Nxe5 Qxe5 13.Qc2 Nf6 14.Bb2 Qc5 15.e5! Nd5 16.exd6 cxd6? 17.Qe4+ Be6 18.Rad1? (18.Rac1!) 18...Nc7? (18...Nc3!) 19.Bxe6 Nxe6 20.Bxg7 Rg8 21.Qxh7 Ke7 22.Rfe1 Qg5!? Looks like Black is now winning, but it is White to move and win. 23.Rxe6+! Kxe6 (23...fxe6 24.Bh6+) 24.Qe4+ Kd7 25.Qxb7+ Ke626.Re1+ Kf5 27.Qxf7+ Kg4 28.Qf3+ Kh4 29.Qh3# Steinitz-Strauss, 1860.]
12.Qb3?! [12.Bd5 Bd7 13.Rfe1 0-0-0 14.Rab1 with pressure on the cooker seems justified. There is also a Steinitz game which continues Be6? 15.Rxb7 Kxb7 16.Qxc6+ Kc8 17.Qa6+ Kd7 18.Bc6# Steintz-Gray, 1872.]
12...Nh6 13.Rad1 Rb8? This gives up any chances. I saw nothing wrong with 13...Nf7 14.Bb2
0-0 This seems to point out the failure of Whites plan with 12.Qb3.
14.Bd5 threatening to capture on c6. 14...Bd7 15.Rc1 renewing the threat on c6. 15...Qd8 Black is in trouble; he can't castle anymore, and White can build up an attack. 16.Rfe1 Na5?
Diagram
17.Qc3 Even better was 17.e5! A) 17...Nxb3? 18.exd6+ Kf8 (18...Be6 and the machine spits out 19.Rxe6+ Kd7 20.Rxc7+ Qxc7 21.Re7+ Kc8 22.dxc7 Nd4 23.Nxd4 Rd8 24.cxd8R+ Kxd8 25.Ne6+ Kc8 26.Rc7# ;This also leads to mate, but it takes longer 18...Qe7 19.Rxe7+ Kd8 20.dxc7+ Kc8 21.cxb8R+ Kxb8 22.Bd6+ Ka8 23.Rxd7 Na5 24.Rcc7 Rb8 25.Bxb7+ Nxb7 26.Rxb7 Rxb7 27.Rd8+ Rb8 28.Rxb8#) 19.dxc7+ Qe7 20.cxb8Q+ Be8 21.Bxe7# ; B) 17...fxe5 18.Qc3 And we obtain an
improved version of the actual game's attack.
17...c5 [17...c6 18.Bxd6 Rc8 (18...cxd5? 19.exd5+ Kf7 20.Bxb8) 19.e5! is also bone crushing.]
18.e5 fxe5
Diagram
Relatively better was 18...Kf8 but black is still lost after 19.e6 Bxe6 (19...Be8? 20.e7+) 20.Rxe6
19.Nxe5 This is not really a piece sacrifice, as a little calculation shows the Knight to be immune.
19...Kf8
Diagram
[19...dxe5 20.Qxe5+ Kf8 21.Bxc5+ Qe7 22.Qxe7#] 20.Nxd7+ There are many ways to win. I had a huge time advantage here. Papalia only had about 15 minutes left and I did not consider the
sacrifices on c5. This move grabs back material, but notice that Black's problems in the game -- his h8 Rook and h6 Knight cannot be deployed after the exchanges. I have a dominating position after the exchanges.
[20.Qxc5! The second possible queen sac of the game. A) 20...dxc5 21.Nxd7+ Qxd7 22.Bxc5+ Qe7 23.Bxe7+ Ke8 24.Rc7 It's mate in four no matter what Black does. White threatens discovered check, then Black selects which side of the board he will be mated on. Nf5 25.Bg5+ Ne7 26.Rcxe7+ Kf8 ( 26...Kd8 27.Rxg7+ Kc8 28.Be6# ) 27.Rf7+ Kg8 28.Rf6#; B) 20...g6 21.Qxd6+ Kg7 22.Bb2; C) 20...Qe7 21.Qxd6 Qxd6 22.Bxd6+ Ke8 23.Nf7+ Be6 24.Rxe6+ Kd7 25.Re7#;
D) 20...Nf5 21.Qxd6+ Nxd6 22.Bxd6+ Qe7 23.Nxd7+ Ke8 24.Rxe7+ Kd8 25.Nc5 Nc6 26.Ne6+ Kc8 27.Rc7#; E) 20...Be6 The only move 21.Qxd6+ Qxd6 22.Bxd6+ Ke8 23.Bxe6 Brutal ] [The bishop sacrifice also works: 20.Bxc5! Nf5 21.Qh3! Almost everything wins, but Fritz now says
+20]
20...Qxd7 21.Qxa5 b6 protecting the a7 pawn. Notice how Black's kingside Knight and Rook are stuck.
22.Qc3 Re8 23.Bb2 Rg8 24.Bxg8 24.Qf3+! Is even stronger. Richard resigned here, a little disgusted with his play.
1-0
|
