(GOTM)  Supplementary Game #1 / August, 2004.  

Supplementary Game (# 01) for the August (2004) / "Game of The Month."  
(From TWIC # 508.)  

An extraordinary game ... in many, many different ways. An unusual opening leads to a very unusual  
and somewhat bizarre position  ...  ending off with some crazy tactics.  

(I am also pretty sure that this was a rapid play-off game, played at a very accelerated time control.)
 {One web site said 15 minutes - for the entire game, plus an increment of 10 seconds per move.}    

*****************************************************************************
The ratings are accurate, and are the ones that were assigned to this game when I downloaded it. 
(Of course, it was completely UN-annotated at this point!)  

 1.e4 g6;  ('!?')   {Diagram?}   
OK ... the game starts off as a Modern Defense, (Also called the Ufimtsev/Robatsch Defence by several chess books.); though a transposition to a Pirc, or even a K.I.D. (King's Indian Defense) is also still possible.  

Almost needless to say - this is a completely "Hyper-Modern" type of opening!  

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***   

Now White - naturally! - grabs the center, by shoving his QP two (squares).  
 2.d4 d6;  {Diagram?}   
Black plays a good prophylactic move. (The move, ...d7-d6; controls the e5-square, it will allow Black to develop his QB, and it will also partially discourage White from playing the Pawn advance, e4-e5.)  

     [ Also fully playable for Black is the move:    = 2...Bg7;  {Diagram?}   
        getting the Bishop to the ... "long" diagonal. ]    

 3.Nc3,  (develop!)   {Diagram?}   
A very good and solid move ... and one that adheres to all four of the basic Opening Principles.  

     [  Another tack for White is to play c2-c4 in this position.  

         For example:  3.c4 Bg7;  4.Nf3 Nf6;  5.Nc3 0-0;  6.Be2 e5;  
         7.0-0 Nc6;  8.d5 Ne7;  "~"  ("+/=")   {Diagram?}      
         and we have reached   ...  "The Mar del Plata Variation,"  
         of the  King's Indian Defence.   
         (A 'Main Line' variant of the Classical K.I.D.);  

   *************************************************************  

        In his younger and bolder days, the great Spassky would often try the move 
        of:   3.h4!?,  {Diagram?}   in this position. (This idea is often the prelude to 
        a quick King-side attack.)   

        Play could now proceed:   3...Bg7;  4.h5 c5;  5.d5 gxh5!?; {Diagram?}    
        Corrupting his K-side Pawn Structure.   

            ( Or if: 5...Nf6!?;  then  6.h6!,  "+/=" )     

        6.Nc3 Bxc3+!?;  7.bxc3 Nf6;  8.f3 Rg8;  9.Ne2! Qa5!?;  
        10.a4 b5!?;  {Diagram?}    This is risky for Black here.  
        ('?' - GM Andrew Soltis.)   

            (Much safer was  >/=  10...Nbd7;   {Diagram?}      
              although White retains a solid plus in this position.)     

        11.Bd2! bxa4;  12.c4 Qa6!?;  {Diagram?}  
        What is Black doing?  

            ( >/= 12...Qc7!;  13.Nf4, "+/=" )     

        13.Nc3 Bd7;  14.Kf2 Qc8;  {Diagram?}   
        Black is two (sick) Pawns ahead, and so offers to jettison one of them, 
         ...  but Spassky has other ideas.  

        15.Bf4!! a5!?;  (dubious!)  {Diagram?}  
        To secure the b4-square but Soltis says that this move is ... "rather pointless." ('?!')    

        16.Bd3! Na6;  17.e5! dxe5;  18.Bxe5 Nb4;  {Diagram?}    
         Now Black's King-side falls completely apart.   

        19.Bxf6 exf6;  20.Bxh7 Rg7;  21.Rxh5 Kf8;  22.Qd2! Bg4!?;   {Diagram?}  
        Black is lost, this is known as move of  {pure}  "desperation"  in the chess business.  

  *******  

        MANY  years ago, I wrote a chess editor of a state magazine. I asked him why not Qf4! 
        for White in this position? He responded that the move, "was a silly blunder - that dropped 
        a whole Rook." He then went on to say, that I was a young rookie that still "had a long 
        ways to go,"  and I should check my analysis before bothering a busy person with such 
        silly nonsense.   

        23.Bf5!!,  (hmmm)  {Diagram?}     
        Andy Soltis makes the comment here:  "So simple. It's murder from here on." 
        (How typical!!)  

            ( Also winning was: 23.Rh4!, "+/-" )      

        23...Bxf5;  24.Rh8+ Rg8;  25.Qh6+ Ke7;  26.Re1+ Kd7?;  {Dm?}    
        Ugly - according to the box, the move of ...Be6; was forced.  

            ( Or Black could play:  (>/=)  26...Be6!?[];  27.Rxe6+!! fxe6;      
               28.Qh7+ Kd6[];  {Diagram?}       
               Going to the back row allows RxR/g8 and its check-mate.       
               29.Nb5+! Ke5;  30.Qe4#. )       

        And now the elegant move:    27.Qxf6!,  "+/-"  (Nice!!)  {Diagram?}       
        Black RESIGNS  ... as White has:  "Too many threats,"  according to Andy Soltis.  

        Boris Spassky - Anatoly Ufimtsev;    
        25th National Championship Tournament / (Semi-final qualification stage);    
        Rostov-on-Don, U.S.S.R.;  1958.     

       [ See the most excellent book:  "The Best Chess Games of Boris Spassky," 
         by Andy Soltis.  Copyright (©) 1973, by the author, (and the publisher.). 
         Published by David McKay Books of New York City, NY. (U.S.A.)   
         Game twelve (# 12);  page # 47. ]  ]   

 3...c6!?;  4.f4 d5!?;   {Diagram?}   
Black wishes to fix the center.  

   *********************   

     [ Black could also play:   4...Bg7!?;  5.Nf3 Bg4!?;  {Diagram?}  
        This is part of Black's plan.   

            ( Or Black can try the very wild line of:  5...Nf6!?;   
               6.Be2 b5!?;  {Diagram?}  but White is still better. )      

        6.Be3 Qb6;  7.Qd2! Bxf3;  8.gxf3 Nd7;  9.0-0-0 Qa5;    
        10.Kb1 0-0-0;  {Diagram?}     The end of the column.   

            ( Or 10...b5!?; 11.f5!?, "+/=" {D?}  with a solid edge to White. )        

        11.Rg1 Kb8;  12.Rg5 Qc7;  13.d5 Nb6;  14.dxc6 bxc6;      
        15.Qd3,  ("+/=")  (Initiative)  {Diagram?}     
        White maintains a small, but a very solid, - plus from here.   

        GM Judit Polgar (2587) - IM Colin Crouch (2439);   
        ICT / Annual year-end Tournament / Hastings, ENG; 1992-1993.   
        (White won a VERY wild and also a very interesting & tough game!)   
         {1-0, in only 38 total moves.} 

         [ See MCO-14, page # 371;  column # 01, and note # (d.). ]  ]   

   *********************   

 5.e5 Nh6;  ('!?')  {See the diagram - just below.}   
I guess Black has never heard all the trite warnings about placing a horse on the edge 
of the board!  

 {Black wants the f5-square.}  

 ************************* 

 ************************* 

This is a fairly rare position ... I could only find about 15 total games 
in all the databases with this particular set-up.  

     [ Also possible is: 5...h5!?; "~" ]   

Both sides continue to develop in this odd and unusual opening system.   
 6.Nf3 Bg4!?;  7.Be3 Qb6;  8.Rb1!?,  {Diagram?}    
Simple ... strong ... effective.  

Find this position in your opening books and monographs!   I {triple} dare you!  

     [ Also playable was:  8.Qd2!?, "~"  ]   

 8...Nf5;  9.Bf2 e6; "="   10.Be2 c5!?;  (hmmm)   {Diagram?}    
This break/lever on White's center looks good ... but now Black will run into trouble   
from this position.   

     [  Maybe just:  >/= 10...Nd7; "="  ]    

 11.Na4! Qa5+;  12.c3 Bxf3!;  13.Bxf3 Nxd4!?;  14.Bxd4 cxd4;     
 15.b4! Qc7;  {Diagram?}    
This is virtually forced here.   

     [ Black should not play:  </=  15...Qa6?!;  as  16.cxd4!,  "+/="  {D?}   
        leaves White with a solid plus. ]   

 16.cxd4!,  {Diagram?}    
Very simple and strong  ...  White (now) has a very solid edge from this particular position.  

     [ Less effective was:   </=  16.Qxd4!? g5!!; "=/+"  {Diag?}   
        and White gets into trouble. ]     

 16...a5?!;  (hmmm)  {Diagram?}    
This move looks very natural, but most programs see an instant jump in their evaluations 
of the overall game score after this.  

     [ Maybe safer was the continuation of: 
       (>/=)  RR16...Nc6!;  17.a3!? b5!;  18.Nc5 Bxc5;  19.dxc5, "~"  {D?}    
       White could be a tiny bit better in this position, but I prefer an overall 
        evaluation of 'unclear.' ]    

 17.b5 Bb4+;  18.Kf2 Nd7;  19.Rc1 Qd8;  20.Qd3, "+/="  {Diagram?}   
Using obvious and straight-forward moves, White is slowly gaining a very appreciable 
edge in this position. (Maybe - '±')  

     [ Also very good was:   20.Qe2!?, "+/="  {Diagram?}    
         with a nice plus for White. ]   

 20...g5?!;  (Maybe - '?')  {Diagram?}    
Much too violent ... and also completely unnecessary here. 
(Deep Junior notices a very large jump in the mathematical 'scores' 
  of the position after this move.)   

     [ Black should probably play:   >/=  20...Nb6![];  21.Nxb6 Qxb6;  22.a3 Be7;     
       23.Rhf1! 0-0!?;  24.Kg1, "+/="   (space)  {Diagram?}      
       entering the opposite-colored Bishops type of game. White is still solidly better,  
       yet the second player may have good chances for play and to try and draw. ]   

 21.fxg5 Qxg5;  22.Rc7,   {See the diagram ... just below here.}     
ALERT, ALERT!!  A pig on the 7th!  

 ************************* 

 ************************* 

--->   Now Black cannot castle  ...  as he will hang the Knight on the d7-square.  

     [  The move of:  22.Qe3!?,  "+/="  {Diagram?}   
         was also pretty good for White.  ]   

 22...Nxe5?;  {Yuk!}   {Diagram?}    
Black gets two Pawns for the "Springer" ... but that is hardly enough for this position.  
(Black was probably short of time in this position.)  

     [ Black's only move was to play the forced-looking move of: 
       >/= 22...Rb8[];  {Diagram?}   hang tight, sweat a lot ...  
       and maybe mutter a couple of "Hail Mary's" here. ]   

 23.dxe5 Qxe5;  24.Rhc1!?,  {Diagram?}   
Good enough ... to win.  

     [  I prefer:  >/=  24.Rxb7!,  ("+/-")  {Diagram?}   just grabbing the Pawn here.  ]    

The rest really needs no comment, Black has insufficient compensation for the cavalry unit.  
 24...Rd8;  25.Qe3!? Qxh2;  26.Qg5 Bd6;  27.Rxb7,     
 27...Rf8;  28.Rc2!?,  (hmmm)   {Diagram?}      
OK, and good enough to score the full point, but hardly the best move for White in this 
position. (Both sides were probably already very short of time here.)  

     [ The alert move of:  >/=  28.Nc5!,  {Diagram?}   
        won instantly for White. ("+/-") ]   

 28...h6;  29.Qf6 Qg3+;  30.Ke2 Bb4!?;  31.Rc1 Ba3?;  {Diagram?}    
The final straw. (The only move to prevent mate here, was ...Qg5.)  

 32.Rcc7,  ("+/-")   {Diagram?}     Black Resigns ...    
the second party probably can no longer prevent an eventual mate.  

A game of wild positions and hair-raising tactics. Neither King was really safe in the middle game!  
(A good game by Rublevsky, usually I do not use "fast" games for my GOTM feature, but here I  
 made an exception.)  

  ************  

 Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I 
  Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2004 & 2005.  All rights reserved.  

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