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This is a game that I worked on for some time. I played through many games in the most recent issue of the TWIC I had before settling on this particular contest. Most of the time, the game I choose is one that is being looked at by other on-line {chess} news services and chess news websites. But for the last few weeks, none of the games being covered really appealed to me. (Except for the Kasparov - versus - Fritz_X3D Match ... which I am covering on another web-site completely dedicated to that topic.) Since none of the games 'in the spot-light' really were worthwhile ... in my opinion ... I wound up playing through at least 200 games in the most recently available issue of TWIC, (then # 472); to find one game I thought was: A.) Reasonably attractive; B.) Contained at least a fair degree of fighting content; C.) Was an opening that was relatively interesting; D.) It was a game that I thought I could make instructive and something the average player could learn a lot from. It took at least two weeks to annotate this game, I worked on it from one to four hours almost every day. And while it is {probably} far from perfect, I am sure the average player could learn from this contest. I certainly hope it is both entertaining and something of value to players under 1800. |
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This
is basically a text-based page. (With just a few diagrams.)
I strongly suggest that you use a
chess set.
Click HERE to see an explanation of the symbols I use.
(I could not find this game on the "re-play" server.)
********************************************************
I tried to provide a light repertoire - for anyone who is unfamiliar with the variations and lines used here.
GM
A. Wojtkiewicz (2571) -
GM P. Blatny
(2494)
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An extremely interesting game ... from the New York Masters.
(The opening almost defies really
complete classification.)
Both players slug it out in a contest
played at a faster than normal time
limit. White winds up
sacrificing two
pawns, but gets a very strong initiative.
Worse yet, the first player emerges
from
the opening with a significant
edge on the clock. Eventually an
ending is reached that people stood
on their chairs to watch. The only
real question, is ... "WHO ... is better?"
Some people claim endings with both
sides having ---> Two Rooks are
technical and boring. To
me they are
exciting and replete with mating threats
and little motifs not found in most other
types
of endings.
*************************************************************************
The ratings are those of FIDE,
I believe, and are the ones that
were given to this game in the
TWIC database.
1.Nf3,
The Reti Opening ... which the great Richard Reti both
used and invented. This opening
has many ideas - mainly fast
development and delaying the
use of the center-pawns until the
middle-game ... when you already
know how your opponent has
arrayed his Pawn Structure.
(A truly Hyper-Modern idea.)
According to the database, this player
(GM A. Wojtkiewicz); now uses the
Reti ...
almost exclusively.
One can play the Reti to head for a
certain line, or you can play this
opening as, ...
"a transpositional weapon." ... ... ...
But playing the opening in this way,
(effectively);
requires a virtual 'PhD'
of opening theory and knowledge.
(To know - and have more than a
casual knowledge of all the openings
involved, or that you
could transpose
to - is beyond the ken of even the
average Grand-Master!)
[ When I played this
{same} GM many years
ago, (a big-money tourney in FL);
I am relatively sure he used the
more standard: 1.d4,
{Diagram?}
with a slight edge.
I won't bore you with the game ... suffice it to say that he defeated me. ]
1...b6!?;
Black opts for an immediate and
quick development of the QB.
Whether or not this is OK ... or some
other approach is better ...
is for the
opening experts to decide. (I think it is OK.)
If Black wants to play ... "a pure
Dutch," he can play 1...f5. See the
article from
"ChessPublishing.com"
in the December, 2003 issue of the
'Chess Life' magazine.
(Page # 17.)
[
A line that occurs much more
often - especially at the master
level - is the following line:
1...d5; 2.c4 e6!?;
{Diagram?}
According to the CB statistics, this is the most common move here.
( The other major alternative for
Black is the move: 2...c6; {Diag?}
which is also a pretty good
line for Black here. )
3.b3 Nf6; 4.g3 Be7; 5.Bg2 0-0;
6.0-0 c6; 7.Bb2 Nbd7;
8.d3, "+/="
{Diagram?}
when White holds a definite edge.
The first recorded instance of this
particular line recorded in the DB
was by Richard Reti in 1923.
GM R. Vaganian -
GM V. Akopian; GMA Qualifying Tournament (final)
Moscow, RUS; 1990.
(This game was drawn in 55 moves.);
************************************************************
Black can also try:
1...Nf6; 2.g3!?,
{Diagram?}
Trying to keep things very
hyper-modern.
( The move 2.d4, {Diagram?} is more usual at the master
level, although c4,
(on move
two here); is also {statistically}
very popular. )
2...d5;
3.Bg2 c6; 4.0-0 Bg4; 5.d3 Nbd7;
6.Nbd2 e5; 7.e4 dxe4;
8.dxe4
Bc5; 9.h3 Bh5; 10.Qe1 0-0; 11.Nc4
Re8; 12.a4,
"+/=" {Diag?}
and White has a small but very
solid edge in this position.
GM L. Aronian -
GM Z. Hracek;
Team Championship
/Bundesliga 000f
/
Germany, 2000.
(The game was eventually drawn.)
]
Both sides now continue to develop
their pieces ... in a manner fairly
consistent with their first move.
2.g3 Bb7;
3.Bg2 e6; 4.0-0 f5; ('!?')
With this move we have transposed
from the Reti to a kind of Dutch.
(1.d4, f5; 2.Nf3, Nf6; 3.g3, e6; 4.Bg2, b6!?; etc.)
This is a fairly rare line, and is not even in many opening books.
[ A little more usual would be the
following moves:
4...Nf6; 5.c4 Be7;
6.d4 0-0; 7.Nc3, {Diagram?}
with a transposition to the opening
known as, "The Queen's Indian
Defense."
(One of the most popular
openings of the 1980's, especially
at the Master level.)
I remember one U.S. Championship
that I attended during this period. I
think
nearly half of all the games on
the top boards involved this opening. ]
5.c4 Be7;
6.d4 Nf6;
Both sides have developed in a
manner that is fairly normal for
the fianchetto variation of the
Dutch Defense. (Or - if you really
prefer - the fianchetto/Dutch
Defense to the Reti.)
This actual position ... as far as I can
determine ... was reached first in the
following contest:
GM A. Alekhine - GM R. Reti; Karlsbad, GER; 1923.
(A draw in under 40 moves.)
*************************
White now tries a very interesting, and somewhat thematic pawn
advance ...
designed to disrupt, and possibly
destroy, Black's pawn chain.
7.d5!?,
To me a move like this means that
the first player wants a fight.
The only significant game I could find
in the database, with this position, was
the following
encounter: GM I. Novikov - GM P. Blatny;
Millenium Festival, 2000.
(I believe this was the first time that
this variation - with the advance of
the d-pawn - was played between
two strong players.)
[ Of course it is also good for
White to simply develop in this
position. E.g.,
7.Nc3 0-0;
{Diagram?}
when White has a good game, ("+/=")
but both sides have a fairly good
chances from this position.
The first known example of this
line is a game between the great ... ... ...
GM Akiba Rubinstein (White)
and
the fairly well-known GM Rudolph
Spielmann.
(Prague, CZE; 1908.)
A more current example is the
following contest:
GM M. Cebalo - GM S. Djuric;
National Championship Tourn./Yugoslavia, 1986.
(White won a very long game.
This last game is probably key to
learning the correct
way to handle
this line for White.) ]
7...Qc8!?;
Black needs to protect both his
Bishop and his e6-pawn ... or
risk losing material.
It is more usual to castle first, but I see no way to exploit Black's move order.
[ A {former} student and I looked
at this game on-line one night.
(He is rated "Class B" USCF. He
was also using some type of
hand-held {chess-playing} computer,
mainly to eliminate big mistakes.)
The following line is just a sample
of what can happen to Black in
this
particular variation ... if he
decides to capture on d5:
7...exd5!?;
(Maybe - '?!')
{Diagram?}
This is risky, as it breaks down
Black's Pawn Chain ...
and exposes several squares as
a positional weakness.
8.Nh4!, {Diagram?}
To me this is the most thematic,
as White - I would want to target
the d5-square with all of my pieces.
( Also very good is the move: 8.Nd4!, {Diagram?}
with many of the same ideas. )
8...g6; 9.Nc3! Ng4!?;
10.h3 Ne5; 11.Nxd5 Bxh4!?;
12.gxh4 0-0?; {Diagram?}
The move ...Nbc6; was probably
forced here. But Black missed
this ...
he even said (typed)
something like: "Let me get
castled before you kill me."
Black's mistake is instructive.
( Of course not: </= 12...Qxh4??; 13.Nxc7+,
{Diagram?}
and White is winning. ("+/-") )
13.Bg5 Qe8; {Diagram?}
This is forced.
( But Black should not play
the move: 13...Qc8??;
as now the reply is: 14.Ne7+, which forks Black's
King and
Queen. (Winning for White. "+/-") )
14.Ne7+ Kg7; 15.Bxb7, ("+/-")
{Diagram?}
At this point, Black was wise
enough to concede defeat.
*******************************************
Slightly more usual is for Black to
play castles here. But after:
7...0-0; 8.Nd4 Qc8;
{Diagram?}
we have just transposed back into
the game. ]
8.Nc3 0-0;
9.Bg5,
Strategically the most consistent
move, although other moves were
possible.
(White is trying to dominate
d5 - to make the Bishop on d7 look
ineffective -
whereas Black is trying
to break free on that square.)
[ Interesting was:
9.Bf4,
"~" {Diagram?}
with a viable position for both
sides here.
*******
Another possibility was:
9.a3 a5; 10.Rb1!? Na6;
11.Nd4 Nc5; 12.Qc2,
"~" {Diag?}
also with a wildly unclear position.
(Both sides have good play.) ]
9...Na6!?;
A good developing move ... but
also very obligatory. Black might
soon feel
a little "pinched" for
space in this position.
[ Worth a thought was the move:
>/= 9...a5; ('!')
{unclear?}
{Diagram?}
to try and secure the c5-square
for the Black Knight here.
(With the idea of: ...Na6;
followed by ...Nc5.) ]
Both sides now continue to develop in a fairly normal fashion.
Deep Junior likes Ne5
here, but the
move chosen by White appears
to
be both reasonable and playable.
Personally I prefer
Bxf6 as the most
consistent move.
This would also
avoid the loss of material that now
ensues.
10.Rc1!? Nc5;
11.b4!?, {See the diagram, given
just below.}
Very obligatory, the first player
is forced down a fairly narrow line.
But it is also very sharp and
the most challenging method of
meeting Black's set-up.
(White's last move was fairly
consistent with his previous moves.
Yet now White
either intentionally
gambits a Pawn ... or loses it.)
***************
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***************
After having spent more than two
weeks working on this game, I can
definitely tell you I think
White's little
gambit is probably unsound. But
given the time limit this game was
played at, I find
it rather difficult to
be extremely critical.
I asked - via email - about 2 dozen
friends and students who was better
in this position. There was
no clear-cut agreement ... as many felt White
was better as those who preferred
to be Black in this
position. (I think the position is close to being
equal, but the programs are already
leaning toward
SLIGHTLY favoring
Black here.)
An IM on ICC - who is also a very
strong postal player - told me ...
that
Qd4 is a good move here. (!?)
**************************************************
[ Another very sharp move here
was the try:
11.Nb5!?;
"~" {Diagram?}
so that if ...Nce4!?; then White will
simply respond with Bf4.
*******
One program likes the move:
11.Bf4!?,
"=" {Diagram?}
in this position. And while possibly
playable, it appears to me to be just
a waste of time. ]
**************************************************
11...Nce4;
12.Nxe4!?,
An extremely sharp move by White,
and probably the idea Alex had when
he played b4.
(The main drawback to
this move is that White is now virtually
forced to play a {somewhat
dubious}
gambit, and I am not at all sure of its
soundness.)
*************************
[ White could also play:
(>/=) 12.Bxf6 Rxf6;
13.Qb3, "=" {Diagram?}
but I doubt if White holds much
of an advantage in this position.
(This approach may have been
wiser for White than the way the
game was
actually played.)
*******
Also interesting was: 12.a3,
{Diagram?} but I doubt if White maintains
too much of an edge here.
(Actually, this move was initially
suggested by
one of my students.
Now that I look at it, Black prolly
has a win, but I will
leave you to
discover the method.) ]
*************************
12...fxe4;
This is virtually forced for Black,
as the alternative of capturing with
the Knight loses a piece.
[ </= 12...Nxe4??; 13.Bxe7, "+/-" ]
White's next move is virtually forced.
(If White were to try Bxf6?, Black
would then respond with PxN/f3,
winning material.)
13.Nd4 Nxd5!;
{Diagram?}
Black, at first glance, seems to win
a pawn with this move ...
but some
appearances can be deceiving.
Black wins material, but finds a tremendous amount of difficulty in finding the best plan.
I have no doubt that Fischer would
have won this game, (as Black); but
Fischer never had
to play chess at
the much more rapid modern time
controls that are in use today.
[ After the moves of:
13...exd5!?; 14.cxd5 Bxb4;
{Diagram?}
This could be Black's best bet.
( Or 14...Nxd5!?; 15.Bxe7 Nxe7; 16.Qc2,
"~" {Diagram?}
and White appears to have OK
chances from here. )
15.Bxf6 Rxf6; 16.Bxe4 Bc5;
17.e3 Qe8;
"~" {Diagram?}
Black appears to be doing well
in this particular position. ]
The next few ply seem forced.
14.cxd5 Bxg5;
15.e3 exd5;
This looks to be better for Black,
the computer considers Black to be
practically
winning from this position.
But although Black is two Pawns ahead,
he has difficulty in finding good squares
for his pieces,
and his light-squared
Bishop is partially bad. White has
tremendous play in this position.
[ An alternative for Black was:
>/=
15...Bxd5; 16.Qc2!? a5;
17.b5 Qb7!; 18.Qxc7 Rac8;
"/+" {Diagram?}
and Black appears to be clearly
better from this position.
Although I am not one-hundred
percent certain, this is probably
an
improvement over the game.
]
16.Qg4 Bf6!?;
17.Nb5 Bc6;
According to the computer, this is
the best move for Black, but I am
not so certain.
[ Pavel Blatny could have also played
17...c6; 18.Nd6 Qc7;
"/+" {Diagram?}
with a solid position for Black.
(I prefer this to the line that was
actually played in the game. But
to be fair,
Black's pawn structure
is just plain ugly. This could be why
Blatny did not
choose this line.) ]
18.Nc3 Bxc3!?;
Black gives up a good Bishop,
albeit for a Knight which could
pose significant problems
for the
second player here.
[ The other main alternative is for
Black to play the move:
>/= 18...Qe8;
('!') ("-/+")
{Diagram?}
in this position. {Which was probably
better than what had
happened in
the actual game.} ]
19.Rxc3 Qd8;
Black obviously wants to activate
the Queen, which has been placed
very passively thus far.
[ Also possible was:
19...a5!?;
"/+" {Diagram?}
when Black appears to be better. ]
Although there are many possibilities
over the next few moves, both sides
play reasonably well. In particular,
White tries to re-deploy his pieces to
more effective squares.
20.Rfc1 Qf6;
21.Qe2 a6; 22.Qd2 Rf7; 23.Bf1 Qd6;
This centralizes the Queen ... and
also hits the hanging Pawn on b4.
24.Qd4 Raf8;
25.R1c2,
Black has a few weaknesses here,
but nothing that looks fatal.
[ 25.R3c2!? ]
25...Ba4!?;
This looks OK ... but maybe
gives White something to play for.
[ The other
main alternative here
is for Blatny to try:
25...b5;
{Diagram?}
but this leaves weaknesses along
the dark squares and leaves his
Bishop
blocked by its own pawns. ]
26.Rd2 Bb5?!;
This appears to be a second-best
decision, the more trying move here
was to play ...P-QB3. (...c6)
[ I think better was:
>/= 26...c6;
"/+" {Diagram?}
when it is not clear how White
will organize his play from here.
***
The main point was that after:
27.Bxa6!?,
{Diagram?}
{Cute, but not tricky enough.}
( >/= 27.Qxb6 Bb5; "/+" ("-/+" ?) )
the move 27...b5;
"-/+" {Diagram?}
cuts off ... and traps the White
Bishop ... behind the lines. ]
The next few blows look to be
relatively forced.
27.Bxb5 axb5;
28.Qxd5 Qxd5; 29.Rxd5 Rxf2?; ('??')
{Diagram?}
This looks very dangerous for White,
but in actuality it allows Wojtkiewicz
a great deal of
counterplay.
From friends and contacts who live
in New York, I have been able to
gather that Black was
getting into
time trouble at this point in the game.
(You should also remember that this
entire event was played at a rather
accelerated time limit.)
[ A significant improvement was
the continuation of:
>/= 29...c6;
30.Rd2 Ra8!?; "/+"
{Diagram?}
and Black is clearly much better.
(One program considers Black to
be practically winning here.) ]
Now there will ensue ...
a DOUBLE-ROOK ending, one of
the most difficult in all the
realm of
chess. (Now the next few moves
are pretty much forced.)
30.Rxc7,
The correct way for White to capture
a Pawn in this position.
[ Worse is:
</= 30.Rxd7?! c5!;
"=/+" {Diagram?}
and Black is better in this position.
]
30...Rf1+;
31.Kg2 R8f2+; 32.Kh3 Rh1; 33.Rdxd7 Rhxh2+; 34.Kg4 g6;
{See
the diagram given - just below.}
At first blush, Black might appear
to be better, but once again ...
looks can be deceiving.
(A few students that I tested this
position on say White should play Rb7, with the slightly better game.)
***************
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***************
To be honest, White is better. His
Rooks are much more active than
White's are.
His King is much safer
than you might {first} think on g4.
(Although he must be alert for some
very sneaky mating ideas.)
The key to the win is to keep Black
tied down with mate threats and
slowly pick off the
Black Pawns on
e4 and on the b-file. While this might
sound simple in theory, it can be
VERY
difficult in practice. (I have seen
Masters go sadly astray in this type
of ending.
In fact, Black seems to
completely lose his way over the
course of the remainder of this
game.)
A very high degree of precision is called for if White is to win this game.
[ </= 34...h5+?!; 35.Kg5, "+/=" ]
35.Rg7+!,
The correct move. The Black King
is forced into the corner, when the
first player begins the
slow, but steady
and sure process of picking off all
of the second player's weak buttons.
[ Most computer programs want
to play the moves:
35.Ra7!?;
{D?} or the try
35.a3,
"+/=" {Diagram?}
when White is solidly
better
in either case. ]
35...Kh8;
Black probably thought he could
not lose his KRP in this position.
(And if this was his line of thinking,
he was probably correct.)
*************************
[ Not to be recommended was:
</= 35...Kf8?!; 36.Rge7 Rf5!?;
37.Rxh7, {Diagram?}
The only good move for White.
( NOT 37.Rxe4???? h5# ! )
37...Rxh7;
{Diagram?}
Probably the correct move for
Black in this position.
( Not 37...Rxa2??; 38.Rh8#. )
38.Rxh7 Rf3; 39.Rb7 Rxe3;
40.Rxb6 Ra3; 41.Rxb5,
41...Rxa2; 42.Re5,
'±' (Maybe "+/-") {Diagram?}
and White may have what could be
a straight-forward technical win. ]
*************************
36.Rge7 Rf8!?;
{See
the diagram just below.}
Black obviously did not want to
be mated on the first row of the
chess board here.
***************
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***************
White might be a tad better here,
but I am not completely convinced that
this a totally forced win for White.
*************************
[ No good for Black was the
following line:
36...h5+?; 37.Kg5 Rf5+?!;
38.Kh6!; ("+/-")
{Diagram?}
and Black is quickly mated.
*******
Maybe
36...Kg8!?;
"~"
{Diagram?} was worth a try?
(Going for a
repetition of the position.);
*******
Black could have played the
blunder:
36...Rf5 ???;
{Diagram?}
which threatens a
...
mate in one. (Pawn to KR4 or ...h5 mate.)
But White naturally responds:
37.Rc8+,
("+/-") {Diagram?}
with mate next move. ]
*************************
White now saves his a-pawn ... a good practical decision.
37.a3 g5?!;
(Probably - '?')
{See
the diagram ... given just below.}
This is a very poor move ... and I
have no idea why it was played.
***************
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***************
A guess was that Black thought he
could mate White's advanced King?
(Time pressure hallucinations?)
[ Better was:
>/= 37...Kg8!;
"~" {Diagram?}
(The
position is {approximately}
unclear.) ]
38.Rxe4,
White continues with the correct
plan of picking up coins while
keeping
Black's Monarch tied up.
*************************
[ The move
38.Rb7,
{Diagram?}
was also good for White.
("+/")
*******
Taking the pawn on g5 might even be playable for White.
After the continuation of:
38.Kxg5!? h6+!?; 39.Kg4 Rg8+;
40.Kf4,
40...Rf2+; 41.Kxe4 Rxg3;
42.Re8+ Rg8; 43.Re6!, '±' {Diagram?}
White is clearly better.
("+/") ]
*************************
Black - inadvisably - continues
with his 'ghost' attack against
White's King.
38...h5+!?;
('?!')
This looks like an inferior move ... and it may very well be just that.
But most of the damage has already
been done to Black's game ...
it may
even be beyond all recall.
[ Maybe ...Rg8; was a little better.
But after the moves:
38...Rg8; 39.Ree7 h5+;
40.Kf3 g4+;
41.Ke4 Ra8; 42.Kf5!,
'±' {Diagram?}
White is clearly much better, and
should eventually win.
(Fritz 8.0 - after almost 15 minutes
of analysis time - considers
White
to be {practically} winning here.) ]
White now plays his only legal
move available to him.
39.Kxg5 Rh3;
40.Re6!,
This move is excellent ... and sets
up the possibility of White 'hiding'
his King on h6.
[ 40.Ree7!? ]
40...Rxg3+;
Black has almost no choice here.
White now decides to capture a Pawn ... that in the long run, could be very dangerous.
41.Kxh5 Rh3+!?;
{See the diagram ... just below.}
If I were Black in this position, I
might play ...Rf1; with some (not
so hidden) threats to
White's
King.
[ E.g., 41...Rf1!?; 42.Rxb6?? Rh1#. ]
Now that Black's <delusional> mating web has evaporated, White has a relatively easy win.
But students of the game should
study GM A. Wojtkiewicz's technique,
and study it carefully!
(It is very good.)
***************
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***************
No further comment is really
needed - White wins without too
much trouble.
42.Kg4 Rh1;
43.Rxb6 Rg1+; 44.Kh3 Re8; 45.Rxb5 Rg6;
An attempt to safeguard his King.
[ The other move in this position is
to capture the e-pawn, but after
the following continuation:
45...Rxe3+; 46.Kh2 Rg7;
{Diagram?}
Black must keep one Rook near
his King.
( Of course not: 46...Ra1??; 47.Rb8+, ("+/-")
{Diagram?}
and mate next move. )
47.Rb8+ Kh7; 48.Rxg7+ Kxg7; 49.a4, ("+/-")
{Diagram?}
Black should simply resign.
]
46.Kh2 Kg8!?;
47.e4!? Rd8; 48.Rd5 Rf8; 49.Rd3 Ra8;
50.b5,
{Diagram?}
"+/-" Black Resigns.
Blatny does not care to continue, he is three pawns down and has not an ice cube's chance in ____.
A wonderful game by both players.
While this game was not flawlessly
played, it was played with a great
amount of 'fighting spirit' by both
parties. A truly magnificent struggle.
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Copyright (c) LM A.J. Goldsby I Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby. Copyright (c) A.J.G; 2003.
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All games - the HTML code was originally - Generated with the program, ChessBase 8.0.
All diagrams were created with the program - Chess Captor 2.25.
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This page was first posted on: Friday; December 12th, 2003. This page was last updated on 03/17/15 .
COPYRIGHT (c) A.J. Goldsby I; Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby; 1975 - 2014.
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2015. All rights reserved.
