Benko Gambit players are very comfortable playing one pawn down in whether in the opening, middlegame or the endgame. I find it useful against heavily computer-assisted opponents because the pawn deficit messes up the program's assessments. This time round, I had a great opening and middle but gave up the tremendous Queenside pressure to go one pawn up instead. Wolfgang happily returned and invested another pawn to liquidate into the drawn Rook and pawns endgame. Why didn't I keep up the pressure? I guess the lure of winning back my gambit pawn with another one to boot was too irresistible. Not much of a Benko Gambit player huh?

I had the pleasure of sharing the post-mortem analysis with my opponent here. It's pretty obvious he has worked harder than me when his position stood worse.

Kordts,W (2229) - Tay,J (2200) [A58]
CM-097 IECG, 2000
[Wolfgang Kordts / Junior Tay]

Kordts: I wanted to try a new plan against Volga Gambit, so I looked at my database. This line has scored almost 70% for White. Tay: This variation is a favourite of young OTB GM Alexandrov who has used the h4-h5 motive to spark off a kingside attack with great effect.

Tay: Necessary in my opinion. Why would anyone want to chance opening the h-file when Black is operating virtually on the Queenside? [10...0-0?! 11.h5 Ne5 12.hxg6 hxg6 13.Qc2 Qa5 14.Bg2 Bc8 15.Bh3 Bxh3 16.Rxh3 Rfb8 17.Kf1 Qb4 18.Kg2 Qb7 19.f3 Ra6 20.g4 c4 21.Qd1 Qa8 22.Qe1 Ned7 23.Be3 Rxb2 24.Bd4 g5 25.Rd1 gxf4 26.g5 Ng4 27.Bxg7 Kxg7 28.Qh4 Qg8 29.Qxg4 Ne5 30.Qxf4 Ra8 31.Rdh1 Ng6 32.Qd4+ 1-0 Aleksandrov,A-Kochetkov,G/BLR-ch Minsk 1996/EXP 53 (32)]

[Kordts' stem game preparation 11.Bh3 0-0 12.f3 (Tay's stem game preparation 12.Qc2 Ne5 13.0-0 Qb6 14.Rb1 Bc8 15.Bxc8 Rfxc8 16.b3 Nfg4= Yusupov-Topalov, Vienna 1986) 12...Ne5 13.g4 hxg4 14.fxg4 Nfxg4 15.h5 g5 16.Rg1 Bc8? (16...gxf4! 17.Bxg4 e6!µ) 17.Ne6 Bxe6 18.dxe6 f5 19.Bxg5 Qb6 20.Qc2 c4 21.0-0-0 Ne3 22.Bxe3 Qxe3+ 23.Qd2 Qxd2+ 24.Kxd2 Kh7 25.Kc2 Nc6 26.Rdf1 Ra5 27.e4 fxe4 28.Rxg7+ Kxg7 29.h6+ Kxh6 30.Rxf8 Nd4+ 31.Kd1 Re5 32.Rc8 e3 33.Bf1 Nxe6 34.Bxc4 Nd4 35.Rf8 e6 36.Rf4 Nf5 37.Bxe6 e2+ 38.Ke1 Ne3 39.Re4 Nc2+ 40.Kxe2 Nd4+ 41.Kd3 Nxe6 42.Rxe5 dxe5 43.Ke4 Nc5+ 44.Kd5 Nd3 45.b3 Kg5 46.Ke4 1-0 Vladimirov,B-Bistrikova,E/St. Petersburg 1992 (46)]

[13.f3 Qb6 14.g4 hxg4 15.fxg4 Nfxg4 16.h5 g5 17.Ng2© Kordts]

Tay: White's plan is to abandon the Queenside and to aim for g2-g4 / gxh5 / Nxh5 / Nxg6 and Ne6 threats but due to Black's pressure on the centre, it never got started. I spent 5 days working out whether the g3-g4 break was dangerous and concluded I could carry on the Queenside operations. [14.b3 Nfg4 15.Rb1 Rfb8 16.Bd2 Bc8 17.Kg2 Qb4 18.a4 c4 19.bxc4 Qxc4 20.Rxb8 Rxb8 21.Rb1 Rxb1 22.Qxb1 Qd4 23.Be1 Kh7 24.a5 Nc4 25.Ne4 Qa7 26.Ng5+ Kg8 27.Qb5 Qc5 1-0 Brinck-Claussen,B-Sorensen,J/Copenhagen 1987 (27)]

Kordts: Trying to get the same position a move earlier than in Meyer,B-Sprinkhuizen,A (see inserted game) [15.Kg2 Bc4 16.Rg1 Ra7 17.Kh2 Qb7 18.Qd2 Qa8 19.g4 hxg4 20.fxg4 Bxa2 21.g5 Nh5 22.Nxh5 gxh5 23.g6 fxg6 24.Be6+ Kf8 25.Qf4+ Bf6 26.Qh6+ Ke8 27.Bg5 Nf3+ 28.exf3 Rxb2+ 29.Kh3 Bxc3 30.Rgc1 Be5 31.Bf4 Ra3 32.Qxg6+ Kd8 33.Bxe5 dxe5 34.Qxh5 Rf2 35.Bg4 Qxd5 36.Rd1 Rd2 37.Rxd2 Qxd2 38.Qxe5 Ke8 39.Qxc5 Rb3 40.Qc6+ 1-0 Meyer,B-Sprinkhuizen,A/corr 1989 (40); Tay: The agressive 15.g4 does not work though Black has to be careful 15...hxg4 16.fxg4 Nfxg4! (16...c4+ 17.Kg2 Nexg4 18.h5 gxh5 19.Nxh5 Qd4 20.Nxg7 Kxg7 21.Rf4 Ne3+ 22.Bxe3 Qxe3 23.Rf3 White has activated all his pieces ; 16...Qb4 17.g5 Nfg4 18.Ne6! fxe6 19.Rf4 Bc4 20.Bxg4 Nxg4 21.Qxg6 Ne5 22.Qxe6+ Kh8 23.h5 with attacking chances; 16...Nexg4 17.h5 gxh5 18.Nxh5 Nxh5 19.Bxg4 Nf6 20.Rf4„) 17.h5 gxh5 18.Nxh5 c4+ 19.Kg2 Ne3+ 20.Bxe3 Qxe3 21.Nxg7 Kxg7 22.Rh1 Both of us reached this position in our analysis and concluded Black stands better.]

[16...Bb3 17.Qb1! (17.Qd2 Qb4! 18.Nd3 Nxd3 19.Qxd3 Qd4! 20.Bg5 Bc4) A) 17...Qa6 18.g4 hxg4 (18...Bxd5!? 19.gxh5 gxh5 20.Qf5 Bxf3 21.Rxg7+ Kxg7 22.exf3 Nxf3+ 23.Kg3 Nd4 24.Qg5+ Kh8 25.Qh6+ Nh7÷) 19.fxg4 Rb4 20.g5 Nfd7÷ Kordts; B) 17...Bc4= Kordts]

17.Rg2 [17.g4?! Bxe2! 18.Qxe2 (18.Ncxe2 Nxf3+ 19.Kg3 Nxg1 20.Nxg1µ) 18...Qxe2+ 19.Nfxe2 Nxf3+ 20.Kg3 Nxg1 21.Nxg1 Rb3!? (21...Nxg4³) 22.Nge2 (22.axb3 Rxa1µ) 22...Ne4+ 23.Kf3 Nxc3 24.bxc3 hxg4+ 25.Bxg4 Bxc3 26.axb3 Bxa1³ Kordts]

[18...Nfg4+!?]

Kordts: Goodbye g4! White has to hope for a draw.

[20.Nd3 Nxd3 21.Qxd3 Qd4! 22.Bg5 (22.Qxd4? cxd4 23.Ne4 Nxe4 24.fxe4 Bxa2-+) 22...Ra7³; 20.g4 Nc4 21.Qe1 hxg4]

Tay: Now White's Kingside buildup looks silly (but watch how he inches his way out!) [20...Qd4 21.Qf2! Kordts] 21.Bxg4

[21.fxg4 hxg4 22.Rf2 gxh3 23.Kxh3 Qd4 24.g4 Qxe3+ 25.Bxe3 Nc4 26.axb3 Nxe3 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 28.Rf3 Nc2³ Kordts]

[22.Rf2 Qd4 23.Kg2 Qxe3 24.Bxe3 Nc4 25.Bc1 Bxc3 26.bxc3 Bxa2 27.fxg4 Ne5 28.Kh3 Bxd5 29.Rxa8 Bxa8µ Kordts]

Tay: Now White has to forgo all aspirations on the Kingside

Here we had this conversation... Kordts: Draw offer! Tay: I'll like to play on! Kordts: Rightfully so! Black is better here. Interestingly, Kordts admitted he stood worse here. Not many would reveal their feelings during the course of a game (Tay). [25.Nxg7?! Qxe3 26.Bxe3 Nxf3+ 27.Kh3 Kxg7-+; 25.Qe4 e6!? 26.dxe6 Bxe6 27.Nxg7 Kxg7 28.g4 d5 29.Qf4 Rh8+ 30.Kg3 Kordts; 25.Kh1 Qxe3 26.Bxe3 Nxf3 (26...Bc4 27.Nxg7 Kxg7 28.Bf4 Nxf3 29.Rf2 Rh8+ 30.Kg2 Nd4) 27.Rf1 Bc4 28.Rxf3 Bxc3 29.bxc3 Bxd5 30.Rff2 Rb1+ 31.Kh2 Bxg2 32.Kxg2 Ra1 33.Kf3 R8xa2 34.Rxa2 Rxa2 Kordts]

25...Bh6! Kordts

[25...Nc4 26.Qe2 Be5; 25...Qxe3 26.Bxe3 Nd3 27.Rd2 (27.Nxg7 Nxf2 28.Nf5 Nd3 29.Nxe7+ Kf8 30.Nc6 Rb6 31.a3 Bxd5 32.Nxd5 Rxc6) 27...Ne5 28.Kg2 Nc4 29.Re2 Bxc3 30.bxc3 Nxe3+ 31.Rxe3 Kf8; 25...Bh8 26.Qg5+ Ng6 27.Be3]

[26.Qxd4?! cxd4 27.Bxh6 dxc3 28.bxc3 Bxd5 Kordts/Tay. Once again, both parties reached this position in their analysis though Kordts went a bit deeper with 29.Bf4 Nxf3+ 30.Kh3 Rb5 31.g4 Ra3µ Kordts] 26...Bc4 [26...Kh7 27.Kh1! Rg8 28.Qe1± Kordts; 26...Bxf4 27.gxf4 Nd3 28.Rg2+ Kf8 29.f5 Nxc1 30.Qxd4! cxd4 31.Rxc1 Bc4 32.b3!= Kordts]

[28.Bxf4?? Nd3 is curtains (Tay)]

[29.Qe3 Nh4!µ Kordts; 29.Be3 Qh8+ 30.Kg1 Nh4 31.b3 Ba6 32.Bd2 Ra7! 33.Rc1 Qh5 34.Qe3 Rb4µ Kordts]

Kordts: Killing my last hope! [29...Bxd5?! 30.Nxd5 Qxd5 31.Rg5 (31.Qxe7 Kg7µ) 31...Qxf3 32.f5 Rb4 33.Qg3! (33.fxg6? Raa4! 34.gxf7+ Kxf7-+) 33...Qe2+ 34.Kg1 (34.Kh3 Qf1+ 35.Kh2 Kf8 36.fxg6 Raa4-+) 34...e6 Tries to win, but... 35.fxg6!! (35.Rxg6+ fxg6 36.Qxg6+ Kf8 37.Bh6+ Ke7 38.Qg7+ Kd8 39.Qf8+ Kc7 40.Qxa8 Rg4+-+) 35...f6 36.Qh3! Qe1+ 37.Kg2 Rh4 38.Re5!!± What a move! (Kordts)]

[30.Rg5 Qh8+ 31.Kg1 Nh4 32.Qf2 e6 33.dxe6 fxe6µ Kordts; 30.Qe4 Nh4! Kordts; 30.Qg3 Kg7! Kordts]

Kordts: Gives me new hope! Tay: After the game, Kordts stated that this was my mistake as I should not have allowed the trade of Queens with my huge initiative and his weakened King position. I wanted to put my King into safety first and didn't think much of White trading Queens as this would have led to a material deficit for him. I could have waited a move...couldn't I? [30...Nxf4!? 31.Qxd4 cxd4 32.Bxf4 dxc3 33.bxc3 Bxd5 34.Kg3 Rc8µ Kordts; 30...Qf6!? 31.Kg1 Ke8 32.Be3 Kd7 Kordts/Tay. Black has access for his rooks to the Kingside and the pressure on the Queenside and centre continues.; 30...Qh8+!? 31.Kg1 e6!? Kordts]

Tay: Going from one pawn up to one pawn down but White's position is far easier to play than before.

Kordts: I didn't think about this move! [32...Bxd5! 33.Nxd4 Rb4! Tay: I missed this in analysis (33...Rxa2 34.Rxa2 Bxa2 35.f5 Nf8³ Tay) 34.Nc2 (34.Be3 Nxf4) 34...Rba4 35.Kg3 Bxa2µ Kordts]

not an obvious move [34.Re4 d2 35.Bxd2 Rxb2 36.Rd4 Nh4 37.Kh3µ Kordts; 34.Rf2 Nh4 35.Kg1 Kd7 36.Kf1 Nf5 37.Rg2 Rh8µ Kordts; 34.Re1 d2 35.Bxd2 Rxb2 36.Red1 Nxf4 37.a4 Nxd5µ Kordts]

Tay: egging Black to liquidate into the Rook and pawns ending

[43.Rc7 Rb3+ 44.Ke2 e5 with winning chances. Kordts/Tay]

Tay: At this point, Kordts wrote "Still hoping?" I offered the draw here.