Marfia,J (2000) - Tay,J (2194) [B76]
IEGC Tournament 217
[Tay, Junior]

JM: (Is that still "Ni hao" in Singapore? - meaning "How do you do in Mandarin) I am 50 years old, and work for two small cities, Lowell and Belding, in the western part of the State of Michigan; I assess property for the property tax. I have five children, ages 29, 29, 25, 15 and 2. One of the 29-year-olds is now living in Taiwan with his sweetie - I think they plan to be married soon! And the two-year-old was just adopted from Jiangxi Province, PRC, last August. We named her Rebecca Jade - I understand that jade keeps you young. Our little Jade certainly is keeping us busy! I hope we have an interesting game. This is my first IECG event; so bear with me while I learn the ropes!

JT:Ni Hao! This is my first IEGC tournament too... For that matter, it's my first correspondence tournament ever. I'm an elementary school teacher, married but with no kids. Are you the guy who translated "Zurich 1953?". Great stuff!

JM: Thanks. That was eons ago - when I was in college. I went through the Russian edition once, just to play over the games and read the commentary; then I got the idea that, if I typed up my translation, it might make more sense to me (Russian is HARD!). After a couple run-throughs, I thought, Maybe I should look for a publisher. Fortunately, there was a master in town with an advanced English degree. The fact that the translation reads so well is, I think, due at least as much to Jack O'Keefe as to me. Whatever - it's a wonderful book, and deserves the widest possible audience. Now, if I could get the same kind of audience for "64" magazine...

JT: Sure did the rest of us non russians alot of good!

Dvoirys' idea. With hindsight, I think White can't lose in this variation.

JT: So far, I've failed to anticipate your last two moves!

JM: Well, here's one you should recognize!

[and I did a lot of homework here only to find out how pathetic Black's score in this variation is. All the assessments are by GM Boris Alterman courtesy of Chessbase Magazine. 11...Qc7 A) 12.exd5 Nxd5 (12...exd5 13.Qd2 Re8 14.Bf4 Qa5 15.Nb3 Qb4 16.a3 Qe7 17.Bg5 Be6 18.Nb5 d4 1-0 Dvoirys,S-Los,S/Groningen op (01) ;EXP 38 1993 (35)) 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.Qd2 Re8 Rxe3 (14...Bxd4 15.Bxd4 Nxd4 16.Qxd4±; 14...h5 15.Nb5 Qe7 16.Bg5 Qe5 17.c3 Be6 18.Bf4 Qf6 19.Bg5 Qe5 20.Re1 Qb8 21.Bh6 Qd8 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Nd4 Qf6 24.Rd1 Rac8 25.Bb5 a6 26.Be2 Rfe8 27.Nxc6 - Kramnik,V-Alterman,B/URS-qualJ Sochi ;EXT 90 1990; 14...Qe5 15.h5 Re8 16.Bf2 Nxd4 17.Bxd4 Qxd4 18.Qxd4 Bxd4 19.Rxd4 Be6² 20.Bd3 1-0 Dvoirys,S-Alterman,B/Leeuwarden op (07) ;EXT 94op 1994 (40)) 15.h5 Rxe3 16.Qxe3 Bxd4! Strong new move.White gets slight edge, but Black position however is defendable. (16...Nxd4? 17.Rxd4 Bf5 18.Bd3 Qb6 19.Rhh4? Be4! 20.Rdxe4 Qxb2+ 21.Kd1 dxe4 22.Rxe4 Qxa2 23.hxg6 hxg6 24.Re7 - Shirov,A-Topalov,V/Dos Hermanas (04) ,CBM 53 1996 (29)) 17.Rxd4 (17.Qe8+ Kg7 18.h6+ Kf6 19.Rxd4 Nxd4) 17...Nxd4 18.Qxd4 (18.Qe8+ Kg7 19.h6+ Kf6 20.Qh8+ Ke7 21.Qxd4 Be6 22.Bd3 Qg3²) 18...Bf5 19.Bd3 Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Qe5 (20...Qc4 21.hxg6 hxg6 22.Qxc4 dxc4²) 21.hxg6 hxg6 22.Rd1 Rd8 23.Qd4 Qxd4 24.Rxd4 White has well-known but too small for the winning advantage. 24...b6?! (24...Kf8²) 25.Kd2 (25.b3 Kg7 26.c4 Kf6 27.cxd5 Ke5 28.Re4+ Kd6 29.Kd2 Rd7 30.Rd4 Ke5=) 25...Kg7 26.Kd3 Kf6 27.Rf4+ Ke6 28.Rh4 Ke5 (28...a5²) 29.Rh7 Rf8 30.g3 Ke6 31.c3 Re8 32.Kd4 Kf6 33.Rh2 Re5 34.a4 Rf5 35.Rf2 Ke6 36.Re2+ Kd6 37.f4 Rh5 38.Re5 f6 39.Re8 - Leko,P-Hodgson,J/Koop Tjuchem Groningen 1996/CBM 57/[Alterman,B]; B) 12.h5 Nxh5 B1) 13.exd5 exd5 (13...Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Bxd4 15.Rxd4 Qg3 16.Qe3 exd5 17.Nxd5 Kh8 18.Re4 Bf5 19.Re5 f6 20.Re7 Rad8 21.f4 Qxe3+ 22.Nxe3 Bc8 23.g4 Ng7 24.Bd3 f5 25.gxf5 gxf5 26.Nc4 Rfe8 27.Ne5 Rxe7 28.Ng6+ Kg8 29.Nxe7+ Kh8 30.Rh6 Be6 31.Rf6 Re8 32.Nxf5 Nh5 33.Rh6 Nxf4 34.Be4 Bxf5 35.Bxf5 Re7 36.Kd2 Kg8 37.c4 Rf7 38.Be4 Re7 39.Bc2 Kf8 40.Rxh7 Rxh7 41.Bxh7 Ke7 42.Ke3 Nh5 43.Kd4 Nf6 44.Bf5 Kd6 45.c5+ Kc6 46.b4 b6 47.Ke5 Ne8 48.Be4+ Kd7 49.b5 Nc7 50.cxb6 axb6 51.a4 Ke7 52.Bf5) B1a) 14.Nxd5 Qe5 15.Bc4 Re8 (15...Be6 16.Bf2 Qg5+ 17.Be3 Qe5 18.Bf2 Qg5+ 19.Qe3 Qxe3+ 20.Bxe3 Bxd5 21.Bxd5 Ng3 22.Rhe1 Nxd4 23.Bxd4 Bxd4 24.Rxd4 Rad8 25.Rd3 Rd7 26.Bc4 Rc7 27.Bb3 Kg7 28.Kd2 h5 29.Re5 h4 30.Ke1 Kf6 31.f4 Rh8 32.Kf2 Rh5 33.Rd6+ Kg7 34.Rxh5 Nxh5 35.Kf3 Re7 36.Bc4 b6 37.Bd3 f5 38.c4 Nf6 39.b4 Ng4 40.g3 Re3+ 41.Kg2 h3+ 42.Kxh3 Rxd3 43.Rxd3 Nf2+ 44.Kg2 Nxd3 45.a3 Kf7 46.Kf3 Nb2 47.Ke3 Nxc4+ 48.Kd4 Nxa3) 16.Qf2 Na5 17.Rh4 Bd7 18.Re4 Qd6 19.Bb3 Rxe4 20.fxe4 Qe5 21.Nc3 Nxb3+ 22.Nxb3 Be6 23.Bxa7 Qf4+ 24.Be3 Qxf2 25.Bxf2 Bxc3 26.bxc3 Nf4 27.g3 Nh3 28.Be3 Rxa2 29.Rd8+ Kg7 30.Nc5 Ra1+ 31.Kd2 Bg4 32.Bd4+ Kh6 33.c4 Rd1+ 34.Kc3 Ng5 35.Rb8 Rb1 36.Be3 Kh5 37.Bxg5 Kxg5 38.Rxb7 Rg1 39.Rxf7 Rxg3+ 40.Kd4 h5 41.e5 Rg1 42.e6 Rd1+ 43.Ke5 Re1+ 44.Kd6 h4 45.e7 h3 46.Rh7 Bh5 47.Ne6+ Rxe6+ 48.Kxe6 h2 49.e8Q h1Q 50.Qd8+ Kg4 51.Qd4+ Kh3 52.Qe3+ Kh4 53.Ke5 Qb1 54.Qe4+ Kg3 55.Rb7 Qa1+ 56.Qd4 Qe1+ 57.Kd6 Kg2 58.Rb3; B1b) 14.Ndb5 B1b1) 14...Qe7 15.Nxd5 Qe5 16.Nbc3 Re8 17.Bb5 Be6 18.f4 Qb8 19.Qh4 Qc8 20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Ne7+ Rxe7 22.Qxe7 Ng3 23.Rhe1 Nf5 24.Qa3 Qc7 25.Bd2 Rb8 26.Re4 a5 27.Rde1 Nd6 28.Rxe6 fxe6 29.Qc5 Qd7 30.Nd1 Rb5 31.Qe3 e5 32.Bc3 Bh6 33.g3 Nf5 34.Qf3 Qd6 35.Kb1 exf4 36.g4 Ng3 37.Nf2 Qd5 38.Ne4 Nxe4 39.Rxe4 Bg7 (39...g5) 40.Bxg7 Kxg7 41.c4 Rxb2+ 42.Kxb2 Qd2+ 43.Kb1 g5 44.Qb3 Kg6 45.c5; B1b2) 14...Qg3 15.Bf2 Qg5+ (15...Qf4+ 16.Be3 Qf6 17.Rxd5 Nf4 18.Rd6 Be6 19.Qd2 Nh5 20.Bg5 Qe5 21.g4 Ng3 22.Bf4 Nxf1 23.Rxf1 Qc5 24.Be3 Qc4 25.Rh1 Nb4 26.Bd4 Nxa2+ 27.Nxa2 Qxa2 28.Qh2 h5 29.Bxg7 Kxg7 30.Qe5+ Kg8 31.Nc3 Qa1+ 32.Nb1 Ba2 33.Kd2 Rfe8 34.Qf6 Bxb1 35.Rxh5 gxh5 36.Qg5+ Kf8 37.Qh6+ Ke7 38.Qf6+ Kf8 39.Qh8+ Ke7 40.Qf6+ Kf8 41.Qh8+) 16.Kb1 Be6 17.Nc7 Rad8 18.Nxe6 fxe6 19.Qxe6+ Kh8 20.Bh4 Qe5 21.Qxe5 Bxe5 22.Bxd8 Rxd8 23.Ne2 Kg7 24.Rh4 Nf6 25.Nc1 h5 26.Bd3 g5 27.Rhh1 h4 28.Ne2 Nh5 29.Bf5 Kf6 30.Bg4 Ng3 31.Nxg3 Bxg3 32.Rd2 d4 33.Rhd1 Bf4 34.Re2 Be3 35.c3 Bf4 36.Re6+ Kf7 37.cxd4 Ne5 38.d5 Nc4 39.Re2 Kf6 40.Re6+ Kf7 41.Rde1 Rxd5 42.Bh5+ 1-0 Mueller,K-Kurz,A/BL 1996/BL 90 (1996); B2) 13.Ndb5 Qg3 14.Bf2 Qf4+ 15.Be3 Qg3 16.exd5 exd5 17.Bf2 Qf4+ 18.Be3 Qg3 19.Nxd5 Qxe1 20.Rxe1 Ng3 21.Rg1 Nxf1 22.Rgxf1 Bd7 23.Rd1 b6 24.Bf4 Be6 25.Ndc7 Bc4 26.Rfe1 Bxb5 27.Nxb5 Rad8 28.c3 h5 29.Kc2 Bf6 30.Nd6 Bg7 31.b4 Rd7 32.Nc4 Rfd8 33.Rxd7 Rxd7 34.Re8+ Kh7 35.b5 Ne7 36.Ne5 Bxe5 37.Bxe5 g5 (37...g5 38.Bf6 Ng8 39.Bd4 Ne7 40.g4 hxg4 41.fxg4 Kg6 42.Rf8 Rd6 43.Ra8 Rd7 44.a4 f5 45.a5 fxg4 46.axb6 axb6 47.Bxb6 Rb7 48.Ra6 Nd5 49.Bd4+) ; B3) 13.g4 B3a) 13...Ng3!? Suggested by Nunn as a possible try in Beating the Sicilian 3. I decided that there are too many subvariations to work out so I prefered clarification with... 14.Rh3 (14.Rh3 Nxf1 15.Qxf1 dxe4 16.Qh1 Nxd4 17.Bxd4 Bxd4 18.Rxd4 f5 19.g5 Rf7 20.fxe4 Bd7 21.exf5 Bc6 22.Qd1 exf5 23.Rhd3 Raf8 24.Qd2 f4 25.Nd5 Qe5 26.Nf6+ Rxf6 27.gxf6 Qxf6 28.Rd6 Qe5 29.Rd8 Rxd8 30.Rxd8+ Kg7 31.c4 g5 32.Rd4 a5 33.Qc3 Qe3+ 34.Qxe3 fxe3 35.Rd3 g4 36.Rxe3 Kf6 37.Kd2 h5 38.Ke2 h4 39.Kf2 g3+) ; B3b) 13...Ng3; B3c) 13...Nxd4 14.Bxd4 B3c1) 14...Bxd4 15.Rxd4 B3c11) 15...Qf4+ the main line...I don't trust it...not when Dragon expert Alterman gets hacked up in this line.; B3c12) 15...Qe5; B3c13) 15...Qf4+ 16.Kb1 Ng3 17.Rh3 Nxf1 18.Qxf1 B3c131) 18...dxe4 19.Qh1 (19.Rxe4 Qf6 20.Qh1 Qg7 21.g5 h5 22.Qd1 e5 23.Rh2 Bf5 24.Nd5 Rfd8 25.Rd2 Rxd5 26.Rxd5 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b6 28.Rd7 Qf8 29.Qd5 Qe8 30.b3 h4 31.Qd3 Qe6 32.Rd6 Qe7 33.Qd5 Kg7 34.Rd7 Qe8 35.Qd6 Kg8 36.Re7 Qb8 37.Qd5 Qf8 38.Qxe5 Rd8 39.c4 Qg7 40.Re8+ Rxe8 41.Qxe8+ Kh7 42.Qe7 Kg8 43.e5 h3 44.Qd8+ Qf8 45.Qd7 Qb4 46.Qxh3) 19...Qf6 20.Rd2 e3 21.Rdh2 Rd8 22.Rxh7 Kf8 23.Qe1 Qf4 24.Ne2 Qf6 25.Qb4+ Ke8 26.Qa4+ Rd7 27.Rh8+ Ke7 28.Qa3+ Rd6 29.Rh1 Kd7 30.Qxe3 e5 31.a3 a6 32.R1h7; B3c132) 18...f6 19.Qd1 Qc7 20.exd5 exd5 21.Nxd5 Qf7 22.Nf4 Be6 23.Nxe6 Qxe6 24.Rd6 Qe7 25.Rd7 Rfd8 26.Qd5+ Kf8 27.Rxe7 Rxd5 28.c4 h5 29.Rxb7 Rc5 30.gxh5 gxh5 31.Rh4 a5 32.Rh7 Re8 33.R7xh5 Re1+ 34.Kc2 Re2+ 35.Kd3 Rxh5 36.Rxh5 Rxb2 37.Rxa5 Rf2 38.Ke4 Ke7 39.c5 Re2+ 40.Kd5; B3c14) 15...Qe5 16.Qd2 Ng3 17.Rg1 dxe4 18.f4 Nxf1 19.Rxf1 Qg7 20.g5 e5 21.Rd6 e3 22.Qxe3 exf4 23.Qxf4 Bh3 24.Rf2 Rae8 25.Nd5 Re1+ 26.Kd2 Qe5 27.Rh2 h5 28.Qxe5 Rxe5 29.Rxh3 Rxg5 30.c4 Kg7 31.Rd7 Rg4 32.Kd3 Kh6 33.Rxb7 f5 34.Rd7 f4 35.Rf3 h4 36.c5 Rg3 37.Ke2 g5 38.Rd6+ Kg7 39.c6 h3 40.Rf2; B3c15) 15...Qf4+; B3c16) 15...Qe5; B3c17) 15...Ng3 16.Rh3 Nxf1 B3c171) 17.Qxf1 dxe4 18.Nxe4 f5! B3c1711) 19.Ng5! Qg7 20.Qc4 b5 21.Qc5 h6 22.gxf5 gxf5 (22...hxg5 23.fxg6 Qf6 24.Rh6 a5 25.g7 Qxg7 26.Rh5) 23.Rdh4 Qxg5+ 24.f4 Qg7 25.Rxh6 Bb7 26.Rh7 Qxh7 27.Rxh7 Kxh7 28.Qe7+ Kg6 29.Qxb7=; B3c1712) 19.gxf5 B3c17121) 19...exf5 20.Ng5 h5 21.Qd3 Kg7 22.Rd6 Rf6 23.Rxf6 Kxf6 24.Qd2 Qc5= (24...Bd7 25.f4) ; B3c17122) 19...e5 20.Rc4 Qe7 21.f6!? (21.Rxc8 Raxc8 22.fxg6 hxg6 23.Qh1 Qg7 24.Ng5 Qf6 25.Ne4=) 21...Bxh3 22.Qxh3 Rxf6 23.Nxf6+ Qxf6 24.Rc8+ Rxc8 25.Qxc8+ Kg7 ½-½ Kinkelin,C-Tay,J/IEGC Tournament 217 ; B3c172) 17.exd5 17...f6! 18.Qxf1 (18.d6! Qc5 19.Rd3 b6 20.Ne4 Qe5 21.Qxf1 Ba6 22.d7 Rad8 23.Qd1 Bxd3 24.Qxd3 Rf7) 18...exd5 19.Nxd5 Qf7 20.Qd1 Be6 21.Nf4 Rae8 22.Nxe6 Rxe6 23.c3 Rfe8 24.Rh1 b5 25.a3 a5 26.Rd7 R6e7 27.Rxe7 Rxe7 28.Qd6 Qe8 29.Rd1 Re1 13/08 ½-½ Santagata,C-Tay,J/ICCF/EM/TT/A071(29); B3c2) 14...Qf4+ 15.Be3 Qxf3 16.Rg1 d4 17.Bxd4 e5 18.Bc5 Bxg4 19.Rd3 Qf4+ 1-0 Liss,E-Hartung Nielsen,J/Copenhagen Politiken Cup (02) 1996 (29) (19...Qf4+ 20.Be3 Qf6 21.Rxg4 Nf4 22.Rd2 h5 23.Rg1 Rfc8 24.Bb5 Rc7 25.Ba4 a6 26.Bb3 b5 27.Nd5 Nxd5 28.Bxd5 Rac8 29.Rf1) ; C) 12.Ndb5 12...Qa5 13.exd5 exd5 14.a3 (14.Kb1; 14.h5 Re8 15.hxg6 fxg6 16.Qd2 Be6 17.Nd4 Bf7 18.Bf2 Ne5 19.Kb1 Rac8 20.Ncb5 Qd8 21.Nxa7 Ra8 22.Nab5 Nc4 23.Qc3 Qb6 24.b3 Rec8 25.bxc4 dxc4 26.Qb2 Nd5 27.c3 Qa5 28.Ne2 Ra6 29.Rh4 Rcc6 30.Ned4 Rc5 31.Rc1 Rb6 32.Nb3 cxb3 33.Bxc5 Rxb5 34.Bxb5 Nxc3+ 35.Rxc3 bxa2+ 0-1 Hellers,F-Ernst,T/Sweden TV Cup 1993/EXT 97) 14...a6 15.Qf2 d4 16.Nxd4 Qc7 17.Kb1 b5 18.h5 Na5 19.Qh4 Qe5 20.hxg6 fxg6 21.Bg5 Ra7 22.Be2 Nh5 23.f4 Qc5 24.Ne4 Qb6 25.g4 h6 26.gxh5 hxg5 27.fxg5 Bxd4 28.Rxd4 1-0 Vallejo Pons,F-Romero Holmes,A/ESP-ch 1998/EXT 99]

JM: I guess as fast as we're going, the date line really isn't going to matter. 15...Rxe3 16.Qxe3 Bxd4 JT: I offer you a draw.

JM: Good news/bad news - the bad news is, I'm declining your kind draw offer - I usually decline early draw offers. The good news is, I usually go on to lose...

JT: This one's hard to lose...I think...but it's going to be one heck of a long endgame....

18.Qxd4 JM: Oh, I've lost a few of these myself! Cheer up - at the rate we play, it'll all be over in a week! :)

JT: Well, your last move has perked up the game a bit...I was expecting Bd3 with a dull endgame....At least I'm motivated to play now....Thanks! (er...I'm not trying to be sarcastic...I didn't want to play a dull Dragon...)

JM: Well, what'd I tell you?! Usually, it takes me longer than this to produce a blunder - well, must be a sign of advancing age... [20.Qd2?! d4!! 21.Qxd4 (21.c4 Re8) 21...Re8 With a huge initiative; 20.Qxd5 Re8 21.Bb5 Re1+ 22.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 23.Qd1 Qe3+ 24.Qd2 Qg1+ 25.Qd1 Qxg2 26.h6 Qg5+ 27.Qd2 Qg1+ 28.Qd1 Qxd1+ 29.Kxd1]

JT: If that's (20.h6) a blunder, I sure won't want to see your good moves! I think h6 is a good move!

JM: I was thinking more of 19.c3?!

[21...Qe3+!? 22.Qd2 d4 23.Qxe3 dxe3 24.Bc4 Rc8 25.Rd1÷]

[23.c4! Black must watch out for the Queenside pawn roller once his slight initiative dissipates after White's Kd2, g4, Bd3 and finally Re1.]

JT: I just got move 9 from my two other White opponents in this tourney. Both played 0-0-0 in the Yugoslav Dragon. This variation is certainly in vogue!

JM: I have that position against vs. Kinkelin - maybe this time I'll pick a better 19th move!

[26...Be6 maintaining the tension without weakening any pawns or squares. Anyway, I don't think it is enough to win against best play. 27.a3=]

Draw offered...JM: Might as well take the offer. I have no idea what's going on! 1/2-1/2