2PzP-+LzPPzP0 1tR-+Q+RmK-0 xabcdefghy

Transcription

1 This game is annotated by David Bronstein in a report on the 9 th Asztalos Memorial tournament in Shakhmaty v SSSR (. 10, 1966). The translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin. Kavalek Bronstein 12 th round, Asztalos Memorial Tournament, Szombathely 1966 I began the tournament unsuccesfully - with one point out of three. But then I managed to 'recall my youth', and picked up 10½/12. But most of all I was happy that, having joined the sporting race, I did not depart from my creative principles. The most exhilarating of my games I offer to the attention of the reader. This game was played at the finishing straight and had great significance for me. 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6 6.Be2 Bf5 7.Nf3 Nd e6 9.c4 Bg6 10.d5 This move is unpleasant for Black, and for me all the more so: in the 13th USSR-ch (Moscow, 1944) I lost such a position against A. Sokolsky. (Translator s note: that game had continued 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6 6.d4 Bg4 7.Be2 e6 8.Be3 Nd Bd6 10.c4 f5 11.d5, etc.) 10...e5 11.Nd2 Qc7 12.Nb3 Bd6 13.Bh6 8r+-+k+-tr0 7zppwqn+p+p0 6-+pvl-zplvL0 5+-+Pzp P N PzP-+LzPPzP0 1tR-+Q+RmK-0 White deprives the h7 pawn of mobility and prepares an attack on the bishop with h2 h4 h5. The plan of defence selected by Black is not often encountered c5 14.h4 f5 It transpires that in picking up the bishop, White opens the h-file for the opponent.

2 15.f4 e4 16.h5 f6 17.g Rf2 Be8 The black bishop, having suffered a terrible fright, has avoided extinction, whereas White's is stuck at h6. 19.Bf1 Rg8 20.Kh2 Rg4 21.Be2 Bxh5 22.Kh1 Nb6 Here I broke my own rule: not to make a single, even the most obvious move, without checking, and I was immediately punished. However, now I do not regret this: together with a point in the table I obtained great satisfaction from the later events. For the sake of fairness, it must be admitted that the point in the table could have with equal justification been that of Kavalek... Instead of 22...Nb6, 22...Rdg8 ought to be played. 23.Rh2 Qf7 24.Qf1 8-+ktr zpp+-+q+p0 6-sn-vl-zp-vL0 5+-zpP+p+l0 4-+P+pzPr+0 3+N+-+-zP-0 2PzP-+L+-tR0 1tR-+-+Q+K Nd7 I thought for a very long time over this move. I was sorry to renounce the threat of...nxc4, but analysis of the numerous variations associated with 24...Qg6 proved to be of little comfort. For example, 25.Qh3 Rxg3 26.Qxh5 Rg8 27.Qxg6 hxg6 28.Nd2, and no defence against Nd2 f1 is apparent. Playing 24...Nd7, Black intended an interesting plan. However, as the reader will see, in order to count on its success, it was necessary to be a great optimist. The immediate aim of the move 24...Nd7 is seen from the variation 25.Qh3 Bg6 26.Bxg4 fxg4 27.Qxg4 f5 28.Qh3 Re8, and it is not easy for White to prevent the transfer of the knight...nd7 f6 g4 or...nd7 f6 and...bg6 h5 f3+. However, White wants to take the rook at g4 'in ideal conditions' Qh3 Bg6 26.Nd2 Re8 27.Nf1 e3 At this point I had 8 minutes remaining, and my opponent - half an hour. 28.Re1 Qg8 29.Bf3

3 White has reorganised his ranks and is prepared to 'eat' with the knight first the pawn at e3, and then the rook Bf7 Indirectly defending the e3 pawn with the threat of...rxg3, Black in some cases intends to withdraw the rook to g6. 30.Bxg4 Kavalek decided not to let the booty slip from his hands a second time. It seemed to him that after the capture at g4 he would be faced with the purely technical phase - the realisation of the advantage. Meanwhile White could quietly increase the pressure with 30.Rhe2. In this case the outcome of the struggle hung on the assessment of the complicated variations associated with the move 30...b fxg4 31.Qg2 Nb6! Threatening 32...Nxd5. diagonal. Therefore White has to remove the queen from the dangerous 32.Qc2 Nxc4 White had overlooked this blow, but the c4 pawn would in any case have been lost. The struggle now begins afresh. 33.Kg1 Bxd5 34.b3 Nb6 The manoeuvre...nc4 a5 c6 d4 did not promse success, since Black's bishops could have been exposed to attack. Black's watchword is: all forces to the defence of the d5 square! 35.Rxe3 Kc7 36.Rd2 Kc6 37.Qf5 c4 38.bxc4 Bxc4 39.Qxf6 Nd5 40.Rxd5 Kxd r+q+0 7zpp+-+-+p0 6-+-vl-wQ-vL0 5+-+k l+-zPp tR-zP-0 2P NmK-0 To take at d5 with the queen was impossible on account of 41.Rxe8, while on 40...Bxd5 there

4 follows 41.Rc3+ Bc4 42.Ne3 b5 43.f5 with various threats. But Kavalek had considered the capture with the king to be madness! Here the game was adjourned. While White was considering his secret move, I studied the position on the demonstration board. After half an hour Kavalek, seeing that I had still not left, offered a draw. I declined. Playing 40...Kxd5, I considered that White has no mating attack, whereas the unpleasant 41...Bc5 is threatened. During the course of the half hour I succeeded in working out that the best defence for White is 41.Re5+ Bxe5 42.fxe5, after which white's dark-squared bishop returns to the game with great force.my opponent thought for a further 14 minutes and sealed the envelope. When play resumed, it transpired that White had sealed precisely this move - 41.Re5+ There followed 41...Bxe5 42.Ne3+ Despite painstaking analysis (this was my only adjourned game in the whole tournament), I came to the resumption without having a clear path to victory. I had to improvise, and it is not surprising that after three moves I again found myself in time trouble. Fortunately, Kavalek's situation was no better: he had 16 minutes remaining Kc5 A move played after long hesitation: the king could go to e4, and also to d4. 43.fxe5 Qe Qg6 looks better, but I was not certain that the black king finds shelter after 44.Nxc4 Kxc4 45.Qf Qf4 b5 45.Bf8+ Kb6 46.Bd6 Ka6! The bishop has taken up a formidable position at d6, and Black must first and foremost secure the safety of his king. Taking the time trouble into consideration, I aimed to move my pieces to light squares - this is the safest way! 47.Nc2 Qg6 48.Qd2 Qe4 49.Bc5 Qxe5 There was threatened 50.Nb4+ Kb7 51.Qd7+. White has given up a pawn in order to increase the radius of his dark-squared bishop, and at the same time reinforce the defence of his king. 50.Bf2 Rc8 51.a4 Kb7 52.Qa5 Ra8 53.Nd4 Qc7 54.Qe1 Qd7 55.axb5 Re8 56.Qa1 Ka8

5 8k+-+r+-+0 7zp-+q+-+p P lsN-+p zP vL-+0 1wQ-+-+-mK-0 The last difficult move in time trouble. The black king sights with relief: he is in a safe corner. Now the wind fills the sails of the black rook. Black's material advantage and his complete mastery of the light squares should finally have their say. 57.Nc6 Kavalek does not want to go over to defence and continues the offensive, but he has overlooked Black's 58th move Bxb5 58.Nxa7 Ba4 Now the white knight proves to be 'offside'. The game is decided. 59.Qc3 Qd1+ 60.Kh2 Rf8 61.Qc5 Qf3 62.Bg1 Qe2+ 63.Kh1 Qe4+ 64.Kh2 Qc2+ 65.Qxc2 Bxc2 66.Nb5 Be4 67.Nc3 Bc6 68.Ne2 Rf1 White resigned.