chess game #11 - a tactical extravaganza... not!
Fresh off my performance at the World Open in 1988, I played in my first US Open, in Boston. That was a lot of fun, and I did reasonably well, though not spectacularly (+6 -2 =4). I returned to CA after my Summer trip to the East Coast for these tournaments, and headed down to southern CA for the Software Toolworks tournament. I had a fairly dismal showing, but I did play one chess game during that tournament that was very memorable for me.
It so happened that my long-time chess idol Mikhail Tal was in town for the tournament. I was never one to pay perfectly good money to play a well-known grandmaster in a simultaneous exhibition, but ohmygosh, this was TAL! So I ponied-up the $50 and took a seat.
If you have read my previous chess posts, you can understand why I idolized Tal - I valued spectacular tactics above all things, and Tal was the embodiment of this ideal. I always dreamed that any game he and I played would be a very wild affair indeed. Well, it didn't turn out that way at all - it was a quick trade-down to a rook and pawn ending, sigh. On the plus side, this was probably the only way I had a chance of winning.
White: Tal,M (GM)
Black: Weideman,T
Event: Simultaneous Exhibition
Date: 1988-11-28
(B02 Alekhine, Sämisch A)
1 e4 Nf6
Yep, here it is again!
2 e5 Nd5
3 Nc3 e6
4 d4 d6
5 Nf3 Nxc3
6 bxc3 dxe5
7 Nxe5 Nd7
8 Bf4 Nxe5
9 Bxe5 f6
10 Bg3 Bd6
11 Bd3 Qe7
12 O-O Bd7
13 Re1
My computer has been screaming for white to play Qh5+ for the last 4 moves now, but the moves Tal selected have also resulted in about the same edge for white as predicted for the queen move.
13... Bxg3
14 hxg3 O-O-O
15 Rb1 Bc6
16 Qe2 Rd6
17 Be4 Re8?!
18 Bxc6?
My computer wants white to grab the pawn on h7 at this point. At the very least it seems like relieving the tension by trading bishops when white has black bound to the defense of his e pawn seems like a mistake.
18... Rxc6
19 Qd3 Qd7
I am slipping out of the noose now.
20 Rb3 g6
After giving white a strong edge for so many moves, my computer now rates the position as equal.
21 Reb1 Rb6
22 c4 Qa4
23 c5 Rxb3
24 axb3 Qd7
25 c3 Rd8
26 Qe3 Qd5
27 b4 e5
28 dxe5 Qxe5
29 Qf3 Qf5!?
The computer doesn't like this move, presumably because of the doubled-isolated pawns it creates. I, on the other hand, think it has promise for the following reasons: It forces off the queens, leaving us in a rook + pawn ending where I have a slight tempi edge, insomuch as my rook is already in position and my king is slightly more central. Plus, how bad can it be to get the queens off the board and into a tame, "all rook endings are drawn" situation with MIKHAIL TAL!?
30 Qxf5+ gxf5
31 Re1 Rd3
Already the computer has changed its tune, suggesting 32 Rc1 and rating the position as equal.
32 Re8+ Kd7
33 Rh8
I think my chess idol may have embarked on an overly-ambitious plan. In his defense, this is just the sort of position where a reasonably strong challenger has the advantage against the grandmaster: We reached an endgame early, so there are still many other boards in play, which means I have a lot of time to calculate between moves while he does not. This kind of position requires LOTS of calculation. While it is not difficult calculation, it does go 15 or more moves deep, just to see who "wins the race" if we both go pawn hunting (as opposed to protecting pawns). This is a hard thing to judge instinctively.
33... Rxc3
34 Rxh7+ Kc6
35 Rf7 Rc4
36 Rxf6+ Kb5
37 Rf7 Kxb4
38 Rxc7 a5
It is far from obvious to me from glancing at the position how this will come out. My computer rates it at "0.00", which seems reasonable.
39 Rxb7+ Kxc5
40 Rc7+?
Judging from how the computer reacted to this move, a bit of my own analysis, and what I know happens in the game, I believe that this move loses. It appears the white king is just barely close enough to hold the game if he starts the journey right now with 40 Kf1.
40... Kb4
41 Rb7+ Kc3
42 Ra7 a4
43 Kh2 Kb3
44 f3 a3
45 Kh3 a2
46 Rxa2 Kxa2
47 g4 fxg4+
48 fxg4 Kb3
49 Kh4 Rc2
50 Kg5 Kc4
51 Kf6 Rf2+
52 Kg6 Kd5
53 g5 Ke6 0-1
This was a great way for me to cap-off my best year in chess ever.
It so happened that my long-time chess idol Mikhail Tal was in town for the tournament. I was never one to pay perfectly good money to play a well-known grandmaster in a simultaneous exhibition, but ohmygosh, this was TAL! So I ponied-up the $50 and took a seat.
If you have read my previous chess posts, you can understand why I idolized Tal - I valued spectacular tactics above all things, and Tal was the embodiment of this ideal. I always dreamed that any game he and I played would be a very wild affair indeed. Well, it didn't turn out that way at all - it was a quick trade-down to a rook and pawn ending, sigh. On the plus side, this was probably the only way I had a chance of winning.
White: Tal,M (GM)
Black: Weideman,T
Event: Simultaneous Exhibition
Date: 1988-11-28
(B02 Alekhine, Sämisch A)
1 e4 Nf6
Yep, here it is again!
2 e5 Nd5
3 Nc3 e6
4 d4 d6
5 Nf3 Nxc3
6 bxc3 dxe5
7 Nxe5 Nd7
8 Bf4 Nxe5
9 Bxe5 f6
10 Bg3 Bd6
11 Bd3 Qe7
12 O-O Bd7
13 Re1
My computer has been screaming for white to play Qh5+ for the last 4 moves now, but the moves Tal selected have also resulted in about the same edge for white as predicted for the queen move.
13... Bxg3
14 hxg3 O-O-O
15 Rb1 Bc6
16 Qe2 Rd6
17 Be4 Re8?!
18 Bxc6?
My computer wants white to grab the pawn on h7 at this point. At the very least it seems like relieving the tension by trading bishops when white has black bound to the defense of his e pawn seems like a mistake.
18... Rxc6
19 Qd3 Qd7
I am slipping out of the noose now.
20 Rb3 g6
After giving white a strong edge for so many moves, my computer now rates the position as equal.
21 Reb1 Rb6
22 c4 Qa4
23 c5 Rxb3
24 axb3 Qd7
25 c3 Rd8
26 Qe3 Qd5
27 b4 e5
28 dxe5 Qxe5
29 Qf3 Qf5!?
The computer doesn't like this move, presumably because of the doubled-isolated pawns it creates. I, on the other hand, think it has promise for the following reasons: It forces off the queens, leaving us in a rook + pawn ending where I have a slight tempi edge, insomuch as my rook is already in position and my king is slightly more central. Plus, how bad can it be to get the queens off the board and into a tame, "all rook endings are drawn" situation with MIKHAIL TAL!?
30 Qxf5+ gxf5
31 Re1 Rd3
Already the computer has changed its tune, suggesting 32 Rc1 and rating the position as equal.
32 Re8+ Kd7
33 Rh8
I think my chess idol may have embarked on an overly-ambitious plan. In his defense, this is just the sort of position where a reasonably strong challenger has the advantage against the grandmaster: We reached an endgame early, so there are still many other boards in play, which means I have a lot of time to calculate between moves while he does not. This kind of position requires LOTS of calculation. While it is not difficult calculation, it does go 15 or more moves deep, just to see who "wins the race" if we both go pawn hunting (as opposed to protecting pawns). This is a hard thing to judge instinctively.
33... Rxc3
34 Rxh7+ Kc6
35 Rf7 Rc4
36 Rxf6+ Kb5
37 Rf7 Kxb4
38 Rxc7 a5
It is far from obvious to me from glancing at the position how this will come out. My computer rates it at "0.00", which seems reasonable.
39 Rxb7+ Kxc5
40 Rc7+?
Judging from how the computer reacted to this move, a bit of my own analysis, and what I know happens in the game, I believe that this move loses. It appears the white king is just barely close enough to hold the game if he starts the journey right now with 40 Kf1.
40... Kb4
41 Rb7+ Kc3
42 Ra7 a4
43 Kh2 Kb3
44 f3 a3
45 Kh3 a2
46 Rxa2 Kxa2
47 g4 fxg4+
48 fxg4 Kb3
49 Kh4 Rc2
50 Kg5 Kc4
51 Kf6 Rf2+
52 Kg6 Kd5
53 g5 Ke6 0-1
This was a great way for me to cap-off my best year in chess ever.