Saturday, March 31, 2007

English Opening

Dear James:

Here is my game against David Levin in the recent New Jersey Open.* I followed the book for the first few moves before deciding on a plan. Perhaps you could expand on my annotations.

Saul Wanetick
Toms River, NJ

NM Saul Wanetick - FM David Levin, New Jersey Open 1989

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 e5


Black breaks the symmetry but creates a weak point at his d5 square. [Wanetick]

6.d3 d6 7.O-O Nge7 8.Nd2


I thought of placing my knight on e1 followed by Nc2, but my hand placed the knight on d2. [Wanetick]

Watson gives by transposition 8.Ne1 O-O 9.Nc2 Be6 as satisfactory for Black. [West]

8...O-O 9.Rb1 Be6


With this move, Black threatens to push ...d5 or challenge the d5 square. [Wanetick]

10.a3 f5 11.Nd5


On second thought, I decided to stop ...d5. [Wanetick]

11...a5

Black prevents 12.b4 since 12...axb4 13.axb4 Bxd5 14.cxd5 Nxb4 wins a pawn. [Wanetick]

12.b3 Rb8 13.Bb2 b5 14.Ba1 Qd7 15.e3 Bf7 16.Nxe7+ Nxe7 17.Qc2 b4?


This blunder allows White to occupy the open a-file first. [Wanetick]

18.axb4 axb4 19.Bb2 Rbc8 20.Ra1 Be6 21.Ra6


White prepares doubling rooks. [Wanetick]

21...d5

This move comes too late to save the a-file. [Wanetick]

22.Rfa1 d4?


Black makes another serious error which opens up the diagonal for White's king bishop and, after 23.exd4 exd4, creates an outpost for White's queen bishop on f4. [Wanetick]

23.exd4 exd4 24.Nf3 Kh8


Black could have saved time by playing this move, followed by ...Bg8, several tempi earlier, instead of shuttling the bishop from e6 to f7 and back to e6 again. [West]

25.Qe2 Bg8 26.Bc1 Nc6 27.Bf4 Rfe8 28.Qd2 Qe7 29.Kf1 Qf8 30.Ng5 Ne5 31.h4


White puts pressure on g5. [Wanetick]

31...Rcd8 32.Ra7 Ng4 33.Rc7 Rc8 34.Rd7 Red8 35.Raa7


If instead 35.Rb7, then 35...Ra8 regains the a-file for Black. [Wanetick]

35...Rxd7 36.Rxd7 Qe8 37.Ra7 Ne5?


This is still another mistake, allowing White to pin the knight. [Wanetick]

38.Qe2!

Now Black is lost, for if 38...Bf6, then 39.Bd5!. [Wanetick]

For example, after 39...Bxd5 40.cxd5 h6, White wins a piece with 41.Bxe5 Bxe5 42.Qxe5+! Qxe5 43.Nf7+ Kg8 44.Nxe5. [West]

38...h6 39.Rxg7! Kxg7 40.Bxe5+ Kf8 41.Nh3 Qe7 42.Nf4 Bf7 43.Nd5 Qe6


If 43...Qa7, then 44.Bd6+ wins the exchange or mates. [Wanetick]

44.Nf6 Qe7 45.Qd2 Qa7


Of course, not 45...Qxe5? 46.Nd7+. [West]

46.Qxh6+ Ke7 47.Bd5, Black resigns.


If 47...Bxd5, then 48.Nxd5+ will win the queen. [Wanetick]

*{This article originally appeared in Atlantic Chess News in 1989}