Attached please find a transcription of my round 3 game from the June 1988 Washington Township Swiss. In yielding 440 rating points, my best chance was an aggressive attack, coupled with the frequent trading of major pieces. This avenue would simplify the board enough to lessen the severity of mistakes one is prone to make against a heavily favored opponent. However, in doing so, did I miss a win? Would one of the winning lines be 20.Rd6, or perhaps 35.c4?
Keith Brann
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(All notes by Jim West)
Brann (USCF 978) - Pearlman (USCF 1418), Washington Township NJ 6/1988
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6
Black's customary choices are 2...Nf6, 2...Nc6, and 2...Bc5.
3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Bf4
The old rule that knights should be developed before bishops applies here. Better is 7.Nf3, prepared to answer 7...Qf6 with 8.Qd3 Qg6 9.O-O Nf6 10.Nd4, and White is better. After 7.Nf3, Black's best response is 7...Nf6, transposing into a position usually reached from the Philidor Defense.
7...Qf6 8.Qxf6 Nxf6 9.f3
White should forgo this move in favor of 9.O-O-O.
9...g6 10.Nge2 Bg7 11.e5 dxe5 12.Bxe5 Rc8
And now it is Black's turn to miss 12...O-O-O.
13.Nd4 O-O 14.O-O-O
But here, 14.Nxc6 was clearly in order.
14...Bd7 15.Ndb5 Bxb5 16.Nxb5 Bh6+?
This is the beginning of a series of inexplicable moves on Black's part. His only chance to prevent material loss is 16...Ne8 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Nxa7 Ra8 19.Nb5 Rxa2.
17.Kb1 Kg7? 18.Nxc7 g5? 19.g4?!
In this game, both players seem fascinated with playing their knight-pawns to the fourth rank. White can win a piece with 19.Nd5 Rc6 20.Nxf6 Rxf6 21.Rd6.
19...Kg6 20.Bxf6?!
Keith, you are right that 20.Rd6 would have won. If 20...Rxc7, then 21.Rxf6+ Kg7 22.Rc6+.
20...Kxf6 21.Nd5+ Kg7 22.Ne7 Rcd8 23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.Nf5+ Kg6 25.Nxh6 Kxh6 26.Kc1 Kg6 27.Re1
A better rook move is 27.Rd1, since Black can't exchange rooks without allowing a lost king-and-pawn ending.
27...Rd7 28.Re3 h5 29.h3 hxg4 30.hxg4 b6 31.Rd3 Re7 32.Kd2 Re6 33.b4 Kf6 34.Rd5 Re5?
The rook-and-pawn ending is preferable to the king-and-pawn ending, which is dead lost.
35.Rxe5
You made the proper move here, Keith. Your suggestion of 35.c4 would allow 35...Rxd5+ 36.cxd5 Ke5 and 37...Kxd5.
35...Kxe5 36.Kd3 b5 37.a3?!
This move throws away the win, still to be had after 37.c4 bxc4+ 38.Kxc4 Kf4 39.b5 Kxf3 40.a4 Kxg4 41.a5 Kh3 42.b6 axb6 43.axb6 g4 44.b7 g3 45.b8=Q.
37...f5 38.gxf5 Kxf5 39.Ke3 Ke5 40.c3 Kd5 41.Kd3 Ke5, draw.
{This article originally appeared in Atlantic Chess News in 1989}
