23.Rfd1
Despite my previous loss in round four, and its tormenting effect on me, I did try to stay positive and enjoy the chess I was playing. What follows is a really delightful little game that throws up some suprising twists and turns. I got a big advantage early and seemed to be coasting to an easy win. What happened next was therefore quite amazing. The position looks so awful and lost for Black that it hardly merits a second look, yet what follows is very entertaining and creative. It would appear that White is about to win a pawn and increase his advantage even further by the obliteration of the Black queenside.
23...Rxa5!
It seems hard to believe that this move can be so worthwhile. However there is the merit of changing the character of the position and shifting the emphasis. This can have an unsettling effect and could cause White to become impatient. [23...Nc4
24.Bxc4
bxc4
25.Nxc6
Is just sterile for Black]
24.bxa5
Nb7
Black attacks the a pawn which cant be defended and so gains time to reposition his Knight to the excellent square on c5 which makes the Knight going to d4 via b3 or e6 possible.
25.a6
Nc5
Now Black threatens the a pawn twice but also prepares a possible jump to d4 via b3 or e6.
26.Rd6!?
I thought about this for a while and decided that this was a swift way to break through to the Black position and actively press home my advantage. [26.a7
Bb7
superfically at least looked a bit of a bother to White because if Black could just win back the a pawn his structure would be very good with some key squares being controlled by Black. 27.Rac1
Ne6
28.Rd7
Ba8
And although White is winning it seems hard to see a knockout blow.]
26...Nb3
[26...Nxa6
27.Rxc6
When I assumed that White could keep matters simple and win more material advantage. 27...Bb7
28.Rb6
; 26...Bd7
27.Rad1
; 26...Bxa6
27.Rxc6
Rc8
28.Bxb5
]
27.Rxc6!?
Wow! this really is a faithful decision. I just figured this was too attractive and beautiful theme to resist and I loved the idea of going from being a pawn or exchange up to a piece down - and in an endgame! Another really funny thing I discovered after the game is that the computer thinks White is better by a value of about 1.31 yet after the next move by White it changes this to 2.60 so it seems the computer is a bit blind to the creative human mind. [27.a7
Bb7
28.Rb1
Nd4
29.Rd7
Ba8
30.a4
Would have been best but not nearly as pretty or interesting.]
27...Nxa1
28.a7
Bb7
29.Rb6
Ba8
I now had another big choice to make and played my intended move as opposed to what was possibly/probably a more accurate alternative.
30.Nxb5
[30.Bxb5
Nc2
31.Rb8
Nd4
(31...Nxa3
32.Be8!!
Is the simple move that I have to admit I didnt see. It just wins for \White.) 32.Be8
]
30...Kh7
So now Nc7 could be answered with Rc8
31.Rb8
Forced
31...Nc2
Amazingly I thought for about forty minutes on my next move. I still overlooked an alternative way to play the position but the way I played is winning anyway and more in keeping with my general sense of how to play the position.
32.Bd1
This seemed to be the most linear variation and I liked the theme that remains the constant from the position. [32.Nc7
Nd4
33.Bc4
Nc6
Is what I was afraid of. Not seeing that now Ne8 is huge for White. 34.Ne8!!
(34.Rxa8
Rxa8
35.Nxa8
Nxa7
Is still winning but it looks like there could be a lot of hard work involved still?) 34...Bb7
35.Nf6+
Kh8
36.Rxb7
Nxa7
(36...Bxf6
37.Rxf7
Ra8
38.Rxf6
Nxa7
39.Rxg6
) 37.Rxa7
Bxf6
38.Bxf7
Bd8
39.Rb7
With a technical win]
32...Nd4
33.Nxd4
As I learned from years of tournament play, if you see a clear win on the board and are sure of it then play it! Even if it is not the most accurate it is the one that is most clear to you that is usually the best one to play. [33.Nc7!
Is apparently best 33...Nc6
34.Ne8!
Yet again this idea passed me by 34...Nxa7
35.Rxa8
Nb5
36.a4
Nc3
37.Bc2
Would have been nice too]
33...exd4
What makes this game so enjoyable for me is that it is a sort of triumph of the human mind over the computers way of playing. Sure the were more accurate ways to win in a technical sense, but the appreciation for the asthetic and artistic element of human play is often undervalued or misunderstood. In the case in point the computer invariably gives the wrong evaluation when it first looks at this position at various points. Here it varies from slightly better for White to much better yet to my human eye I just saw that Black was losing in all variations and regardless of the tactical cleverness of the computer.
34.e5!
A crucial move. White now threatens Bf3
34...d3
Stops Bf3
35.f4
Keeping the g7 bishop firmly out of the game [35.Bf3?
Bxf3
36.Rxf8
(36.gxf3
d2
37.Rb1
Bxe5
) 36...Bxf8
37.gxf3
d2
38.a8Q
d1Q+
]
35...Kg8
36.Kf2
g5
37.g3
gxf4
38.gxf4
After the game later that day I was showing the game to some of the irish guys and someone suggested that maybe Black would be ok with now H5 instead of what he played. I was not sure if this was the exact position/move order so I just dismissed it anyway. Then I casually suggested a few moves and ideas and left it at that. The next morning my opponent from this game came up to me all excitedly and was telling me it was a draw and he missed this great chance. He even said that the number one seed whom I had drawn with in round three had said it was a draw too [such was the interest in the end of the game] However I just brushed him off by saying that I could win easily enough by playing my bishop to b3 and with pawns on h5 and a6 could play a timely rb7 and that was that. He was not convinced so when I got a chance I had another look and confirmed that yes indeed White is just winning. When I told him the line he agreed and amazed it was so technichal too.
38...d2
[38...h5
39.Ke3
Bh6
Is what had been thought by others as holding for Black but alas it doesnt 40.Bxh5
Why not? Might as well just sweep all the pawns up and then go back to the other plan. 40...d2
Again stops Bf3 ideas and leaves White with the d2 pawn to contend with for the rest of the game. 41.h4
Kg7
42.Bd1
Kg8
43.h5
Kg7
44.a4
Kg8
45.a5
Kg7
46.a6
Kg8
The exact move order is less important than the fact that White can force this position one way or another anyway. What is critical is what happens next. 47.Bb3
Bh1
(47...Kg7
48.Rb7
Kh8
49.Rd7
Rg8
50.Rd4
Rg3+
(50...Kg7
51.Rxd2
(51.Kxd2
Re8
52.Kc3
Re7
53.f5
Rxe5
54.Rd8
Bh1
55.Bc2
Re3+
56.Kc4
Kf6
57.a8Q
Bxa8
58.Rxa8
Rh3
59.Re8
Be3
60.h6
Bb6
61.Rh8
Rh4+
62.Kb5
Be3
63.Bd3
) 51...Re8
52.Rd5
(52.Rd7
Rxe5+
53.Kd4
Re4+
54.Kc3
Bxf4
55.Rd8
Re3+
56.Kb4
Re4+
57.Ka3
Bc6
58.Rc8
Re7
59.Rxc6
Rxa7
60.Bc4
Re7
61.Kb3
Be3
62.Kc3
) 52...Re7
53.Rd8
Rxa7
54.Bc4
Bg2
55.Rd1
Rc7
56.Bd3
Bh3
57.Rg1+
Kf8
58.Ra1
Ra7
59.Rb1
Bg2
60.Rb6
Kg7
61.Be4
Bf1
62.Bb7
Bc4
) 51.Kxd2
Rxb3
52.Rd8+
Kh7
53.Rxa8
Bxf4+
54.Kc2
) 48.Rb7
Rd8
(48...Kh8
49.Bc2
Rd8
50.Rb8
Rg8
51.Bb3
Kg7
52.Rb7
Kh8
53.Rxf7
Rg3+
54.Kxd2
Rxb3
55.Rb7
Bxf4+
56.Kc2
) 49.Bxf7+
Kh8
50.Bb3
and Black cant even play d1 because of the a pawn!]
39.Ke3
h5
40.Kxd2
Bh6
41.Ke3
Kh8
42.Bf3
Rg8
43.Rxg8+
Kxg8
44.Bxa8
Bf8
45.Kd4
1-0