[Event "Irwin Tournament of Senior Champions"] [Site "Rancho Mirage, CA"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "3"] [White "Steven J Szpisjak"] [Black "IM Alexander Matros"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2200"] [BlackElo "2401"] [Annotator "JJ Lang"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A20"] [Opening "English Opening: Drill Variation"] [StudyName "Annotated Games from Rancho Mirage"] [ChapterName "Steven J Szpisjak - IM Alexander Matros"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/FRzmURsX/lADelV8s"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 e5 2. g3 h5!? { Who says you can't teach a senior new tricks? Between this and the Jobava London featured yesterday, the seniors are clearly keeping up with trends in modern chess. } 3. h3 Nc6 4. Nc3 Bc5 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bg2 Nge7 7. e3 Bf5 8. e4?! { Tempi matter less in closed positions, but White misses an opportunity to play for an advantage in the center against Black's ambitious kingside play. } (8. d4! Bb4 (8... exd4 9. exd4 Bb6 10. O-O Qd7 11. Kh2 O-O-O 12. Na4 { It is hard to believe White's king is in any danger, or at least, any more than Black's, given White's grip in the center and Black's lack of pieces with an easy route to the kingside. }) 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 Qd7 11. Kh2 O-O-O 12. Qa4 { With pressure against both kings, this is still a game with three results. So why not take this position with the extra central space? }) 8... Be6 9. d3 f6 10. a3 a5 11. Be3 Qd7 12. b3 Ng6 13. d4?! { Now that White decides to open the center, they do so down a crucial tempo: he cannot easily castle kingside because Black has already formed a battery against the h3 pawn. } 13... exd4 14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15. Bxd4 h4! 16. Nd5 (16. g4 Nf4 { The point: Black's pieces exert more meaningful pressure now. That said, the text is hardly an improvement, due to the weakness on g3. }) 16... hxg3 17. fxg3 Kf7 18. h4 Bg4 19. Qd2 Nge5 20. O-O a4 21. Bxe5 dxe5 22. b4 Nd4?! (22... Raf8 { was Black's best chance to keep pushing for pressure against the king. }) 23. Qf2 (23. Qg5!? { This flashy move would have led to fascinating complications. } 23... Rh6 (23... Ne2+?! 24. Kh2 Nf4 25. Rxf4 exf4 26. Qxf4 c6 27. Nb6 Qd4 { But now only the subtle } 28. Re1! { pushes for an edge. And even here, it is microscopic. }) 24. Rf2 Rah8 25. Raf1 Ke8 26. Rxf6 gxf6 27. Rxf6 Rh5 28. Qg6+ Kd8 29. Rf7 Qe6 30. Qg7 R5h7 { Amazingly, White has nothing here! } 31. Qg5+ Kc8 { and Black survives with a better game. }) 23... Rh6 24. Ne3 Rg6 25. Kh2 Re8 26. c5 Rh6 27. Nxg4 Qxg4 28. Qa2+ Qe6 29. Bh3 Qxa2+ 30. Rxa2 Ke7 31. Kg2 Rd8 32. Rd2 c6 33. Bg4 Rhh8 34. Rfd1 g6 35. Rd3 f5 36. Bf3 Rhf8 37. R1d2 f4 38. Bd1 Ra8 (38... fxg3 { Close to the time control, Black had a chance to preserve more active chances by spotting that the a4 pawn was off limits. } 39. Rxg3 (39. Bxa4? Rf4! 40. Rxg3 Rxe4 { with a healthy passer }) 39... Rf4 40. Rxg6 Rxh4 { Black preserves active chances since the a4 pawn is still a non-starter, as White's rook has been deflected from defending a3: } (40... Rxe4? 41. h5 { The passed e-pawn is less attractive when the other side has an outside passed pawn. }) 41. Bxa4? Ra8) 39. Bg4 (39. Rf2! { Necessary prophylaxis against Rf8-f4. }) 39... Rf6 (39... fxg3 40. Rxg3 (40. Kxg3 Rad8 { with the important point that the immediate } (40... Rf4?? { loses to } 41. Rxd4)) 40... Rf4 { would be similar to the previous variation }) 40. Bd1 Rff8 41. Rf2 fxg3 42. Rxf8 Kxf8 (42... Rxf8 { Again, activity was the only chance to play for a win. } 43. Re3 (43. Bxa4? Rf4 { should be familiar to readers by now. }) 43... Rf4 44. Kxg3 Rf1 { likely leads nowhere for Black, but requires White to work harder for it. } 45. Bxa4 Rg1+ 46. Kh3 Ra1 { White has no clear way to improve, although Black likely has no winning chances by this point. }) 43. Kxg3 Ke7 44. Kg4 Ne6 (44... Rf8! { One more chance! }) 45. Rd6 Rf8 46. Kg3 Rf4?! { A case of better never than late: now White is able to force simplifications that snuff out any attempts for Black activity. } (46... Rf1 47. Bxa4 Re1 { would create problems that could give White a chance to go wrong } 48. Bd1 (48. Bc2?? Nd4) 48... Re3+ 49. Kf2 Rxe4 { with more imbalances than the game line. }) 47. Bg4 Nf8 48. b5 Rxe4 49. bxc6 bxc6 50. Rxc6 Re3+ 51. Kf2 Rxa3 52. Ra6 Rc3 53. Rxa4 Rxc5 54. h5 gxh5 55. Bxh5 Ne6 56. Bf3 Nd4 57. Be4 Kf6 58. Ra8 Rb5 59. Kg3 Rb3+ 60. Kg4 Re3 61. Ra6+ Ke7 62. Bf5 Re1 63. Ra7+ Kd6 64. Bg6 Rg1+ 65. Kh5 Ne2 66. Bf7 Nf4+ 67. Kh4 e4 68. Ra4 Ke5 69. Bc4 e3 70. Ba6 Rg7 71. Bf1 Kf5 72. Ra5+ Ke4 73. Rg5 Rb7 74. Kg3 Rb1 75. Ba6 Rg1+ 76. Kh4 Ra1 77. Bb5 Kf3 78. Rg3+ Kf2 79. Kg4 Rg1 80. Rxg1 Kxg1 81. Kxf4 Kf2 82. Ba6 e2 83. Bxe2 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2