Jon Speelman's Agony Column #1

by ChessBase
5/11/2016 – In his first "Agony Column" Jon Speelman briefly remembers the times when Magnus Carlsen was still a kid and then presents two interesting games by Rudy Van Kamenade, who will soon turn 70. Van Kamenade played these games at the European Senior team Championship in Halkidiki 2016 where he played for Wales. Jon Speelman takes a look at the most instructive moments.
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ChessBase Agony Column #1 Wednesday May 11th 2016

When I launched this column a week ago, I had no idea whether the response to my appeal for games would be a trickle or a flood. I was delighted when I received a veritable tsunami of emails and games. Many thanks to readers for all your input and please keep it coming.

With a large and burgeoning database already there is bound to be a backlog. But if you play something amazing which you want considered for the next week then please try to get it to me by Friday. I'll be writing the columns just before or during the weekend and they will appear here on Wednesdays. 

One of my most interesting emails was a win against "Magnus Carlsen aged ten."  Unfortunately I had completely misunderstood that this was an app that purported to play like the world champion at that age. Having therefore removed it I'll still briefly mention that by the time I played the flesh and blood Magnus at the Politiken Cup in Copenhagen 2003 he was all of 12. I got some advantage but missed a tactic and was glad when we agreed a draw!

Jon Speelman v Magnus Carlsen Copenhagen 2003

After 34.Qxc5 Rd1+ 35.Kh2! White keeps an extra pawn. Somehow I already believed the future megastar and it ended:

34.Qe5? Qc6 35.Qe8+ Kg7 36.Qe5+ f6 37.Qc3 Draw Agreed.

On to business and two games by Rudy Van Kamenade a player who will be 70 in June and is married to Julie the current Welsh Ladies Champion. Fourteen years ago they moved to Wales and these two games are from the European Senior team Championship in Greece a few weeks ago  where Wales came close to winning the bronze medal.

He is currently rated just under 2000 so somewhere in the middle of players I want to showcase here, who might go up at the very top to somewhere in the 2200s

We start with "Agony" in round 5 on Saturday April 23rd

 
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1.Nf3 f5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bf4 d6 4.e3 g6 5.Bc4 e6 6.Nbd2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Qe2 Qe7 9.Bg5 d5 After a somewhat unusual opening battle this is to stop White from playing e4 after 9...h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.e4 though fxe4 12.Nxe4 Qf7 looks fairly playable. 10.Bd3 h6 11.Bf4 g5 12.Bg3 Ne4 13.Be5 g4 14.Bxg7 Qxg7 14...gxf3? is bad after 15.Bxf8 fxe2 16.Bxe7 exf1Q+ 17.Nxf1+- when a census reveals that White is a pawn up 15.Ne5 Nd7 16.Nxd7 Bxd7
17.f4 somewhat panicky 17.c4 Nxd2 17...Bc6 18.cxd5 exd5 looks worse 18.Qxd2 Bc6 19.Rac1 looks a tad better for White without any risk 17...c5 18.c3 Rfc8 19.Rac1 Rc7 20.dxc5 Nxd2 21.Qxd2 Rxc5 22.c4 a5 23.cxd5 Rxd5 24.Qe2 24.Rc7 was much better to annoy Black . If then Qf8 25.Qc3 Rc8 26.Rxc8 Qxc8 27.Qxc8+ Bxc8 28.Bc4 Rd6 29.Bb3 b5 30.Rd1 looks equal 24...Bc6 25.e4 A bit loosening but still perfectly playable 25.Bc4 Rd6 26.Bb5 Be4 is already uncomfortable for White 25...Qd4+ 26.Rf2 Rd6 27.e5 Rd7 28.Bc4 28.Bb5 Rc8 29.Bxc6 Rxc6 30.Rxc6 bxc6 was sensible when if anybody is better it's Black because his king is at least as safe as White's. 28...Kf7 29.Bb3? A mistake after which White is in trouble Rad8 30.Rd1? Diagram
White's idea but now 30...Qc5? 30...Qxd1+! 31.Bxd1 Rxd1+ 32.Rf1 R1d2-+ was an immediate KO. 31.Rxd7+ Rxd7 32.Qc2 Qxc2 33.Rxc2 Rd1+ 33...a4 destabilised the white bishop. After 34.Bc4 Rd1+ 35.Kf2 Be4 36.Re2 Rd4 37.b3 Bc6! b5 is a threat and 38.Ke3 Re4+ 39.Kd2 axb3 40.Rxe4 Bxe4 41.axb3 Bxg2 42.b4 h5 43.Ke1 h4 leaves Black a pawn up with excellent winning chances. (I'm not going to try to decide whether it is actually winning - the point is that it's Black who is pressing and in absolutely no danger) 34.Kf2 Rh1 35.Kg3 a4 36.Bc4 Rd1 37.Kf2 Rd4 38.g3 Be4 39.Ke3 Rd1 40.Rd2 Re1+ 41.Re2 Rc1 42.b3 Bc6 42...a3 looks slightly worrying for White at first glance but I suppose that the rook is defending everything on the second rank. 43.Rd2 43.Kd2 Ra1 44.bxa4 Bxa4 45.Kc3 Rd1 46.Rd2 Rxd2 acceding to the exchange of rooks since otherwise the white rook goes to d6. 47.Kxd2 Bc6
This is still okay for Black since it's hard for the White king to get in and the two potential weakness b7 and e6 are close together. But now Black must be a bit careful which wasn't the case a few moves ago. 48.Kc3 Ke7 49.Kb4 Bh1 49...b6 stopping the king from entering would have drawn very easily. If 50.Bb5 Kd7 51.a4 Kc7 52.Bxc6 Kxc6 53.Kc4 Kc7 54.Kb5 Kb7 is a trivial draw. Even if White somehow exchanged pawns and got the opposition - which is impossible - then Black would have the reserve tempo ... h6-h5 to draw. 50.Kc5 Bg2 51.Kb6 If 51.a4 Bf3 52.Kb6 Kd7 stopping the king from going to c7 should still hold. 53.a5 51...Bh1 52.Kc7 Diagram
52...Bg2? The losing mistake. Engines point out rather counter intuitively that 52...Bd5 53.Bb3 b5 54.Kb6 Bc4 55.Kc5 Be2 is still a draw because the white bishop has no way to get to a square where it attacks the b5 pawn. 53.Bb5 Bd5 54.a4 Bg2 55.a5 Bf3 56.Bd7+- Be2 57.Bc8 b5 58.axb6 and Van Kamenade resigned 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Mai,H1943Van Kemenade,R19571–02016A80ESTT O65 Stiftung BSW - Wales5.3

 

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3 Na6 7.Bg5 Qe8 8.a3 Apparently an idea recommended by (Greek grandmaster) Vasilios Kotronias who was playing in the 50 plus section in Halkidiki 8.g4 looks a bit early to me before the centre has been closed 8.Be2 is the main line. 8...e5 9.d5 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.b4 apparently scores well but personally I'd much rather attack here 9...h6 This weakens h6 and drives the bishop back to a square it's more than happy to be on. Instead 9...Nh5 10.Nd2 Nf4 is normal 9...Kh8 10.Bd3 Ng8 is an idea which Kotronias suggests in a book on the King's Indian (Volume IV 2016) 9...Nc5 10.Nd2 is conceivable but looks odd before White is committed to g4 10.Be3 Kh8
11.Bd3 It was a choice of this or 11.g4. 11.g4 This would have the advantage of preventing ...Nh5!? in response but might run into Nc5 12.Nd2 a5 13.b4 axb4 14.axb4 Rxa1 15.Qxa1 Na6 I thought that White might be a bit loose here having already played g4 but when I consulted Houdini it liked 16.Qa3 I'd been looking at the much more passive Qb2 or Qb1 11...Ng8 11...Nh5 12.g3 f5 13.exf5 Nf4! makes a serious mess - not 13...gxf5 14.Nh4 Nf4 15.Bc2 14.Bf1 gxf5 and Black is very active 12.g4 f5 What Black's been aiming for but the white squares are weak now. 13.gxf5 gxf5 14.exf5 e4?! Trying to mix it but it doesn't work. However if 14...Ne7± 15.Nh4 Nxf5 16.Nxf5 Bxf5 17.Bxf5 Rxf5 18.Ne4± gives White a clear advantage though Black can mix it with Nc5! a Houdini move. I'd imagined that 19.Bxc5 would keep control but the very annoying 19.Nxc5 dxc5 19...Rf4! 20.Qe2 Qg6! 21.f3 dxc5 22.0-0-0 Raf8 gives Black play so maybe 19.Nxc5 is better 15.Nxe4 Bxb2?
Black should try 15...Bxf5 though it's pretty bad 16.Nd4!+- This fine move cuts off the bishop's retreat. Bxf5 17.Nxf5 Rxf5 18.Nxd6?! inaccurate since Black can take it and then play Qe5. Instead either Rb1 or Ra2 are very strong. My instinct is 18.Ra2 Qe5 18...Bg7 19.Nxd6 Bc3+ 20.Kf1 Qxe3 21.Nxf5 Qf4 22.Re2 is a big tempo up on the game 19.Rxb2 Qxb2 20.Bb1 Qg7 21.Bd4 Re5 22.Kf1 and this just looks winning for example Rf8 23.Rg1 Qe7 24.Qg4 and Black is getting blown away. One nice line goes b6 24...Qf7 25.c5 25.Qg6 Qf7 26.Nxd6 Qxg6 27.Rxg6 cxd6 28.Rxd6 Rfe8
Here I merely saw Re6 but the software screams out for the splendid 29.Rd8! 29.Re6 18...Bc3+ 18...cxd6 19.Bxf5 Qe5 20.Rb1 Bc3+ 21.Ke2 Qxf5 22.Qd3± was still a battle though White is certainly better 19.Kf1! 19.Ke2 Qh5+ 20.Kf1 cxd6 21.Bxf5 Qxf5 Black has escaped 19...Qxe3 20.Nxf5 Qf4 21.Ra2 Fritz and its friends like 21.Qc1 but while this is a winning position it's still a bit messy from a human perspective. 21...Nc5 22.Bb1 22.Rc2 Bf6 23.Rg1 was much better seizing the initiative 22...Nf6 22...Qxc4+ 23.Re2 Qb5 24.Qc2+- tees up decisively along the diagonal 23.Ne7!? 23.Re2+- or Rg1 were simpler because the knight is excellent on f5. Of course you need to back this up and it's crucial that if 23.Rg1+- Re8 24.Re2 Nfe4 24...Ne6 25.Bxe4 Nxe4 26.Qd3 Qxf5 27.Rg4 wins the knight with total control. 23...Qxc4+ 24.Re2 24.Qe2 Qb3 25.Qc2 was much simpler 24...Re8 25.Kg1?! missing 25.Ng6+ Kg7 26.Rg1 Kf7 27.Ba2! 25...Nce4 26.Bd3 Qd4 27.Ng6+ Kg7 28.Nf4
28...Nxd5? The engines find wins against anything but this is definitely a mistake because it allows a pretty obvious liqidation to a winning endgame. There were several alternatives and 28...Kh8 or Kf7 were both much better because they keep the tension. I can't stress enough that it really isn't important if an engine finds a forced line after the game. Your task is to set sufficient problems for a human foe for them to have a decent chance of going wrong. And this is a position where I could perfectly well imagine messing up myself on a bad day. For the record: 29.Qc2 Ba5 30.Rh2± keeps reasonable control and 30.Bxe4 Rxe4 31.Nh5! Rxe2 32.Qxe2 Bb6 33.Nxf6 Qxf6 34.Kf1+- Komodo9 is a way to simplify 28...Ng3 Pritzl 29.Ne6+ 29.Rxe8 Qxf4 30.Rh2 Nxe8 31.fxg3 Qe3+ 32.Kh1± 29...Rxe6 30.dxe6 Nxe2+ 31.Qxe2 Qf4 32.h4+- Fritz15 28...Nxf2? which White was worried about but fails to 29.Rxf2 Re1+ 30.Qxe1 Bxe1 31.Ne6++- 28...Kf7 29.Qc2 Re5 30.h4 and my learned friends tell me that nothing is happening to White - apparently. 29.Rxe4!+- Rxe4 30.Qg4+ Kf7
there's no good square since if 30...Kf8 31.Bxe4 Qxe4 32.Ne6+ 31.Qg6+ Kf8 32.Qxh6+ Ke8 32...Qg7+ 33.Qxg7+ Bxg7 34.Ng6+ 33.Qg6+ 33.Bxe4! Qxe4 34.Qh5+ followed by Nxd5 was a clean kill. 33...Kd7 34.Qxe4?! Qxe4 34...Nxf4 is a slight improvement but 35.Qxd4+ Bxd4 36.Be4 b5 37.h4+- should win 35.Bxe4 Nxf4 36.Bxb7 c5 37.h4 Bb2 38.a4 38.h5 Bxa3 39.h6 would certainly be good enough but there's no need to give Black the a pawn. 38...c4 39.Be4 Kd6 40.h5 Bh8 41.Kf1 Ke5 42.f3 Kd4 43.Ke1 with the c pawn easily controlled this is fairly easy now c3 44.Rh2 a5 45.h6 Nd3+ 46.Bxd3 Kxd3 47.Kd1 Be5
48.f4 certainly not 48.h7?? Bxh2 49.h8Q c2+ 50.Kc1 50.Ke1 c1Q+ 51.Kf2 Qg1# 50...Bf4+ 51.Kb2 c1Q+ mating soon 48...Bxf4 49.Rh3+ And Black resigned. A terrific fighting game with numerous extremely complex variations. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Van Kemenade,R1957Nickl,K20691–02016E90ESTT O65 Wales - Steiermark6.3

 

About the author

Jon was born in 1956 and became a professional player in 1977 after graduating from Worcester College Oxford where he read mathematics. He became an IM in 1977 a GM in 1980 and was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980-2006. Three times British Champion he played twice in the Candidates reaching the semi-final (of what was then a knockout series of matches) in 1989 when he lost 4.5 - 3.5 to Jan Timman. He's twice been a second at the world championship for Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995. He's written for the Observer (weekly) since 1993 and The Independent since 1998. With its closure (going online, but without Jon on board) he's expanding online activity and is also now offering online tuition. He likes puzzles especially (cryptic) crosswords and killer sudokus. If you'd like to contact Jon, then please write to jonathan@speelman.demon.co.uk

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