Jon Speelman's Agony Column #20

by Jonathan Speelman
9/21/2016 – After a short interlude in Baku, we return this week to this column's normal business, with a tale of Agony and revenge in the regional Bundesliga. Sent by Andreas Beyerlein they comprise two games against the same opponent, Miroslav Kalous. In 2010 Andreas got a winning position but then dived into the abyss; two years later he easily converted another won game. Analysis and training by GM Jonathan Speelman.
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Jon Speelman's Agony Column #20

Andreas Beyerlein

Andreas Beyerlein writes: "I am 34 years old, married, and have two children (aged two and five years). I have an MSc in Statistics and a PhD in Human Biology, and I live in Munich where I am working as a researcher in diabetes epidemiology. Apart from spending time with my lovely kids and playing chess, I am interested in football (but I am not a supporter of Bayern München), history (of chess and in general) and science.

I currently play for SC Roter Turm Altstadt, a club from Munich, but the games against Miroslav Kalous come from league matches with my former team, SG Siemens Amberg, against SC Windischeschenbach, a club from close to the Czech border."

He annotated the games in some detail and I've added my comments as JS as usual.

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1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bf4 Bg4 4.e3 e6 5.Be2 Bd6 6.Bg3 Nf6 6...Nge7 JS is more common 7.Nbd2 Nf5 they often castle but this makes White take a decision about the bishop immediately 8.Bxd6 cxd6 and Black has equalised. 7.Nbd2 Bxg3 8.hxg3 Qd6 9.c3 0-0 9...0-0-0 AB maybe risky JS You can play this way if you like since White is a long way from creating a serious attack though 10.b4 prevents e5 for the moment 10.Qa4!?
10...e5? This should lose a pawn 10...Bf5 11.Nh4 Bg4= 10...a6 11.Bd3 preparing e4 10...h6 stops tactics against h7 though it could encourage White to try to organise g3-4-5 in the future. 11.dxe5? 11.Nxe5 Bxe2 11...Nxe5?? 12.dxe5 Qd7 13.Qxd7 Nxd7 14.Bxg4+- 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Kxe2± JS Black can certainly fight but shouldn't have enough for the pawn. 11...Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe2 13.Kxe2 13.Nxf7 JS White also wins a pawn with this internezzo though after Rxf7 13...Qb6 14.Kxe2 Qxb2 15.Ng5 is nonsense 14.Kxe2 Re8 15.Nf3 Black has excellent compensation with a nice position and much the safer king. Play might then continue Qb6 16.Qb3 Qa6+ 17.Ke1 c6 13...Qxe5 14.Rh4 JS I like this move playing to use the h-file but Black is very solid and should be fine. 14.Qf4= 14...Rfe8 15.Rah1 Rad8?! 15...Qf5 JS is Houdini's suggestion, the idea being that if 16.g4 Qg6 17.Kd1 d4 18.cxd4 Nxg4 when the White king is a bit unsafe 16.Nf3 Qf5 17.g4 Qg6 17...Qe4 AB does not work well 18.g5 18.Qxe4 dxe4= 18...Qxa4 19.Rxa4 Ne4 20.Rxa7 Ra8
JS This is a line which Black would be very unlikely to go into but it is a typical position in which you have to decide on which endgame you want. If 21.Rxa8 21.Rxb7 My initial instinct was that this would lead to more but after Rxa2 22.Rc1 g6 23.Rc2 c5 24.g3 it remains very complicated so I think I'd prefer the first line. 21...Rxa8 22.a3 Ra5 23.Rc1 c6 23...Rb5? 24.b4 misplaces the rook 24.Nd2! returning the pawn to get active Nxg5 25.c4 with quite a nice advantage 18.g5
18...Ne4 18...Re4 19.Qb3 19.Qc2 Rxh4 20.Qxg6 hxg6 20...fxg6!? 21.Rxh4 Ne4 22.Rg4 Rf8 23.c4 c6 21.Rxh4 Ne4 22.Rg4 Kf8 23.Nd2 Nxd2 24.Kxd2 Ke7 JS is pretty equal. 19...Rxh4 20.Rxh4 Ne4 21.Qxb7 h6! 22.Qxc7 Qa6+ 23.Ke1 Rf8 JS Black is getting the queen in here and White must equalise with 24.gxh6 Qd3 25.hxg7 Qb1+ with perpetual check. 19.Rh5?! Giving Black a very dangerous initiative. 19.Rxh7 Qxh7 20.Rxh7 Kxh7 21.Qxa7 Computers tend to overassess this type of position for the queen since they value her relatively more highly than humans but here White does look better because he has a couple of pawns, and - at least as important - the Black king is exposed. Ra8 22.Qxb7 Rxa2 22...Rab8? 23.Qxd5 Rxb2+ 24.Kf1 Rb1+ 25.Ne1 23.Nd2 JS This is where Andreas ended his line and I agree that White is better though it's certainly not that clear for example if 23.Qxd5?? Nxc3+ 23.Qb5?? Nxc3+ 23.Qxc7? Rxb2+ 24.Kd3 Nxf2+ 23...Nxd2 24.Kxd2 Re6 25.Qb3 Ra1 26.Ke2 Rb6 27.Qxd5 Rxb2+ 28.Kf3 Raa2 29.Qf5+ Kg8 30.Kg3 g6 31.Qf6 Re2 32.f3 Rxg2+ 33.Kf4 Rgd2 is still very much a battle 19...Nc5 20.Qd1 20.Qd4 Ne6! JS and it turns out that the queen doesn't have a decent square. 21.Qg4 21.Qa4 b5! 21...f5! 22.Qg3 22.Qh4 Qxh5 23.Qxh5 Nf4+ 22...f4 20...Qa6+ 21.Ke1? JS This should lose 21.Kd2 Qxa2 22.Rxh7 JS was a total mess. Qxb2+ 23.Qc2 23.Ke1 Kf8 24.Nd4 Re5! 23...Ne4+ 24.Ke1! Qa1+ 25.Ke2 Qa6+ 26.c4! Kf8 27.R1h4
JS whatever the true evaluation - and Houdini is giving it as equal - in a game either side could lose this position within a couple of moves. 21...Nd3+ 22.Kd2 Nxf2
23.Qc2 23.Rxh7?? Qd3+ 24.Kc1 Qxd1+ 25.Rxd1 Kxh7 23...Nxh1? AB I can't remember why I did not play 23...g6 24.Rxh7 Nxh1 25.Rxh1-+ JS Of course this would have avoided a world of trouble and in some sense it was the critical moment in the game. 24.Qxh7+ Kf8 25.Rxh1 Qg6?! 25...Qxa2 26.Qh8+ 26.Nd4 Qxb2+ 27.Kd3 Rxe3+ 28.Kxe3 Qxc3+ 29.Kf2 29.Qd3 Re8+ 29...Qxd4+-+ 26...Ke7 27.Qxg7 Qxb2+ 28.Kd3 Kd7 29.Qxf7+ Kc8 30.Rh7 Qb6 31.Nd4-+ AB but still difficult to play JS Agreed. Of course Black should be totally winning but could still go wrong. 26.Qh2! AB a bit nasty JS It's now really easy to go wrong. Qb6?! 26...Rd6 JS blocks the diagonal and keeps the queen defending 26...c6 27.Qc7 Kg8 28.Ne5 Qe6 29.Nxf7! and Black can't do better than take perpetual check. 27.Kc2 Rxe3 27...Qxe3 28.Qxc7 28.Nd4 Qg6+ 28...g6 JS would have prevented Nf5 at a nasty moment and kept some control. 29.Rf1 29.Qh6+ Ke7 30.Rf1 Qa6 31.Rf2 31.Rf4 Qd3+ 32.Kb3 Rd6 31...Qd3+ 32.Kb3 Qxd4 and 29.Qh8+ Ke7 30.Qg7 Qa6! are both simple but 29...Qa6 30.Rxf7+ Kxf7 31.Qf4+ Kg8 32.Qxe3 Qa4+ 33.Kd2 Re8 would still leave Black with some work to do. 29.Kb3
29...c5?? 29...Rd6? 30.Qh8+ Ke7 31.Qc8! attacking c7 and f5 Rb6+ 32.Ka4 Ra6+ 33.Kb3 29...Qd3! 30.Qxc7 Qc4+ JS and Black should win in the end - rooks are better than knights. 30.Qc7+- c4+ AB Here I realized with horror that 30...Qb6+ does not work because of 31.Qxb6 axb6 32.Nf5! 31.Kb4 a5+ 31...Qd6+ 32.Qxd6+ Rxd6 33.Rh8+! Ke7 34.Nf5++- 32.Kc5 b6+ 33.Kb5 Ree8 AB I remember that we were both in time trouble, but I think my opponent had only one second (with old time control!) left on his clock, so either 33...Rd7 or 33...Qh6 would probably have won the game for me, although both moves lead to forced checkmate! 34.Rh8# AB One of my most painful defeats ever! JS Andreas outplayed his opponent in the opening and early middlegame but allowed him back into the game after winning the exchange. The intermezzo 25...g6! would have left him with a safe king and easy play but after failing to play this he faced serious practical problems, even if engines sneer at White's compensation. He became confused and in time trouble it was a lottery. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kalous,M2066Beyerlein,A19581–02010D02Regionalliga Bayern Nordost 8.2
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AB I was able to take revenge about two years later. 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 b6?! 4.Ngf3 4.Bd3 Ba6 JS Of course this isn't in any way special for Black but there's no reason to move the bishop from f1 and lose a tempo 4...Nf6 5.e5 5.Ne5!? JS is a suggestion of Andreas's or perhaps Fritz. I'd want to reply Bb7 6.exd5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.Bd3 doesn't look bad for Black 6...Qxd5 if possible and Houdini doesn't demur 5...Nfd7 6.c4! dxc4 6...Bb7 7.cxd5 Bxd5 8.Bc4 JS Black has a nice square on d5 if he can get organised but lags in development c6 was my first thought though quite possibly wrong 9.0-0 Be7 10.Qe2 If the b8 knight were somewhere sensible I'd quite like Black's position but he's going to have to work to organise it and this will give White an appreciable amount of time to try to create something 7.Bxc4 Ba6 7...Bb7 JS is obviously also possible and given that Black is lagging in development and will find it hard to prevent d5 a better idea. 8.0-0 Be7 8...c5 9.d5! 9.Re1 Bxc4 10.Nxc4 Nc6?! AB causes even more trouble to Black 10...0-0 10...b5 JS makes sense of the position aining to put the knight on b6 to control d5. 11.Ne3 11.Na5! is very testing Bb4 11...c5 12.Bd2 0-0 13.dxc5 Nxc5 14.b4 and the knight on a5 is very unsettling 12.Bg5 Qc8 13.Bd2 Bxa5 14.Bxa5 Nc6 15.Bd2 Nb6 or possibly Ne7. Black is in danger on both sides of the board and something awful could easily happen to his king. But he will hope to lose a pawn in return for establishing a knight on d5 in which case he would have decent chances. 15...Ne7 11...Nb6 12.Qe2 JS followed by Bd2. Again Black would be absolutely fine if the knight on b8 were developed but since it isn't will have to be very careful. Still this looks much less scary than Na5 11.a3 JS Preventing ...Nb4 11.d5 exd5 12.Qxd5 Nb4 13.Qd2 13.Qe4 Nc5 14.Nd6+ cxd6 15.Qxb4 0-0 16.Rd1 Qc7 JS Certainly no more than += 13...Nf8! 13...0-0 14.Ne3± 14.Nd6+ cxd6 15.exd6 Ne6 16.dxe7 Qxd2 17.Bxd2 Nd3 should be okay for Black. 11...0-0 11...b5 made sense again to get some squares. 12.Ne3 Nb6 13.Qd3 0-0! JS possible because if Qxb5 Nxd4 14.Rd1 14.Qxb5 Nxd4 14...a6 15.Bd2 Qd7 16.Rac1 Rfc8 JS Of course White must be a bit better but Black is fighting. 12.d5!? JS This gives Black a tactical opportunity. Slower play would have retained a very nice advantage. 12.Qa4 Ndb8 12.Qc2 12...exd5 13.Qxd5
13...Ndb8? 13...Ndxe5! AB only chance 14.Rxe5 14.Qxd8? Nxf3+ 14...Nxe5 15.Qxe5 Qd1+ 16.Qe1 16.Ne1?? Bf6-+ 16...Qxe1+ 17.Nxe1 Rad8 18.Be3 JS White is certainly better here but rooks are powerful in the endgame and Black has decent fighting chances. 14.Qe4 JS Black simply hasn't got enough development b5 14...Qd7 JS was also very bad. 15.Bg5 Na6 16.e6! Qxe6 16...fxe6 17.Rad1 Bd6 18.b4 White will regain the pawn with heavy intewrest 17.Qc2 Qd7 18.Rad1 Bd6 19.Bf4 Rae8 20.Rxe8 Rxe8 21.Bxd6 cxd6 22.Ng5 15.Ne3 Qd7 16.Nf5+- Na6??
JS Losing immediately but White is winning anyway. 16...Qe6 17.N3d4 Nxd4 18.Nxd4 Qb6 19.Qxa8 Qxd4 20.Be3+- 16...Re8 17.Bf4 Qe6 18.Rac1 Qg6 19.Red1 JS and Black still retains material equality but his position is ghastly. 17.Qg4 Qxf5 17...g6 18.Nh6+ Kg7 19.Qxd7 18.Qxf5 Nc5 19.Qc2 Na5 20.b4 Ncb3 21.Rb1 Nxc1 22.bxa5 Bxa3 23.Ng5 g6 24.Rexc1 Bxc1 25.Qxc1 JS In the opening, there is always a tension between getting your forces developed and setting up the pawn structure you want. In this game, Black arranged an exchange of light squared bishops and created a potentially excellent post for a knight on d5. But he lost too much time doing so and was crushed right out of the opening. Given the grim alternative, 13...Ndxe5! was forced as a bail out even if the resultant endgame ought to be fairly unpleasant. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Beyerlein,A1947Kalous,M20351–02012C03Regionalliga Bayern Nordost6.4

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About the author

Jonathan Speelman was born in 1956 and graduated from Worcester College Oxford, where he read mathematics. He became an IM and a professional chess player 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 was twice a second to a world championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.

Jon has written for The Observer (weekly) since 1993 and The Independent since 1998. With its closure (going online, but without Jon on board) he is 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

 

Jonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.

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