Speelman's Agony #77

by Jonathan Speelman
6/5/2018 – A Canadian immigrant from the former Yugoslavia provides this week's contribution which includes more games than usual, including one reminiscence from Speelman's past. Just a reminder — Jon can always use more material from readers. If your games are selected for the Agony column, not only will you get free detailed commentary of your games by one of chess’s great authors and instructors, and former world no. 4 player, but you also win a free three-month ChessBase Premium Account!
Fritz 16 is looking forward to playing with you, and you're certain to have a great deal of fun with him too. Tense games and even well-fought victories await you with "Easy play" and "Assisted analysis" modes.

Double-Agony

This week's games are by Miroslav Stefanovic, who now lives in Canada. He played chess in his youth but stopped when the wars started in the former Yugoslavia and it wasn't he was in his mid-forties in Canada that he started again.

His national Canadian rating started off as 2000 with a peak of 2200 (as he says, tournaments in Canada are rarely FIDE rated).

All three of his opponents were similarly rated (within 100 points at the time of games being played).

We start with two Agonies. Miroslav has annotated the games in some detail and, as ususal, I've added my comments as 'JS'.

 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,186,70654%2421---
1.d4960,56055%2434---
1.Nf3286,91356%2440---
1.c4185,11556%2442---
1.g319,90256%2427---
1.b314,60954%2428---
1.f45,95948%2376---
1.Nc33,91950%2383---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25254%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.a3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Be6?! JS I don't know much about the Albin so turned to its great proponent in recent years: Alexander Morozevich. He has always played Nge7 here, part form a single outing with a5 so I presume it's the best move. 6.b3 JS White has more often played e3 here or Nbd2 preparing b4 6.e3 dxe3 7.Qxd8+ Rxd8 8.Bxe3 Nge7 9.Nc3 Nf5 10.Bg5 6.Nbd2 Nge7 6...a5 7.Nb3 Bxc4 8.Nbxd4 7.b4 Ng6 8.Bb2 Be7 9.Qc2 0-0 10.b5 Ncxe5 11.Nxd4 with a nice advantage. 6...Qd7 7.Ra2 Bf5! This annoying move interferes with the paln of Ra2-d3. 8.Nbd2 a5 9.g3 Bc5 10.Bg2 Nge7 11.0-0 Bh3?! gives white initiative and misplaces black queen. Also black didn't complete development before starting the action. JS The main thing is that White is given access to e4 without having to make a slight conmcession like playing Nh4. 12.Bxh3 Qxh3 13.Ne4 b6 14.Qd3 14.e3 JS was the way to exploit ...Bh3 0-0-0 14...dxe3 15.Nxc5 bxc5 15...exf2+ 16.Raxf2 bxc5 17.Ng5 16.Bxe3 15.Nxc5 bxc5 15...dxe3 16.Qe2 16.Nd3 is "better" I suppose but why contort, even it if does win a piece when you have such a lovely clean advantage. 16...bxc5 16...exf2+ 17.Qxf2 bxc5 18.Qxc5 17.Bxe3 Qf5 18.Bxc5 Ng6 19.b4 JS this is far from the top line of engines but simple and still enough to demonstrate a clear advantage. 16.Ng5 Qf5 17.e4 Qg6 18.f4 14...Ng6 15.Neg5 Qd7 and just like that, White is much better 16.e6 fxe6 17.Nxh7 Nge7 18.Nhg5 e5
In this for me unusual complicated middle game I can't find a plan JS White's big trump here is the e4 square. If he can get in b4 in any sensible way he should be winning but that's going to be difficult becuae the as pawn needs protecting. 19.Qe4 based on the computer line, it looks like black king will have to stay in center while his pieces are all stuck defending the week structure. 19.Bd2 Bd6 19...Qf5 20.Ne4 20.Rd1 20.Rb1 20...0-0 20.Ne4 Qh3 21.Rfa1 21.Raa1 0-0-0 21...Kd7 to try to play Rf8 22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 Raf8 24.Neg5 22.Rfb1 is a sample line teeing up to play b4. Black's king is embarrassed and if for instance 21...Rh5 21...Kd7 22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 Rxa2 24.Rxa2 Bxb4 25.Bxb4 Nxb4 26.Nxe5+ Ke6 27.Ng5+ Kxe5 28.Qe4+ 22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 Rxa2 24.Rxa2 Bxb4 25.Ra8+ Kd7 26.Bxb4 Nxb4 27.Qb1 Nec6 28.Neg5 will win. 19...Qf5 20.Rd1 Qxe4 21.Nxe4 Nf5 22.Nxc5? 22.Ne1 Nd6 22.Bd2 Nd6 23.Nfg5 Nd8 24.Rda1 Nxe4 25.Nxe4 Be7 26.b4 For some reason my engine isn't esecially impressed by this for White but it looks very logical to me. 22...bxc5 I'm trying to simplify but I'm simplifying into worse and worse position 23.Ng5 totally missing the next move .. a4! JS Now Black's centre is becoming a real boon rather than a concern. 24.Rb2 axb3 25.Rxb3 Ra4 26.Ne6 Rxc4 27.Nxc7+ Kd7 28.Nd5 Kd6 29.e4 Nfe7 30.Nxe7 Nxe7 31.Rb6+ Nc6 32.f4 Kc7 33.Rb2
JS Here the overriding factor is Black's connected passed central pawns. If they can advance supported by the king then Black should win, more or less whatever is happening elsewhere on the board. I was surpiised by d3, because it breaks ranks before the reserves have fiormed up to suppot it and my instinctive reaction was Rb8 to exchange off a pair of rooks so that White has fewer pieces to oppose the central advance .However, it isn't that clear: 33...d3 33...Rb8 JS 34.Rxb8 Nxb8 35.fxe5 35.f5 Nd7 36.g4 Rc2 37.g5 35...Kd7 36.Kf1 Ke6 37.Bf4 Nd7 38.Ke2 JS is still very messy though. If Ra4 38...Nxe5 39.Rc1 Rxc1 40.Bxc1 c4 41.Bf4 then without any rooks on the board White's passed pawns on the a file and potentially the kingside too look dangerous. 39.Rd3 Nxe5 39...g5 40.Bxg5 Nxe5 41.Rb3 c4 42.Rb6+ Kd7 43.Bf4 40.Rb3! Here the black king hasn't quite managed to join in and apparently White is still okay. 34.fxe5 34.Be3 Rc3 35.fxe5 c4 34...Rxe4 35.Bf4
35...g5! Quite rightly prioritising the pawns over everything else. 36.Bxg5 c4 37.Rc1 Kd7 38.Bf4 Nd4 38...Rc8! JS Black needs to support the pawns before bringing the knight in. 39.Kg2 Tired from a five hour long fight in an unknown position, I fail to see that the following is just equal. 39.Rxc4 Ne2+ 40.Rxe2 Rxe2 41.Rd4+ Ke6 42.Rxd3 Rhxh2 JS Well it isn't just equal - it's uncomfortable having the doubled rooks on the seventh: but it should be a draw. Indeed I once drew against Eugenio Torre as Black with rook and bishop vs two rooks and an extra pawn: White Kh1 rooks a5,g4 pawn h2; Black Kh8 Rc8 Bf8. just after he took my last pawn, Apparently it is winning but I held on with the help of numerous stalemate tricks. 39...Rc8 40.Rb7+? Ke6 41.Rb6+? Kd5 Of course, forcing the king where he wants to go is never a good plan. 42.h4 c3 43.h5 Rxf4 44.gxf4 d2 45.Rbb1 Ne2! 45...dxc1Q 46.Rxc1 c2 47.f5 Ne2 48.Rxc2 Rxc2 and the game is over. Black king and rook clean up the pawns. 46.Rd1
46...Nxf4+? JS As noted earlier, the crucial factor is whether the centre pawns can advance. White's passed pawns are mildly annoying but have nothing like the impact of the monsters on d2 and c3 and Black should simply have supported his infantry: 46...Ke4 47.Kf2 or 47.f5 c2 47...Nxf4 is pretty trivial. 48.e6 c2 49.Rb4+ Kd3 50.Rb3+ Kc4 51.Rb4+ Kc3 47.Kf3 Nd3? now it's drawish again! 48.Rxd2?? but I don't allow it! Lose I must. 48.Ke2 Nxe5 49.Rbc1 Rc4 49...Kc4 50.Rxd2= 50.Rxd2+ cxd2 51.Rxc4 Kxc4 51...Nxc4?? 52.h6 Ne5 53.h7 is lost for Black. 52.Kxd2 Nf7= 48...cxd2 49.Rd1 Nxe5+ 50.Ke2 Nc4 51.h6 Kd4 52.Rh1 Re8+ 53.Kf3 Re1 54.Rh4+ Ke5 JS A tough battle in which Mioroslav got the early advantage but then faltered allowing his opponent very dangerous central pawns. In the complications that followed, both sides made mistakes but Miroslav's was the last. 0–1
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Miroslav,S-Alex,F-0–12018D08
Miroslav,S-David,S-0–12018A90
Nameer,I-Miroslav,S-0–12018D15
Torre,E2565Speelman,J2495½–½1984E48London

Click or tap the second game in the game list below the board to switch

On this DVD IM Trent shows the Albin Counter-Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5). Trent found a number of extremely dangerous Theoretical Novelties which will truly put the Albin Counter-Gambit back on the map.

Submit your games and win free Premium!

Did you enjoy the column and instructive analysis by GM Jonathan Speelman? Do you wish you could have a world-renowned grandmaster analyzing your play? You can!

To submit your games just upload a PGN or ChessBase file, along with your name and e-mail address. Send one success story (Ecstasy) and one loss (Agony).

Tell why you chose them, where or when they were played. Please also include your email address, so Jon can reply, and preferably a photo of yourself for our article.

If your game is selected Jon will contact you personally, and not only will you get free detailed commentary of your games by one of chess’s great authors and instructors, and former world no. 4 player, but you also win a free three-month ChessBase Premium Account!

A three-month Premium subscription to ChessBase Account means you get:

  • Premium access to the Playchess server with ratings, simuls, lectures, and live commentary of top games
  • Access to all Web apps with no restrictions, such as the Cloud database, and more!
  • Full access to the Video archive, which not only includes all the past lectures by Daniel King, Simon Williams and others, but also a large number of full ChessBase products you would normally need to buy in the ChessBase Shop but that you can view for free as a Premium subscriber.

See also:

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.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.