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Chess Life Magazine 2014 December The July Check is in the Mail
Chess Life Magazine 2014 December The July Check is in the Mail | The July Check is in the Mail |
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| By Alex Dunne | |
| July 17, 2014 | |
 Cecil Purdy - 1st World ChampionCecil Purdy of Australia was the winner of the First World Correspondence Chess Championship, 1947-1950, with a score of +9 =3 -1 (Yes, in those pre-computer days games were often decisive and drawn games were a bit of a rarity). Purdy declined to defend his title in the second World Championship and thus his entire cc career totaled only 46 games. His lifetime score was +34 =10 -2. GAME OF THE MONTH The most exciting of Purdy's games in that First World Championship was undoubtedly his game against Italy's Mario Napolitano. To modernize the analysis Rybka will be used. NIMZO-INDIAN DEFENSE (E26) 7461 1.c4 For the cyber-curious reader, Rybka lists 1. c4 as its seventh choice opening move and gives a value of =(-0.01) at 17 ply. The number one choice is a tie between 1. Nc3 and 1. d4. 1...Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 The Samisch line which makes sporadic appearances in modern chess. The latst attempt at rehabilitation was in Svidler-Aronian, FIDE Candidates 2013, which continued 4....Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 c5 6. e3 Qa5 7. Qd2 Ne4 8. Bd3 Nxd2. 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 The usual (for the 50's) way of playing the Black side: Black intends to keep the center closed by ...c5, ...d6. and ...e5 and after White's d5, play Na5, ...b6, ..., and Ba6 with pressure on c4. White plays to avoid this. 6.e3 Nc6 7.Bd3 e5 8.Ne2 d6 9.e4 Played in Kotov-Alatortsev, Moscow 1946, which was met by 9....Qe7. Napolitano has a much more aggressive continuation in mind. 9...Nh5 This is Rybka's eleventh choice (!) ranked at += (0.28) while 9....cxd4 is given as first = (0.18). 10.0-0 g5 Rybka grants 10...00 as a clear first choice with 10...g5 languishing in eighth place. 11.Bc2 White has a choice of many moves of near equal value here. 11. Bc2 is one of them but Black inches toward equality here. 11...Nf4 12.Ba4 Bd7 13.Ng3 cxd4 This was played as an improvement over Bronstein-Smyslov, Budapest 1950. Smyslov played 13...Qf6 14. d5 which Rbyka assesses as = (0.18) 14.Bxc6 bxc6 Napolitano keeps his Bishop pointed toward the White King. Slightly better was 14...Bxc6. 15.cxd4 Qf6 16.Be3 h5 Visually the attack becomes menacing, but Rybka still gives White the edge here. 17.dxe5 dxe5 18.Rb1 Rd8 Too soon is 18...h4 19. Nf5 Bxf5 20. exf5 Rd8 (20...Qxf5 21, Qd6) 21. g4 19.Qc2 h4 20.Nf5 Bxf5 21.exf5 0-0 Rybka gives 21...00 as the best method of conducting the attack with 21...h3 a close second and gives White the edge. 22.Rfd1 Nh5 Black is after the f-pawn, Rybka prefers to relocate the Queen to the a8-h1 diagonal wih 22...c5 23. f3 Qc8 with a rating of =(0.23). Going after the f-Pawn is too slow. 23.Bxa7 Grabbing the a-Pawn is Rybka's third choice. With a solid White plus += (0.77) is 23. g3 a6 24. Bc5 Rfe8 25. Qe4 h3 26. Re1 Rd2 27. Rb6. 23...Ng7 24.a4 Nxf5 25.a5 White keeps his advantage by simplification here -- 25. Rx8 Rxd8 26. h3 Kg7 27. Bb8 += (0.66) 25...h3! 26.a6 Ra8 27.Bc5 Rfe8 28.a7 White has won the battle on the queenside but now the action turns toward the kingside, If White can avoid catastrophe there, the World Championship will be his. Otherwise Napolitano will tie for first with Purdy. 28...e4 29.Rb7 Nh4 30.Qb3 After this, Purdy's chances plummet. Rybka indicates White should play 30.Rdd7 Nf3+ 31.gxf3 Qxf3 32.Kf1 Qh1+ 33.Ke2 Qf3+ 34.Ke1. 30...Qf5 31.Rdd7 Nf3+ Now the advantage flies back to White. Black misses the stronger 31...hxg2 32.Qd1 Nf3+ 33.Kxg2 Qg4+ 34.Kf1 Nxh2+ 35.Ke1 Nf3+ 36.Kf1 Qh3+ 37.Ke2 Ne5 -+ (1.01) 32.gxf3 exf3 33.Kf1 Qxc5 34.Qc3 White could also finish with a mating attack here: 34.Rxf7 Re2 35.Rg7+ Kh8 36.Rh7+ Kg8 37.Rbg7+ Kf8 38.Qxf3+ Ke8 39.Rh8+ Qf8 40.Qxf8 mate 34...Rf8 35.Qd3 With the threat of Qg6+ 35...Qe5 36.Qxf3 Rae8 37.Rb1 Stronger is 37. Qxh3. 37...Qxh2 38.Rb3 Qe5 39.Qxh3 Qf4 40.c5 Qc4+ 41.Kg2 Re4 The game is over, but even after the stronger 41....Qxc5, resistance is futile: 41...Qxc5 42.Rf3 Qc2 43.Qh6 Qh7 44.Qxg5+ Qg7 45.Rg3 Qxg5 46.Rxg5+ Kh7 47.Rg3 Kh6 48.Rb7 Rg8 49.Rxg8 Rxg8+ 50.Kf3 Ra8 51.Ke4) 42.Qf5 Qxb3 43.Qxe4 Kg7 44.Qf5 g4 45.Qxg4+ 1-0 Sixty-four years is a long time in chess techniques. Modern championship players (minus computers) probably would not have made the same kind of mistakes as found in this classic CC game. LEARN CHESS BY MAIL ! Lessons given by mail, telephone, ICC - many different ways. I specialize in players rated 800-2100 who would like to improve their game. Contact me for information. Alex Dunne, 324 West Lockhart St., Sayre, PA 18840 or [email protected] Chess booklet for sale: 2004 Golden Knights Championship -- booklet of the 57th USCF CC Championship -- $10.00 postage paid. 35 pages, 90+ games THE ABSOLUTE CORRESPONDENCE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE UNITED STATES CHESS FEDERATION 1976-2010 is now available at McFarland Publishers and Amazon for $45.00 and also Kindle at $16.49 NEW! 2006 Electronic Knights Championship ebook. 190 games some annotated, all the crosstables, bios of the top three, list of all the finalists, ChessBase format, .pgn notation and Microsoft .pdf format. $4.00 postage paid for the disk, $2.00 sent to you via email. Hard copy $10 postage included. PROBLEM WITH AN OPPONENT ? If you have a problem with an opponent (illegal move, confusing if-move, illegible handwriting, etc., try to work it out with your opponent. Be polite, and usually a fair solution is available. If you cannot work out a problem, that is the time to contact me. If, however, the problem is more about the character of the opponent, that is the time to contact me first without challenging your opponent. If you suspect your opponent is cheating or otherwise conducting himself in an inappropriate manner, contact me with a description of the problem. I will do my best to straighten it out. JUNE RESULTS Walter Muir Fletcher Penney 13W28 5-1 Paul Bevan 13W45 5-1 Ben McGahee 14W14 5-1 John Collins Philip DeAugustino 13C03 5-1 Jill Jaris 13C03 5-1 Swift Quad David Stone 14SQ03 6-0 Winning the 13W45 Walter Muir was not an easy task for Paul Bevans, Here he shows how he overcame one of his rivals. SICILIAN DEFENSE (B23) 7460 SICILIAN DEFENSE (B90) 7459 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nde2 I tried this for some variety... I will not try it again! 7...Ng4! 8.Nd5 Nxe3 9.Nxe3 Be6N 10.Nc3 Be7 11.Bc4!?N White has one plan - to control d5 and attack d6 [11.Ncd5 Nc6 12.Be2=] 11...0-0 12.0-0 Bg5 13.Ncd5 Nd7 14.a4 14.c3 Nc5 15.Qc2 b5 16.Be2 Rc8= 14...Nb6 15.Bb3 15.Nxb6 Qxb6 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.a5 17...Qc5 18.Qg4 Bxe3 19.Qxe6+ Kh8 20.fxe3 Qxe3+ 21.Kh1 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Qe2 23.Kg1 15...Rc8 16.c3 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Rc5 18.Re1 Kh8 18...f5? 19.Nf4! 19.Nb4 consistently controlling d5. 19...Bc8?! presumably to allow f5 without swapping W-squared Bishops (The B helps defend d5) [19...Bxb3 20.Qxb3 Qb6 21.Qd1!] 20.Bd5 f5 21.Nd3 21.exf5 a5! 22.Nc2 Bxf5 21...Rc7 22.exf5 Bxf5 23.f3 White must keep control of e4 and d5 23...Rc8 24.Kh1 Qc7 25.Nf2 Bh4 to force g3 and create a weakness at f3 26.g3 Be7 27.a5! If Black is to free his queenside he will accept a weak queenside pawn 27...b6 28.axb6 Qxb6 29.Re2 White has some advantage, but it is delicate. His problem is to defend his weaknesses while coordinating his pieces. 29...Bd7 30.Kg2 a5 31.Ne4 Bb5 I wonder if this is a mistake.... or a trap. 32.Rd2 Be8 33.b3 Bh5 33...Rb8 34.Qg1 Qc7 (34...Qxg1+ 35.Rxg1 a4 36.bxa4 Bxa4 37.Ra1 Be8) 35.Qe3 (35.Rda2 a4 36.bxa4 Bh5 37.g4 Qa5 38.c4 Bf7) 35...Bh5 36.Rf2 Rb5 34.Rd3! The best move of the game. Though this move limits this rooks mobility, by protecting all of White's weaknesses (c3, f3,, and e4) it allows all the other pieces to get to better squares. Black's weaknesses (a5 and d6) will prove harder to defend [34.Rf2 Bg6 35.c4 Rb8=] 34...Rb8 35.Qd2 Bg6 36.h4! In some lines it may be useful to play h5 and deflect the Bishop. White's pieces are getting better while Black's are becoming tied to defensive tasks. 36...Qc7 37.Qa2 Bd8 38.Qa3 Rb6? Black tires of passive defense and tries to use tactics to solve his problems. Unfortunately this is a mistake and gives White a large advantage [¹38...Qd7 the pin on the N indirectly defends d6 39.h5! Bxe4 40.Bxe4 Rf6 41.c4± with the idea of preparing c5] 39.Qxa5 Bxe4 40.Bxe4 Rxb3 41.Qxc7 Bxc7 41...Rb2+ 42.Kh3 Bxc7 43.Ra7 Bb8 44.Rd7+- 42.Ra7 Bb8 43.Rd7 Ra3?! This is the fatal error [43...Rb2+] 44.c4! Rxd3 45.Bxd3 Rc8 46.h5! fixing Black's K side pawns and preparing to restrict the Black King. Then White will effectively have an extra piece (his King) which can waltz in and win some pawns 46...h6 [46...Bc7 47.c5!] 47.Be4 Rf8 48.Kh3 Kg8 49.Bd5+ Kh8 50.Kg4 ... and Black resigns 1-0 Find a full list of Alex Dunne's correspondence chess columns here. |