During the past few days, I have been in "training" with my chess buddy Ken Henkelman for the Plano Chess Open. We play about seven or eight games a week, and Ken has been winning the great majority of games - I still haven't learned how to properly defense this version of the Latvian Gambit - -1- e4 e5 -2- Nf3 f5 -3- Bc4
We occasionally play chess at "Fast Eddie's" in Waco, a semi-luxury pool hall/bar on Friday or Saturday nights, with heavy music blaring and cigarette smoke hanging in the air.
I was there on Friday night, April 9th (just before the Plano chess tournament). Ken won the first thee games (including two Latvian Gambits), although I played with some skill. It is the fourth game, an 81 move draw as White (Gucco Piano/Scicilian) that I would like to present to you for your consideration - there won't be much annotation - maybe I could have won in the endgame, or maybe not. But I love this game. Enjoy!
DEVRIES (White) HENKELMAN (Black)
CASUAL GAME - April 9, 2010 Fast Eddie's Pool Hall/Bar
WACO TX
-1- e4 c5
-2- Nf3 Nc6
-3- Bc4 Nf6
-4- d3 g6
-5- Bg5 Bg7
-6- 0 - 0 0 - 0
-7- c3 d6
My 7th move is trying to neutralize Ken's King Indian Bishop.
-8- h3 a6
-9- QN to d2 Be6
-10- Re1 Qd7
-11- Kh2 b5
-12- B x B Q x B
-13- a3 Ne5
-14- N x N Q x N
-15- Nf3 Qe6
-16- Qc2 QR to c8
-17- e5 P x P
-18- R x P Qd6
-19- g3 Nd5
-20- Re2 f6
-21- Bd2 e5
-22- c4 P x P
-23- P x P Nb6
-24- b3 Qc6
-25- Qc3 Rf7
-26- Rook on a1 to e1 e4
-27- Nh4 f5
-28- Qc2 Rd8
-29- Be3 Rd3
-30- Ng2 R on f7 to d7
-31- Nf4 R on d3 to d6
On Move 30 and 31, some nice moves by my Knight.
-32 h4 Bd4
-33- Rd1 B x B
-34- R x R Q x R
-35- P x B Qd1
-36- Ne6 Q x Q
-37- R x Q R x Q
-38- N x P on c5 R x P on e3
-39- Rd2 Kg7
-40- Rd6 Nc8
-41- R x P on a6 Re1
-42- Ne6 check Kf7
-43- Nf4 e3
-44- Re6 Ra1
-45- R x P R x P on a3
-46- c5 Ne7
-47- Rc3 Nc6
-48- Kh3 Kf6
-49- Re3 Nd4
-50- Nd5 check Kg7
-51- Re7 check Kh6
-52- Nf6 g5
My 52nd move threatens mate in one, but Ken creates escape square for his King with -52- ....g5.
-53- P x P check K x P
-54- N x P check Kg6
-55- Nf8 check Kf6
-56- Re3 Nc6
-57- Nd7 check Kg5
-58- Rc3 Rc7
-59- Nb6 Rh7 check
-60- Kg2 Kg4
-61- Rc4 check Kg5
-62- b4 Ne5
-63- Rc3 Rc7
-64- b5 f4
-65- P x P K x P
-66- c6 Ke4
-67- Na8 Rg7 check
-68- Kf1 Rf7 check
-69- Ke2 Kd4
-70- Rc1 Nc4
-71- R x N !?!?!? K x R
I'm not sure if this was the right move - it is a bold exchange sacrifice.
-72- c7 R x P
-73- N x R Kc5
-74- Kd3 Kb6
Black can take my last pawn or my knight. Because checkmate is impossible with King and Knight vs King - I give up the knight, and the game becomes King and Pawn vs King. My endgame skills have been less than stellar (!) for a long time (although I did win a game in the Victoria Open and a game in the Plano Open (April 10th) with well played endgames).
-75- Kc4 K x N
-76- Kc5 Kb7
-77- b6 Kb8
-78- Kb5 Kb7
Ken has infinitely greater endgame knowledge than me.
-79- Kc5 Kb8
-80- Kc6 Kc8
-81- b7 Kb8
****DRAW****
The game concluded at 11 PM - we were too tired to carefully review it. However, Ken said, "I should have placed my King in front of my pawn". I'm not sure it was possible to do that, once the position became "King and Pawn vs King".
Could I have won this game by getting a pawn to a safe queening square?
Maybe some reader could show me how this game could have been won.
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Hi Lisa
ReplyDeleteYou could have won the game if you'd played 72.b6 instead of 72.c7. Black couldn't have stopped both pawns. But after 72.c7, it's a dead draw if Ken plays accurately (and he did). Enjoyed looking at the game, even though it seems you overlooked the check on move 14. :)