NEW YEAR'S GAME
��� This week's game selection comes from my own personal files. It isn't the sharpest game, but it is quite instructive and contains an amusing ending. In this short game I have the black pieces and commit an early tactical blunder that I am nevertheless able to overcome, demonstrating that perserverance is as important as tactical skill and positional knowledge over the board.
W: Salazar, C. (1556)
�B: Garcia, F.� (Unrated)
�Correspondence� Mar. 98
�1. d4� Nf6� 2. c4� e6� 3. Nc3� Bb4� 4. e3� d5� 5. Qc2� Nbd7� 6. Nf3� 0-0� 7. a3� Bxc3+� 8. bxc3� c5
�9. cxd5� exd5� 10. Bb5� c4!� 11. 0-0?� Nb6� 12. Ne5� a6� 13. Ba4� Rb8� 14. Rb1� Na8? {Yes, I played
�this� in a correspondence game - it can happen. I had intended Qd6.} 15. Nc6� Qc7? {Better was Bf5!}
�16. Nxb8� Ng4� 17. f4� Qxb8� 18. Bc6� Nc7� 19. e4� Nf6� 20. e5� Ne4� 21. Rf3� b5� 22. Bxd5� Nxc3!
�23. Bxf7+� Rxf7 {White would have been better served playing 23. Rxc3!� Nxd5� 24. Rxc4� Qa8
�diminishing Black's chances for counterplay.}� 24. Qxc3� Bf5� 25. Rb2� Qd8� 26. g3?� Nd5
�27. Qe1� Qb6� White resigns!
�Yes, White resigned in that position ( I think out of mostly out of frustration). Black is down a pawn and
�an exchange, but not only has the initiative and strong counterplay. On closer analysis, you will see
�that Black is winning. White's pieces are cramped and disorganized. And although, it is far from over.
�Black's well supported queenside pawn roller will soon enough decide this game (material losses will
�be inevetible for White and, unfortunately, White's central pawn mass is restrained diminishing any
�chances White may have.)
�Here's a short, possible continuation demonstrating Black's superiority with some of my own
�commentary:
�28. Be3 (the only good way to defend d4)� c3!� 29.Rb3?! (trying to exchange on c3 to relieve pressure,
�better is Ra2, but I am selecting this move for brevity and because it is a move that I find would be in the
�spirit of my opponent's play - in other words, a more natural move.) Rc7 (Not allowing the exchange
�on c3, which would go a long way towards solving White's problems.) 30. Rf2� a5� 31. Qe2 b4
�32. axb4� axb4� 33. Qf3� Nxe3!� 34. Qxe3� Be6� (Black's pawns reach the sixth rank together and White
�soon loses.)
�The text move 29. Rb3 is not the stongest as I said and 29. Ra2 would give Black more problems, but
�you can analyze this yourself if you'd like and see that Black still will win.
�Please E-mail me with any commentary and input that you may have on this game.
Fred
Harrison [email protected]
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