Matthews, Shane - Rowe, Duane [B01]

National Champs 2006 [Rnd 6], 09.09.06

 

After defeating FM Warren Elliott in the previous round and attaining a perfect score of five points from five games in the process, I was now to face the renowned Jamaican Magician, National Master Shane Matthews. Shane is known to elude his opponents even in positions that seem completely lost and to come out victorious in most instances. The match was expected to be an exciting one as we were now the favourites to win the National Champs, having both dispatched the defending champion in the preceding two rounds. Also, as both of us have aggressive attacking chess styles and the "Fischer characteristics" of a "great will to win", it was also expected that much "fire on board" would be generated. Anyway, without further ado, let the onslaught begin!!! 1.e4 Shane opens in his most customary fashion.  1...d5!? A surprise move. This is actually the second time that I have used the Scandinavian in tournament play. The first time was also against Shane in a Masters KO game, which I won. I must admit however that Shane should have won that game because I had completely misplayed the opening and allowed him an overwhelming position. I guess this may be an indication that I am also endowed with some Houdini-type traits. Anyway, the reason for my choice of opening was as follows: I wanted to challenge Shane in a double-edged and imbalanced middle game position without venturing into the Sicilian Defense with which Shane is awfully familiar and experienced. The Scandinavian can be extremely double-edged especially in the lines where there is castling on opposite sides. My strategy going into the Nationals was to concentrate on the middle game and I have done a lot of work in this area. While the opening and ending are also important aspects of the game, more and more, I am developing the belief that these areas are easier to play because one can follow general opening and endgames principles and rules and get decent results without "swatting" hundreds of lines. This is therefore the reason that I am able to play 1.Nf3, 1.d4, 1.c4 and 1.e4 in the tournament, it is not that I have done any concrete work on these openings. 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.h3 Bh5 6.c4 Nb6 7.Nc3 e6 8.g4 Bg6 9.Ne5 N8d7 10.Qf3 Nxe5 11.dxe5 Qd4! Diagram

 

This move was played relatively quickly. I wanted to defend the pawn on b7 without playing c6 (further weakening the d6 square), but rather by castling long. The move also attacks the e5 pawn in the process, gaining the critical tempo to castle. After this move Shane burnt about twenty minutes.  12.Qxb7?! Shane got greedy and plays a dubious move which I should have punished. 12...Qxe5+?! I got greedy also and returned the favour with this dubious move. At the time, I must say that I heard Nimzowitsch’s voice, vividly saying, "Take ALL centre pawns less it is dangerous". I therefore did not hesitate to calculate anything else. However the following lines would have been crucial. [12...Bb4! 13.Qc6+ Kf8 14.Bd2 Rd8 Diagram

 

15.Rd1 (15.0–0–0 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 (16.bxc3 Qxe5–+ with the idea of Qa5.) 16...Qxd1#) 15...Bc2–+] 13.Be2 Bb4 14.Qc6+ Kf8 15.Bd2 Rd8 16.f4 I was expecting Shane to castle here, I had the move 16...Rd4!! planned which would have been devastating for him if he had castled. After the game, Shane admitted that he did look at castling but he also saw that it would be losing to the following variations. [16.0–0–0? Rxd2!! Diagram

 

17.Rxd2 (17.Kxd2 Be4 18.Qb5 Bxc3+ 19.bxc3 Qf4+ 20.Ke1 Bxh1 21.Rd8+ (21.Qc5+ Ke8–+) 21...Ke7 22.Rxh8 Qc1+ 23.Bd1 Qxc3+ 24.Ke2 (24.Kf1 Qxh3+ 25.Ke2 Qxg4+–+) 24...Bf3+ 25.Kf1 Qd3+ 26.Ke1 (26.Kg1 Qxd1+ 27.Kh2 Qh1+ 28.Kg3 Nd7–+) 26...Qxd1#) 17...Bxc3 18.bxc3 (18.Rd8+ Ke7–+ 19.Rxh8 Qf4+ 20.Kd1 Qd2#) 18...Qxc3+ 19.Kd1 Qa1#] 16...Qd4 [16...Qd6  would have forced the exchange of Queens and led to an equal position, but psychologically  this was not my intention as I was playing for the win!!! As it turned out however, the game may have lasted longer and the result may have been different had I played this move.] 17.0–0–0 Bxc3? 18.Bxc3 I was completely shocked to see this move; I had thought that bxc3 was forced because the holy man on e2 would have been lost in the following variations. 18...Qxf4+ [18...Qe3+ 19.Rd2 (19.Bd2 Qxe2) 19...Rxd2 20.Bxd2 Qxe2. But then I realized that Bb4 with check would be winning for white.  21.Bb4+ Kg8 22.Qe8# 20. Bb4+ also gave similar effect in the line with 19. Bd2 Qxe2.] 19.Bd2 Be4 At this point, I had the opinion that I was now losing but I found the best move in the position. This is the only move that does not lead to immediate material gain by white.  20.Bxf4 [After the game FM Warren Elliott, who was watching with keen interest, made the comment that   20.Qc5+ Qd6 21.Bg5 was winning for white, but I quickly refuted this and pointed out that the game would have been level based on the following variation. 21...Nd5 22.Qxd6+ Rxd6 23.cxd5 Bxh1 24.Rxh1 Rxd5=] 20...Rxd1+ 21.Rxd1 Bxc6 22.Rd8+ Be8 23.Bxc7 Ke7 My silicon friend (Fritz) gave an assessment of 1.06 in favour of white at this point. Even though material was equal, I also assessed during the game that white was winning because of white's bishop pair and my weak pawn on a7. From here on I burnt a lot of time because the position was extremely difficult to play. However, as I have made "FORTIS" my way of life since 1989, it is my nature to fight to the very end.  24.Kd2 h5 25.gxh5 Rh6 26.Rb8 Nd7 27.Ra8 f6 28.Rxa7 Bxh5 29.Bf1! [Correct. 29.Bxh5?! would have reduced White's advantage and given more fighting chances to black.] 29...Bf3 30.b4 Rh8 31.c5 Ra8 As my silicon friend concurred, exchanging rooks is the best way of trying to save the position. But even this is futile at this point. 32.Bd6+ Kd8 33.Bc7+ Ke7 34.Bd6+ Kd8 35.Rxa8+ Bxa8 36.a4 e5 37.a5 f5 38.b5 e4 39.c6 It is not worthwhile analyzing anything after this point. In fact, black should have resigned here. However I was too disappointed to stop. 39...Nf6 40.Bc4 Ne8 41.Be5 Ke7 42.Bd5 Nd6 43.Bxd6+ Kxd6 44.c7 Bb7 45.Bxb7 Kxc7 46.Bd5 g5 47.b6+ Kd6 48.a6 Kxd5 49.b7 g4 50.b8Q gxh3 51.a7 Kd4 1–0 The great Magician escapes with yet another point. History will however come to show of his demise in the next round of this tournament to the hands of another who live by “FORTIS”.

 

[NM D. Rowe]