(1) NM Robert Wheeler - NM Mark Holness

2004 Masters Knockout

[Event "2004 Masters KO"]
[Site "Kaspablanca Chess Club"]
[Date "2004.08.14"]
[Round "Quarter-Finals game 4"]
[White "NM Robert Wheeler"]
[Black "Mark Holness"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A84"]
[Annotator ",Mark Holness"]

"Whenever I lose I get tougher....my resolve is stronger and I keep thinking that 'I'll do it next time' " - Godfrey (c. 2002)

Peter's JACAD Article which stressed a knowledge of endings inspired me to go back and look at ending and positional theory for this match. I looked at no openings whatsoever. Just endgame/positional theory and tactics. Of course I wont advise anyone not to look at openings. One must always look at opening theory as well as endgame theory. However my engame theory and tactics were so horrible that I simply had to devote all my time to these areas.

In game 3 for example, my positional theory was so bad that I just stared blankly at the chess board and couldnt find a plan. I was happy to accept a draw offer in a position where I had no clue as to how to continue without making a mistake.

Finally, considering that both Mr. Wheeler and myself tend to play different openings and we are both positional, I decided that to invest heavily in opening theory would not pay any significant returns compared to the time invested. However, tactics would be the only thing that would prevent the series from being all draws. Also a lot of decisions made in the middlegame are based on possible endings. Therefore my engame knowledge would allow me to save time on my clock in the middlegame, and allow me to save up my energy for the final part of the game.

1. d4 1... d5
{I want to avoid prepared lines against a straight Leningrad Dutch so I’m planning a disguised stonewall Dutch with d5 The static positions which can arise are suited to my positional and solid style of play. Also if I draw with black and the game goes to a playoff I am at a significant disadvantage since my play is weaker at shorter time controls. With the Stonewall Dutch I can prepare to play for a win without taking too much risk.. Of course, the aggressive Leningrad Dutch is very risky against a positional player like Mr. Wheeler. And if I lose Im out of masters}

2.c4 2...e6 3. Nc3... f5 4. g3

{Believe it or not this natural move is slightly inaccurate. 4.Nf3 is more flexible. A more concrete plan of Nh3 with a planned f3 to break up the stonewall is also possible. }

4... c6

This is a psychological change in move-order. It gives the illusion that the c4 pawn is hanging but in reality it is dangerous for black to concede the center in the stonewall Dutch even for the gain of a pawn

5. Qb3

5.Qb3 is not neccessary to protect the c4 pawn. It is too risky. Of course in the game Pitterson vs Holness in 1994 Masters ko, I in fact grabbed this pawn and managed to draw the game.

Nd7 6. Bg2 . Qb6 7. Qxb6?!

{White’s 7th move is Another inaccuracy which only aids Black in developing
his Knight and then his White Bishop while also hitting c4. However, to simply retreat his Queen to d1 will lose time, so maybe white should play e3instead.

7... Nxb6 8. cxd5

Fritz 7 preferred (8. c5 8... Nd7 9. Nf3.. b6 {2} 10. b4 {16} 10... a5
{2} 11. b5)

8... exd5 9. Nf3

The Pawn Structure of a chess game in chess is quite similiar to The blue print or drawing that an architect does for a house. Therefore just as an architects blueprint, predetermines how a house will be created, a pawn structure serves as a general guideline as to how a chess player will conduct the game, and bring the fight to his opponent's door step.

Firstly, it is a Karlsband pawn structure with white having the half open c file and black having the half open e-file. White can therefore in the long term play for a6-b5 with the intention fo either creating a weak black pawn on c6 or forcing the opening of the file. White also has ideas of a pawn g4 to destroy Black's outpost on e4. Black has to try to seek play on the e-file but his prospects for play there are difficult because white has control of the f4 square!

More immediately, This is a fixed center with Knights still on the board. This is therefore a game of outposts. All my decisions from here are in are based on my fight to get outposts for my knight. White will strive for e5 outpost and black will go to e4. All other plans are secondary}

9... Nf6 10. Ne5 10... Be7 11. O-O 11... O-O 12. Nd3. Ne4 13. Nxe4

({Fritz 7 suggests f3 kicking the Knight}
Eg. 13. f3Nxc3

13.... dxe4

This seems like a routine capture. But I knew it was an important decision, since I could also have played fxe4 as Deep Fritz suggested.

(13... fxe4) {fritz suggests this capture but I disagree. After I capture like this Black has no outposts. When I capture with dxe4 I get the beautiful d4 outpost for my knight. Also my Bad light squared Bishop becomes active along the a2-g8 diagonal.}

14. Ne5. Rd8 15. Be3

Although the Bishop is a target on this square, white is reluctant to fix the pawn structure by playing e3 since white will not have the strong f3 play to strike teh center anymore since the e pawn would then become backward. In fact I played Rd8 to induce e3. However Be3 is still a concession.

15... Be6 16. Rfd1
({White is now slightly worse so he had to consider 16. g4 to strike at black' center. It seems radical but white cannot regain equality just by playing natural moves.}

16... Bf6

Kasparov might call this a very "Manly" move.I was tempted to play the simple Nc4 and go into a safe Bishop ending which I couldnt lose. However Bf6 is the more dynamic continuation and the Manly way to play for the win. Bf6 prepares a possible c5 to undermine the Knight and also puts potential pressure on whites rook on a1 and pawn on b2. Finally Black can just capture the strong Knight and gang up on the pawn with Knight c4.

17. f4 17...exf3

18. Nxf3 18... Bc4

18..Bc4 is another important moment in the game. With Bc4 I am now realizing my small advantage by seizing the Initiative.Bc4 also gives me time to reshuffle my pieces by getting my Bishop out of harms way and clear the e file for my rook.

19. Rd2 19... Re8 20. Kf2 20..Bd5 21. b3 21... g6 22. Rc1 22... Bg7 {here white has to play the bishop to 23.Bf4. and fight for the Outpost on e5. At e3 The Bishop is a target and the king is overloaded and tied to protecting it.

23. h4?

This is the first decisive blunder. Now there must be a combination here to exploit the Bishop which is a Target on e3. From the move 21.. g6 I have been thinking How can I get Rxe3 to work? Then I realized that it works straight away because after 23. h4. does not stop the sacrifice from working. The King is overworked protecting both The Bishop on e3 and The Bishop on g2 and the Knight on f3 is being pinned by the Black Bishop on d5. The fact that the White Bishop on g2 hangs after the King recaptures on e3 means that White won’t have Knight g5 when Black’s Bishop checks on h6.

23... Rxe3! 24. Kxe3... Bh6+ 25. Ng5

If 25.Kd3 (To return the exchange) then 25..Be4+ 26.Kc3..Nd5+27.Kb2.Bxd2
And White is a whole rook down when Black capture the Bishop on g2.

25... Bxg2 26. Kf2 26... Bd5

Although this is now a technical win with Black’s Bishop Pair against white’s Rook Black must still have an overall strategy to convert to a win
This strategy must first be developed before the calculation of any variations.
Also even though Black’s Bishop pair is the dominant feature in the position his Knight must find an ideal outpost to realize the win.

Step 1- ASSESS AND KILL WHITE’S COUNTER CHANCES

When you have a permanent advantage especially in material and time is not crucial there is no hurry to convert your advantage. It is more important to consolidate and kill all of your opponent’s counter play first.

First White has three main chances for counter play
a)Breaking on g4 and if fxg4 he gets his central pawns rolling

b)Getting his knight to c4 when if Black exchanges he also gets a pawn roller.
c)Getting his Knight to outpost on e5

Black must therefore move his bishop to d3 to guard e5 outpost and push his h pawn to h5 (to prevent g4 break and also fix whites pawn on g3 and only then play b5 to guard the c4 square.

Step 2 TIE DOWN White’s pieces to the defense of the weak pawn on g3

Black must then get his Knight to d5 therefore cooperating with his Bishop on d3 to tying down white to the defense of his g3 pawn.

Step 3- CREATE A SECOND WEAKNESS IN ANOTHER PART OF THE BOARD

With white tied down black can now push up his pawns on the QUEENSIDE and start play there, with the aim of creating, a weakness or penetrating with his Bishops. If White shifts his rooks to parry these threats he will lose his g3 pawn and then his h4 pawn in many variations.

Although this game was a technical win with the Bishop pair vs the rook it is more important to realize how important Outposts were in this game from the start to the very end. Many players can easily win a game with Bishop pair vs rook but not many players understand that not only are outposts for the Knight especially important when the Center is fixed but the creation and occupation of these Outposts are at the very HEART of the crucial decisions and the overall plan for both sides.

 

END