201211 - Northwest Chess!
201211 - Northwest Chess!
201211 - Northwest Chess!
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18…Qe6<br />
At least I cover c6 and h6, block<br />
e5-e6 pawn push, allow Nh6 with<br />
recapture by my queen, AND pressure<br />
e5 some more - only trouble?<br />
Now Re1 lines up with my Queen<br />
AND King! Better be careful.<br />
19.h3<br />
Let’s see - can I get away with ...g5<br />
now? Bxg5 Nxe5 Kg2! And I’m<br />
stuck in a nasty pin.<br />
19…Nh6 20.Kg2 0–0 21.Ne3<br />
Now what? ...Bxe5? Nope! That<br />
would allow Nf1! f6 Bxh6! gxh6<br />
f4! and wins a piece. Hmmm... …<br />
c6 maybe? Feels too committal...<br />
but my knight on h6 is stuck now<br />
- would like to play …f6 but then<br />
Bxh6... maybe... ...f5? Nope... Ouch<br />
- here he comes... What to do...<br />
maybe just eliminate the pesky e3<br />
Knight so my Knight can return?<br />
Have to move!<br />
21…Bxe3 22.Bxe3<br />
And at least we are trading and I’m<br />
not afraid of playing an endgame -<br />
just don’t like him having a Bishop<br />
vs Knight with pawns on both sides<br />
AND my having three pawn islands<br />
to his two.<br />
22…Nf5 23.Bc5 Qg6 24.Rac1<br />
(Of course not 24.Bxf8 since then<br />
24...Nh4+ wins the Qc2)<br />
24…Rfe8<br />
Can’t do much about it, but I see<br />
a painful endgame coming where<br />
white has a good edge.<br />
25.g4 Nh4+ 26.Kg3<br />
I think for a minute about 26...Qh6<br />
but discard it quickly.<br />
26…Qxc2 27.Rxc2 Ng6<br />
Again I consider ...g5 but discard<br />
it - putting another pawn on a dark<br />
square, weakening, K, etc. etc. I’ll<br />
just have to suffer... hopefully I can<br />
get some activity later on the Q -<br />
side or pull off ...f6. I’m already<br />
thinking of lines where I give up<br />
the c6 pawn by playing ...Ng6-f8,<br />
Bxf8, Rxc6, ...Rb8... doesn’t look<br />
good but no choice here.<br />
28.f4 Reb8<br />
Only hope - counterplay!<br />
29.f5 Nf8<br />
Now if he takes Bxf8 I have play<br />
against b2.<br />
30.Bd6<br />
Hmm - maybe trying to get a Rook<br />
of mine off the back rank to then<br />
try e6, e7 and back rank me... Well -<br />
have to get counterplay!<br />
30…Rb6 31.b3<br />
Safe, but I think too slow.<br />
31…Nd7 32.Kf4<br />
Really? I was expecting perhaps Bc7<br />
Ra6 33. a4 keeping my Rook inactive,<br />
then perhaps try to get me to<br />
push my center pawns opening up<br />
for white’s king to enter... Maybe...<br />
c5? Bxc5 Rc6 (pin) followed by a5?<br />
hmm... need the pawn on a5 first!!<br />
32…a5!<br />
Let’s get going! Activate my rooks!<br />
33.g5<br />
Also not expected - I can see value<br />
but feels slow... and... cool.<br />
33…c5!<br />
The pawn is immune and this also<br />
stops e6 for now.<br />
Page 12 November 2012 <strong>Northwest</strong> <strong>Chess</strong>
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