ALANSACOUNT – RAJLICH

Final 3rd PAL/CSS Freestyle Final (Round 7), 16.07.2006

1.b3!? Alan Sassler (46, Las Vegas/USA) and Sam Wong (20, Ottawa/USA) claim to have the world’s biggest database of 1. b3 opening!

BLACK TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT 1.b3 !

1...e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.Nf3 e4 4.Nd4 Nxd4 5.Bxd4 d5 6.e3 Ne7 7.d3 Nc6 8.Bb2 Qg5 9.Nc3 Bb4 10.a3 Bxc3+ 11.Bxc3 Bg4 12.h4 Qf5 13.Be2 Bxe2 14.Qxe2 exd3 15.Qxd3 Qxd3 16.cxd3 looks as peaceful as it is drawish…

BLACK TO MOVE

16…d4 17.exd4 More draw forcing was:17.Bxd4 Nxd4 18.exd4 0–0–0 19.Kd2 Rxd4 20.Rae1=

BLACK TO MOVE

BACK TO THE GAME: 17...0–0–0 18.0–0–0 [18.Kd2=] 18...Nxd4 now Black is very slightly better.

BLACK TO MOVE

19.Kb2? Strategical mistake. It was necessary to play 19.Bxd4 Rxd4 20.g3 Re8 21.Kd2 and the game would most likely finish as a draw. 19...Rhe8

WHITE TO MOVE

20.Rhe1?! It was probably better to play 20.Bxd4!? Rxd4 21.Rd2 Kd7 with advantage for black. It is good to choose the smaller evil. In this case perhaps it was better to go for a worse rook endgame, because this type of endgame tends to be more drawish, than to go for a worse endgame with minor pieces 20...Rxe1 21.Rxe1

BLACK TO MOVE

21…Ne6! Black has advantage! Knight is much stronger than a bishop. Plus black has a better pawn structure. 22.Kc2 Rd5

WHITE TO MOVE

23.g3? strategical blunder. [23.g4!? h5 24.f3 with advantage for black ] 23...Rf5 24.f4 [24.Re2 Rf3! with very nice advantage for black]

WHITE TO MOVE

Black has strategically winning position! 24...h5! fixing white’s pawns on the squares of the bishop. 25.b4 Kd7 26.Kd2 f6 27.Re4 Rd5

WHITE TO MOVE

28.Re1 Nf8 29.Ke3 Ng6 30.Bd4 Ne7 31.Ke4 Rd6 32.Rb1 Ra6 33.Rb3 g6 34.Kf3 Nf5 35.Bf2 Rc6 36.a4 Rc2 37.Rb1 Ra2 38.a5

BLACK TO MOVE

38…Rd2 39.Rb3 a6 40.Rc3 Rb2 41.Rc4 Rb3 42.Ke2 Nd6 43.Rd4 Ke6 44.Be1 Rb1 45.Bc3 Rc1 46.Be1 Kf5 47.Kd2 Rb1

WHITE TO MOVE

48.Bf2 Kg4 49.f5+ Kxf5 50.Rf4+ Ke6 51.Bd4 Nf5 52.Bf2 Rb2+ ' 53.Kc3 Ra2 54.Re4+

BLACK TO PLAY

In this game a high level technique and strategical thinking by GM Michal Krasenkow

with Rybka engine association was presented J

54…Kd5 55.Rc4 Alansacount resigns 0–1