RYBKA Beta – AGRONAUT

15th IPCCC 2005 round 5

Spanish game C68

Topic: Dominant Knight

photo: H. Frietz

WGM Iweta Radziewicz

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.B:c6 b:c6 Btw 4...d:c6 is far more common here J 5.d4 e:d4 6.N:d4 c5 7.Nf3 Bb7 8.Nc3 Nf6

WHITE TO MOVE

9.0–0!? Interesting pawn sacrifice. The other way was to immediately move a pawn forward: 9.e5!? 9...Be7 9...N:e4 was very dangerous but for black: 10.N:e4 B:e4 11.Re1 d5 12.c4 c6 13.Ne5 ± with very strong initiative; 9...d6!? was interesting because after it 10.e5 would be not so strong like in the game:-) For instance: 10.e5 d:e5 11.N:e5 Bd6= Black pieces are pretty active and dabbled pawns seem to not be an important factor. 10.e5 Ne4

WHITE TO MOVE

11.Nd5 Hard to get rid of such a Knight, isn’t it?! 11...d6 12.c4 White also could have played 12.Re1!? d:e5 13.c4 f5 14.Qa4+ with better position. 12...d:e5 It would be unforgettable mistake to play 12...0–0? because of 13.Re1! ...and black Knight has nowhere to jump, for instance 13...Gxd5 14.Hxd5 Sg5 15.Gxg5 Gxg5 16.exd6 Gf4 (if 16...cxd6 then 17.Sxg5 +-) 17.d7 Gd6 18.Se5+- and black is very tied up. 13.Qa4+ c6

WHITE TO MOVE

14.N:e5 white advantage is slowly growing... 14...Bd6 15.N:c6 Qd7 16.Re1! White has a very strong Knight on d5, which dominate in that position 16...f5

WHITE TO MOVE

17.Nb6 B:c6 18.N:d7 B:a4 19.Nb6 Bc6 20.N:a8 B:a8 21.f3 ± Black does not have enough compensation for a exchange and pawn.

BLACK TO MOVE

21...Be5 22.Be3 Well, “c5” pawn is lost... and so do most likely the game. 22.f:e4 was also good. White is much better. 22...0–0

If 22...Nd6? than 23.Bf4+- 23.f:e4 B:e4 24.Re2! Rb8 If 24...Bd3 white is better after: 25.Rf2 B:c4 26.Re1 Bf6 27.b3 Bd3 28.B:c5± 25.Rd1 B:b2 26.B:c5 Bf6 27.Bd6 Rb7 28.c5 Exemplary technique. 28...Bc6 29.Bg3 Rb5 30.Bf2 Be4 31.Rd6 Bc3

WHITE TO MOVE

32.Rb6! +- After rook exchange black position is hopeless. 32...Ba5 33.R:b5 a:b5 34.Rb2 Bc6 35.Rb3 Bc7 36.Ra3 Be5 37.Ra6 and “c5” pawn will soon promote. Black resigned: 1–0