MCC Round 8 - Lucky Win

It had been some moments ago since I was seriously involved in my daily activities. Today, many activities was resumed as well as workout and chess. Here is my first win at Malaysian Chess Challenge 06 after playing badly for days.

Tan Eu Hong (2043) - Sri Shiva Kumar [B18]
AMBank Malaysian Chess Challenge, 25.08.2006

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 Caro-Kann Defence again. Incidently, I had some discussion on this variation with my teammate during Merdeka Open a week ago. That descussion ended in my favour with my pawn on d4-c5 squares and knight on d6 which was dominating. Few days later at the penultimate round of the Merdeka Open, I won again with such configuration though that was only a rapid game. Here, today, my 1600 national rated opponent allowed that to happen again providing me another win (though some luck was finally required) which sum up to 4 wins against the Caro-Kann Defence including round 1 of this event and my practice game against my friend.

6.Nf3 h6 7.Bd3 [7.Ne5 Nf6 (7...Bh7 8.Qh5 g6 9.Qf3 f6 10.Bc4 e6 (10...fxe5 11.Qf7+ Kd7 12.Qe6+ Ke8 (12...Kc7 13.Qxe5++- ) 13.Ne4 Na6 14.Qxe5 g5 15.Qxh8 Bxe4 16.Qxg8 Qxd4 17.Qf7+ Kd7 18.Qe6+ Kc7 19.c3+- ) ) 8.Nxg6 fxg6 9.Bd3 Qb6 10.Bxg6+ Kd8 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Re1+- ]

7...Bxd3 8.Qxd3 e6 I avoided the mainline which usually had this position 2 moves later where White's pawn on h5 and Black's knight on f6 or d7. White's pawn will be slightly over-extent and is harder for a player of my standard to play for a win as Black only need to defend accurately, exchange into endgame and pick up the h5-pawn.

9.Bf4 Bd6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.0-0 Nd7 12.Rfe1 Ne7?! [12...Ngf6 this is better as White cannot play Ne4 without allowing the knight to be exchanged off. The Black's knights can later move toward the centre, for example ...Nd5, ...N7f6 with an equal position.]

13.c4 0-0 14.Ne4! White is playing toward the aforementioned plan. Black is playing too passively.

14...Qc7 15.c5 Nd5 16.Nd6?! Too soon. White should had prepared b4 first then only Nd6 when the knight will be standing even firmer on d6. Black to Move.

16...b5? [16...b6! challenging White's grip of the position at its root, namely the c5-square to prove that 16Nd6 was only an illusion and clearly doubius! 17.b5 is now impossible and White will be forced to play 17.Qc4.]

17.Qd2 a5 18.Kh1?! [18.Ne5 is better. White started to play aimlessly after achieving a slight plus.]

18...N7f6 19.Ne5 Rad8 20.Rac1 a4 21.Rc2 Ne8Black to move.

22.Rec1 f6? [Discouraging: 22...Nxd6 23.cxd6 Rxd6 24.Nxc6?/a> White's strong knight had disappeared but gained a newly opened c-file thus compensate for the isolated queen pawn.]

23.Ng6 Nxd6 24.cxd6 Rxd6 25.Nxf8 Kxf8+/= White is only slightly better after winning the exchange (N+P vs R) due to the isolated Queen pawn and Black's undisputed knight on d5-square.

26.f4?! [26.b3 axb3 27.axb3 Qd7 28.Ra2 Ne7 29.Qe2 Rxd4 30.Qh5= ]

26...Ne7 27.Qb4 Qd7 28.Rd1 Nd5 29.Qd2 Ne7 30.Qf2 Nf5 31.Rcd2 Rd5 32.g4 Ne7 33.b4 axb3 34.axb3 Qd6 35.Qe3 Kf7 36.Re1 g6 37.b4 f5 the position become more and more complicated and I am running low on time. I think the position is only slightly better for White given the various conditions.
White to move.

38.h3 fxg4 39.hxg4 h5 40.f5 e5?? The move that loses the game. [40...exf5 41.gxh5 f4 42.hxg6+ Nxg6 43.Qe8+ Kf6 44.Rc1+/- I was not able to see this move (44.Rc1!) threatening to win the Queen, in time trouble.]

41.dxe5?! Time trouble! [41.f6! Ng8 42.dxe5+- Black can already resign.]

41...Qxb4 42.fxg6+ Nxg6 43.e6+?! it happened that I kept playing those doubious moves in time trouble. [43.Rxd5 cxd5 44.Qf2+ Ke8 45.gxh5 Ne7 46.e6+- ]

43...Kg7 44.Rxd5 cxd5 45.e7 Qxe7 46.Qxe7+ Nxe7 47.Rxe7+ Kf6White to move.

48.Re3? I thought I cannot catch the pawns!!! [48.Rd7 Ke6 49.gxh5! and White either take all the pawns or queen if Black take the rook!; 48.Rb7 hxg4 49.Rxb5 Ke5 50.Kg2 Ke4 51.Kg3 d4 52.Rb8 d3 53.Re8+ Kd4 54.Kf4 mate in 18 as Fritz9 says.]

48...hxg4 49.Kg2 White chosen a wrong plan that actually throw away the win if Black knows how to continue.

49...Kf5 50.Kg3 d4 51.Rb3 Ke4 52.Rb4 Ke3 53.Rxb5 d3 54.Re5+ Kd4 55.Re8 d2 56.Kf2 I played this move and pray for miracle to happen. [Not 56.Kxg4?? d1Q+ when Black is suddenly winning!]
Black to move. Find the drawing continuation!


56...Kd3?? [56...d1N+= Black can start to claim for a draw from the arbiter in charge!] now Black loses.

57.Rd8+ Kc2 58.Ke2 Black resigned. Afterward my opponent told me that he did not know endgame with K+R vs K+N+P was theoritically drawn and all the while he was only thinking of promoting to a queen. I am so lucky this time! I am now back to even score with 4/8 by winning the this game. 1-0

Replay the game here:

Cheers!!
Eu Hong