33. Ke4 Nd7! The Alekhine knight gets his move back into the game after 30 moves! The c5 square looks particularly inviting, and it clears the b-file for Rb8 if needed. A won position for Black. 34. b4 34. c5? Rxb3 35. Rxb3 Nxc5 + etc.
34... f5 + and White resigned. Living in Marseilles, I ran several times into Stefan who was playing for the Antibes team. I never realised it was the same Djuric who had played CC- and he never mentioned this game we had played by post some 20 years previously. 34... f5 + If now 35. gxf5 + gxf5 + 36. Ke3( 36. Rxf5 would have let me clarify the issue with the nice little clean-up sequence 36... Rxc3 37. Nxc3 Nc5 +! 38. bxc5 Rd4 + etc.) 36... Rxc3 + 37. Nxc3 Nb6! Back again to the " crummy " b6 square! 38. c5 Nc4 + 39. Kf2 Rd2 + 40. Kg1 Rc2 41. Nd1 e4 42. Re1 Ne5 and White has no chance of survival. One of those rare games where one gets it pretty-much all right. 0 – 1
White: Hawkes, John E Black: Brigden, Michael E BPCF Championship Final, 1970 Queen ' s Indian Defence [ E18 ] [ Notes by John Hawkes ]
1. c4 |
e6 |
2. Nf3 |
Nf6 |
3. g3 |
b6 |
4. Bg2 |
Bb7 |
5.0 – 0 |
Be7 |
6. d4 |
0 – 0 |
7. Nc3 |
Ne4 |
8. Bd2 |
My note in BCCA ' s " CC " Autumn 1971 goes: This solid move gives Black many plausible replies. I hoped it would produce more intense play than the standard 8. Qc2 Nxc3 9. Qxc3 8... f5 9. d5 Bf6 10. Rc1 Na6 11. Ne1 Nac5 12. b4 Stops consolidation by 12... a5. Black ' s knights go to good squares but cannot settle. 12... Nxc3 13. Bxc3 Ne4 14. Bxf6 Qxf6 15. f3 Ng5 ¹ 15... Nd6 and if 16. c5( 16. e4 fxe4 17. fxe4 Qb2!) 16... bxc5 17. bxc5 Nf7 18. c6 dxc6 19. dxc6 Ba6 20. f4 Rfd8 21. Qc2 Rab8 threatens rook to 7th. 16. e4 One is tempted to label Black ' s opening strategy a failure. I cannot remember if I was following a game, but when I searched 365chess. com today I was pleasantly surprised when finding a game Radashkovich- Fershter, Leningrad 1970! which went identically up to here but continued with 16... d6 and White won comfortably in an instructive not-so-bad B v N-in-the-corner ending. 16... fxe4 16... d6 17. Qd2 e5 18. Nd3 White is ready for the c5 push. Just like the game cited above. 17. f4 I was not convinced of my attacking chances after 17. fxe4 Qb2 18. Rxf8 + Rxf8 19. Rc2 Qxb4 20. Nd3 17... Nf7 The negative 17... Nf3 + 18. Nxf3 exf3 19. Bxf3 favours White slightly, so Black continues his knight trip. 18. Bxe4 Nd6 19. Bb1
An interesting back-row line-up!
19... Nf5 20. Nf3! g6 Not fancying the troubles of 20... Ne3 21. Qd3 Nxf1 22. Qxh7 + Kf7 23. Rxf1 and if 23... Ke7 24. Ne5 21. Bxf5 The simple exchange felt right: matching knight against hampered bishop. 21... Qxf5 22. Re1 Rae8 23. Nd4 Qh3 Perfectly natural and very uncomfortable for White. 23... Qf7 concentrating on the centre looks strategically better: 24. dxe6 dxe6 25. Re5( Not 25. Qe2 e5! 26. fxe5 Rxe5! 27. Qxe5 Qf2 #) 25... Rd8 26. Qd3 Qd7 27. Rd1 Qa4 24. Qd2! I gave this the! but it might even be a?.[ Oops! Junior the dog is worrying for his afternoon walk in the forest and has just made me spill my coffee!] 24... exd5 25. c5 Re4 ¹ 25... bxc5 26. bxc5 Re4 26. cxb6 cxb6 27. Rc7 Ba8 28. Rec1 Qg4
Well, I ' ve got the intensity I was seeking. 29. Rc8 Rfe8 30. Kg2 Looks risky, but the Black queen is getting short of air thanks to the beautifully centralised knight: 30... h5?? 31. h3 and she ' s trapped. 30... a6 Hardly a mistake, but it gives White his chance. 31. h3 Qh5 32. Qd3 Without the pawn on a6 Black could back off by Re7, but now he must not allow Qxa6. 32... b5
SCCA Magazine 133 14 Spring 2016