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