Monday 29 October 2012

MT Sustarsic: Draw against GM Kögler, Klaus

Draw against GM Kögler, Klaus of Germany: http://www.iccf-webchess.com/MakeAMove.aspx?id=297381 . He is 47 years old, working as a freelance translator and writer. The game:

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nge2 O-O 6.Ng3 a6 7.Be2 c5 8.d5 b5!?

Black chooses active play with a pawn sacrifice.

9.cxb5 axb5 10.Bxb5 Ba6 11.O-O Bxb5 12.Nxb5 Ne8

ChessOK opening tree gives only 13.Qc2 Na6 14.Ne2 Nec7 15. Nbc3 Qd7 {1/2-1/2, Serper Grigory (USA) - Smirin Ilia (ISR), Philadelphia (USA), 1996}


13.a4 Nc7 14.Na3 Ra6 (N)

Black chooses to vary. 14...Nd7 15.Nc4 Ne5 16.Ne3 Qb8 17.Rb1 Qb7 18.Bd2 f5 19.exf5 Nxd5 20.
Qc2 Nxe3 {1-0(44) Rawlings, Alan J. C (2334) - Le Page, Claude (2361)
/ WS/MN/057 (?), ICCF 2010}

15.Rb1 Nd7 16.b3 Qa8 17.Bb2 Bxb2 18.Rxb2 Rb8 19.Qc2 e6 20.dxe6 Nxe6 21.Nb5 Nd4 22.Nxd4 cxd4 23.Ne2 d3!?

This leads to simplifications.

24.Qxd3 Nc5 25.Qd2 Nxb3 26.Rfb1 Nxd2 27.Rxb8+ Kg7 28.Rxa8 Rxa8

We reach an ending, where White is a pawn up. But can he convert to a win? That is the vital question.

29.Rb4 f5 30.f3 fxe4 31.fxe4 Re8 32.Ng3 

Was 32. Nc3 better?

32...Rc8 33.Kf2 Nc4 34.Ne2 Kf6 35.Nc3 Ke5 36.Ke2 Ne3 37.Kd3 Nxg2 38.Rb5+ Ke6 39.Nd5 g5 40.Nb6 Nf4+ 41.Kd2 Rc7 42.Rxg5 Ng6 43.Rh5 Ne5 44.Rh6+ Ng6 45.Rh5 Ne5 46.Nd5 Rc4 47.Nc3 Nd7

Now White is two pawns up, but he cannot maintain it. Unfortunately, he is saddled with two rook pawns, which is very drawish.

48.Rxh7 Nc5 49.a5 Rd4+ 50.Kc2 Rc4 51.Rh4 Ke7 52.h3 Kd7 53.Rg4 Na4 54.Kb3 Rxc3+ 55.Kxa4 Kc6 56.h4 Rc5 57.Rg5 Rc4+ 58.Kb3 Rxe4

We reach a seven man position, which appears to be a draw.

59.h5 Rh4 60.Kc3 d5! 

Only move to draw?

61.a6 d4+ 62.Kc4 Kb6 63.Rg6+ Ka7 64.Rh6 Rf4 65.Rd6 Rh4 66.h6 Ka8 67.Rd8+ Ka7 68.Rd6 Ka8 69.Rd8+

And now I offered the draw, which was accepted.

1/2-1/2

With this game, I completed all games to jointly win the tournament along with Šivic, Jernej of the host nation, Slovenia. And strangely, both our SB scores are identical, and our wins were against the same players, so I don't know what tie-break can be applied. Here is the crosstable: