Mystery game #79: GM Bronstein would likely have approved; a curious conclusion!

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  • Mystery game #79: GM Bronstein would likely have approved; a curious conclusion!

    Here is the text of an interesting game. You can discuss the game, strengths of players, era, setting, format, time controls, etc. I will provide all data in a few days. Enjoy!!

    1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.d4 O-O 5.c4 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.O-O c6 8.e4 b5 9.cxb5 cxb5 10.e5 Ne8 11.e6 fxe6 12.Ng5 Nb6 13.Bxa8 Nxa8 14.Nxb5 a6 15.Na3 h6 16.Ne4 Bb7 17.Qd3 Nb6 18.Bd2 Qa8 19.Rae1 Kh7 20.Ba5 Nd7 21.f4 Rf5 22.Bc3 Rd5 23.Nc4 a5 24.Qe3 a4 25.Rf2 Nc7 26.Ncd2 Nb5 27.Nf3 Nb6 28.Ned2 Bc8 29.Nh4 Bd7 30.Ndf3 Qe8 31.Qd3 Nc7 32.Ng2 Bb5 33.Qc2, 1/2--1/2.

  • #2
    Frank Dixon (1944) -- Wayne Coppin (2090), Kingston Championship 2001(6). King's Indian Defense, Fianchetto, E67. Played 2001-03-26. Time controls 30/90', SD/60'. TD: Frank Dixon.
    Notes by Frank Dixon. Played with Wayne Coppin's brown Jerger clock. Elapsed times in brackets.

    1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.d4 O-O 5.c4 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.O-O c6 8.e4 b5!? (1,17)
    [White has scored well from the position after his 8th, and I have a fair amount of experience from the Black side, drawing with FM Brett Campbell at Toronto PanAm Open 1999. The main line is 8...e5. A total of 16 moves have been tried by Black at move 8, from 365chess.com. These are 8...e5 (1,593 of 1,869; White scores 63 per cent), 8...Qc7 (177; White scores 65 per cent), and 14 others, none with more than 20 occurrences, for a total of 99 games. This is the first game I have seen with 8...b5. My choice leads to the win of a clear exchange; it is a Bronstein type of sacrifice, deep, unclear, with lots of options for each player. Seemingly found at the board. He gave up his R/a8, which never moved, for my B/g2, which moved twice. Wayne's style is based mainly around unusual opening ideas and avoiding opponents' preparation. Generally, he avoids main lines in longer time control games. It took some time to understand this; I first played him in 1994. My score in G/30' encounters with him, where main lines occurred often, approached 100 percent; I was much worse in longer games.]
    9.cxb5 cxb5 10.e5 Ne8 11.e6 fxe6 12.Ng5 Nb6 13.Bxa8 Nxa8 (22,26) 14.Nxb5 a6 (33,35) 15.Na3 h6 16.Ne4 Bb7 (49,41) 17.Qd3 Nb6 18.Bd2 Qa8! 19.Rae1 Kh7 (57,51) 20.Ba5 Nd7 21.f4 Rf5!? (71,60)
    [I am in a bit of time pressure at this stage, and have played cautiously, seeking a plan. Advancing kingside pawns looks murky. Black's last provided an idea, to harass this rook in mid-board. But I decided to maneuver until reaching the time control at move 30, avoiding major decisions, restraining my pawns. Black has little in the way of active ideas; he also maneuvers, avoiding committal pawn moves in the centre. His central mass of pawns, at e7, e6, and d6 occupy, dispute, or control a lot of squares, such as f6, f5, e5, d5, c5.]
    22.Bc3 Rd5!? 23.Nc4 a5 24.Qe2 a4 (74,67) 25.Rf2 Nc7 26.Ncd2 Nb5 27.Nf3 Nb6 (79,71) 28.Ned2 Bc8 29.Nh4 Bd7 30.Ndf3 Qe8 (85,86)
    [Time control. Time to try to utilize my advantages -- up the Ex, better pawn structure, better piece coordination, slightly safer King.]
    31.Qd3 Nc7 32.Ng2 Bb5 (96,97) 33.Qc2!
    [I threaten 34.Ne3!, attacking the R/d5, which can only go to h5, and then 35.g4! Rh3 36.Kg2! wins another exchange. I also have the threat of 34.Ba5!, pressuring Black's knights with play down the c-file with my Queen. We had to adjourn, since the hall was closing. I would have preferred to continue. Wayne now took 26 minutes for his sealed move, his longest think of the game; this gave me about a 25-minute edge on the clock, to add to my other advantages. He then had 27 minutes to complete the game; I had 53. Since I was serving as TD, but as a player in the game, I obviously could not take custody of the envelope. It was given to a KCC Executive member for safekeeping until the resumption.]
    1/2--1/2.
    [But the resumption was not to be! When we gathered to continue, a couple of weeks later, the envelope had gone missing, and was never found. There was no 'agenda' happening; the Executive member (who shall remain unidentified for this discussion) was clearly contrite, and very upset with himself for what happened. I felt the best thing to do was to offer a draw, and move on, avoiding any further drama or arguments. It would have been nice to know what had been sealed, and to see how it played out. But it makes for a great story. and a big question. Interestingly, in GM Mikhail Tal's great 1975 book, 'The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal', he relates some discussions he had with GM Mikhail Botvinnik about their two World Championship matches (1960 and 1961), over the need for TWO envelopes for the Sealed Move scenario (in case one should get lost!).

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