Game of the week

[Event "Checkmates club round robin"]
[Site "Checkmates club, Nairobi"]
[Date "2005.12.21"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Kanegeni, Matthew (2224)"]
[Black "Gateri, Martin (2047)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D46"]
[Annotator "korir"]
[PlyCount "116"]

{In this game gateri missed a chance to finish the game in one move but he

eventually won}

1. d4 1... d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 e6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. Bd3

6... Be7 {a new move by gateri. The main lines involve central exchange

first before the bishop development.}

(6... dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Be2 8... Bb7 {kaparov-karpov Wch})

7. O-O O-O 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 Nf6 11. Bd3

(11. Bc2 c5 12. dxc5 Bxc5 13. Bg5 Qxd1 14. Raxd1 14... Nd7 {mukabi- gateri})

11... c5 12. Bg5 cxd4 13. Nxd4 Qa5 14. Bh4 Rd8 15. Nb3

{the deployment of the knight to the queen side is suspect.} (15. Nf3 b6 16. Qe2

Bb7 17. Ne5 (17. Rfd1) 17... Rac8 {is equal. And here white can unleash some drama} 18. Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. Bxf6 Bxf6

20. Qh5+ Kg8 21. Qxf7+ Kh8 22. Qh5+ (22. Ng6+ $2 22... Kh7 23. Qxb7 23... Kxg6

{black is winning}) 22... Kg8 {is drawn})

15... Qe5 16. Qc2

(16. Qe2 {leads to early liquidation and probably a draw} 16... Qxe2 17. Bxe2 Bd7 (17...

e5) 18. Rad1 Bc6)

16... Qh5 {lack of knight support gives the black queen freedom to roam}

17. Bg3 Bd7 18. Rfe1 Bc6

(18... Rac8) 19. Re5 {instead of developing his other rook kanegeni gains a tempo or two by attacking blacks pieces. But at what cost?}

19... Qh6 20. Na5 Bd6 21. Nxc6 bxc6 22. Re2 Bxg3 23. fxg3 {although whites

kingside pawns are weak the elimination of the black bishops takes the sting

off. } 23... c5 24. Be4 Rab8 25. Bf3 Rd4 26. Rd1 Rbd8 27. Rxd4 Rxd4

(27...cxd4 {the position here is nearly impossible to evaluate during a normal game.

I think gateri chose the safe move to avoid complications that may arise after}

28. Re1 (28. b4 $2 28... d3 29. Qd1 Rd4 30. Re5 d2) (28. Re5 d3 29. Qd1 Rd4 30.

b4 d2) 28... d3 29. Qf2 d2 30. Rd1 e5 31. Qxa7 e4 32. Be2 Qg5 33. b4 e3 34. Qb6

Re8 35. a4 Ne4 36. Qd4 Nf2 37. Rb1 Rd8 38. Qa1 Qf5) 28. b4 {this looks like a natural move to make in this position but on close examination black gets an advantage}

28... Qg5

(28... cxb4 29. c5 Nd5 30. c6 (30. Bxd5 Rxd5 31. c6 Qf6 32. c7 Qa1+ 33. Kf2 Qf6+ 34. Kg1 {draws}) 30... Nc7 31. Qb1 31... a5 {with a winning advantage for black})

29. b5 h5 30. Re1 30... Ng4 {white should not reluctantly surrender his bishop.} 31. Bxg4

(31. h4 Qd8) (31.a4 Ne5 32. Qe2 Nxc4 33. Bxh5)

31... Qxg4 32. Rc1 {the overprotection of this pawn will put white in a standstill.}

(32. Qa4 Rxc4 33. Qxa7 Rc2 34. Qa8+ Kh7 35. Qf3 Qxf3 36. gxf3)

32... Qg5 33. Rd1 Qe3+ 34. Kf1 e5 35. Rc1 {MADNESS. the king in its current position is stalemated. Giving the opponent a chance to check you with the other piece can not be allowed. white must resign after blacks next move.} (35. Re1 Qg5 36. Kg1 f6) 35... Qg5

{was this blitz? the hallmark of chess is pattern recognition. gateri fails

to find the killer move.} (35... Rd6 {the threat is 36…Rf6+}36. Qe2 {all lead to the loss of rook or queen or both} (36. Qd1) (36. g4))

36. Qc3 e4 37. Kg1 f5 38. a4 {conversion of small advantages is essential. here gateri

goes for the full blast exposing himself to dangerous counter attacks.

consolidation by...}

38... h4 (38... Qd8 39. a5 Rd3 40. Qe1 Rd2 41. Kh1 41...

Qd3 {...would have been better})

39. gxh4 Qxh4 40. g3 Qd8 41. Rc2 (41. a5 Rd3 42. Qa1 Qd4+ 43. Qxd4 cxd4 44. Rf1 Rc3 45. b6 axb6 46. axb6 46... d3 {draws })

41... Rd1+

(41... Rd3 $1 {wins by} 42. Qb2 Rd1+ 43. Kg2 e3 44. Qe5 Qa8+ 45.

Kh3 Qf3)

42. Kf2 Rh1 43. Rc1 Rxh2+ 44. Kg1 44... Rd2 {white should be resigning}

45. Qe5 Qg5 46. Qf4 Qxf4 47. gxf4 Ra2 48. Rd1 Rxa4 49. Rd7 Rxc4 50. Rxa7 e3

51. b6 51... Rb4

(51... Rc1+ 52. Kg2 e2 53. b7 e1=Q 54. b8=Q+ Kh7 55. Qe5)

52. b7 Kh7 53. Kg2 e2 54. Kf2 Rb2 55. Ke1 Kh6 56. Ra5 Kh5 57. Rxc5 Kg4 58. Rc2

Rxb7 0-1