Saturday, June 20, 2020

The Bronstein Variation of the Saemisch

Here we look at an interesting variation in the Saemisch King's Indian.  Opening moves go 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 Be3 e5 7 d5 Nh5 8 Qd2 Qh4+ 9 g3 Nxg3 10 Qf2 NxB 11 QxQ NxB 12 Ke2 Nxc4 13 Rc1  In this odd position, black has given up his queen for two bishops and two pawns!  White need not worry about guarding his b-pawn, since 12 Rc1 Nxb2 13 Nb5 favors white.

13...Nb6 14 Nh3 c6 15 Rhg1 cd 16 Nxd5 NxN 17 ed Bf5 18 Rc7 Nd7 19 Ng5 h6?  A better defense was 19...Nf6, avoiding the weakening of the king-side pawns.

20 Ne6!  Here is the key move of white's system.  Black's reply is forced.

20...fe 21 RxN Rf7?  Best is 21...ed 22 Rxb7 Rad8, with white up a point and a half.

22 Rd8+  Best is 22 RxR KxR 23 Rc1 g5 24 Qb4.

22...RxR 23 QxR Bf8 24 de Re7 25 Qxd6 Rxe6 26 Qb8 e4 27 f4 Rb6 28 b3 a6 29 h4 h5 30 Qe5 Rb5 31 Qe8 Rc5 32 Kd2 Rd5+ 33 Ke2 Kg7 34 Qb8 Rd7 35 Qe8 Rd3 36 Qb8 Rh3 37 Qe5+ Kh7 38 Qc7+ Kh6 39 Qxb7 Rh2+ 40 Kd1 Bb4? 41 Qa8?  (Apparently an odd double blunder)  Bc3 42 Qxa6  Here the engine says I turned over the advantage to black.  Engine says 42 Qf8+.

42...Rxh4  But here black returns the favor.  Engine likes 42...e3.

43 Qc6 Bg7 44 a4  I could have simplified with 44 Rxg6+! BxR 45 f5.

44...Rxf4 45 a5 Rf2 46 a6 e3 47 Qc1? Rd2+ 48 Ke1 Bd3  Engine says 48...Bc2 draws.

49 a7 Be4 50 Qc8? (50 Rg3) Bf3 51 a8(Q)? Re2+ (Missing 51...Rd1#) 52 Kf1 Rf2+ 53 Ke1 Re2+ 54 Kd1 Rg2?? (Black should repeat moves) 55 QxB RxR+ 56 Ke2 Rb1 57 Qxe3+Kh7 58 Qd7 Rb2+ 59 Kf3 Rb1 60 Qc3 Black resigns 1-0

At the time this game was played, I was under the influence of the king-side attack with Nh3, Rg1, etc., with the queen infiltrating into the black camp. This may not be the best approach, though, as the queen-side pressure looks more promising.

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