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ANNOTATED GAME

All quiet on the Western Front?
ionadowman (2088) vs. easy19 (2287)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo (2332)
Chess opening: two knights defence (C57), Wilkes Barre (Traxler) variation
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Pages: 1234
27. Rbg1+
All the same, I was happy to occupy the g-file with a gain of tempo, even though Black was now able to bring the material situation to exactly even.

 
27... Kh6 28. Bb3
The irony of it! This bishop, which a short while ago was fighting for its life in what looked like a fatal trap, slams shut the door to the prison for the rook on b2. The game now takes on something of the deadlock aspects of the entrenched warfare of the First World War's Western Front. At the moment, Black has one rook completely immobilsed, and his King shut in on the h-file. White's pieces are slightly the freer, but he has no counterpart to Black's semi-mobile pawn centre. Both sides look for an opening, still looking to impose themselves upon the game.

 
28... Bd6
Also coming into consideration were 28...Rb8, with some idea of a jailbreak by ...Rb8xb3; or 28...f5, with a general advance in the centre. Black chooses something of a temporising move, blockading White's leading d-pawn, and leaving the bishop better placed to support the infantry advance. White dare not bring the K to h2, which in turn means the h-pawn may not advance.

 
29. Rae1 Kxh5
Again, ...Rb8 and ...f5 were worth considering. But White can't really stop them anyhow, so Black can afford to tie off a few loose strings before beginning his main attack

 
30. Rg2
Probably the obvious 30.Rg7 was better, but I wasn't yet so prepared to commit myself.

 
30... Rf8
I was expecting 30...Kh6 here.

 
31. Rg7
Now that the h7-pawn momentarily lacks protection, I bring the rook to the 7th rank.
1 comment
 
31... Kh6 32. Rd7
The rook turns out to be quite snug in this sanctuary, but it lacks useful targets.
3 comments
 
32... Rg8
Black, meanwhile, was happy to take charge of the g-file. But ingress to White's position isn't so easily won.

 
33. Rf7 Kg6
At this point, I thought the game would be drawn. The rook would go back to d7, the K to h6 (otherwise White recovers the g-file for good). But Black still had some dry powder left to burn...

 
34. Rd7 Kf5
(!?) Playing to make the best of any winning chances available. But White is no less ambitious.

 
35. Rxh7
The passed h-pawn might yet have something to say to the matter.

 
35... Kf4 36. Rf7
Now: the K comes back to save the f-pawn, or the pawn advances to the protection of the King. 36...Rg6 hardly comes into consideration.

 
36... f5 37. Re4+
(!) Chasing off the King. Unplayable is 38...Kf3?? so the first probing attack is repulsed.

 
37... Kg5 38. Re1
(!) Returning to keep watch and ward over the b2-rook's prison.
2 comments
 
38... Kg6 39. Rd7 Kh6
Getting off the file before White checks at g1. The rook at d7 is proving to be a fine guerilla behind enemy lines, striking hard at a vulnerable point, then scuttling back into hiding when rescue arrives.

 
40. Rf7 f4
Plan B. What will the pawn advance achieve? From White's point of view, this looked rather harder to deal with.

 
41. Kh2
However, the upside was that this move was safe for the moment. It would take Black 2 moves to clear the bishop's diagonal to give check, by which time the king would have cleared the obstruction to h3.

 
41... Kg6
To free the f-pawn to advance. The immediate forward thrust would have been risky: 41....f3 42.h4 e4+ 43.Kh3 and now, if 43...exd3?? 44.Re6+ Kh5 45.Rh7#

 
42. Rd7 Kf6
Avoiding the draw, and the check and keeping the White rook off f7.

 

Pages: 1234