Spraggett Annotates

Position after:

(1) Spraggett,K - Zagrebelny,S [B92] Canada-Uzbekistan, Istanbul 2000 This is one of my best games from the Istanbul Olympiad. It is far from perfect, and some might even argue (with reason) that the result could easily have been different. However, chess is in the end just a game and one must forgive oneself for being human.  1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 [7...Be6 8.f4 Qc7 9.g4! is known to be very unpleasant for the black pieces]  8.0-0 0-0 [8...Be6 This is the only way to avoid the types of positions that occur in the game. However, I was prepared to wage the fight in these lines also 9.a4 Nbd7 10.f4 Qc7 11.Kh1 Rc8 (11...0-0 12.g4! is also very dangerous for black) 12.f5 Bc4 13.a5 0-0 14.Bxc4 Qxc4 15.Ra4 Qc6 16.Be3 with some ideas including g4 or first Qf3 and g4. The theory on this line is still uncertain, but white appears to be having some success here]  9.Re1!   Geller's legacy. Having crushed many strong grandmasters with Be3, including Fischer and Polugaevsky, Geller turned to this quiet move after sufficient defensive resources were discovered for black. Re1 hasn't yet caught on, but I think that Geller was ahead of his time!   9...Be6 The most consistent of black's possibilities.   [9...Nbd7 10.Bf1 b5 11.a4 b4 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 a5 14.Bb5! Bg5 15.Bxg5 Qxg5 16.Rc1! and white is better, as in Geller-Movsziszian,K (Dortmund 92);  9...b5 10.a4 b4 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5 Ra7 13.Be3 Be6 14.Qd2 Rb7 15.a5±;  9...b6!? This was Movsziszian's improvement (over his game with Geller) against me in Sevilha '99 10.Bf1 Bb7 11.Nd5! Nxd5 12.exd5 Bg5 13.c4 Nd7 14.Bxg5 Qxg5 15.Nd2 f5 16.Rc1 Qf6 17.Nb1! g5 18.Nc3 g4 19.b4 Kh8 20.Na4 Rac8 21.Qd2 Rg8 22.Red1 Rg6 23.c5! with a strong initiative for white, which he managed to convert into a whole point (though not without some bumps along the way) (This position deserves a diagram)]    10.Bf1 Nbd7 [10...d5?! 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.Qxd5 Bxd5 14.Rxe5]  11.Nd5 Nxd5 [11...Rc8 12.c4 Nb6 13.Nd2²; 11...Nb6 12.c4]  12.exd5 Bf5 13.a4! Rc8 14.c3 Bg5 [14...Bg6!? has also been played, and is just as good as the text move 15.a5 f5 16.Ra4 Nf6 17.Rb4 Qd7 18.f3 with a complex game, as in Geller-Lutz (Dortmund 91)]  15.Bxg5  I am not certain if this move is the best that white has. [15.a5 Bxc1 16.Qxc1 Nf6 17.Qd2 Ne4 18.Qe3 Bg6 19.f3 Nc5 20.Nxc5 Rxc5 21.b4 Rc7 22.c4 is clearly better for white, as in Cuijpers-Bezemer (Holland, 95)]  15...Qxg5 16.a5 Bg6 17.Nd2!? This was a difficult decision for me to take. Now I am of the opinion that it is not the best move. [17.Ra4! f5 18.Rb4 Rc7 19.f4!ƒ]  17...f5 18.Nc4 Rf6 19.Ra4 [19.Qb3!? Rc7! (19...Nc5 20.Qb6 f4 21.Nxd6 f3 22.g3 Qh5 23.Nxc8 Rxb6 24.axb6) 20.Qb4 e4! 21.Nxd6 Ne5! and black's attack is very strong]  19...Nc5 20.Rb4 f4! 21.Rb6  This position deserves a diagram.    This is the critical position.   21...Rd8?! Black can not afford this loss of time. It now appears that black is lost  [21...f3 22.g3 and it is not at all obvious how black has improved his chances, given white now has the e3 square for his knight; 21...Bh5! This was the move that I had spent most of my time on during the game  A) 22.f3 e4!µ;  B) 22.Qc2!? Maybe white has nothing better than this move, which allows a repetition in position. 22...Bg6! (22...Bf3 23.b4 Bxg2 24.Bxg2 Nd7 25.Rxb7 Rxc4 26.f3) 23.Qd1 Bh5!=;  C) 22.Qd2 22...Bf3! The only move  C1) 23.Kh1?? Rg6;  C2) 23.Rxd6!? Ne4 (23...Nb3?! 24.Qc2 Rxc4 25.Rd8+ Kf7 26.Qxb3 Bxg2 27.h4! Qg4 28.Qxb7+ Kg6 29.Qd7!) 24.Rxe4 Bxe4 25.Rxf6 Qxf6 26.Nb6 Rd8 27.c4 doesn't seem so clear after black's next (27.f3!?) 27...Qg6 28.Qc3 (28.Kh1 Bxg2+ 29.Bxg2 Qb1+) ;  C3) 23.h4 Qxh4 24.gxf3 Rg6+ 25.Bg2 Qh3 26.Kf1 Rxg2‚;  C4) 23.Nxd6  C4a) 23...Rd8! Neither my opponent nor I saw this move during the game. Black appears to be better in all lines 24.Nxb7 (24.h4 Qxh4 25.Nxb7 Rf5! 26.gxf3 Rg5+ 27.Bg2 Qh3 28.Kf1 Qxg2+ 29.Ke2 e4 with a crushing attack) 24...Rxd5 25.Qc2 (25.h4 Qg4!! and white is in big trouble) 25...Bxg2 winning;  C4b) 23...Rg6 24.g3! (24.Nxc8? Qxg2+ 25.Bxg2 Rxg2+ 26.Kf1 Rxh2 )  C4b1) 24...Rh6!?  C4b11) 25.Nxc8 fxg3 26.Qxg5 (26.Rxh6 gxf2+ 27.Kxf2 Qxd2+) 26...gxh2#;  C4b12) 25.h3 Rxh3? this almost works (25...Rf8 with attacking chances that must not be underestimated) 26.Bxh3 Qh6 27.Re3!! (27.Kh2 fxg3+ 28.Kxg3 Qxd2) 27...fxe3 28.Qxe3±;  C4b13) 25.Bg2!! this complex position deserves a diagram    The only move really good move that assures white the advantage 25...Rxd6 (25...Bxg2 26.Nxc8 Rxh2 27.Rxe5 Rh1+ 28.Kxg2 f3+ 29.Kxh1 Qxd2 30.Re8+ Kf7 31.Nd6+) 26.Bxf3!±;  C4b2) 24...fxg3 25.Qxg5 gxh2+ 26.Kxh2 Rxg5 27.Nxc8]  22.b4! The very best move, and the only one to take advantage of black's last move. [22.f3?! e4 23.b4 (23.fxe4 f3) 23...Nd3 24.Bxd3 exd3 25.Rxb7 Qxd5 26.Rc7 Re6 27.Nb6 Rxe1+ 28.Qxe1 Qe5! and the black d pawn is too strong]  22...Bh5 [22...Ne4 23.Qf3 Qf5 24.h4! A very hard move to find in my analysis at the board. Now black is paralyzed (24.Bd3 Ng5 25.Bxf5 Nxf3+ 26.gxf3 Bxf5 27.Rxb7? Rc8! and white is struggling to survive; 24.Rxb7 Ng5 25.Qd1 f3 with lots of counterplay) 24...h6 25.Bd3 Nd2 26.Nxd2 Qxd3 27.Qxd3 Bxd3 28.Rxb7±]   23.f3 e4 otherwise white will just grab the pawn on b7 and black will die without a fight  24.bxc5 exf3 [24...Bxf3 25.Qc2]  25.Qd2 fxg2 26.Bxg2  [26.Qxg2 I spent some time on this move: however, it is much less certain than the simple Bxg2  A) 26...f3 27.Re8+! (27.Qxg5 f2+ 28.Kg2 fxe1Q and black wins) ; B) 26...Qh4 27.Re6! Rf5 28.Qe4 (28.Qf2!? Qg4+ 29.Bg2!?) 28...Qg4+ 29.Qg2 Qh4=]  26...Qg4 [26...dxc5 27.Re5 Qg6 28.Rxb7 f3 29.Rg5 f2+ 30.Kf1 Qh6 31.Rgxg7+ Qxg7 32.Rxg7+ Kxg7 33.Qg5+ Bg6 34.Be4 Re8 35.Ne5 white should win]  27.Rxd6 Rdxd6 28.cxd6 f3 29.Ne5 A pleasant move to have to play 29...Qh4 everything loses [29...Qxg2+ 30.Qxg2 fxg2 31.d7 Rd6 32.c4 Kf8 33.Rb1 Ke7 34.Rxb7] 30.Nxf3! Bxf3 31.d7 Rf8 32.Re8 1-0