Two WCC Games With Beautiful Endgame Insights
Post date: Aug 01, 2010 4:11:10 AM
For a brief moment, I believed that I was almost at chess parity with my good chess friend Ken Henkelman. I was winning almost 1/3 of our games, and I earned a significant number of draws. But matters have returned to normal in recent days. Ken has been playing some really excellent chess - my record in our last eleven games is something like 2-8-1, but I did achieve a draw in our last game! Many of Ken's victories involved a "grind it out" endgame victory, where Ken had a Bishop and pawns vs my Knight and pawns, or Ken enjoyed a one pawn advantage in some gambit game (either Blackmar Diemar Gambit or Albin Counter Gambit). We played two games today - the first game illustrates Ken's recent inexorably successful chess style.
The second game features a remarkable defensive tactic that sacrifices a rook pawn in the end game but leads to positional improvement for me and a solid draw. I present these two games for your consideration.
GAME 1 - JOHN DEVRIES vs KEN HENKELMAN
Casual Game - Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Blackmar Diemar Gambit vs French Defense
July 31, 2010
WHITE (DeVries) BLACK (Henkelman)
-1- e4 e6
-2- d4 d5
-3- Nc3 Bb4
This variation has not been working well for me
in recent games - after the game, I resolved to
try -3- P x P at my next opportunity.
-4- Be3 P x P
-5- a3 B x N
-6- P x B Bd7
I have a Bishop for Knight exchange, but Ken
has one pawn advantage and I have doubled
pawns.
-7- f3 Bc6
This position is characteristic of many recent
games with Ken Henkelman.
-8- Be2 Qh5 check
-9- g3 Qf6
-10- P x P B x P
-11- Bf3 B x B
-12- Q x B ? Nc6
I think N x B was a better move for White on Move 12.
I could later castle with Rook on f file, prepared to
put pressure on Black Queen.
-13- Rb1 Q x Q
-14- N x Q 0 - 0 - 0
-15- 0 - 0 Nf6
-16- Bg5 h6
When I made my 16th move, I thought it was strong.
It turned out to be of considerably less strength.
-17- B x N P x B
-18- Rf2 ? Rd5
This was likely my losing move - -18- c4 was necessary.
-19- c4 Ra5
My 19th move was one move too late.
-20- Rb3 Rd8
-21- Rd3 e5
Ken's 21st move forces a pawn exchange because of Black's pawn fork threat.
-22- P x P R x R
-23- P x R N x P on e5
-24- N x N P x N
-25- R x P R x P at a3
-26- Rf6 h5
-27- Rf5 R x P at d3
-28- R x P at e5 h4 !
Beware of Greek Gift sacrifices.
-29- P x P at h4 Rd4
-30- c5 R x P at h4
I keep putting up a gallant fight, but this game is over.
-31- Re8 check Kd7
-32- Ra8 a6
-33- Rb8 Kc6
-34- Rc8 a5
-35- Ra8 a4
-36- Kg2 Rc4
-37- Ra5 b6
-38- P x P P x P
-39- Ra6 Kb5
-40- Ra8 Kb4
-41- Rb8 b5
-42- Kg3 a3
-43- Ra8 Kb3
-44- h4 a2
-45- h5 Ra4
Black's 45th move is totally decisive
-46- R x R K x R
-47- h6 a1 = Queen
Resigns
GAME 2 - JOHN DEVRIES vs KEN HENKELMAN
Casual Game - Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Gucco Piano vs Scicilian Two Knights Defense
July 31, 2010
WHITE (DeVries) BLACK (Henkelman)
-1- e4 c5
-2- Nf3 Nc6
-3- Bc4 Nf6
-4- d3 g6
-5- Bg5 Bg7
-6- c3 0-0
-7- 0 - 0 d6
-8- h3 a6
-9- QNd2 Be6
-10- Rc1 Qd7
-11- Kh2 h6
-12- B x N B x B
I think White's 12th move was a wise decision.
-13- Re1 d5
-14- P x P B x P
-15- Ne4 !? B x B
An interesting White move on Move 15
-16- N x B check P x N
-17- P x B QRd8
-18- b3 Qd3
-19- Q x Q R x Q
-20- Re3 KRd8
-21- R x R R x R
-22- Rc2 ? f5
( -22- Ne1 might have been better for White)
-23- Ne1 Rd1
-24- Nf3 f6
-25- Rd2 R x R
-26- N x R Ne5
-27- f4 Nd3
-28- g3 Kf7
-29- d3 Ke6
-30- b4 Kd6
Ken is getting his King in much better position (at least temporarily).
-31- Kg2 b5
-32- Kf3 Nb2
-33- P x P c4 x b5 P x P a6 x b5
-34- P x P check K x P
-35- Ke3 Nc4 check
-36- Kd3 !! N x RP
White gives up the rook pawn for positional improvement. The White Knight
later becomes a tremendous defensive piece. Black is one pawn ahead in
a Knight + pawns vs Knight + pawns endgame, but it does not help him.
-37- Nb3 check Kb6
-38- Kd4 Nc2 check
-39- Kd5 Ne3 check
-40- Ke6 g5
White moves his King deeper into Black territory, while the White Knight
provides great defense.
-41- K x P at f6 P x P
-42- P x P Nd5 check
-43- K x P N x P on c3
-44- Kg6 Nd5
-45- f5 Nf4 check
-46- K x RP N x RP
We are down to Knight + 1 pawn vs Knight + 1 pawn endgame, but
Black must accept draw to prevent White from queening his pawn.
-47- f6 Nf4
-48- f7 Ne6
-49- Kg6 b4
-50- Kf6 Nf8
-51- Ke7 Ng6 check
-52- Kf6 Nf8
*******************DRAW************************