World Championship Zwartsluis round 12
The game between Erdenebileg and Sijbrands knew a very disappointing end. After 25.41-37?! black was forced to exchange with 27-32 26.38x18 12x41 27.36x47, so quite suddenly all the excitement was gone. That was a pity, since there was no reason for white to look for a draw. Luckily, there was a webcam present in Zwartsluis. And even more luckily, the players decided to analyse their game right on the board where the game Georgiev-Andall had been broadcasted shortly before. Watching an analysis with a webcam is a very weird experience. Every 15 seconds the image is refreshed. But in 15 seconds a lot can change, so the successive positions are often totally unrelated. However, I did manage to pick up a spectacular combination that was demonstrated by the black player. Later I recognized that it was in the position that appears from diagram 1 after the following moves: ≡ 25.34-30 10-14 26.39-34 5-10 27.44-39 see diagram 2.
In this position Sijbrands had prepared a beautiful trap: 14-20! 28.30-25 or? 7-11! 29.25x3 12-18!! 30.3x5 13-19 31.5x23 24-29 32.33x24 22x44 33.49x40 2-8 34.31x22 17x46 B+ The idea of this combination is well-known, but the variation with 12-18 looks completely new to me. This doesn't mean that white has problems after 14-20 . On the contrary, after ≡ 29.42-37! 9-14 (this is needed to prepare for 30.37-32? 7-11 31.32x21 24-29 32.33x15 22x42) the white position looks a little bit better. For example ≡ 30.34-29 13-18 31.30-25 18-23 32.29x18 12x32 33.37x28 8-12 34.41-37 (not ≡ 34.39-34? 17-21 35.26x8 2x13 36.28x17 10-15 37.31x22 24-29 38.34x23 19x48 B+) ≡ 10-15 35.37-32 24-29 36.33x13 22x42 37.31x11 7x16 38.43-38 42x44 39.49x40 20-24 40.40-34 14-19 41.25-20 19x8 42.20x29 with some advantage for white. But I'm pretty sure that Sijbrands would have gambled on this combination. Who wouldn't want to win a game like that?
Gantwarg didn't play a very lucky tournament. But if there was a prize for the best strategic game, the one against Ndjofang would certainly be a candidate. The surrounding of Ndjofang was a complete failure. At first sight the white position in the diagram still looks OK, but in fact white is already in big trouble here.
25.44-40 14-20 26.30-24 19x30 27.35x24 9-14 28.50-44 3-8 29.37-32 11-16 30.32x21 16x27
One of the problems white is faced with is that it is not possible to exchange with 31.38-32? 27x38 32.43x32 due to 14-19 33.40-35 19x30 34.35x24 25-30 35.34x14 23x43 36.49x38 22-28 37.32x23 18x9. A normal continuation like ≡ 31.38-33 23-28 32.43-38 2-7! looks also hopeless, for example 33.48-43 7-11 34.40-35 28-32 35.44-40 11-16 36.35-30 14-19 37.40-35 19-23 38.49-44 23-28 39.44-40 17-21! 40.26x17 22x11 41.31x22 28x17 42.38x27 18-23 43.29x9 20x49 with a terrible endgame for white. Besides the move that Ndjofang played in the game white could try ≡ 31.40-35 23-28 32.44-40 2-7 33.38-33 7-11 34.43-38 11-16 35.48-42 But then black can switch to 17-21 36.26x17 12x21 37.31-26 27-32 38.26x17 22x11 39.33x22 18x27 40.42-37* 32x41 41.36x47 with very good perspectives for a successful surrounding.
≡ 31.48-42(?) 13-19! 32.24x13 8x19
Here Ndjofang decided to sacrifice a piece with
which was of course losing. Indeed after ≡ 33.40-35 23-28 34.42-37 19-24 35.38-33 black can choose how to win. The most spectacular way is probably 14-19 36.43-38 19-23 37.44-40 17-21! (and not ≡ 2-7? due to 38.35-30 24x44 39.39x50 28x30 40.38-33 23x34 41.33-28 22x33 42.31x2 W+) ≡ 38.26x8 2x13 and white can only play 39.35-30 24x44 40.39x50 28x30 41.37-32 23x34 42.32x21 34-39 43.31-27 22x31 44.36x27 39-43 45.50-44 43x32 46.27x38 18-22 47.21-16 22-27 48.16-11 27-31 49.11-7 20-24 with a losing endgame.
© Wieger Wesselink https://10x10.org