Clerc,R. - Thijssen,K. 1-1 (12-04-2005)

In the 9-th round of the Dutch championships 2005 in Groningen, Kees Thijssen played a beautiful game against fellow grandmaster Rob Clerc.

≡ 1.32-28 19-23 2.28x19 14x23 3.37-32 10-14 4.41-37 17-21 5.34-29 23x34 6.39x30 11-17 7.44-39 7-11 8.50-44 1-7 9.40-34 20-25 10.44-40 21-26 11.32-28 17-22 12.28x17 11x22 13.31-27 22x31 14.36x27

In this position Thijssen played the simple but effective move 15-20. Clerc replied with an exchange to 24, followed by the occupation of square 15. But the circumstances for this type of play are far from ideal. Perhaps waiting with 15.46-41 would have been better for white.

15-20 15.30-24 20x29 16.34x23 18x29 17.33x24 5-10 18.24-20 14-19 19.20-15 12-18

The white pieces on 35, 40 and 45 are weak, and it is very instructive to see how Thijssen takes advantage of this.

20.46-41 8-12 21.39-33 12-17 22.43-39 10-14 23.41-36 17-21 24.38-32 7-11 25.49-44 2-8 26.33-28 19-24 27.39-34

It looks like white can finally get the inactive pieces on the right wing into play. But Thijssen has anticipated for that. After the following exchange white still has some difficulties with filling the hole in the center behind the piece on 28.

13-19 28.34-30 25x34 29.40x20 14x25 30.42-38 8-12! 31.47-42 12-17!

Thijssen's last two moves were absolutely brilliant. White is suddenly in a lot of trouble. In the first place, the moves 32.48-43? and ≡ 32.38-33? 26-31 33.37x26 19-23 34.28x19 4-10 35.15x22 17x50 36.26x17 11x31 37.36x27 fail due to a combination. Furthermore, after ≡ 32.37-31 26x37 33.42x31 black can react with 9-13! 34.31-26 3-8!, after which the combinative threat 4-10 15x4 19-23 36.28x19 13x24 4x22 17x37 26x17 11x31 36x27 forces white to play the weak move ≡ 35.36-31. If white plays ≡ 32.45-40? or ≡ 32.44-39? black gets a decisive advantage with 17-22 33.28x17 11x31 34.36x27 18-23! Now white is forced to play 35.27-22 (since after ≡ 35.48-43? 23-28 36.32x14 21x41 37.42-37 41x32 38.38x27 9x20 39.15x24 16-21 40.27x16 26-31 B+) but it is obvious that this is winning for black. Finally, white can play ≡ 32.44-40, but then black responds with 17-22 33.28x17 11x31 34.36x27 9-13! and now white is faced with the attack on piece 27 and the positional threat 25-30. For example 35.38-33 25-30 36.35x24 19x30 37.48-43 6-11 38.43-39 11-17! 39.40-35 what else?) 17-22 40.35x24 22x31 41.42-38 31x42 42.38x47 21-27 43.32x21 16x27 and black is much quicker to make a breakthrough than white. Therefore Clerc's poor next move is very understandable.

≡ 32.28-22 17x28 33.32x12 21x43 34.48x39

In the game Thijssen now made a terrible mistake, and he may call himself very lucky that he got away with it. In this position black should proceed with 9-13. Then white is still in big trouble. It is next to impossible for white to activate the pieces on his right wing. For example, 35.39-33 11-17 36.12x21 16x27 37.33-28 fails miserably after 6-11 38.42-38 or? 13-18! B+. The most sensible defense for white seems ≡ 35.42-38 11-17 36.12x21 16x27 37.37-32 (waiting with ≡ 37.39-33 6-11 38.44-39 is disastrous after 19-23 39.45-40 13-19 40.40-34 19-24 B+) ≡ 13-18 38.32x21 26x17 see diagram 5a.

Now white cannot play the logical move 39.38-32? due to 6-11! and the threat with 25-30 35x22 17x37 is decisive. Also ≡ 39.39-33? 6-11 40.33-28 fails, since after 19-24! the white position is a mess. It's therefore not possible to support the weak white left wing with the pieces on 38 and 39. This means that white has to defend this position very passively, for example with ≡ 39.36-31 6-11 40.44-40. Clearly white can only hope for a narrow escape now, and possibly the position is lost anyway.

≡ 11-17? 35.12x21 16x27?? 36.15-10 4x15 37.37-31 26x48 38.39-34 48x30 39.35x4 27-32 40.4-31 32-38 41.45-40 3-9

and the players agreed to a draw. Despite Thijssen's mistake on the 34th move it was certainly one of the best games of the championship.

© Wieger Wesselink https://10x10.org