Schwarzman,A. - Georgiev,A. 1-1 2009.06.06
The openingsgame of the match for the world title in Twente ended in a draw.
≡ 1.34-29 17-22 2.32-28 19-23 3.28x17 12x21 4.40-34 14-19 5.45-40 8-12 6.37-32 10-14 7.33-28 5-10 8.39-33 2-8 9.44-39 21-26 10.41-37 11-17 11.29-24 20x29 12.33x24 19x30 13.28x19 14x23 14.34x25 6-11 15.31-27 17-21 16.38-33 10-14 17.35-30 12-17 18.40-35 7-12 19.33-28 4-10 20.28x19 13x24 21.30x19 14x23 22.39-33 9-14 23.43-39 8-13 24.33-28 3-8 25.28x19 14x23 26.46-41 10-14 27.49-44
1-6! Schwarzman had prepared a nasty trap. After the logical continuation ≡ 15-20(?) 28.35-30! 13-19? white takes a combination using 29.37-31 26x28 (and of course not ≡ 26x46? due to 30.42-38 46x28 31.38-33 21x32 32.33x15 W+) ≡ 30.39-34 21x32 31.30-24! 20x49 32.48-43 49x38 33.42x2 with good opportunities for white. After ≡ 15-20 white can also play 28.39-33! as was noted by Edwin Twiest. Then 20-24? fails due to the combination 29.37-31 26x39 30.44x33 21x32 31.33-29 23x34 32.42-38 32x43 33.48x10 W+. And so black has to either take the backwards exchange ≡ 14-19 29.25x14 19x10 or play ≡ 1-6 29.44-40!, after which we have arrived in the game again.
Georgiev must be very careful in this situation. After ≡ 15-20? 29.39-33! all logical moves are prevented by simple combinations, for example 20-24? 30.37-31! 26x39 31.42-37 21x32 32.37x10 W+ or ≡ 13-19 30.37-31 26x39 31.36-31 21x32 32.40-34 39x30 33.35x2 W+ or ≡ 17-22? 30.33-28! 22x33 31.32-28 33x31 32.36x27 21x32 33.37x10 W+. And thus only the poor backwards exchange ≡ 14-19 30.25x14 19x10 remains. This position looks very suspicious for black after 31.35-30!, but according to the computer program Kingsrow 26-31 32.37x26 23-28 33.32x23 18x38 34.42x33 21x32 is doable, as was noted by Rein Halbersma on the World Draughts Forum.
Here Sijbrands pointed out that ≡ 31.39-34 21x32 32.34x23 was a practical chance. If black chooses the same plan as in the game, then after 13-19 33.37x28 17-22 34.28x17 19x28 35.42-38! he must take the ugly 12x21, since after ≡ 11x22? white has a little combination: 36.38-33 28x39 37.48-43 39x48 38.41-37 48x31 39.36x7 W+. The resulting position is still tricky for black after ≡ 36.41-37 mainly due to the inactive pieces on 6, 11 and 16.
It looks like the lonely black piece on 29 is in great danger, but Georgiev has calculated correctly that it is not easy for white to threaten this piece. Still white has the better position, mainly because of black's uneven piece distribution.
29-33 32.28-23 13-19 33.39x28 17-22 34.28x17 19x28 35.41-37 11x22 36.44-39 12-18 37.42-38 6-11 38.38-32 8-12 39.32x23 18x29
40.39-34(?) Here ≡ 40.48-42! would have been a promising alternative. Then black needs to find some creative moves to defend the piece on 29. The best defense for black is 12-18! 41.42-38 Now he has two choices, both of which require nerves of steel. First of all the problematic 15-20! (not ≡ 22-28?? 42.37-31! 26x37 43.47-42 37x48 44.39-34 48x30 45.35x13 W+) ≡ 42.35-30 22-28!! 43.36-31 28-32!! 44.37x28 26x37 with a chaotic but equal position. And secondly black can play the surprising move ≡ 16-21!! (noted by Rein Halbersma) without fearing the combination 43.37-31 26x37 44.47-42 37x48 45.39-34 48x30 46.25x12 since the 4 against 1 that remains after 22-27 47.12-8 11-16 48.8-3 21-26!! 49.3x25 15-20 50.25x31 26x37 is a draw. For example 51.40-34 16-21 52.34-30 21-27 53.30-25 27-31 54.36x27 37-41 55.27-22 41-47 56.38-32 47-41 57.32-27 41-36 58.35-30 36-41 59.30-24 41-47 etc. Even though we all know that Georgiev has those nerves of steel, it would have been nice to see how he would have reacted to this situation.
≡ 29-33 41.34-30 16-21 42.40-34 12-18 43.34-29 33x24 44.30x10 15x4 45.35-30 21-27 46.30-24 11-17 47.25-20 27-31
© Wieger Wesselink https://10x10.org