Georgiev,A. - Schwarzman,A. 1-1 2009.06.07
≡ 1.33-28 17-21 2.38-33 21-26 3.42-38 18-23 4.34-29 23x34 5.39x30 20-25 6.44-39 25x34 7.39x30 12-18 8.43-39 7-12 9.49-43 11-17 10.30-24 19x30 11.35x24 1-7 12.47-42 14-20 13.50-44 20x29 14.33x24 10-14 15.40-34 7-11 16.45-40
The game plan of Georgiev is remarkable, and could even be called provocative. The white attack is far from ideal due to the underdeveloped left wing. Against surrounding specialist Schwarzman this is an almost suicidal strategy. 17-22 17.28x17 11x22 18.34-29 5-10 19.39-33 12-17 20.32-28 17-21 21.28x17 21x12 22.40-34 14-20 23.44-40 10-14 24.31-27 20-25 25.24-20
Georgiev decides to relay his front piece to square 15, which guarantees black a long term advantage. However, he didn't have much choice since after ≡ 26.43-39 2-7! white would have been forced to play 27.24-20 anyway.
≡ 15x24 26.29x20 2-7 27.43-39 14-19 28.20-15 9-14 29.37-31 26x37 30.41x32 19-23
Schwarzman makes it impossible to develop the piece on 46 due to the combination 31.46-41? 4-10 32.15x4 13-19 33.4x22 23-29 34.33x11 6x46 B+.
≡ 31.36-31 Here a logical continuation would be ≡ 32.33-28. But one can imagine that Georgiev didn't like it because of 23-29! 33.34x23 18x29 34.46-41 3-9 35.39-34 13-18 36.34x23 18x29 37.42-37 or? 16-21! 38.27x16 25-30 39.40-35 29-34 40.35x24 with a break-through for black at the cost of two pieces.
≡ 13-19 32.31-26 7-11 33.40-35 19-24 34.27-21!? This is more or less a strategic capitulation. However, this is not really remarkable since black is fully in control of the position. Surely Georgiev will have considered the combination ≡ 35.27-22 18x27 36.32x21 16x27 37.34-30 25x32 38.33-29 24x33 39.42-38 33x42 40.48x10. But after 27-32 41.10-5 32-38 42.5-23 12-17 43.23-19 11-16 44.19x2 38-43 white stays one piece behind, leaving him with a tough defensive job. And since after ≡ 35.33-28 23-29 36.34x23 18x29 black has free play on the weakened white right wing, the white plan seems sensible.
≡ 16x27 35.32x21 14-19 36.21-16 8-13 37.16x7 12x1 38.38-32 6-11 39.46-41 11-17 40.32-27 24-30!
Schwarzman plays very accurately in this phase of the game. He leaves his strong defensive pieces 1 and 3 in place, and puts all his attention to the weakened white right wing. 41.35x24 19x30 42.42-38 13-19 43.41-37 19-24! 44.37-32?!
A tough decision for white. An alternative plan was ≡ 45.48-43, but then the attack 1-7 46.37-32 7-12 47.27-21 23-29 48.34x23 18x29 looks very threatening, despite the fact that after 49.32-27 30-35 50.27-22 17x28 51.33x22 35-40 52.21-17 12x21 53.26x17 40-45 54.38-32! white has good opportunities for a draw.
≡ 17-22! 45.48-43 22x31 46.26x37 18-22
Schwarzman has prepared a beautiful piece sacrifice, which makes the situation look extremely dangerous for white. 47.37-31 22-28!! 48.33x22 24-29 49.32-28 29x40 50.28x19 40-45 51.38-32 30-34 52.39x30 25x34 53.19-14 45-50
The players are left with an extremely difficult endgame.
This is indeed the best opportunity for black. After ≡ 50-45 55.14-10! 3-9 (what else?) 56.32-28 45-50 57.10-5 50x13 58.5-23 13x36 59.23x40 36-41 an endgame results that doesn't give black real chances for a victory. And after ≡ 34-40 white can already play 55.18-13 50-22 56.13-9 22x36 57.32-28 4x13 58.14-10. Now it seems impossible for black to keep white from advancing to two kings. And since white controls the long diagonal, at least theoretically it is a draw.
The position is very abstract now, since there is no clear strategy available. It's already hard to say whether white should promote on square 4 or on square 5. Not surprisingly, both players will make some mistakes.
It's not clear what white should have played instead, but the fact is that after 11-7! the computer program Truus isn't able to defend the remaining position, even after a deep search. After extensive analysis with the computer program Kingsrow, Ed Gilbert writes: "Up to move 56 it's a draw. But when white played 56.10-4, I think that was a loss. 56.18-13 is a db draw. Black gave up the win at move 57 with 20-25. I think 57...11-7 wins. I ran this position in the book generator for most of the day. Only the partial 8pc dbs, but the propagated book score is now above 400, which is an almost certain black win."
Under pressure of the clock Schwarzman makes a mistake now, and thus throws away all his advantage:
≡ 20-25?? 58.13-9! 3x14 59.4-18 11-17 and the players agreed to a draw. A very disappointing result for Schwarzman, who was even closer to a victory than yesterday.
© Wieger Wesselink https://10x10.org