Vigorito - Amanov revisited

All Things Chess
1

You may have seen this game in a recent Chess Life Online column (the score has been corrected based on information provided by GM Amanov):

[Event “23rd North American FIDE Invitational”]
[Site “Skokie”]
[Date “2009.08.??”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Vigorito, David”]
[Black “Amanov, Mesgen”]
[Result “0-1”]
[ECO “D44”]
[PlyCount “54”]

  1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5
  2. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 Bb7 12. Bg2 Qb6 13. exf6 c5 14. d5 O-O-O 15.O-O b4 16. Rb1 Qa6 17. dxe6 Bxg2 18. e7 Bxf1 19. Qd5 Re8 $3 $146 20. Ne4 Bh6 21. Nd6+ Kc7 22. Nxe8+ Rxe8 23. Qxf7 Bh3 24. f4 Qc6 25. Kf2 Qg2+ 26. Ke3 Ne5 27. Qxe8 Ng4# 0-1

19…Re8!! is simply amazing. After 20.Ne4 Bh6, I’ve been looking at 21.Rd1!? with Rykba. With three or four pawns for the rook (including the monster on e7), it seems that anything can happen. Is there a clear road to White advantage?

2
  1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5
  2. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 Bb7 12. Bg2 Qb6 13. exf6 c5 14. d5 O-O-O 15.O-O b4 16. Rb1 Qa6 17. dxe6 Bxg2 18. e7 Bxf1 19. Qd5 Re8!! 20. Ne4 Bh6 21.Rd1 Bxg5 (21…Bh3? 22.Bxh6) 22.Qxd7+ Kb8 23.Qd5 Bd3 24.Nc5 (24.Qe5+) 24…Qc8 25.Qxg5 (25.Qe5+ Ka8 26.Qd5+ is perpetual) 25…Qf5 26.Qxf5 Bxf5 27.Rd5 Bh3 28.Rd4 (28.Na6?!) and this mess appears to be dynamically equal.

I am obviously overrelying on silicon: some human input would be appreciated.

3

ya i agree that 21.Rd1 is white best move, here are the variations i got:

21.Rd1 Bd3 (bill’s move 21…Bxg5 also just equalizes after 22.Qd7+ Kb8 23. Qd5 Qb7 (or 23…Bd3))
22.Nd6+ (if 22.Bh6 then Be4 23.Qd7+ Kb8 24.Bg7 Rhg8 25.Bf8 Bc6 26.Qd8+ Qc8 27.Qd6+ Kb7 28.Qc5 Qg4 and black is slightly better)
22… Kc7
23.Ne8+ Re8
24.Qf7 (if 24.Bh6 then Qc6 25.Qf7 Nf6 26.h4 (26.Bg7? Nd5) Nd5 27.Bg5 Kd7!? 28.Re1 c3 29.Qf3 and black has a slight advantage)
24… Nf6
25.Bf6 Qc6 (25…Kd7!? 26.Qd5+ Qd6 27.Qb7+ Ke6 28.Qf3! and whites slightly better)
26.Qh5 (theres nothing else better) Bf4
27.gf4 Rg8+
28.Bg5 Qe4 and its dead drawn

taht was the best i could find for white

4

After 21. Rd1 Bxg5 22. Qxd7+ Kb8 23. Qd5, 23…Qb7 is indeed a move: after 24. Nxg5 Qxd5 25. Rxd5, the otherwise natural-looking 25…Bd3 might be wrong because of 26. Nxf7 c3 27. Rxd3 c2 28. Nxh8 c1=Q+ (queens with check, couldn’t be bad?) 29. Kg2 Qg5 30. Rd8+ Kb7 31. f7 ± , for example 31…Rxd8 32. f8=Q Qd5+ 33. f3 Qd2+ 34. Kh3 Qd7+ 35. g4

So instead 25…Be2 26.h4 and I think both sides can play for a win here in this bizarro ending: I have absolutely no clue what is going on here.

You’re right that I should have included 21…Bd3: Rybka seems to think that 22. Nd6+ Kc7 23. Nxe8+ Rxe8 24. Qxf7 Nxf6 25. Bxf6 Qc6 is a critical line, but again I have no idea what the best move for either side is from this point. (Not sure your 26.Qh5 is forced; again I like a move like 26.h4 to get the puppies rolling.)

Your analysis of Black’s alternative 25…Kd7 looks good per Rybka: White has all the chances.

Pity the poor software engine which is forced to reduce this position to a numerical evaluation. I do agree with your sense that most of these variations are roughly equal, but I’m not sure how drawish they are.