Move 33: ...Bxg3!

Poker or necessity?

Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 00:16:01 -0500 (EST) From: Kenneth Regan <regan@cse.Buffalo.EDU> To: info@smartchess.com, krush@smartchess.com Subject: My own 33...Bxg3 material (39...Kc4, no overlaps...) Cc: regan@cse.Buffalo.EDU

Dear Irina and All,

I'm not suggesting you add this to "Part II", but it's something to ponder for it's own sake, with more fun lines including one that actually leads to the curious R+B vs. N+2P that I still think but have not proved holds!

My judgment of the R+B vs. N+4P is that Black is nearly equal and can demonstrate a draw even without the careful play you give in your lines. Indeed, I think that Black can leave the N on c6 where it covers everything like an octopus, and just advance the d and e pawns, even abandoning the b7-pawn. I don't think White can stop the sequence ...Kd5, ...Kc4, ...d5/e5, ...e5/d5, ...d4, ...b3, and ...e3, leading to positions where what looks like dangerous White progress just evaporates. Try:

33...Bxg3 34. h6 Be5 35. g7 Bg7 36. Rf8 b4 37. h8=Q Bxh8 38. Rxh8 Kd5 39. Kf1 Kc4!? and now:

A. 40. Rh4+ Kd3 41. Rh3+ Kc4 (this repetition gains Rh3 for free but I think White will drift into a loss if he leaves the Rook there, e.g.:

A1. 42. Ke1/e2?! e5 43. Kd1 d5 44. Kc2 d4, no better than lines below and maybe already "=+". Black's N radiates; White's B bites.

A2. 42. Rh6?! d5 43. Re6 b3 44. Bc1 Kc3 45. Re2 e5! 46. Bb2+ Kc4 and since 47. Bxe5 loses, I think Black has all the winning chances.

A3. 42. Rh7 --> Line B1.

B1. 40. Rh7 b3 41. Bxe7 Nxe7 42. Rxe7 b2 43. Rxb7 EGTB= chess.liveonthenet.com/scripts/chess_egtb_endings?8/1R6/3p4/8/2k5/8/1p6/5K2+b But Black can also transpose into the "C" lines with a more-accurate White move order.

B2. 42. Rh7 b3 43. Bc1 Kc3 (seems to gain a tempo over ...d5 here) 44. Rh2 e5 45. Bb2+ Kc4 46. Rh7:

B21: 46...d4!? 47. Rxb7 e4 seems to hold, e.g. 48. Rd7 Kc5 49. Ke1 Kc4 50. Kd1/d2 Kc5 51. Kd2/d1 Kc4 52. Rd6 Kc5 53. Ba3+ Kb5 54. Rd5+ Ka4 55. Bb2 Kb4 56. Bxd4 Kc4! 57. Rc5+ Kxd4 58.Rxc6 e3 EGTB= 8/8/2R5/8/3kp3/1p6/8/3K4+b. One thing I knew coming in is that pawns on the 6th three files apart draw regardless of how White sets up: "read it in Benko" :-).

B22: 46...b5! and White has to be careful not to get his Bishop trapped, e.g. 47. Rc7 Kd5 48. Ke1/e2 e4, and with ...e3 and ...b4 in the offing Black already has a positional draw in hand and can explore winning chances.

C. 40. Ke1(!), continuing the "first-rank" theme that I guess looked worrisome. Try 40...d5!? 41. Rh7 e5 42. Rxb7 d4, and while Black has no winning chances now, I see plenty of resources to avoid losing:

C1a. 43. Kd2 e4. 44. Kc2?! b3+(!) 45. Rxb3 Nb4+ 46. Kb2 e3, draw. C1b. 43. Kd2 e4 44. Rc7 e3+ 45. Kc2 Kd5 46. Kb3?! Ne5!, draw, or better 46. Bf6, and while I think Black does no wrong with 46...Kd6, Black even has 46...b3+(!) 47. Kxb3 e2 48. Bh4 Ne5: (i) 49. Rc1 Nf3 50. Be1 Ke4! (...d3? loses) 51. Ba5 d3= (ii) 49. Re7 Nf3 50. Bf2 d3=. C2. 43. Kd1(!) e4 44. Rc7(!) Kd5 45. Bf6(!) e3 46. Ke2 b3 47. Bg7. This seems to be White's maximum. But Black just calmly plays 47...Kc5, when 48. Kd3 b2! 49. Bxd4+ Kd6 50. Rb7 Nxd4 and 48. Rb7 Kc4 49. Bf8 Kc3! 50. Rc7?! b2 are =. In the last line White can make trouble by 50. Ba3! Ne5 51. Bb4+!, but Black looks to have *all* of (i) 51...Kc2 52. Rc7+ Kb2! 53. Bc5 Kc3!, (ii) 51...Kc4 52. Bd6 Ng4!, e.g. 53. Kf3 d3!, and (iii) 51...Kc4 52. Bd6 Nc6?! 53. Rb6 Na5 54. Bb4 Nc6! 55. Rxc6+ Kxb4 56. Kd3/d1 e2(+)! 57. Kxe2 EGTB= 8/8/2R5/8/1k1p4/1p6/4K3/8+b. Or here 55. Ba3 Ne5 56. Rb8, and if Black is bored with 56...Kc3 57. Bb4+, there's also 56...Kd5!? 57. Rxb3 Ke4 58. Rb4 Nf3, and we have a form of that position I sent you at the start!

If you find anything for White here, let me know :-). If White doesn't go after the b7-pawn, e.g. playing Re8 instead, Black just "sits" and is untouchable as in your lines.

Note that the BBS was quite aware that the dangers from lines without Rf8 were unexplored and Black does get into a nasty bind there. Indeed, 33...Bxg3 34. h6 Be5 35. h7 Bg7 36. Bc1 Nd8 37. Rf2 Bd4! 38. Be3 Bg7 39. Rf4 Nf7 40. Bd4 Bxd4 41. Rxd4 Kf5 42. Rh4 Nh8 is a hold by a whisker under various continuations. But if this stuff stands up, it together with your lines all go against Kasparov's judgment in being surprised that anyone would consider that move.

Cheers, --Ken

From: Kenneth Regan <regan@cse.Buffalo.EDU> To: info@smartchess.com, krush@smartchess.com Subject: Your main 33...Bxg3 line is better... Cc: regan@cse.Buffalo.EDU

Dear Irina and Paul,Ron,Dave.

I think by combining your ideas with my ...d5 we can demonstrate a pretty solid draw for Black. Your 39...b3 really is better than my 39...Kc4 (I wanted to advance the center earlier and not weaken c3) and forces White to waste a tempo on 40. Rh2 Kc4 41. Ke1 and now ...d5! leads to:

42. Kd1 d4 43. Rh7 Kc3! 44. Kc1 (or repeat by Rh3+) b2+ 45. Kb1 d3! 46. Bxe7 d2 47. Bf6+ Kd3=.

Or 42. Kd2 d4 43. Rh7 e5 44. Rxb7 e4 45. Rb6?! e3+! 46. Kc1 (46. Ke2 Nb4! nearly wins; 46. Bxe3 might be advisable) Ne5! 47. Re6 (Bishop moves transpose) Nf3 48. Bf4 Kd3 49. Kb2 e2 50. Bg3 Kd2, draw.

42. Kd2 d4 43. Rh7 e5 44. Rxb7 e4 45. Rc7! e3+ 46. Ke2 Kd5 47. Rb7 Ke4! 48. Rxb3 d3+! 49. Kd1/e1 Ne5= (49. Kd1 e2+ is also =).

In all cases, Black seems to be calling the shots on the draw, and if the move Rh7 were illegal I think White would lose. Put this together with Black having breathing room even a tempo down in my other lines, and a picture of dynamic near-balance emerges: Black's N is worth 4 in these positions...

This would imply that 36. Rf8 is dubious and that White should go in for your 36. Bc1 line after all, which does come quite close to winning.

Cheers, --Ken