Grandmasters and Cryptographers

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15. Nxe6 fxe6 {After fifteen fairly plodding opening moves, we’ve arrived at a fairly equal position. For the time being Black has slight pressure, but White has a little bit of a space advantage.} 16. Rc2 {The first slight mistake is by Fine. Ne4 was better, as it left the c3-square open for the bishop to defend e5.} Nf7 17. f4 {Now this weakening move is forced because the c3-square is blocked.} g5 18. Ke2 {Here Bb4 for Black would put the screws to White, but Euwe, the reigning World Chess Champion, is slightly imprecise. However, the advantage is minimal, and the move he chooses is very valid as well.} gxf4 19. exf4 {This opening on the kingside undoubles White’s pawns, but still leaves them weak. However, the position is now fairly equal again.} Rg3 20. Ne4 {Here Fine makes another mistake, thinking that activity for his pieces is more important than his pawn. However, this weakens his other pawns, damaging his kingside pawn structure.} Rxg2+ 21. Kf3 Rdg8 22. Rxc4 {White steals the pawn he had been eschewing since before this game fragment, because it was low-hanging fruit and could be captured at any time. However, it’s a slight waste of time.} Nh6 23. Rcc1 Nf5 24. Bc3 {Now, with everything protected, and material equal, Black likely has a slight advantage, but White equalizes from here most of the time.} Bc5 {The bishop is of course uncapturable, as the knight needs to protect g3 against a rook incursion and subsequent mate on e3.} 25. Ng5 {And White, with the game firmly still to play for, blunders. The e4-knight, which had been keeping the position together, departs for g5, leaving the f2-square unprotected.} Rf2+ {Black wastes no time exploiting this mistake.} 26. Ke4 Ng3+ {Because of White’s earlier mistake, he is condemned to lose at least the Exchange for his troubles.} 27. Kd3 Nxh1 28. Rxh1 Rxf4 {However, Euwe, the current World Champion, now makes the mistake (perhaps another anagram – if [I] reign, I tire – comes to mind) of letting the e-pawn go, and his pieces be forked. Though he is still winning, his coordination falls apart. A simple Kd7 would have kept the game firmly in his grasp instead of falling to the floor like a top-heavy ice-cream cone.} 29. Nxe6 Rg3+ 30. Kc2 Rf2+ {This maneuver was necessary to avoid losing the bishop or the rook, but now his rooks are lined up, making them ripe for a bishop skewer.} 31. Kb1 Be7 32. Be1 Rgg2 33. Bxf2 Rxf2 {Black’s lone claim to victory is now his bishop against White’s knight, and his seventh-rank rook.} 34. Nd4 c5 35. Nb5 a6 36. Nc3 Kd7 37. Nd5 {White begins to consolidate by making threats.} Bd8 38. Rc1 Rf3 {Black counter-attacks, so that each side will have a passed pawn.} 39. Rxc5 Rxh3 40. e6+ Kd6 41. Rc8 {White finds a way to force Black to trade the bishop for the knight (if not, e7 follows.)} Kxd5 42. Rxd8+ Kxe6 43. Rb8 {Now the position is once again a draw, and the pawns traded off sap the game of any tension.} Rd3 44. Rxb7 Rd7 45. Rb8 Kf5 46. Kc2 {And here they agreed to a draw in an easily drawn (for grandmasters) game. ½-½.}

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25. Re1 {To understand why the position is most likely drawn here, even though Black is attacking, we’ll play a few moves. This appears to be the best move, placing the rook on the open file.} Qxc2 {The most trying move for Black, stealing the seemingly free pawn.} 26. Qc3 {White, however, can offer a queen trade which Black virtually must accept.} Qxc3 27. Bxc3 {With Black’s weak d-pawn, and White’s bishop pair, the game is virtually even.} Be4 28. h3 Rg6 {In short, any queen trade evens out the position, and Black is initially unable to break through quickly, so White may consolidate.}

[SetUp "2"]
[FEN "r5k1/pb1p2pp/1pq5/5p2/5Prn/7Q/PPPB1RPP/R4B1K w - - 12 25"]
25. Re1 Qg6 {Black makes a misstep first, allowing White access to the seventh rank, both attacking the d-pawn and setting up another threat.} 26. Re7 Bc6 {Black defends one threat, but doesn’t see a hidden worse one.} 27. Bc3 {White targets g7–a threat best dealt with with 27…Qd6, opening up the rook path. However, 28. Rxg7+ Rxg7 29. Bxg7 Kxg7 30. Qxh4 leaves White with a great position anyway.} Re8 {?? This is an inexplicably bad way to deal with the threat– Rxg7+ wins the queen for the rook and bishop, which leaves White with an easily won game.} 28. Qe3 {It’s White’s turn to blunder! This gives up all his advantage. Eventually, they drew–½-½.}

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 {The Sicilian Dragon, one of the most commonly played openings. Traditionally regarded as very knife-edged, White typically castles queenside and attacks Black’s kingside formation, while Black does the opposite.} 6. Be2 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. O-O {White chooses to play slightly quietly, castling on the same side. However, control for the center will still be under fierce dispute.} Nc6 9. Nb3 {White wants to exert influence on the center without trading off.} Be6 {The bishop is fine in front of the central pawns because Black doesn’t plan to move them: his idea is to exploit the open c-file and queenside pressure.} 10. f4 Na5 {To accomplish this goal, he attempts to trade off White’s queenside defenders.} 11. f5 {White counters by forcing the Black pieces to retreat.} gxf5 12. exf5 Bc4 {Black continues to aim to trade–but White can’t take as Nxc4 would fork b2 and e3, forcing the bishop to retreat.} 13. g4 {Instead, White shores up his perhaps-overextended pawn and consolidates his space advantage.} Rc8 {Black continues to play on the queenside, protecting the bishop.} 14. g5 {White continues to push.} Nd7 15. Nd5 {White ignores the a7-pawn, because it would lead to a slight loss of time.} Bxd5 {A mistake by Black, as it activates the White pieces, though his idea is simple: to land the rook on the seventh rank and use it to capture pawns and conjure threats.} 16. Qxd5 Rxc2 {Initially, this appears powerful, but Black under-estimates the effect of the time he gives White.} 17. Bd3 Nxb3 {Necessary to get the rook a hiding-hole on c7, where it could protect the b7- and a7-pawns.} 18. axb3 Rc8 {But this unforced extra retreat gives White the pawns and makes it harder to defend against the oncoming storm along the second rank.} 19. f6 {A clearance sacrifice opens up the lines– the bishops are now a real threat, combining with the queen.} exf6 20. Qf5 Re8 21. gxf6 {A bit on an unforced error– A move like Bd4 prepares this with no negative consequences, when Black is completely lost.} Nxf6 22. Bd4 {The threat is now Bxf6–Qxh7+, along with simply capturing the knight.} Re6 23. Rf3 {He prepares to exploit the open g-file with a rook lift.} Rc5 {Black, resorting to desperate measures, comes up with the best solution– to sacrifice the Exchange, which reconnects his pawns and rids White of one of his most attacking pieces. After all, he is already two pawns up, so he can afford to give material back.} 24. Bxc5 dxc5 25. Rg3 {Bc4 is better, targeting another weak diagonal, but this move preserves White’s advantage.} Qd4+ 26. Kh1 {This benefits White, in reality– it is easier to double on the g-file now.} Kf8 {Black gets off the file while he can.} 27. Rf1 Qe5 28. Qf3 Re7 {Black is reduced to shuffling his pieces back and forth to try to defend whilst White coordinates.} 29. Rfg1 Ne8 30. Bb5 {White continues the cheap threats: now Bxe8–Rxg7 is what Black must defend against.} f5 {He defends along the seventh rank.} 31. Bxe8 Kxe8 32. Rg5 Rf7 33. Rf1 h6 34. Rg2 {Black has, to a great degree, managed to solidify, and he is now on the verge of drawing.} Kd8 {But here, when he must defend against Re2– he chooses the wrong move. White’s strategy of cheap threats pays off when Golombek exposes himself unnecessarily. Re7 is better, as the queen can then simply move out of the way after Re2.} 35. Rd2+ Kc8 {Black has to run this way, as e8 is now off-limits.} 36. Rd5 Qc7 {Qe7 was superior, as Black could then run after White’s next move.} 37. Rc1 b6 38. Rcd1 Bd4 39. Re1 Rf8 40. Rxf5 {White is dominating.} Rxf5 {And the final slip-up– White now has mate in three.} 41. Qa8+ {1-0.}