Bronstein and Chris de Burgh

[FEN "4rrk1/pp3p1p/8/2p3b1/6b1/2QBq3/PPPN2PP/2K2R1R w - - 0 1"]
1. h3 Be2 2. Rf5 {2. Re1 when Black still has a lot of pressure, would have robbed us of the wonderful finish where Kaplan completely misses Bronstein's idea.} 2... Bh6 3. Bxe2 {White now expected 3...Qxe2 when 4.Qg3+ takes the sting out of the attack.} 3... Qxc3 {But this must have surprised Kaplan. Bronstein has seen the position coming in four move time.} 4. bxc3 Rxe2 5. Rd5 Rxd2 {A wee piece of music from Morphy at the Opera there.} 6. Rxd2 Rd8 7. Rd1 c4 {The position on the cover of the CD. Once White has exhausted all his pawn moves a piece drops off the board. White resigned.} 8. g4 {The game was over but without trying to dishonour this classic game there is one last trick to show.} 8... a5 {Showing off to emphasise the hopeless position of White. Bronstein would have played 8...Kf8 and then I'll allow White to resign,} 9. g5 Bxg5 10. Rg1 {White wins! That spoof variation was added as a warning and hopefully an idea like this can save a lost game or keep the win on the table.}

[FEN "5rk1/p5np/1p1p4/1QpP2p1/2P1b3/P3q1PN/1P4BP/6RK w - - 0 30"]
30. Qd7 {Black now constructs a tomb for the White King.} 30... Bxg2+ 31. Rxg2 Qe4 32. Ng1 h6 {Played to give the Black King h7 as a flight square.} 33. h4 Rf2 34. Qh3 g4 35. Qh2 h5 {White is sealed in. Hall he has is pawn moves. Ne2 meets Rxe2. The g2 Rook is pinned.} 36. b4 Rf1 37. b5 Kh8 38. a4 Kh7 {Black uses King moves to wait for the pawn moves to run out.} 39. a5 Kg8 40. axb6 axb6 {White resigned. Play could go on with White's only legal move being.} 41. Qh3 gxh3 {Mate next move.}

[FEN "4r1k1/1p3pp1/p1q4p/P2n4/1P6/2PQ2PP/5P2/3R2K1 w - - 0 29"]
29. Qxd5 {Black cannot take c3 pawn because the b7 pawn hangs so...} 29... Re1+ {In the actual game which was drawn a few later Aronian played 2.Kh2 but on any day at RHP this can happen...} 30. Kg2 {It is the natural moves, the slack moves and the easy moves that lose us games.} 30... Rxd1 {White can resign. I mention again. Aronian did not fall into this pitfall.}

[FEN "4r1k1/1pp2ppp/p2b1r2/3P4/4P1q1/3Q1NP1/PP4KP/3RR3 w - - 0 27"]
27. e5 {This pawn fork picks up a piece.} 27... Bxe5 28. Nxe5 Qb4 {White should win this by playing simple chess and not getting any ideas.} 29. Qd2 Qd6 30. Nc4 Qd7 31. d6 {White has an idea...this is always a bad sign. Rxe8+ was simple and good.} 31... Rxe1 32. dxc7 Qc6+ {White has missed this check. I'll say it again. Check All Checks.} 33. Qd5 {Only move. If Kh3 then Rh6+ is murder.} 33... Rxd1 {The pin pattern from the Aronian game.} 34. Qxc6 Rxc6 {White resigned.}

[FEN "r1r3k1/pRp2ppp/6q1/3p4/8/8/P2Q1PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 21"]
21. Qxd5 a5 22. Rxc7 {White exploits the weak Black back rank. Rxc7 and Qxa8+ mates next move.} 22... Rd8 23. Rd7 Rdc8 24. g3 {White takes his weak back rank off the board. Black should maybe do the same or play practically any move than....} 24... Qc2 {....this one. White can now mate in 2 with Qxf7+ and Qxg7.} 25. Ree7 {White missed it.} 25... Qc1+ 26. Kg2 Qc6 {Another blunder by Black. White can win the Black Queen with Re8+ followed by Qxc6. The Aronian Pattern with reverse colours.} 27. Rxf7 {White missed it.} 27... Qxd5+ {But Black did not miss this move.} 28. Rxd5 Kxf7 {White resigned.}

[FEN "5k2/p1R1rp2/bp1r4/3p1Q2/4P3/q5P1/5PBP/4R1K1 w - - 0 26"]
26. Rxe7 Kxe7 27. exd5+ Kd8 28. Qxf7 {White is simply coasting to a win in this game.} 28... Bb5 29. Qf8+ Kc7 30. Re7+ Bd7 {There is an unprotected Queen on a3. 6. Rxd7+ and Black has to play 6...Rx7 allowing Qxa3 if 6...Kxd7 7.Bh3+ either mates Black or wins both the Queen and the Rook.} 31. Bh3 {White missed that shot and has a pin not to far removed from the Bronstein game.} 31... Qc1+ 32. Kg2 Rxd5 33. Bxd7 Rxd7 34. Rxd7+ Kxd7 35. Qf5+ Kc7 36. Qe5+ Kb7 37. Qd5+ Qc6 {This move akin to Aronian game is a mistake. Black had to keep the Queens on to allow perpetual check chances.} 38. Qxc6+ Kxc6 {Now White has to play h4 and Black has to spend a precious tempo getting the King into the h-pawn square.} 39. g4 {This losses because the Black is already in the square and need not move the King thus gaining a tempo.} 39... a5 {You can see at a quick glance that the White King cannot get into the a-pawn square. The a-pawn strolls home.} 40. g5 Kd6 {The Black King stays in the square.} 41. f4 a4 42. g6 Ke7 {The square is getting smaller and the Black King is getting closer.} 43. f5 Kf6 {A luxury move. It was not needed. a4-a3 was OK. White resigned.}