Final of the 99th (1997) North American Expert Championship (CCLA)
Knudsen, John C. (2230) - Remus, Horst (2169) [D89]
corr, CCLA, E71009, Game A, 31.07.1999
[John C. Knudsen]
The preliminaries of the 99th (1997) North American (Expert) began on February 28, 1997. In my section, I was lucky enough to score +3 =3 for 4.5/6, which I didn't think would enough to make it to the Championship round. So, I was surprised to receive the pairings for the Championship.
It would be decided in a two-game match against Horst Remus, the well-known player. I had never met Horst prior to this match, except by reputation and the published games I had seen. Winner take all matches such as these tend to produce fighting chess, and this match was no exception! 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Ne2 c5 9.Be3 cxd4 10.cxd4 Nc6 11.0-0 Bg4 12.f3 Na5 13.Bd3 Be6 14.Rc1 Bxa2 15.Qa4 Be6 16.d5 Bd7 17.Qb4 e6 18.Nc3 b6 19.Rfd1
19...Qh4N I could not find this move in any of my books, or in my database. It seems logical, and I wondered why it had not been tried before. The normal lines are as follows: [19...Qf6 20.Ba6 (20.f4 exd5 21.Nxd5 Qb2 22.Qxb2 Bxb2 23.Rc7 Ba4 24.Rb1 Bg7 25.e5 Rad8 26.Ne7+ Kh8 27.Bb5 Bxb5 28.Rxb5 Rd3 29.Kf2 Rfd8 30.Nc8 Bf8 31.Nxa7 Nb3 32.Rxb6 Ra8 33.Rxf7 Nd4 34.Rbb7 Nf5 35.Rxh7+ Kg8 36.Bb6 Rad8 37.Bxd8 1-0 Van Beers,E-Van Gaalen,B/Team-ch BEL, Antwerp BEL 1997 (37)) 20...Rfd8 21.Rd2 (21.d6 Nc6 22.Qa3 Rab8 23.Rc2 h6 24.Nb5 e5 25.Nc7 Nd4 26.Nd5 Qe6 27.Rc7 b5 28.Qc5 Kh7 29.Rxd4 exd4 30.Bxd4 Be5 31.Qc3 b4 32.Qb2 f6 33.Nxf6+ Bxf6 34.Bxf6 Qxd6 35.Bxd8 Rxd8 36.Rxa7 b3 37.Qxb3 Qd4+ 38.Kf1 Kh8 39.Qb7 Qd1+ 40.Kf2 Qd4+ 41.Ke2 Bb5+ 42.Qxb5 Qxa7 43.Qb2+ Kh7 44.Qb7+ Qxb7 45.Bxb7 Rb8 46.Ba6 Rb2+ 47.Kf1 g5 48.Be2 Kg6 49.Kf2 Rb1 50.Kg3 Kf6 51.f4 gxf4+ 52.Kxf4 Rb4 53.h3 Ra4 54.h4 Rb4 55.g4 Kg6 56.Bd3 Rd4 57.Bb5 Rd2 58.Be8+ Kg7 59.g5 Rf2+ 60.Kg4 Rg2+ 61.Kf4 Rf2+ 62.Kg3 Re2 63.Kf3 Re1 64.gxh6+ - Mielke,K-Berg,A/1/2 6-7 ICCF CUP G-12 1994 (64)) 21...Bc8 22.Bb5 Bb7 23.d6 Rac8 24.Rdc2 Bf8 25.Rd2 Qe5 26.f4 Bxd6 27.Qxa5 Qc5 28.Bxc5 Bxc5+ 29.Kf1 bxa5 30.Rxd8+ Rxd8 31.Ke2 Ba3 32.Rc2 Bb4 33.Bd3 Kf8 34.g3 Rc8 35.Na2 Rxc2+ 36.Bxc2 Ke7 0-1 Lputian,S-Mikhalchishin,A/URS-FL Lvov 1987/TD 87\01 (36); 19...Re8 20.Ba6 Be5 21.f4 Bxc3 22.Rxc3 exd5 23.Rxd5 Re7 24.Rcd3 Qe8 25.Qd2 Rxe4 26.Rxd7 Qe6 27.Rd8+ Rxd8 28.Rxd8+ Kg7 29.Bd4+ f6 30.Bf2 Nc6 31.Rd6 1-0 Michaelsen,N-Ruehrig,V/BL 1989 (31); 19...Nb7 20.Ba6 Nc5 21.Bxc5 bxc5 22.Qxc5 Qb6 23.Qxb6 axb6 24.Bb5 Rfd8 25.Bxd7 Rxd7 26.Nb5 exd5 27.exd5 Ra5 28.Rb1 f5 29.f4 Kf7 30.d6 Bf6 31.Rb3 Ra4 32.g3 Rc4 33.Rd2 - Roos,T-Groszpeter,A/Oberwart op 1996/EXP 53 (33)] 20.Bf2 [20.g3 is also playable.] 20...Qg5 21.Bb5?! White is marking time here. 21...Rfd8 22.Ba6 Bc8 23.Bb5 exd5 [23...Bd7; 23...Bb7 24.dxe6 fxe6 25.Ne2 Rxd1+ 26.Rxd1 Rd8 27.Bd7 Kh8 28.Qa4] 24.Nxd5 Bb7 25.Be3 White has come very close to equalizing at this point. 25...Qh5 26.Ne7+! This move begins a sequence where the white pieces become extremely active in enemy territory and exact calculation becomes very important! 26...Kh8 27.Bf4!? A gamble really. The e5/d6/c7 squares being important to white's plan. 27...Rxd1+ 28.Rxd1 Qc5+? This trade of queens only strengthens white's game and makes it difficult for black to coordinate his pieces. 29.Qxc5 bxc5 30.Rd7! Bf6 [30...a6 31.Bc7 (31.Nd5 Bxd5 32.exd5 Kg8 33.Kf2=) 31...axb5 32.Bxa5 Bd4+ 33.Kf1-+] 31.Bc7! a6 32.Ba4 Nc4 33.Bb3 White enjoys a slight advantage now. 33...Re8 "Loses" the exchange but there was very little to be done here. 34.Bxc4! Rxe7 35.Rd8+ Kg7 36.Bd6 Bd4+ 37.Kf1 Kf6 38.Bxe7+ Kxe7 39.Rb8 Bc6 40.Rb6 40...Bb5?? Black misses his last chance to stay in the game. [40...Bd7! and there is no fear that the white-squared bishop will be lost, as the king can always move to d6. In this ending, a rook against one bishop always wins; with two bishops and a passed pawn versus a rook and bishop it is much more difficult!] 41.Bxb5 axb5 42.Rxb5 g5 [42...Ke6] 43.Rb7+ Ke6 [43...Kf6 is better, although white just needs to bring his king up, exchange the rook for the bishop and pawn at the right moment, and he will have a won k+p endgame. More secure for white is an attempt to win another pawn on the kingside first before the exchange for the bishop and pawn on the queenside is made.] 44.Rb6+ Ke5 45.Rh6 c4 46.Ke2 White will win the h-pawn, then exchange the rook for the bishop and pawn as mentioned before. 1-0
Remus, Horst (2169) - Knudsen, John C. (2230) [C18]
corr, CCLA, E71009, Game B, 31.07.1999
[John C. Knudsen]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 I must admit to a fondness for the Winawer French. The games are almost always complicated and exciting. Many players of the white pieces think that it is dubious, but black manages to come up with new moves all of the time. Armed with Watson's "Play The French", other opening monographs, and an extensive database of Winawer games, I feel well prepared for the battle ahead. 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 Bd7 12.Qd3 dxc3 13.Nxc3 [13.Qxc3 opens up a whole different can of worms, as they say.] 13...a6 14.Rb1 Rc8
15.Bd2 [Critical seems to be 15.Ne2 Na7 (15...Nf5 16.Bd2 Na5 17.Nd4 Nxd4 18.Qxd4 Qxc2 19.Rb2 Nb3 20.Rxc2 Nxd4 21.Rxc8+ Bxc8 22.Kf2 Bd7 23.Bd3 Bc6 24.g3 Nb3 25.Bb4 a5 26.Rb1 axb4 27.Rxb3 bxa3 28.Rxa3 Kd7 29.h4 Rh8 30.Be2 Ke7 31.Ke3 f5 32.exf6+ Kxf6 33.Kd4 Re8 34.g4 e5+ 35.fxe5+ Rxe5 36.Rf3+ Ke6 37.Bd3 Re1 38.h5 Rh1 39.Bg6 Rd1+ 40.Kc5 Rc1+ 41.Kb4 Rh1 42.g5 d4 43.Rf6+ Ke5 44.h6 Be4 45.Bxe4 Kxe4 46.g6 Rxh6 47.g7 Rxf6 48.g8Q Rb6+ 49.Kc4 Rc6+ 50.Kb3 d3 51.Qh7+ Ke3 52.Qe7+ Kf2 53.Qxb7 d2 54.Qf7+ Ke1 55.Qe7+ Kf1 - Enkhbat,T-Nadera,B/Manila ol (M.14.27.2) 1992 (55)) 16.Be3 Nb5 17.Ng3 Nc3 18.Bb6 Qc6 19.Rb4 Ne4 20.Nh5 Rg6 21.Kd1 Nf5 22.Nf6+ Rxf6 23.exf6 d4 24.Ke1 Qxc2 25.Qxc2 Rxc2 26.Rb1 Nc3 27.Ra1 Bc6 28.Bd3 Rxg2 29.Rf1 Be4 0-1 Vescovi,G-De Toledo,J/Schahin Cury, Americana BRA 0 (29); also critical is 15.h4 Nf5 (15...Na7 16.Rh3 Nb5 17.Ne2 Nf5 18.Bd2 Na7 19.Nd4 Bb5 20.Nxb5 Nxb5 21.h5 Qc5 22.a4 Qg1 23.axb5 Rxg2 24.Be3 Nxe3 25.Qxe3 Qxe3+ 26.Rxe3 Rh2 27.bxa6 bxa6 28.Rh3 Rcxc2 29.h6 Rce2+ 30.Bxe2 Rxh3 31.Rb8+ Ke7 32.Rh8 f6 33.Rh7+ Kf8 34.exf6 Rh4 35.Bd3 Rxf4 36.Rh8+ Kf7 37.h7 1-0 Bersoult,F-Apicella,M/Rouen-Clichy 1991 (37)) 16.Rh3 Nce7 17.Bd2 Bc6 18.h5 Nh6 19.Rg3 Rxg3 20.Qxg3 Nef5 21.Qh3 d4 22.Nd1 Qd8 23.g4 Qh4+ (23...Nh4 24.Bd3 Nf3+ 25.Kf2 Nxd2 26.Rb4 a5 27.Rb2 Ne4+ 28.Ke2 Qd5 29.Nf2 Nxf2 30.Kxf2 Qc5 31.g5 Qc3 32.gxh6 Qxb2 33.h7 Kd7 34.Qh4 Qc1 35.Qf6 Qe3+ 36.Kf1 Qf3+ 37.Ke1 Qg3+ 38.Kd1 Qg1+ 39.Ke2 Qe3+ 40.Kf1 Qf3+ 41.Ke1 Qxh5 42.f5 Kc7 43.fxe6 fxe6 44.Qxe6 Kb8 45.Qd6+ Ka8 46.Qxd4 Qh1+ 47.Kd2 Qh6+ 48.Qe3 Qh2+ 49.Kc1 Ba4 50.Qe4 Qg1+ 51.Kb2 Qb6+ 52.Kc1 Bb5 53.Qf5 Qh6+ 54.Kb2 Rf8 55.Qg6 Qxg6 56.Bxg6 Kb8 57.Kc3 Kc7 58.Kd4 Rf4+ 59.Ke3 Rh4 60.Kf3 Bd7 61.Kg3 Rh1 62.Kf4 Kd8 63.Kg5 Ke7 64.Be4 Rh2 65.Bg6 Kf8 66.Kf6 Be8 67.Bf5 Rh6+ 68.Kg5 Kg7 69.e6 Rh5+ 70.Kf4 Bg6 71.Bg4 Rxh7 0-1 Stillger,B-Molnar,B/FSIM March Budapest HUN 1996 (71)) 24.Nf2 Qxh3 25.Bxh3 Nh4 26.f5 Nf3+ 27.Ke2 Bd5 28.Rc1 Ng8 29.Bg2 Nxe5 30.Bxd5 exd5 31.h6 Nf6 32.g5 Nh5 33.Rg1 Kf8 34.Kd1 Kg8 35.Ng4 Nf3 36.Rh1 Ng3 37.Nf6+ Kf8 38.Bb4+ 1-0 Kortschnoj,V-Nogueiras,J/Brussels WCup 1988/CBM 07 (38)] 15...Na5 16.Qd4N [16.Qf3 b5 17.Qf2 Nf5 18.Rg1 Nc4 19.Bxc4 Qxc4 20.Rb4 Qc5 21.Qxc5 Rxc5 22.g3 Ke7 23.g4 Ne3 24.Rb2 Nc4 25.Ra2 Rh8 26.Rg2 a5 27.Ne2 Rh3 28.Bc1 Rc8 29.Ng1 Rc3 30.Rf2 Ne3 31.Bxe3 Rxe3+ 32.Re2 Rxe2+ 33.Kxe2 Rc4 34.Ke3 Re4+ 35.Kf3 Bc6 36.g5 d4 0-1 Garner,E-Lundqvist,A/corr-3 WCH 1959 (36)] 16...Nf5?! 17.Qb6! Well played. 17...Qxb6 18.Rxb6 Bc6 19.Kf2 d4?! Extremely risky play! 20.Nb1 Ne3?! Following up to the 19th move. 21.Bxa5 Nxf1 22.Rxc6! [22.Rxf1 which at first looks quite good, peters out to a draw after 22...Rxg2+ 23.Ke1 Bb5! A) 24.c3 Rb2 25.Nd2=; B) 24.Rxb5 B1) 24...axb5 25.Rf2 (25.Nd2 b6 26.Bb4 d3 27.c3 Re2+ 28.Kd1 Rxh2) 25...Rg1+=; B2) 24...Rcxc2 25.Rf2 (25.Nd2 b6 26.Bb4 d3; 25.Kd1 axb5 26.h3 d3 27.Bb4 Rb2) 25...Rg1+ 26.Rf1 Rc1+ 27.Kd2-+; C) 24.Rf2 24...Rg1+ C1) 25.Kd2 Rxb1 26.Rg2 Bc6 27.Rg8+ (27.Rxb1 Bxg2 28.Rg1 Bh3 29.Rg3 Bf5 30.Rg8+ Kd7 31.Rxc8 Kxc8 32.Bb6 Kd7 33.Bxd4 b5=) 27...Kd7= (27...Kd7 28.Rxc8 Rxb6 29.Rf8 Ke7 30.Rxf7+ Kxf7 31.Bxb6 Kg6 32.Bxd4 Kf5 33.Be3= Kg4) ; C2) 25.Kd2 ] 22...Rxc6 An extremely critical juncture in the game. 23.Rxf1 Rxc2+ 24.Bd2 Kd7!? The up side of this move is that the king enters the fray, the obvious question to be asked - is there time for this majestic walk? 25.g3 [25.h4 is another possibility. Note how the knight and bishop are confined to the first two ranks - black is counting on this to give his rooks and king a chance to cooperate with one another.] 25...Rb2 26.Kf3 Rh8 27.h4 Rg8 28.Rg1 Rb3+ 29.Kf2 Kc6 30.h5 Kd5 31.h6 [31.Bb4 should be considered here.] 31...Ke4 32.Re1+ Kf5 33.Rh1 Kg4! 34.Rh4+ Kf5 35.g4+ This moves ensures the draw for black. It is interesting to note that, because the rooks and king cooperate so well against the white king, the extra white queen is of little or no use to him! Very unusual in chess to be a queen up, with no more than a draw as the outcome. 35...Rxg4 36.Rh5+ Ke4 37.h7 Rf3+ 38.Ke2 Rg1 39.Be1 Re3+ 40.Kf2 40...Rgxe1! [not 40...Rexe1?? when it is white that comes out on top: 41.Nd2+ Kd3 (41...Kd5 42.h8Q+-) 42.Rh2 Kxd2 43.Kf3+ Kd3 44.h8Q+-] 41.Nd2+ Kd5! [41...Kxf4 42.Nf1!+-; 41...Kd3 42.Nf1!+-] 42.h8Q [42.Nf1 R3e2+ 43.Kf3 (43.Kg3 Rxf1 44.h8Q Rg1+ 45.Kh3=) 43...Rc2 (43...d3 44.Ng3 Re3+ 45.Kf2 d2 46.h8Q Rd3 47.Qd8+ Kc4 48.Qc8+ Kb3 49.Qxb7+ Ka2 50.Qb4=) 44.h8Q Rxf1+ 45.Kg3 Rc3+ 46.Kg4=] 42...R1e2+ 43.Kf1 Rxd2 Of course I was relieved when this game became clearly drawn, as the other had already been completed. Both were exciting struggles that could have gone either way. With 1.5/2 in the final round, I won the Championship. 1/2-1/2
