Game of the Month - July 2001
by the 10th World Correspondence Champion Dr. Vytas (Victor) Palciauskas
Hans-Marcus Elwert of Germany wins the Millennium E-Mail Chess Tournament
This month the featured game is Hans-Marcus Elwert’s victory against Gert Timmerman in the Millennium E-mail Chess tournament. Elwert scored a dramatic victory by recording four wins and six draws in a double round robin held between the six players with the highest ICCF rankings. Along the way, he dealt GM Ulf Andersson of Sweden his first loss in ICCF play. It is difficult to think of a better way to start the new millennium!
Because the progress of the Millennium Tournament and the games between competitors could be followed "live" on the ICCF web site, H-M Elwert’s name is well known. An extensive interview with GM Elwert was published in Chessmail magazine 3/1998. Therefore, I will not repeat this biographical background and refer the readers to the site http://www.chessmail.com/elwert.html for more information. And now to the game action as it took place on this web site during the past year or so!
There was not much surprise when Timmerman as black defends against Elwert’s 1.d4 with the King's Indian defense. Elwert chose the fianchetto variation, a very solid and respected line against this defense. It is a popular variation amongst players that like to stifle their opponent’s counter play and steer the game into more positional motives. [A little side note. It is interesting to note that players that favor the fianchetto variation against the King’s Indian also seem to favor the White side of the Catalan. Several examples are: Hans-Marcus Elwert (see his nice win in the Millennium tournament against H. Tarnowiecki with the Catalan), Mikhail Umansky, and Jorn Sloth, just to name a few. There must be something magic about that fianchettoed bishop!] Black chose a modified form of the Panno variation with which he has had much experience and success. The game goes to uncharted territory when White introduces the new and more ambitious move, 13.b4, with a plan for dismantling Black’s Queenside structure. The game reaches a critical stage when Black offers an exchange sacrifice with the hope of eliminating White’s advanced pawn and maintaining his strong central position. But, White’s 19.e4! shatters that hope, keeping the center fluid and maintaining his pressure. The defense for Black is difficult and after a slight inaccuracy, he is not given a second chance to recover. The tactics are sharp and handled in an excellent fashion by White.
The game analysis and comments in the brackets […] are those of H-W Elwert. I have included several additional comments that are denoted by VVP.
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Elwert,H (2681) - Timmerman,G (2738) [E60]
Millennium E-Mail, 01.01.20001.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.g3 0–0 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.0–0 a6 7.Nc3 Rb8 8.d5 Na5 9.c5
[The main alternative to 9.c5 has been 9.Qd3!?]
9...b5 10.cxb6 cxb6
[10...Rxb6? 11.Qa4 Nb7 12.Be3 c5 13.dxc6 Rxc6 14.Ng5±]
11.Bf4
[11.e4 d6 12.Nd4 Bd7=]
11...d6 12.Nd4
White's focus is on c6. He has avoided e4 keeping the long diagonal open for his bishop. As will be seen shortly, White is planning on chasing away Black's knight with b4, further weakening c6. But b4 will weaken the other long diagonal giving Black counter chances. Timing will be everything! VVP
[12.b4 Nh5]12...Bd7 13.b4!?
The new and interesting plan. Previously 13.b3 has been played. VVP
[13.b3 b5 14.Rc1 Qb6 15.Nc6 Nxc6 16.dxc6 Bxc6 17.Na4 bxa4 18.Rxc6 Qa5 19.Bd2 Qf5 20.bxa4! (20.b4 Qb5 21.Qc2 Nd7 22.Rc7 d5 Bang-Timmerman corr-Millennium 2000) 20...Rb2 21.Bc3 Rxa2 22.Rxa6= Sloth-Maliangkay corr-WCH-Final 1999]
13...Nc4 14.Qb3 b5
[14...Rc8 15.Nc6 Bxc6 16.dxc6 b5 17.a4±]
15.Nc6 Bxc6 16.dxc6
Now the plan initiated with 13.b4 becomes clear. The bishop on d7 has been exchanged, and a4 undermining the knight is a threat. VVP
16...Qb6
[16...e6 17.a4]
17.Rac1!?
[An alternative was 17.a4 h6 (17...Nh5? 18.Nd5 Qa7 19.c7+-) 18.axb5 axb5 19.Ra2˛]
17...e6
This move prevents any surprise Nd5 by White, as well as supports an eventual d5. If (a big IF) Black can successfully achieve d5, the White pawn on c6 would be cut off from his defenders and the knight on c4 would be a pillar of strength. VVP
[17...h6 18.Rc2±]18.a4 d5?
Offering the exchange for the pawn on c6 and a strong central position, but underestimating the strength of White's reply. VVP
[A better continuation was 18...Nh5! 19.axb5 axb5 (19...Nxf4) 20.Nxb5 Qxb5 21.Qxc4 Qxc4 22.Rxc4 Nxf4÷ when it will be very difficult to defend both pawns on the queenside.]19.e4!
[19.Bxb8 Rxb8 20.Rc2]
Although taking the exchange is not bad, this move opens the center and keeps the initiative for white. VVP19...e5
[19...d4 20.axb5 dxc3 21.Qxc4 axb5 22.Qb3+-; 19...Nxe4 20.Nxe4 e5 (20...dxe4 21.Bxb8 Rxb8 22.Bxe4+-) 21.Nc3 exf4 22.Nxd5+-; 19...Qxc6 20.Bxb8 Rxb8 21.axb5 axb5 22.exd5 Nxd5 23.Nxd5 exd5 24.Rfd1 Rd8 25.Qd3+-]
20.Bg5 Qxc6
Eliminating this potentially deadly pawn seems best. Other moves were weaker. VVP
[20...bxa4 21.Nxa4 (21.Qa2!?) 21...Qxb4 22.Qxb4 Rxb4 23.Nc3 d4 24.Bxf6 dxc3 25.Be7+-; 20...d4!? 21.axb5 axb5 22.Nxb5 Qxb5 23.Rxc4 Rfc8±; 20...h6!? 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.axb5! (22.Nxd5 Qxc6 23.Rfd1±) 22...axb5 23.exd5 Nd2 24.Qd1 Nxf1 25.Bxf1 Bg5 26.Rc2. And white stands much better, if not winning.]21.exd5
The pawn on c6 has been eliminated but a new "thorn" on d5 surfaces. VVP
21...Qd7?
[21...Qd6!± As can be seen in many of the following variations, 21....Qd6 was better.]
22.axb5 axb5 23.Nxb5 Rxb5 24.Rxc4 Rfb8
[24...Nxd5? 25.Rc5! Nxb4 (25...Rxc5 26.bxc5+-) 26.Bc6 Qc8 27.Rxb5 Nxc6 28.Rc1 Qa8 29.Be3+-]
25.Rd1 Qd6
[25...Ne8? 26.d6 Nxd6 (26...R5b6 27.Bh3 Qxh3 28.d7+-) 27.Bc6 Qe6 28.Rxd6 Qxd6 29.Bxb5+-; 25...Qf5 26.Be3!+-]
26.Rc6 Qd8
[26...Qe7? 27.Qf3 R5b6 28.d6 Qd8 29.d7 Rxc6 30.Qxc6 h6 31.Be3+-]
27.Qf3 e4
[27...R5b6 28.b5 h6 29.Bxf6 Bxf6 30.Bf1 Bg7 31.d6 R6b7 32.Rdc1+-]
28.Qf4!
This very nice move combines attack with defense of his pawns. Clearly 28. Bxf6 does not do justice to White's advantage. VVP
28...R5b6
[28...Rxd5? 29.Rdc1 Rf5 30.Qxb8+-; 28...Nxd5? 29.Rd6 (29.Bxd8!?) 29...Qf8 30.R1xd5 Rxd5 31.Rxd5 f6 32.Bh4 g5 33.Qf5+-]
29.Rxb6 Qxb6
[29...Rxb6? 30.d6 Rxb4 31.d7 h6 32.Bxf6 Bxf6 33.Qxf6+-]
30.d6 Nd7 31.Qxe4 Qb5
[31...h6 32.Be7 Qb5 33.Qc6+-; 31...Qxb4 32.Qxb4 Rxb4 33.Bc6+-]
32.Be7 Ne5 33.Rd5 Qa4
[33...Qxb4 34.Qxb4 (34.Rxe5+-) 34...Rxb4 35.d7+-]
34.Bf1
By eliminating the check on a1, Black is left with no hope. So Black resigned.
A very fine game by Hans-Marcus Elwert. There was a clear opening strategy that was followed by sharp and precise tactics exploiting the minor inaccuracies by Timmerman.
This article originally appeared at the Official ICCF Site.
