Judit Polgar vs Joel Benjamin (1998)

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Judit Polgar vs Joel Benjamin
99th US Open (1998), Kailua-Kona, HI USA, rd 9, Aug-09
Spanish Game: Berlin Defense. l'Hermet Variation Berlin Wall Defense (C67) · 1-0

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

1-0

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May-31-09		Albertan: What? No comments on this game?? Judit says this is one of the best games she has ever played in her entire career!

May-31-09		Albertan: 32.Kh2 The lost tempo. 32...Bd5 [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 32...Ba2 33.Rg3 Bd5 34.Rd3 Kc6 35.h4 Re2 36.Kg3 c4 37.Rd4 f5 38.f3 Kd6 ] 33.h4! GM Shamkovich states: "Giving back her extra pawn. The passed h-pawn will decide the fight." 33...Re2?! [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is: 33...Kd6 34.Nf3 Rb1 (34...Bxf3 35.gxf3 Re2 36.h5 Re5 37.Rh7 Ke7 ) 35.h5 Rxb2 36.h6 Be4 37.Nh4 Bxc2 38.Ng6!? Bxg6 39.Rxg6+ fxg6 40.h7 Ra2 41.h8Q ] 34.Nf1 Rxf2 Regaining material equality and threatening to win a tempo by attacking her knight. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 34...Rxc2 35.Ne3 Rxb2 36.Nxd5 b4 37.h5 bxa3 38.Rg4 Rd2 39.Nc3 Rd4 ] 35.Ne3 For now she avoids the loss of a tempo and instead threatens to win one by attacking his bishop. 35...Be4 Threatening to play 37...Bxc2. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 35...Be6 36.h5 Rf6 37.Kg3 Ke7 38.Rg8 Kd6 39.Rb8 Ke5 40.Ng4+ Bxg4 41.Kxg4 Rf4+ 42.Kg3 Kf5 43.Rxb5 Rc4 44.c3 Kg5 45.Kf3 Kxh5 ] 36.Kg3 Attacking Benajmin's rook threatening to win a tempo. 36...Rf6 The lost tempo. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 36...Re2 37.h5 Ke6 38.h6 Re1 39.Kf4 Bg6 40.Rg8 Rh1 41.Re8+ Kd7 42.Rh8 Ke6 43.Kg5 Rh5+ 44.Kg4 Ke5 ] 37.h5 Ke7 38.Rg4 Attackinbg his bishop,winning a tempo. 38...Re6 The lost tempo. 39.Kf4 She ties down his rook to the defense of his bishop. 39...c6 [Analysis:Deep Rybka:Better is 39...Bc6 40.h6 Kf6 41.Rg8 Re4+ 42.Kg3 Rxe3+ 43.Kf2 Re5 44.h7 Rf5+ 45.Kg3 Rh5 46.h8Q+ Rxh8 47.Rxh8 ] 40.Rg5 Attacking his pawn on c5. 40...Kd6 [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 40...f6 41.Rxc5 Kd6 42.Rc3 Bh7 43.g4 Re4+ 44.Kf3 Re8 45.b4 axb3 46.cxb3 Ra8 47.b4 Ke5 ] 41.g4 c4 42.Nf5+ Bxf5 43.Rxf5 1-0 Benjamin resigned A sample continuation from the chess program Zappa Mexico II is 43...c5 44.Rxf7 b4 45.axb4 cxb4 46.Rb7 Kc5 47.g5 Re2 48.g6 Rf2+ 49.Kg3 Rf1 50.g7+ 43...c5 44.Rxf7 b4 45.axb4 cxb4 46.Rb7 Kc5 47.g5 Re2 48.g6 Rf2+ 49.Kg3 Rf1 50.g7 1-0

May-31-09		Albertan: 20.Ne2 She intends to use this knight to support the other knight when the latter is moved to the d4-square. [Analysis:GM Shamkovich in his analysis of this game in Chess Life states:"Better is 20.Nd4!? Nxd4 21.Rexd4 (If 21.Rdxd4 was played then Benjamin would get counterplay after 21...g5<=>) ] 20...Bd5 Attacking the rook threatening to win at least a tempo.Deep Rybka 3 gave a poor evaluation to this move. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 20...Ra6 with a possible continuation being: 21.Nfd4 Nxd4 22.Nxd4 g5 23.Nxe6 Kxe6 24.Rg4 Rh5 25.f4 Ra8 26.fxg5 Rg8 27.Rf4 Rg6 28.Rdf2 Rhxg5 29.Rxh4 Rxe5 ] 21.Rf4 Avoiding the loss of a tempo by attacking Benjamin's undefended knight. Deep Rybka evaluates this position as favoring Polgar. 21...Rh5 [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Worse is: 21...g6 22.Nfd4 Nxd4 23.Nxd4 Rh5 24.Rf6 Ra6 25.f4 Rb6 26.Kf2 Be4 ] 22.Nfd4 Polgar creates a double-attack against Benjamin's knight. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is: 22.Ne1 with a possible continuation being: 22... 22...Kf8 23.Nd3 g6 24.Nc3 Ne7 25.Ne4 Bxe4 26.Rxe4 Ra8 27.Nc5 Nd5 ] 22...Nxd4 23.Rfxd4 [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:The program preferred to play 23.Nxd4 with a possible continuation being: 23...Rxe5 24.Rxh4 Ra8 25.f3 Kf6 26.Kf2 Rae8 27.Kg3 Kg6 28.Rg4+ Kf6 29.h4 Rh5=] 23...Rxe5 [Analysis:GM Shamkovich stated that he believed the "energetic" move 23...Rg5!? leads to full equality after 24.Nf4 Rxe5 25.Nxd5+ cxd5 26.Rxd5 Rxd5 27.Rxd5 c6 28.Rh5 Ra8 (Deep Rybka 3 preferred: 28...Ra7 29.Rxh4 Rd7 30.Re4+ Kf6 31.Re2 Rd4 32.c3 Rd1+ 33.Kh2[] the only move 33...g5 ) 29.Kf1 (29.Rxh4 Rd8 30.Re4+ Kf6 31.Re2 Rd1+ 32.Kh2 the only move 32...c5 ) 29...Rd8 ] 24.Rxh4 Bc4? GM Shamkovich assigned this move the ? Deep Rybka 3 gave no such designation, viewing this position as equal. [Analysis:GM Shamkovich:"Holding White's advantage to a minimum is": 24...Ra8 25.f4 Re6 26.Kf2 Kf6 27.Nd4 Rd6 28.Rh5 g6 29.Re5 Rb8=] 25.Nd4 Attacking Benjamin's unprotected pawn on c6, winning a tempo. 25...Ra6 The lost tempo. 26.Rh8! GM Shamkovich assigned the ! stating, "now White is in firm control." [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3: 26.Nf3 Rd5 27.Rh8 Rxd2 28.Nxd2 Be6 29.Nf1 c5 30.Ne3 Rb6 31.Kf1 Kd6 32.Ke2 Ke5=] 26...c5 Attacking Polgar's knight winning a tempo. 27.Nf3 The lost tempo. 27...Rd5 Benjamin offers to exchange rooks on d5. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3: 27...Ree6 28.Rh5 Rac6 29.g4 g6 30.Rg5 Kf6 31.Kg2 Re4 32.Kg3 Be6 33.Rd3 b4 34.Re3 Rxe3 35.fxe3 c4 36.c3 bxc3 37.bxc3 Rb6=] 28.Rc8 Attacking Benjamin's unprotected c-pawn threatening to win it. 28...Kd7 [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 28...Ra7 29.Kh2 Rxd2 30.Nxd2 Bd5 31.Rg8 g6 32.Kg3 Ra6 33.Nf1 Rd6 34.Ne3 Bc6 35.Rc8 Kd7=] 29.Rg8!= Threatening to win Benjamin's g-pawn. Deep Rybka 3 evaluates this position as equal.GM Shamkovich gave this move the ! 29...Re6 Benjamin takes control of the open file. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 29...Rxd2 30.Nxd2 g6 31.Ne4 Kc6 32.Ng5 Kb7 33.Ne4 Kc6=] 30.Rxg7 Rxd2 31.Nxd2 Re1+ Winning a tempo.

May-31-09		Albertan: Polgar,Judit (2665) - Benjamin,Joel (2595) [C67] Cardoza US op Kona (9), 09.08.1998 [Analysis by GM Shamkovich,Deep Ryba 3,and Albertan] Opening:Ruy Lopez:Berlin defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 The Ruy Lopez. 3...Nf6 The Berlin Defense 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 GM Shamkovich: "This early queen trade prevents Black from fully equalizing but demands sterling endgame play from White. 9.Nc3 The main continuation in this position. 9...Ke8 The most popular move in this position. 10.h3 a5 11.Rd1 a4!? A move first played in the game Yemelin-Aleksandrov 1996. By playing ...a4 Benjamin prepares to play ...Ra5. 12.a3N This was the first time this move had been played in this position. 12...h5!? Benjamin strengthens his knight on f5 at the cost of giving Polgar the bishop pair (which is the main trump of playing the Berlin Defense). 13.Bg5 Threatening 14.Rd8+ 13...Be7 Offering to exchange bishops on e7. 14.Rd2 Intending to double her rooks on the open d-file. 14...h4 Making room on h5 for his other rook. 15.Rad1 Creating the threat of 16.Rd8+ Bxd8 17.Rd8+ checkmate. 15...Bxg5 [Analysis:Deep Rybka:Better is 15...Be6 16.Kh2 Rh5 17.Bxe7 Kxe7 18.Rd3 Rhh8 19.Ng5 Rhe8 ] 16.Nxg5 Deep Rybka evaluates this position as . 16...Ke7 Preventing Polgar from playing 17.Rd8 17.Nf3 Protecting her weak e-pawn. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 17.Nce4 Ra5 18.Re2 Be6 19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.Nc3 Rc8 21.Re4 b5 ] 17...Ra5 Making his rook more active and tieing down Polgar's knight to defend her e-pawn. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3:Better is 17...Be6 18.Rd3 Rhe8 19.Kh2 Kf8 20.Nd4 Ra5 21.f4 Ke7 22.Nxe6 Kxe6 ] 18.Re1 Overprotecting her e-pawn which frees up her knight on f3. [Analysis:Deep Rybka 3: 18.Ne2 Re8 19.Nf4 b6 20.c3 Rc5 21.Re1 Rd8 22.Rxd8 Kxd8 23.Nd3 Ra5 ] 18...Be6 Finally developing his last minor piece. 19.Re4 Creating double-attacks against both of Benjamin's rook pawns, which wins a tempo as now Benjamin's a-pawn is enprise. 19...b5 The lost tempo

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