Raymond Keene vs Michael Basman (1967)

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Raymond Keene vs Michael Basman
Preparation Tournament for Student Olympiad (1967), Bognor
Formation: King's Indian Attack (A07) · 1-0

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1

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h

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

Notes by Raymond Keene. An eccentricity quite in Basman’s style. However, the move also has some positional basis in that an eventual advance of the queenside pawns forms a valuable black resource against the King’s Indian Attack. But this is much harder to justify, since the king’s bishop is normally needed on the kingside for defensive purposes.Necessary if Black is to mobilise his c-pawn.White’s kingside attack proceeds unopposed, largely due to the absence of the useful defensive king’s bishop.Although White’s e-pawn is blockaded there are other ways of prosecuting the assault. Threatening to destroy White’s strong point at e5, but the scheme is over-optimistic and allows the energy in White’s position to burst forth by means of a positional queen sacrifice.White avoids 24 Bxc7? with only rook for two minor pieces. White has now given up queen and knight for two rooks, but Black’s famous king’s bishop is locked out of play, while his other pieces cannot participate in the defence of his king.Threatening Bd5 and Rf7.Although Black gains a temporary respite with this check his queen must immediately return to the back rank to prevent Re8+. Threatening both Rxd7 and Rf8+. Obviously desperation. If 32...Qc8 33 Rxd7+- or 32...Qd6 33 Rf8+ Nxf8 34 Rxf8+ Qxf8 35 Bxf8 with a simple win in the endgame.After 34...Qxd7 35 Bh6 wins at once.1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Raymond Keene. [405 more games annotated by Keene]

explore this opening	find similar games	12 more Keene/M Basman games
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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 1 OF 2 · Later Kibitzing>
Jul-14-04		jaime gallegos: great game! Ray, if you allow me this question ... Why didnt reach a higher ELO ? Did you stop your chess professional career too early ?

Jul-14-04		ray keene: <jaime> simple answer-i kept losing to stronger players

Jul-14-04		ray keene: tho ps-there has been a bit of inflation-i think i wd have been over 2600 by current standards

Jul-14-04		jaime gallegos: undoubtedly ! How much would be the 1972 ELO of Fischer now ? and my next socratic question is Why did you lose with "stronger" players ? Did you study lesser time than they ?

Jul-15-04		ray keene: fischer wd be way over 2800 very close to kasparov some people you have to admit are just more talented smyslov bronstein hort timman larsen are guys i had particular trouble with

Jul-15-04		acirce: There has been inflation but the players have also been much stronger.

Jul-15-04		resty: ray, i always read your chess column in the international herald tribune. i'm from the philippines anyway.

Oct-09-04		ray keene: this has always been one of my favourite games of my own-i wonder what other people think of it. opinions welcome!

Oct-09-04		offramp: A very good game, Ray. As you mention the bishop is needed on the k-side; the whole game is essentially a demo of why it is needed there.

Oct-09-04		Benzol: Nice game Ray. Do you have one particular game that is your favourite above all others.

Oct-09-04		clocked: <ray keene> What was your plan if black had not underestimated your piece power with something safe like 20...h6

Oct-09-04		ray keene: <benzol> probably my game v kovacevic amsterdam 1973-because the combination was so unusual. <clocked> i think my idea was g4 intending g5.

Oct-09-04		aw1988: <smyslov bronstein hort timman larsen> COUGH oh man... don't expect too much from yourself- fully understandable. Lol "Oh, I had a tad of trouble against Larsen." Oh, sorry, I liked the way this was going. Sorry Ray.

Oct-09-04		ray keene: sometimes you have to admit that some players are just way better than you are.i used to lose regularly to smyslov with white not knowing what was going on!

Oct-09-04		aw1988: I just find it kind of disheartening: "Oh, Smyslov gave me a bit of trouble." I would die to play Smyslov!

Oct-09-04		ray keene: <resty> where do you read the iht column-in the philippines or are you based elsewhere?

Oct-09-04		Pawsome: I stumbled on this website after being away from chess for a long time. How long? About twenty years, I think. The last chess book I purchased was the "Modern Defence" when it was still hot off the presses. Imagine my surprise when confronted with the electronic marvels available here. It felt like I'd just awakened from a deep sleep. All of the foregoing is a preface to my heartfelt thanks for co-authoring The Modern Defense, Ray Keene, I still have it in my chess library, which besides that book, consists of a beaten up copy of Flank Openings and the 1932 Edition of M.C.O. edited by Griffiths and White and revised by Reuben Fine. I especially enjoyed your discussion of Suttles and his Rats. As for the game vs. Basman. a fine attack flowing from a KID reversed. And as for Smyslov: is he still alive and well? Cheers Rob Brown

Oct-10-04		ray keene: smyslov is alive but his eyesight is very poor-he has retired from play now i think-delighted you enjoyed the modern defence

May-26-05		Knight13: Very interesting game played by Keene! Pow Pow!!

May-26-05		Heavy Metal Thunder: Very good annotation, keep it up.

May-26-05		Shokwave: Yes, annotations are always a treat. Thanks, Ray.

Nov-05-05		ray keene: overprotection rules-thanks nimzo!!

Nov-05-05		fred lennox: A brilliant attack!! Maybe Keene should of played e4 more often, though with most GMs it is one or the other. 18...d4 makes the e pawn an iso in effect, and exposes the white king more, creating some real drama.

Nov-05-05		IMlday: Good attacking game. It illustrates the 'modern' 1960's treatment of 1.e4 as a closed idea. If I were to look for an improvement for Black it would be something instead of 6..0-0?!. Why should Black give away his King's middle-game address when he has a raft of 'position-improving' moves like ..d6..Nbd7..Qe7..Bb6..a6..h6 even. He could have left White guessing by delaying the decision, Petrosian-style flexibility. 5..Bc5!? is creative and deserves more tests. Compare Benko vs L Day, 1968 with ..c5 transposing. The 'inspirational' seed for early ..b5: Petrosian vs Spassky, 1966 even Karpov tried it: Saidy vs Karpov, 1972

Nov-05-05		WMD: Yeah, great play, Ray. Do I get a certificate as well?

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