Theo van den Berkmortel vs David Bronstein (1993) No Mere Mortel Can Resist

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Theo van den Berkmortel vs David Bronstein
"No Mere Mortel Can Resist" (game of the day Jul-02-2014)
Belgium tt (1993), ?, rd 3
Benoni Defense: Four Pawns Attack. Main Line (A69) · 0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Nov-04-09		Tubba324: 14.0-0-0??? LOLOLOL First time I've seen white playing the long castle in this variation. Obviously Mr. Bronstein punished it in due terms.

Nov-04-09		Jim Bartle: Not only that, he opened the b-file with 17. Bxa6.

Nov-06-09		Tubba324: To Jim Bartle. Well, he was facing the threat of Nb4 already :-)

Jul-02-14		thegoodanarchist: The puns have been really good this week!

Jul-02-14		thegoodanarchist: White could try 30.Ne2 for further resistance, but I imagine Bronstein would have refuted that with 30...Bg5

Jul-02-14		An Englishman: Good Evening: After 28...c4, ...Qg2 becomes a legitimate threat, and either 29.Qg3 or 29.Qf2 allows 29...Bg5. However, 29.g5?? actually makes 29...Qg2 a stronger move because now the Black Queen and Bf6 both attack the g5 square (the pawn is irrelevant) while simultaneously threatening checkmate. 29.Rg3 allows 29...Bh4; 29.Rg1,Rd8 threatens 30...Bd4. I don't know how White can best withstand the pressure.

Jul-02-14		RookFile: Have to agree with some of the earlier sentiments - essentially white castled into mate. Kingside castling would give him a reasonable attack, the rook would do good work on f1.

Jul-02-14		Dr. J: In the final position White could try 30.R3e2 Bxe2 31.gxf6 Bd3 32.Re2 Bxe2 33.Qh6 Qf1+ 34.Kd2 Qxf6 35.Kxe2 and wins. What's the refutation?

Jul-02-14		patfoley: 30 R(3)e2 Qxg5 looks like it will soon get both a Q exchange and a R for a B, leaving Black 2 or 3 pawns to the good.

Jul-02-14		Once: No mere mortal can resist ... the evil of the thriller.

Jul-02-14		Gryz: Theo certainly was mortal. He died a few months ago in a carcrash. RIP.

Jul-02-14		Richard Taylor: Where is the quote from?

Jul-02-14		vodkaboris: Thriller, by Michael Jackson.

Jul-02-14		Castleinthesky: Certainly not against Bronstein, who produces another piece of chess artwork in this game. My favorite game of Bronstein's, which I can't seem to find the link, is where he allows all of his pawns to be captured (the opposite of Philidor's philosophy). If anyone has the link for the game, could you please post it? Much thanks.

Jul-02-14		naresb: I liked the opening with 6. Nf6, White T V D Berkmortel was planning for a four tier Pawn Roller nicely supported by two Knights, two bishops and a Queen. Ya, finally Queen side castle was a big drag on the game strategy. White was pursuing pawn advance for a promotion and possible material advantage. At 23... Rb8, White was ahead in pieces and short by two pawns. White persisted with double Rook combination along e file and was easily blocked. Whether there was any opportunity for a combination of Queen+Rook or Queen+pawn advance along 'h' file, any chances?

Jul-02-14		kevin86: Here is a case where castling may NOT be the best move.Here it is more like an open wound.

Jul-02-14		Domdaniel: Castling (0-0) may have been good. Caaastling (0-0-0) was not.

Jul-02-14		Domdaniel: 13.Qd2 and 14.0-0-0 has, in fact, been played on other occasions. But 13.0-0 is the main line, and probably best. It's an exaggeration to say that 14.0-0-0 is 'castling into mate', but Black certainly gets a readymade attack. One slight advantage of 0-0-0 over 0-0, however, is that it immediately brings a rook to d1 to support the d-pawn.

Jul-02-14		Edeltalent: <Castleinthesky: My favorite game of Bronstein's, which I can't seem to find the link, is where he allows all of his pawns to be captured (the opposite of Philidor's philosophy). If anyone has the link for the game, could you please post it? Much thanks.> I see you already found it, but in case someone else is interested: Bronstein vs K Darga, 1964

Jul-02-14		mruknowwho: Beautiful use of bishops by Black. On another note, 12. Bg5 seemed sensible, but I almost think it was impotent. I wonder if it might have actually been a little better to just play 12. d6. Okay, fine, the pawn gets captured. But Black has to spend tempo to capture it.

Jul-03-14		Domdaniel: < he allows all of his pawns to be captured > I've seen another game, from years ago, where the winner sacrificed all eight of his pawns. I can't recall who the players were -- but I have a vague idea that the winner was a doctor, not a very well known chessplayer, and from Germany or Central Europe. I think it appeared in CHESS magazine in the 1970s, perhaps in a Christmas Quiz by Hugh Courteney. But I don't have the relevant 'zines now. Any ideas?

Jul-03-14		Castleinthesky: <Edeltalent> Thanks for the post!

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