Donald J Mason vs Chris Ward (2007)

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Donald J Mason vs Chris Ward
British Championship (2007), Great Yarmouth ENG, rd 10, Aug-09
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation. Yugoslav Attack Modern Line (B76) · 0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Aug-11-07		belgradegambit: Another wild win with 9 ...Bd7. Yes the move "just looks wrong" but Black often gets good play.

Aug-11-07		tpstar: <belgradegambit> Before you get too far in your Game Collection: Dragon 9...Bd2 note the typo. =) 11. Be2 seems to waste a key tempo, as the Nd4 is covering f3 so White could play 11. g4 immediately or even 11. h5 Opening Explorer Compare D Baramidze vs Stellwagen, 2004 where White got an early 12. h5 & 13. hg but also the defensive 14. Kb1.

Aug-14-07		belgradegambit: <tpstar> Instead of Stellwagen's 14 ...b5, I suspect a player like Ward would want the wild 14....Nxf3!? leading to a game similar to V Saravanan vs C Duncan, 1999

Aug-15-07		belgradegambit: Actually White's mistake here is 15. hxg6. As pointed out on the Chesspublishing web site, 15. Bh6 is winning (ie 15...Qa5 16.BxB KxB 17.hxg3 fxg3 18.Qh6+ Kf7 19.g5). A better plan is 12...Qa5 as in Dearing's book or 13....Qa5 but avoid Nc4.

Feb-06-16		Albanius: In the final position 29 Ke2 Rxh1 30 Bxf6 Rh2+ wins.

Sep-29-19		RandomVisitor: 22.Nxe7+ has a chance of holding for white.

Sep-29-19		dumbgai: <Albanius: In the final position 29 Ke2 Rxh1 30 Bxf6 Rh2+ wins.> 29...Qxf3# also wins.

Sep-29-19		RandomVisitor: After 21...Rxb2 click for larger view Stockfish_19092712_x64_modern: <39/19 08:40 0.00 22.Nxe7+ Kf7 23.Nc6> Qc3 24.Qd2 Qxa3 25.Qxd6 Qxe3+ 26.Kxb2 Nxe4+ 27.Ne5+ Bxe5+ 28.Qxe5 Qb6+ 29.Ka2 Qa6+ 30.Kb1 Qb6+ 38/76 08:40 -0.72 22.Nxf6+ Rxf6 23.Qxh7+ Kf8 <24.Kxb2> Rf7+ 25.Bd4 Bxd4+ 26.Rxd4 Rxh7 27.Rxh7 Qe5 28.Kc3 Kg8 29.Rh1 Qf4 30.Rh3 Qe3+ 31.Kxc4 Qxa3 32.Rd3 Qa4+ 33.Kc3 Qa1+ 34.Kd2 a5 35.f4 Qb2 36.Rc3 a4 37.Rhe3 g5 38.fxg5 Kg7 39.Ra3 Qb4+ 40.Kc1 Qd4 41.Kb1 Kg6 42.Rad3 Qb4+ 43.Ka1 Qc4 44.Rc3 Qd4 45.Kb1 Qb4+ 46.Ka2 Kxg5 47.Rc7 Kf4 48.Rec3

Sep-29-19		Anjeneyar: Albanius In final position 39. Ke2..Qxf3# Harry

Sep-29-19		al wazir: 24. Bd4 looks as if it gives black problems. If 24...c3, then 25. Rd3. Now what? If 25...Ra2 or 25...Qxa3, then 26. Bxc3. If 24, Rf7, then 25. Qh8+ Bxh8 26. Rxh8# If 25...Qa4, then 26. Rh2. If 25...Rb1+ 26. Kxb1 Qb5+ 27. Kc1 Qb2+ 28. Kd1 Qb1+ 29. Kd2 Qxc2+ 30. Ke3 Rxf3+ 31. Kxf3 Rxd3+ 32. Be3 Bd4 33. Re1, and now if 33...c2, then 34. Qh6+.

Sep-29-19		mel gibson: I saw the first move straight away but Stockfish 10 is calling it a draw: 21... Rxb2 (21. .. Rxb2 (♖b8xb2 ♘d5xe7+ ♔g8-f7 ♘e7-c6 ♕a5xa3 ♕h2xd6 ♕a3xe3+ ♔c1xb2 ♘f6xe4+ ♘c6-e5+ ♗g7xe5+ ♕d6xe5 ♕e3-b6+ ♔b2-a2 ♕b6-a6+ ♔a2-b1 ♕a6-b6+) 0.00/41 144) score 0.00 draw.

Sep-29-19		Walter Glattke: Ist EZ to see up to 23.-Kf8, but then!? 22.Kxb2? Nxd5+ 23.Kc1 Qxa3+ 24.Kd2 Qxe3# or checks with Rb8 or Nc3, so only 22.Nxf6+ (Nxe7+!?) is correct. I also think for 23.Nxf6+ Rxf6 24.Bd4 Ra2 25.Qh7+ Kf7 26.Qe3, so Nxe7 of Sstockfish is even better, but without Rxb2, white would surely win.

Sep-29-19		mig55: Rb2- Nxe7 is draw!

Sep-29-19		scormus: Just my luck, for once I "get" a Sunday puzzle only to learn W played it wrong. But with the Nf6 defending h2, who wouldn't play 22 Nxf6+ ?

Sep-29-19		scormus: ...... I mean defending h7

Sep-29-19		patzer2: <scormus: Just my luck, for once I "get" a Sunday puzzle only to learn W played it wrong. But with the Nf6 defending h2, who wouldn't play 22 Nxf6+ ?> Yes Indeed! As <Random Visitor>'s deep Stockfish analysis indicates, after 22...Rxb2!! White could have equalized with 23. Nxe7+! Kf7 24. Nc6 =. Even though 22...Rxb2!! (solving today's Sunday puzzle) isn't a forced win, it's a clear, best move because the next best alternative 21...Rf7 22. Bd4 Qb5 23. f4 ± (+1.18 @ 38 ply, Stockfish 10) clearly favors White. P.S.: So was playing 23. Nxf6+, instead of 23. Nxe7+!! =, White's decisive error? In the sense that 23. Nxe7+!! = with sure equality is better than 23. Nxf6+ Rxf6 24. Qxh7+ Kf8! ∓ with a clear advantage for Black, one can make a reasonably good argument that 23. Nxf6+ was the decisive error. However, White could have secured practical drawing chances after 23. Nxf6+ Rxf6 24. Qxh7+ Kf8! by playing <24. Kxb2!> ∓ (see <RV>'s deep Stockfish analysis) instead of 24. Bh6? allowing 24...Qc3 -+ (-2.43 @ 31 ply, Stockfish 10). As such, one could also make a reasonably good argument that 24. Bh6? -+ was the decisive error.

Sep-29-19		agb2002: White threatens 22.Nxe7+ Kf7 23.Nc6. The convergence of the black bishop and a rook on b2 suggests 21... Nxd5: A) 22.Qxh7+ Kh7 A.1) 23.exd5 Rh8 A.1.a) 24.Qxg7+ Kxg7 25.Bd4+ Kf7 26.Bxh8, unclear. A.1.b) 24.Bd4 Rxh7 25.Rxh7 Rg8 - + [q vs R+P]. A.2) 23.Bd4 e5 also wins decisive material (24.Bc3 Nxc3). B) 22.exd5 Bxb2+ 23.Kb1 Bc3+ and mate in three.

Sep-29-19		agb2002: I missed 23.Rxd5, with nearly decisive advantage for White, in my line A. I saw 22... Rxb2 but was unable to make it work.

Sep-29-19		RandomVisitor: A final look after 13 hours of computer time does not change any of the conclusions previously made: click for larger view Stockfish_19092712_x64_modern: 58/51 12:43:47 0.00 22.Nxe7+ Kf7 23.Nc6 Qxa3 24.Qxd6 Qxe3+ 25.Kxb2 Nxe4+ 26.Ne5+ Bxe5+ 27.Qxe5 Qb6+ 28.Ka3 Qa6+ 29.Kb4 Qb6+ 57/143 12:43:47 -0.91 22.Nxf6+ Rxf6 23.Qxh7+ Kf8 24.Kxb2 Rf7+ 25.Bd4 Bxd4+ 26.Rxd4 Rxh7 27.Rxh7 Qe5 28.Kc3 Kg8 29.Rh3 a6 30.a4 d5 31.g5 dxe4 32.fxe4 Qa5+ 33.Kxc4 Qxa4+ 34.Kd3 Qb5+ 35.Kd2 Qxg5+ 36.Re3 Kg7 37.Ra4 a5 38.e5 Qg2+ 39.Kd1 Qd5+ 40.Kc1 g5 41.Rg4 Kg6 42.Kb2 Qb5+ 43.Ka2 Qc5 44.Re2 Qd5+ 45.c4 Qc5 46.Reg2 Kf7 47.Rxg5 Qxc4+ 48.Kb2 Qd4+ 49.Kb3 Qb4+ 50.Ka2 Ke6 51.Rg6+ Kd5 52.e6 Qa4+ 53.Kb2 Qd4+ 54.Kb3 Qc4+ 55.Ka3 Qc3+ 56.Ka2 Kd6 57.R2g3 Qc2+ 58.Ka3 Qc5+ 59.Kb3 Qb4+ 60.Ka2 Qa4+ 61.Kb2 Qd4+ 62.Kb3 Qa1 63.Rg1 a4+ 64.Kb4 Qd4+ 65.Ka3 Qc3+ 66.Kxa4 Qc4+ 67.Ka5 Qd3

Sep-29-19		Cheapo by the Dozen: Once again, I'm basically glad I didn't try hard to work the puzzle all the way through, in that the puzzle "solution" isn't really decisive. That said, I didn't at all see 24 ... Qc3, which is really the move that snaps the trap shut.

Sep-29-19		restless: chrisowen mentions 27.Rxd6 This would have been the last opportunity for White to fight back a little longer: 27.Rxd6 Kxd6 28.Qd8+ (0.00) unfortunately: 27.Rxd6 exd6 28.Qf7+ Rxf7 29.Bxc3 ...(-1.87) 27.Rd2 (as was played) leads to a quick end.

Sep-29-19		Paint My Dragon: Chris Ward has a sixth sense when it comes to defending and counter-attacking in the Dragon, and won many good games with it. He was a very strong player in those years either side of the millennium. British Champion at Nottingham in 1996, he also won tournaments at Mont St-Michel 1994, Wrexham 1996, Jersey 1998, Copenhagen 2002, and Jersey 2002.

Sep-30-19		scormus: <patzer2> yes, I agree. In fact it was 24 Kxb2 rather than Bh6 I was looking at. I wondered about 24 .... Rxc3+ but it seems the a3-pawn and the Bd2 then provides some shelter with the K on a2

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