At the Same Time

Jorden van Foreest – Erik van den Doel
72nd Dutch Chess Championship; Amsterdam, August 23, 2016
Scotch Game C45

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. c4 Nb6 9. Nc3 Bb7 10. Bd2 g6 11. 0-0-0 0-0-0 12. f4 c5. For 12. ... Bg7 13. Qf2 d6 see Zelčić – Bosiočić, 20th Croatian Cup, Šibenik 2011. 13. a4 d5 14. cxd5 Nxd5 15. g3 Qe6 16. Bg2 Nb4 17. Bxb7+ Kxb7 18. Nb5 Nc6 19. Bc3 Be7 20. Na3 Nd4 21. Qc4 h5 22. Bxd4 cxd4 23. Qxe6 fxe6 24. Nc4 Kc6 25. Kc2 Kd5 26. b3 Rb8 27. Nd2 c5 28. Rb1 Rb7 29. Rhf1 Rf8 30. Kd3 Rfb8 31. Kc2 Bd8 32. Rf3 Ba5 33. Nc4 Bc7 34. Re1

34. ... Rxb3? With only 4 minutes and 55 seconds left, van den Doel decides (after 2 minutes and 40 seconds of thought) to embark in a very dubious speculation. Much better was 34. ... h4! (35. gxh4 Rh8) with at least equality. 35. Rxb3 Kxc4 36. Rxb8 Bxb8 37. Rb1 Bc7 38. Rb7 Bb6 39. Rd7 Kb4 40. a5! White must cede to his opponent the second Pawn anyway, so why not to put him in the swing? 40. ... Bxa5? It seems to me that 40. ... Kxa5 41. Rd6 c4 42. Rxe6 d3+ 43. Kd1 Kb5! 44. Re8 (not 44. Rxg6?? c3 and Black wins!) 44. ... Kc6 would have given Black more practical drawing chances, since it is not so easy for White to keep alive (and dangerous at the same time) his passed e-Pawn. 41. Rd6 Kc4 42. h3 Be1 43. Rxe6 d3+. 43. ... Bxg3 44. Rxg6 Bxf4 45. e6 d3+ 46. Kd1 Bd6 47. Rg7 transposes into the game. 44. Kd1 Bxg3 45. Rxg6 Bxf4 46. e6 Bd6 47. Rg7 a5 48. e7 Bxe7 49. Rxe7 a4 50. Ra7 Kb3 51. Kd2 a3. Also after 51. ... c4 52. Rb7+ Ka2 53. Kc3 Black ends up in Zugzwang. 52. Kxd3 c4+ 53. Kd2 c3+ 54. Kc1 a2 55. h4 c2 56. Ra8 1 : 0.

Jorden van Foreest
Photo: oogtv.nl