Werner Hug – Roberto Cosulich
Match Switzerland–Italy; Lugano, March 9, 1974
Sicilian Defence B31
Match Switzerland–Italy; Lugano, March 9, 1974
Sicilian Defence B31
Comments in quotation marks by Thurgauer Zeitung, Volume 176, No. 80, April 5, 1974, p. 31.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. 0-0 Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 0-0 7. h3!? Or 7. d4 at once, on which there can follow 7. ... cxd4 8. cxd4 d5 9. e5 Ne4 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Qa5? (11. ... Na5!= Hug – Hort, 2nd Gran Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez “Ciudad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria”, Las Palmas 1973) 12. Qb3 Bg4 13. Nd2 Rfc8 14. h3 Bf5 15. g4 Bc2 16. Qb2 Nd8 17. Qxc2 Qxb5 18. Nb3 Qa4 19. Bg5 Rc7 20. Qd2 Ne6 21. Be3 Rac8 22. Rac1 b6 23. f4 Nd8 24. f5 Qe8 25. Re2 e6 26. f6 Bf8 27. Qe1 Ba3 28. Rcc2 Nb7 29. Bc1 Bf8 30. Bd2 Rc4 31. Qc1 Qa4 32. Bh6 Qa3 33. Qd2 Na5 34. Bxf8 Qxf8 35. Nxa5 bxa5 36. Re1 Qa3 37. Rb1! R4c7? (37. ... Qf8 38. h4 h6 39. Rb7±) 38. Rb4!! Kf8 (38. ... axb4 39. Qh6+−) 39. Rb3 Qa4 40. Qh6+ Ke8 41. Qxh7 Kd8 42. h4 Rd7 43. Rcb2 Qc6 44. Rb8 1–0 Cordovil – Cosulich, 21st Chess Olympiad, Nice 1974.
7. ... Ne8. “The usual move at this point is 7. ... d5. The Knight’s move leads to a transposition of moves”.
In Sydor – Cosulich, 3rd International Tournament, Bari 1972, a draw was agreed after 7. ... d6 8. d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 Qb6 10. Nc3 a6 11. Bf1 Rd8 ½–½. However, 12. Na4 followed by d4-d5 would seem to give White a crushing bind.
8. d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 Nc7 10. Bf1 d5 11. e5 Ne6 12. Nc3 f6. “Consideration should be given to 12. ... a6 in order to keep the Bishop away from b5 and to maintain pressure on d4 and e5”.
13. exf6 exf6. If, instead, 13. ... Bxf6 then 14. Be3 Qd6 15. Rc1 Kh8 16. g3 Bd7 17. Bg2 Rad8 18. Qd2 Bc8 19. b3 Qb4 20. Rcd1 Bg7 21. Qd3 Nc5 22. Qd2 Ne4? (22. ... Ne6) 23. Nxe4 dxe4 24. Ng5 Qxd2 25. Rxd2 Nxd4 (25. ... Bxd4 26. Bxd4+ Nxd4 27. Rxe4⩲) 26. Red1 e5 27. Nxe4 b6 28. Kh1 Bb7 29. Ng5 Bxg2+ 30. Kxg2 Rde8 31. Bxd4 exd4 32. Nf3 Rd8? (32. ... Re4 33. Nxd4? Bxd4 34. Rxd4 Re2=) 33. Nxd4 Bxd4 34. Rxd4 Rxd4 35. Rxd4 Rf7 36. f4 Rc7 37. Kf3 Kg7 38. Ke4 Kf6 39. Rc4 Rd7 40. g4 h6 41. h4 Rd6 42. Rc7 1–0 Ribli – Radojević, 4th Ivan Parčetić Memorial, Sombor 1970.
14. Bb5! Apparently stronger than 14. b3 f5 15. Ba3 Re8 16. Rc1 Bd7 17. Nxd5 Nexd4 18. Rxe8+ Bxe8 19. Nxd4 Bxd4 20. Rxc6 Bxc6 21. Qxd4 Bxd5 22. Bb2 Kf7 23. Bc4 Bxc4 24. Qxc4+ Kf8 25. Qc3 Qd1+ 26. Kh2 Qd6+ 27. g3 Rd8 28. Qg7+ Ke8 29. Bf6 Rd7 30. Qg8+ Qf8 31. Qe6+ Re7 ½–½ Ciocâltea – Ghitescu, International Tournament, Bucharest 1966.
14. ... f5 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Na4. “White’s plan is clearly outlined: to occupy the dark squares and, if possible, reduce material until remaining with only a White Knight against Black’s light-squared Bishop”.
16. ... f4 17. b3 Qd6 18. Bb2 Rf5
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. 0-0 Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 0-0 7. h3!? Or 7. d4 at once, on which there can follow 7. ... cxd4 8. cxd4 d5 9. e5 Ne4 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Qa5? (11. ... Na5!= Hug – Hort, 2nd Gran Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez “Ciudad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria”, Las Palmas 1973) 12. Qb3 Bg4 13. Nd2 Rfc8 14. h3 Bf5 15. g4 Bc2 16. Qb2 Nd8 17. Qxc2 Qxb5 18. Nb3 Qa4 19. Bg5 Rc7 20. Qd2 Ne6 21. Be3 Rac8 22. Rac1 b6 23. f4 Nd8 24. f5 Qe8 25. Re2 e6 26. f6 Bf8 27. Qe1 Ba3 28. Rcc2 Nb7 29. Bc1 Bf8 30. Bd2 Rc4 31. Qc1 Qa4 32. Bh6 Qa3 33. Qd2 Na5 34. Bxf8 Qxf8 35. Nxa5 bxa5 36. Re1 Qa3 37. Rb1! R4c7? (37. ... Qf8 38. h4 h6 39. Rb7±) 38. Rb4!! Kf8 (38. ... axb4 39. Qh6+−) 39. Rb3 Qa4 40. Qh6+ Ke8 41. Qxh7 Kd8 42. h4 Rd7 43. Rcb2 Qc6 44. Rb8 1–0 Cordovil – Cosulich, 21st Chess Olympiad, Nice 1974.
7. ... Ne8. “The usual move at this point is 7. ... d5. The Knight’s move leads to a transposition of moves”.
In Sydor – Cosulich, 3rd International Tournament, Bari 1972, a draw was agreed after 7. ... d6 8. d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 Qb6 10. Nc3 a6 11. Bf1 Rd8 ½–½. However, 12. Na4 followed by d4-d5 would seem to give White a crushing bind.
8. d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 Nc7 10. Bf1 d5 11. e5 Ne6 12. Nc3 f6. “Consideration should be given to 12. ... a6 in order to keep the Bishop away from b5 and to maintain pressure on d4 and e5”.
13. exf6 exf6. If, instead, 13. ... Bxf6 then 14. Be3 Qd6 15. Rc1 Kh8 16. g3 Bd7 17. Bg2 Rad8 18. Qd2 Bc8 19. b3 Qb4 20. Rcd1 Bg7 21. Qd3 Nc5 22. Qd2 Ne4? (22. ... Ne6) 23. Nxe4 dxe4 24. Ng5 Qxd2 25. Rxd2 Nxd4 (25. ... Bxd4 26. Bxd4+ Nxd4 27. Rxe4⩲) 26. Red1 e5 27. Nxe4 b6 28. Kh1 Bb7 29. Ng5 Bxg2+ 30. Kxg2 Rde8 31. Bxd4 exd4 32. Nf3 Rd8? (32. ... Re4 33. Nxd4? Bxd4 34. Rxd4 Re2=) 33. Nxd4 Bxd4 34. Rxd4 Rxd4 35. Rxd4 Rf7 36. f4 Rc7 37. Kf3 Kg7 38. Ke4 Kf6 39. Rc4 Rd7 40. g4 h6 41. h4 Rd6 42. Rc7 1–0 Ribli – Radojević, 4th Ivan Parčetić Memorial, Sombor 1970.
14. Bb5! Apparently stronger than 14. b3 f5 15. Ba3 Re8 16. Rc1 Bd7 17. Nxd5 Nexd4 18. Rxe8+ Bxe8 19. Nxd4 Bxd4 20. Rxc6 Bxc6 21. Qxd4 Bxd5 22. Bb2 Kf7 23. Bc4 Bxc4 24. Qxc4+ Kf8 25. Qc3 Qd1+ 26. Kh2 Qd6+ 27. g3 Rd8 28. Qg7+ Ke8 29. Bf6 Rd7 30. Qg8+ Qf8 31. Qe6+ Re7 ½–½ Ciocâltea – Ghitescu, International Tournament, Bucharest 1966.
14. ... f5 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Na4. “White’s plan is clearly outlined: to occupy the dark squares and, if possible, reduce material until remaining with only a White Knight against Black’s light-squared Bishop”.
16. ... f4 17. b3 Qd6 18. Bb2 Rf5
19. Nc5! “Another step forward to a winning endgame. The Pawn sacrifice is only temporary”.
19. ... Nxc5 20. dxc5 Qf8. “After 20. ... Qxc5 21. Rc1 the White pieces quickly enter the fray”.
As a matter of fact, after 20. ... Qxc5 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Rc1 Qd6 23. Nd4 White’s position is imposing.
21. Bxg7 Kxg7. “Or 21. ... Qxg7 22. Re8+ Rf8 23. Qe1”.
22. Qd4+ Kg8 23. Re2 Bd7 24. Rae1 Re8 25. b4 Rxe2 26. Rxe2 Be8 27. h4 h6 28. Re5 Qf7 29. a4 a6 30. Qb2! “Threatens Qb2-e2 with attack on the e-file. Black is therefore compelled to exchange Rooks on e5”.
30. ... Bd7 31. Qe2 Rxe5 32. Qxe5 Qf5. “This costs a Pawn. But even without this mistake, the game could not have been saved”.
33. Qxf5 Bxf5 34. Ne5 Bc2 35. Nxc6 Bxa4
19. ... Nxc5 20. dxc5 Qf8. “After 20. ... Qxc5 21. Rc1 the White pieces quickly enter the fray”.
As a matter of fact, after 20. ... Qxc5 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Rc1 Qd6 23. Nd4 White’s position is imposing.
21. Bxg7 Kxg7. “Or 21. ... Qxg7 22. Re8+ Rf8 23. Qe1”.
22. Qd4+ Kg8 23. Re2 Bd7 24. Rae1 Re8 25. b4 Rxe2 26. Rxe2 Be8 27. h4 h6 28. Re5 Qf7 29. a4 a6 30. Qb2! “Threatens Qb2-e2 with attack on the e-file. Black is therefore compelled to exchange Rooks on e5”.
30. ... Bd7 31. Qe2 Rxe5 32. Qxe5 Qf5. “This costs a Pawn. But even without this mistake, the game could not have been saved”.
33. Qxf5 Bxf5 34. Ne5 Bc2 35. Nxc6 Bxa4
36. Ne7+? This mistake went unnoticed by the commentator of Thurgauer Zeitung. The winning move was 36. Ne5! Bc2 37. c6 Bf5 38. c7+− with the dual threat of Ne5xg6 and Ne5-c6-a7(e7+).
36. ... Kf7 37. Nxd5 g5 38. hxg5 hxg5 39. Nc7. “Is this Knight going astray?”.
Oh, no. It is already gone.
39. ... Ke7
36. ... Kf7 37. Nxd5 g5 38. hxg5 hxg5 39. Nc7. “Is this Knight going astray?”.
Oh, no. It is already gone.
39. ... Ke7
40. Nxa6! Kd7? A dramatic faux pas. Cosulich overlooks 40. ... Kd8! (instead of 40. ... Kd7?); there might follow 41. b5 (otherwise the Knight is trapped) 41. ... Bxb5 42. Nb4 Ke7 (or any other move with the King) leaving White with a meaningless extra Pawn and a draw in sight.
41. c6+! Kxc6. “The Knight is free, for 41. ... Bxc6 42. Nb8+ and Nb8xc6 yields White an easily winning Pawn endgame”.
If 41. ... Kc8 then 42. Nc5 Bxc6 43. Ne6 winning easily.
42. Nc5 1–0. If 42. ... Bb5 then 43. Ne6 and it is over for Black.
41. c6+! Kxc6. “The Knight is free, for 41. ... Bxc6 42. Nb8+ and Nb8xc6 yields White an easily winning Pawn endgame”.
If 41. ... Kc8 then 42. Nc5 Bxc6 43. Ne6 winning easily.
42. Nc5 1–0. If 42. ... Bb5 then 43. Ne6 and it is over for Black.
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