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Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Of draws and men!

Hi there!

You think I'd be posting about drawn games? You think I like that? What's there in a draw anyway? Two players agreeing to a draw, both thinking they’re on the winning side? Or both trying to escape defeat?

Why would I post or write something about it? Is it because it is one of the up and coming issues in the chess world? Is it because there is one group planning to write their agenda against fighting draws to the World Chess Federation? That they really believe draws should be outdated? Outlawed in the land of the lawful chess land? La la la? draw? draw?

Ok! I give up! I am writing this post about drawn games in our beloved game called ajedrez! (in espanol? sa espanya?)

Heheheheh! I wanted to fool myself into thinking that I write comically, like the famous author of A B N K K B S N P L A KO? Alamat ng gubat, Stainless longganisa and his 2nd work which escapes my memory , Bob Ong.

Anyways, let’s go back to chess draws. Why go for zero when you can half the point against your enemy on the board? Assuming your on the losing side. And why agree to a draw when you know you’re on the winning side? And why in the world famous chess greats saw draws as the end of the royal game itself?

FIDE has not made any major reply about this, but there is a growing number of people concerned about draw, especially, fighting draws.

Sorry guys ha! But am not as great as I think I am when it comes to explaining concepts in chess. But you can ask me about special education and my theory about the behaviors of wives of chess playing-(actually addicts) husbands, maybe I can shed some light. But with fighting draws, I know drawn games have been fought also, same with lost and won games di ba? All games are fought, either lopsided or hard fought, they are still fighting games. Heheheheh! Fight! Fight! Fight!

Seriously now, although I am serious the whole time I was writing, again, it's just that I feel like I want to write this way today...funny? corny? Tangential? intangential? senseless?

Take two, seriously, there is a drawn game I saw in the 1st GMA Cup which until now makes me wanna' cry and kneel towards the escape artist named Sander Sevillano. Guess which round? Tan-tara-tan-tan-tan! His round 1 game. I was fortunate enough to be there, at the right time and moment, to catch upon this game. Man oh man! Sander was losing. He was down with (of course!) a King and two pawns against his mighty opponents (of course again!) King, 2 rooks and other pawns. Sander forced a draw! How he did it, sorry I don't have a copy of the notation... If ever you have one, send it to me please. That, for me, is an amazing draw from an amazing FM, Sander Sevillano!

And here is from The Weekenders' article about drawn games...

Amusing and amazing draws
I’M sure many players have savored the satisfaction of pulling off a draw in the face of what looked like certain defeat. I’m also sure many more have tasted the bitterness of frustration after being held to a draw in what they thought was a sure win.

Journalist Ignacio Dee has been searching for such games and have found what I believe are archetypes of draws that can tickle your funny-bone and even draw a chuckle, or raise one skeptical eyebrow or even startle both eyes wide open in utter disbelief.

Let’s start with the most amusing but at the same time unbelievable happenstance.

• Mark Taimanov (RUS) - Bent Larsen (DEN)
Rd. 9. Leningrad Interzonal 1973
Queen’s Indian Defense (E15)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bxd2+ 6.Qxd2 Ba6 7.Na3 Bb7 8.Bg2 d6 9.0–0 Nbd7 10.Nh4 Bxg2 11.Nxg2 0–0 12.Rad1 c6 13.f3 d5 14.Rc1 c5 15.cxd5 Nxd5 16.Rfd1 Qe7 17.e4 N5f6 17...Nb4 18.dxc5 Nxa2 19.Ra1 leads to drawing lines 18.dxc5 Nxc5 19.Qd6 Qxd6 20.Rxd6 Rfc8 21.Rd2 g5 22.Ne3 Ncd7 23.Rxc8+ Rxc8 24.Nac4 b5 25.e5 bxc4 26.exf6 Nxf6 27.Rc2 c3 28.Nd1 28.Kf2 Kf8 would just keep the balance Nd5! 29.Nxc3 Kg7 30.Kf2 h5 31.Rc1 g4 32.f4 Kg6 33.Ne2 Rh8 Not 33...Rxc1 because of 34.Nxc1 f6 35.a3! 34.Nc3 Rb8 35.b3 Rc8 36.Ne2 Rxc1 37.Nxc1 Kf5 38.Nd3 Ke4 His Royal Highness wades into the fray to help his cavalry and foot soldiers win the battle 39.Ne5 f6 40.Nc6 a6 41.Nb8 Nb4 42.a3 Nd3+ 43.Kf1 h4 44.gxh4 Better than 44.Nxa6 because of 4…hxg3 45.hxg3 Kf3! Nxf4 45.Nxa6 Kf3 46.Nb4 e5 47.Nc2 e4

After 47…Ne4

Clearly an unbalanced game, but White accepted Black’s draw offer nevertheless. ½–½

Here is Iggy’s account in an email:

“According to Kotov in the tournament book, Larsen offered a draw before playing 47…e4. Taimanov replied: ‘Make your move and I’ll think about it.’ After about half an hour’s thought, Taimanov accepted Larsen’s offer.
“But White has two relatively simple winning moves: 48.a4 and 48.b4—48.a4 e3 49.Ne1+ Ke4 50.a5 Kd5 51.Nc2! (the move Taimanov missed) e7+ 52.Kf2 Kc5 53.b4+ Kb5 54.Nd4, and wins; 48.b4 e3 Nxe3! Kxe6 50 b5, and the twin threats of b and h pawns are decisive.”
Dee quoted Kotov as saying: “A rare form of chess blindness.” An understatement, indeed!
In the next game, two titans collide mightily in the annual Wijk aan Zee tournament in the Netherlands, with Black, facing certain defeat, being able to force a draw via repetition of moves with a pawn sac.

• Portisch Lajos (HUN) - Kavalek Lubomir (USA)
Wijk aan Zee 1975
King’s Indian, Saemisch Variation (E80)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 c6 6.Be3 a6 7.Bd3 b5 8.e5 Nfd7 9.f4 0–0 10.Nf3 Nb6 11.b3 N8d7 12.a4 bxc4 13.bxc4 c5 13...d5!? would allow Black to play on: 14.cxd5 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 cxd5! 14.a5 cxd4 15.Nxd4 dxe5 16.Nc6 Qe8 17.axb6 If 17.Bxb6? Nxb6 18.Nxe5 Nd7! exf4 Not 17...Bb7 because of 18.Nxe5 Nxe5 19.fxe5 Bxg2 20.Rg1 Bxe5 21.Qc2, and White surges on 18.Nd5 fxe3 19.Nc7 Bc3+ 19...Bb7 won’t do, either: 20.Nxe8 Rfxe8 21.Na5 Bxg2 22.Rg1! 20.Kf1 Bb7 21.Nxe8 Bxc6 22.Nc7 Rad8 23.Rc1 Stronger was 23.Rxa6 Ne5 24.Nd5 Bxd5 25.cxd5 Rxd5 Bd2 23...Bb2 would be worse, e.g., 24.Rb1 Bxd5 26.cxd5 Rxd5 27.Rxb2 Nxd3 28.Rb1 24.Nd5 Better was 24.c5 Ne5 25.Bxa6 Bxc1 26.Qxc1 Rd2 Bxd5 25.cxd5 Nxb6 26.Rc5 Nxd5 27.g3 Rd6 28.Kg2 Not 28.Qb3 because of 28…Rf6+ 29.Kg2 Rf2+ 30.Kh3 e6 31.Bxa6 e2 32.Bxe2 Rxe2! Rfd8 29.Rxd5 29.Qf3 Nf4+ 30.Qxf4 Rxd3 was also playable Rxd5 30.Bc4 If 30.Bxa6 Kg7 Rf5 [30...R5d6 31.Rf1 e6 32.Qf3±] 31.Qb3 [¹31.Rf1!? Ba5 32.Qa4 Rd2+ 33.Kh3 Rxf1 34.Bxf1+-] 31...Rf2+ 32.Kh3 Rd6 33.Qb8+ Kg7 34.Qa7 On 34.Qb2+ Rff6! g5! Restoring the balance 35.Qxe7 35.Bxa6?? loses to 35...Rh6+!, leading to mate, 36.Kg4 f5+ 37.Kxg5 e2+ 38.Qe3 Bxe3#! g4+!!

After 35…g4+!!

A deflecting pawn-sacrifice that ensures the draw.

36.Kxg4 Rg6+ 37.Kh3 Rh6+ 38.Kg4 Rg6+ ½–½

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Indeed! a drawn game is a won game when your handling the black pieces. Hay! Hay! Hay! Another post which gives me a sense of gratitude for the gift of words!

Hope you liked it!

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