(92) Berry,N (1700) - Becker,A (2030) [B01]
Scandinavian Defense Theme Tourn. (UNR) (3.1), 28.01.1999
[Southwest Chess Club]

This was my first event in my new State of Wisconsin, an Unrated "Theme" tournament (featuring the required: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5). I've never played this in a serious game before, but I found the challenge interesting. I had prepared the gambit variation: 1.e4 d5 2. ed Nf6 3. c4 e6!?, but my opponent steered towards the main lines (quite unfamiliar to me!). 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.h3N [9.Be3 Nbd7 10.a3 c6 11.b4 Qc7 12.Re1 Rad8 13.h3 Bh5 14.Qb3 Bd6 15.Rad1 Bf4 16. Bxf4 Qxf4 17.Nh2 Bg6 18.Bf3 a6 19.a4 Qc7 20.d5 cxd5 21.cxd5 exd5 22.Nxd5 Nxd5 23.Qxd5 Nf6 Teong-Erigayama, S/Manila olm 1992.] 9...Bh5 10.Be3 Nbd7 11.Re1 c6 12.Qb3 Qb6 Here I could see the coming variation, involving the loss of my a-pawn for a passed center pawn, and felt optimisic. 13.d5 # 13...Qxb3 14.axb3 cxd5 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Rxa7 Rxa7 17.Bxa7 b6 I thought I had the better position because of my passed pawn and possible play against the secluded bishop on a7. However, it turns out that white has plenty of counterplay with his knights, and the better game. 18.Nd4=/+ [White would gain the upper hand with 18.g4 Bg6 19.Bb5+/- With the threat of 20.g5.] 18...Bxe2 19.Rxe2 Bc5 20.Ndb5 d4 21.Na4 Nd5 22.Rd2 Nf4+/- Under increasing time pressure, I was glad to find this move, indirectly defending the d-pawn, and preparing the solid ...Ne6. However, my "advantage" is only an illusion. 23.Kf1+/= [23.Nxc5 bxc5 24.b4 cxb4 25.Bxd4 Rb8+/= ] 23...Ne6 # 24.g3 [More Fritz analysis: 24.Nxc5 bxc5 (24...Ndxc5 25.Nxd4 (25.Bxb6?! Nxb3 26.Rd3 Nc1= ) 25...Nxd4 26.Rxd4+- ) 25.b4 cxb4 26.Nxd4 Nf6+/= ] 24...g5 [24...Ra8 25.Nxc5 bxc5 26.b4 cxb4 27.Bxd4+/= ] 25.Nxc5 bxc5 Deeper in time trouble now, I actually felt good about my position. White's next move suddenly blasts me and my position into reality. 26.b4! Amazingly, prior to this move I had falsely thought my game was full of promise! 26...cxb4 27.Bxd4 Ndc5 28.Bxc5 Nxc5 29.Rd5 Ne6 30.Nd4 Nxd4 31.Rxd4 Rb8 32.Ke2 Okay, now I realize that my "good" game is simply evolving into a pawn-down struggle! 32...Kg7 33.Kd3 Kf6 34.Kc2 Ke5 35.Rc4 Kd5 [35...h6 36.Kb3+/= ] 36.Kb3 # 36...Re8 37.Rxb4 [White could see his fine game evaporate with the careless 37.Kxb4?! Rb8+ 38.Kc3 Rxb2 39.Rd4+ Kc5= ] 37...f6 38.g4 Re2 39.Rb5+ Ke6 40.Rf5 h5 41.Rf3 hxg4 42.hxg4 Re4 # 43.Re3 Kd5? [>=43...Rxe3+ 44.fxe3 f5 ] 44.Rxe4 Kxe4 45.Kc4 Kf3 46.Kd5 Kxg4 47.Ke4 [47.b4 is white's easiest win. 47...Kf3 48.b5 Kxf2+- ] 47...f5+ 48.Ke3 Kh3 # 49.b4 Kg2 50.b5 f4+ 51.Ke2= [>=51.Ke4 and white wins outright after 51...f3 52.b6 Kxf2 53.b7+- During the game I saw this line, but was only hoping to swindle a draw at best.] 51...g4 52.b6 f3+ 53.Ke1?? [We were approaching the second time control, and once again we were both under pressure. My task was easier, playing my only "hail Mary" offense, while white just had to be careful to hold the draw (no longer a win). With 53.Ke1? my opponent has granted me an interesting and instructive endgame win. >=53.Ke3 g3 54.fxg3= ] 53...g3 54.b7 gxf2+ 55.Kd2 f1Q 56.b8Q Qc4 [Time trouble prevents calculation (time control at move 60). I was trying to contain his queen, and preserve my win. 56...Qe2+ is better, and after 57.Kc3 Qe3+ 58.Kb2 Qd4+ 59.Kc2 Qe4+ 60.Kd2 Qd5+ 61.Kc1-/+ black is in command.] 57.Qe5 Qa2+ 58.Kd3 Qf2 59.Qg5+ Qg3 60.Qd5 Kg1 [60...Kf1 ] 61.Qd4+ f2+ 62.Ke2 Qg2 63.Kd2 Kh1 Fritz gives this "??" saying that black lets the win slip. However, it seems to still be there. [>=63...Qf3 64.Qg7+ Kf1-+ Fritz] 64.Qh4+ Qh2 65.Qe4+ Kg1 66.Qg4+ Qg2 67.Qd4 Here I became aware that the position could be in danger of "repetition". I had been asking about adjournment, as it was approaching midnight. My opponent consented, and after I played 67...Qg5+ # my opponent sealed his move (the best possible!). During the two week hiatus in play, I analyzed the main lines and got quite an education on proper play in this endgame. Here are the main variations, in order of increasing difficulty for me to play against: A. 68.Kd3? Kg2 69.Qe4+ Kg3 70.Qh1 Qb5+ 71. Kd4 Qb4+ 72.Ke5 Qe1+ B. 68.Kc3? Kg2 69.Qe4+ Kh2 70.Qh7+ Kg1 71.Qa7 Kg2 72. Qb7+ Kg3 73.Qc7+ Kh3 74.Qh7+ Qh4 75.Qf5+ Kh2 C. 68.Kc2?! (our gametransposes into this line) Kg2 69.Qe4+ Kh2 70.Qh7+ Kg1 71.Qa7 (this keeps coming up, the idea of driving white's Queen farther from the action) Qe5 72.Kd3 Kg2 73.Qa2 Qf5+ 74.Ke3 Qf3+ 75.Kd1 f1(Q) D. 68.Kd1?! Kg2 69.Qe4+ Kg3 70.Qd3+ Kh2 71.Ke2 Qg2 72.Qh7+ Kg1 73.Qa7 Qe4+ 74.Kd2 Qe5 75.Kd3 Kg2 76.Qa2 Qg3+ 77.Ke4 Kh3 78. Qf7 Kh2 79.Qh5+ Kg1 80.Qc5 Kg2 81.Qc2 Qg6+ 82.Ke5 E. 68. Ke2!? (the best, but still losing, move) Qh5+ 69.Kd2 Qf3 70.Qg7+ Kf1 71. Qe5 Qg4 72.Qa1 Kg2 73. Qa8+ Kg1 74.Qa7 Qf4+ 75.Ke2 Qe5+ 75.Kf3 Qf6+ 76.Kg3 Qg6 77.Kf3 Qf7+ 78.Qf7 f1(Q)+-. Thus fully armed, I now proceeded to finish out the adjourned game: 68.Ke2 Qh5+ 69.Kd2 Qf3 70.Kc2 [70.Qg7+ Kh2 71.Qh6+ Qh3 72.Qf4+ Qg3-+ ] 70...Kg2 71.Qg7+ Qg3 72.Qb7+ Kg1 73.Qb6 Qg5 74.Qd4 Kg2 75.Qe4+ Kh2 76.Qd3 Qf6 [>=76...Qc5+ Black wins (Fritz). 77.Kb3 Qb6+ 78.Ka4 Qc7-+ ] 77.Qe2 [77.Qh7+ Kg3 78.Qg8+ Kf4 79.Qc4+ Kg5 80.Qf1-+ ] 77...Qf5+ 78.Kb2 Kg3 79.Qe3+ Kg4 [>=79...Kg2-+ (Fritz).] 80.Qe2+ Kg5 [>=80...Kh3-+ Fritz.] 81.Qe3+ Qf4 82.Qc5+ Kg6 83.Qc2+ Kg7 84.Ka3 f1Q 85.Qb1 Qa6+ [85...Qxb1?!= is impossible!] 0-1