Raymond Keene vs Andrew Jonathan Mestel (1981)

Raymond Keene vs Andrew Jonathan Mestel
Esbjerg (Denmark) 1981 · Benoni Defense: King's Indian System (A56) · 1-0

[Event "Esbjerg (Denmark)"]
[Site "Esbjerg (Denmark)"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Raymond Keene"]
[Black "Andrew Jonathan Mestel"]
[ECO "A56"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "84"]

1. d4 { Notes by Raymond Keene. } Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e5
{Mestel had also used this defence against Jakobsen in an
earlier round of this tournament and it is a form of Benoni
well suited to his uncompromising style. Black offers a kind
of "space gambit", but in return he gets long-term prospects
of breakthroughs with ...b7-b5 and ...f7-f5.} 4. Nc3 d6 5. e4
g6 {In the magazine Modern Chess Theory I once wrote that with
Nimzowitsch, Petrosian and Mestel the move ...g7-g6 (or g2-g3)
does not necessarily portend a fianchetto of a bishop! Here,
it seems, his idea was essentially to make g7 available for
his king's knight.} 6. Be2 Nbd7 7. Nf3 {Another move that
comes strongly into consideration here is 7 Bg5, e.g. 7...Be7
8 Bh6 Bf8 9 Qd2 or 7...h6 8 Be3, after which Black will
experience a slight weakness in his king's field if he tries
to steer for ...f7-f5 in the future.} 7...Nh5 {The manoeuvre
already known from Mestel's game with Jakobsen. If White
wastes time playing g2-g3 (to stop ...Nf4) then Black will
develop his king's bishop on e7, and play ...Ng7 and later
...f7-f5. There is nothing wrong with g2-g3 but at the time it
struck me as needlessly passive.} 8. O-O Nf4 {Black accepts
the challenge.} 9. Bxf4 {Although this weakens the dark
squares in the centre (especially e5) it is the only
consistent course. If White permits ...Nxe2 he has nothing.}
9...exf4 10. Qd2 g5 {An interesting move, and probably the
best. Black keeps a firm grip on f4, and also conjures up some
threats of ...g5-g4 (kicking White's knight) and then
...f4-f3. In contrast, 10...Qf6 11 Nb5 Kd8 is somewhat awkward
(though perhaps playable), while 10...Bh6 11 Nb5 Nf6 12 Nxd6+
Qxd6 13 e5 Qd8 14 exf6 Qxf6 15 b4! causes Black severe
headaches. After 13...Ne4 White plays simply 14 exd6, not 14
Qd3?? Qd8 15 Qxe4 Bf5-+.} 11. e5 {! Mestel said afterwards
that 11 g3 is also possible, but I regard this sacrifice as
more or less forced before Black takes over the whole board
with ...Bg7. The a1-h8 diagonal must be blocked. Nimzowitsch
wrote something about this kind of vacuum-filling operation,
which also frees squares behind (e4) for the officers. He
explained that it was very similar to the "passed pawn's lust
to expand"; for which see White's next move.} 11...dxe5 {Or
11...Nxe5 12 Nxe5 dxe5 13 Ne4 Bd6 14 b4.} 12. d6 Rb8 {A subtle
move which takes away some of the force from Nb5 (or Nd5) and
Nc7. If instead 12...Bg7 13 Nd5 O-O 14 Ne7+ Kh8 15 Nxg5.}
13. h4 {! A second pawn sacrifice to disjoint Black's pawn
phalanx on the kingside. It is vitally important to clear up
the question of whether Black will have ...g5-g4 available as
a resource.} 13...gxh4 {Not just grabbing a pawn - also hoping
that ...h4-h3 will, in the later part of the game, embarrass
White's king. If 13...g4 14 Ng5 h6 15 Nd5! Bg7 16 Nc7+ Kf8 17
Nge6+ fxe6 18 Nxe6+ wins; or 15...Bxd6 16 Ne4 Be7 17 Bxg4 with
a total blockade.} 14. Rfe1 {Preparing combinations in the
e-file, which Black now underestimates.} 14...Qf6 15. Ne4 Qh6
{! Here Black can suffer a cataclysm after 15...Qg6? 16 Nxe5!
Nxe5 17 Bh5 Qg7 (if 17...Qxh5 18 Nf6+; or 17...Qh6 18 d7+ Bxd7
19 Nxc5 Bxc5 20 Rxe5+ Be7 21 Rae1 with a massive attack) 18
Qxf4. Watch out for Bh5, it occurs again.} 16. Qd5 Bg7
17. Nxc5 h3 {? Completely overlooking White's threats. Forced
is 17...O-O, e.g. 18 Nxd7 Bxd7 19 Nxe5 Be6 20 Qe4 h3 21 Bf3
Kh8 22 Rad1. I like White's position with the passed pawn plus
massive centralisation, especially since any endings are
automatically won for White by the simple plan of c5, b4, b5,
c6 making two connected passed pawns. However, Black is not
totally without counter-chances, since White's king is not
perfectly safe.} 18. Nxe5 {!} Nxe5 19. d7+ Bxd7 20. Nxd7 hxg2
{If 20...Nxd7 White can win any way he likes, e.g. 21 Bh5+ Ne5
22 Rxe5+ or 21...Kd8 22 Rad1 Qc6 23 Bg4. Black's move
threatens mate, and if 21 Kxg2 Qg5+ 22 Kf1 Rd8. However,}
21. Bh5 {!! Black had not seen this annihilating blow. He must
now submit to a combination which wins his queen and leaves
his king exposed.} 21...Qxh5 22. Rxe5+ Bxe5 23. Nf6+ {Here we
see the same theme as in the note to 15...Qh6.} 23...Bxf6
24. Qxh5 {Not 24 Re1+? Qe5! 25 Rxe5+ Bxe5 26 Qxe5+ with two
rooks for the queen.} 24...O-O 25. Kxg2 Bg7 26. Rh1 h6 27. Rh4
Rbe8 28. Rxf4 Re5 29. Rf5 Re6 30. b3 b6 {Black's only chance
is to reach a structure with pawns on a5 and b6 and with his
bishop on c5, but it's not really possible. His defence was
also hampered by desperate time-trouble.} 31. Rf3 Re5 32. Qh3
Rd8 33. Rg3 Kh8 34. Qg4 Rg5 35. Qf3 Rxg3+ 36. Kxg3 Be5+
37. Kg2 Kg7 38. Qg4+ Kf8 39. Qh5 Bg7 40. c5 {!} Rc8 {Or
40...bxc5 41 Qxc5+ and Qxa7.} 41. cxb6 axb6 42. Qb5 {If
42...Bd4 43 Qd7; or 42...Rb8 43 a4 Bc3 44 b4! and a4-a5, but
not 44 a5? Bxa5 45 b4 Bxb4!} 1-0

To move:

Last move:

Never given; click here to play! [what's this?]

Annotations by Raymond Keene. [404 more games annotated by Keene]

explore this opening	find similar games	1 more Keene/A J Mestel game
sac: 22.Rxe5+	PGN: download \| view	Help: general \| java-troubleshooting

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Dec-29-04		ConLaMismaMano: This is a great game! I especially liked the pawn sacs.

Jun-01-06		jackmandoo: 21.Bh5! Sharp tactics. Nice to look at.

Jun-01-06		Ernesto7: Best Keene game I have ever seen and one of the nicest combinations ever starting with e5! Truly a great game

Mar-06-07		benba57: It seems like Keene dominates both sides of all variations of the Benoni.

Mar-06-07		tonsillolith: I'm too much of a wuss to play 12. d6 but a little while after I realized the benefits of it.

Feb-14-08		arsen387: Great game Mr. Keene. And the complete annotation helps to understand and appreciate it in all it's beauty!

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