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Alan Shaw vs Adri de Groot
"I am De Groot!" (game of the day Aug-24-2017)
EM/MN/005 (1998) (correspondence), ICCF Email, May-25
English Opening: King's English. Four Knights Variation Fianchetto Lines (A29)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Sep-08-14  morfishine: Great positional play by White; True, 22...c5 is the losing move; I was thinking 22...Qe7 covering <c5> but even then, Black is under long-term pressure. Excellent!
Sep-09-14  RookFile: 1. c4 is a good opening for white. Who prepares for it? I played actively for maybe 15 years and probably only saw it a half a dozen times.
Sep-09-14  morfishine: <RookFile> Good Question. Like many, I was raised on <1.e4>; but in attempting to "expand my openings" with 1.d4, I was not doing so great. I found <1.c4> to be a solid, reliable alternative, as long as Black doesn't respond 1...c5, which equalizes instantly! :)
Nov-16-14  tranquilsimplicity: Brilliant Queen sacrifice; maintains the initiative, allows the passed pawn to proceed unimpeded and the imminent Bxe4, Black's game is in tatters! #
Nov-16-14  tranquilsimplicity: Rc6 looks very nice; eliminating either the Bishop or the Knight. White has a "won game".#
Dec-24-14  Eduardo Bermudez: Pretty good game !
Aug-24-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: The poor little baby plant got beat. Only to come back in the sequel (III), grew back branches and smashes everyone to pieces. =))
Aug-24-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: Good game there, too. Alan. =))
Aug-24-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: So much for my injudicious judgment--thought Black had the edge for most of the game. Can now see how effective 17.Bc3 and 21.Ne4 proved.

However, can't see the win after 26...Nb6. Can see the pressure, but not the victory. How would White have wrapped up the game?

Aug-24-17  ChessHigherCat: I don't know, the whole game strikes me as somehow perfidious! But very well played, good timing, congratz. 22. c5 was a dastardly trap because the Q has no escape after 23...Rxc5, 24. Qxc5 Rc8 but it's not such a groot trap if you have to give up 2 rooks plus a pawn for the Q and a N, at least at not in that specific position with the passed a-pawn.

I guess the finish is 28...Qe8 29. Bxe4 and if Bd5 30. BxB NxB 31. a8=Q. Or else 28...Qd8 29. Bc6

Aug-24-17  aranavkacker: I didn't quite understand why 23.Rxc5 happen. Can someone please explain why black didn't play 23.Qe7? Thanks
Aug-24-17  WorstPlayerEver: Not bad.
Aug-24-17  ChessHigherCat: <aranavkacker: I didn't quite understand why 23.Rxc5 happen. Can someone please explain why black didn't play 23.Qe7? Thanks>

23...Qe7 24. Nxe6 Qxe6 25. Qc4 and white has a lot of threats

Aug-24-17  teorems: <aranavkacker: I didn't quite understand why 23.Rxc5 happen. Can someone please explain why black didn't play 23.Qe7? Thanks>

I guess it was just to setup a Queen trap which wasn't worth !

Aug-24-17  catlover: Cute pun and good game. Especially fun was de Groot's trap that backfired because Shaw saw just a little deeper into the position.
Aug-24-17  kevin86: white's sole pawn throws black into a fit.
Aug-24-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: Nice game, Mr. Shaw! ...c5 looked like one hell of a trap, but you saw further.
Aug-24-17  sfm: I must be missing something trivial, since nobody else seems to think Black should at least try e.g. 28.-,Qb7 Like, 29.Bxe4,Bd5 30.BxB+,QxB 31.Rc8+,Kf7.
Aug-24-17  ChessHigherCat: <sfm: I must be missing something trivial, since nobody else seems to think Black should at least try e.g. 28.-,Qb7 Like, 29.Bxe4,Bd5 30.BxB+,QxB 31.Rc8+,Kf7.>

That looks like a good defense, but what about this continuation to your line:

32. Rb8 Na8 33. Rxb4 Nc7 34. Rb8 Na8 35. e4 Qd4 36. Ra3 Qd6 37. Rab3 Qc6 38. R3b7+ Ke6 39. d4 Now if Qe4?? Re8+ wins the Q. Or if 39...Qc1+ Kg2 and, as Kramnik would say, you have nuttink.

Aug-24-17  morfishine: <sfm> Good point
Aug-24-17  WorstPlayerEver: 28... Qb7 29. Rcb1
Aug-24-17  catlover: <sfm> Stockfish gives: 28...Qb7 29. Bxe4 Bd5 30. Rc8+ Qxc8 31. Bxd5+ Nxd5 32. a8=Q Qxa8 33. Rxa8+ Kf7 34. Rb8. + (6.79*) Depth=38/61
Aug-24-17  dumbgai: Nicely played by <perfidious>
Aug-24-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Willber G: Nice game, <perf>.
May-14-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Never knew till now that this was a GOTD; I am much amused.
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