David Howell vs Wesley So (2010)

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David Howell vs Wesley So
Biel Chess Festival (2010), Biel SUI, rd 1, Jul-19
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange. Rubinstein Variation (B13) · 0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Jul-20-10		kellmano: What a weird game. Howell rejects the option to castle then gets in a proper jam. He was clearly hoping for a kingside attack, but that never materialises

Jul-20-10		zanshin: <kellmano> After <10.Kf1>, chessbase wrote: This move is close to incomprehensible, and one is forced to wonder whether the player didn't accidentally let go of the piece while intending to castle. Needless to say, the usual move here is 0-0 (http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp...) This might explain a lot. If it's true, then I think it's just bad luck for David. This slip caused him to get into time trouble where he then blundered twice.

Jul-20-10		Robin01: But the way I understand the rules, if you accidentally let go of a piece, you can pick the piece back up and move it to the square you intended it to go to. A move is based on intent.

Jul-20-10		Sularus: <robin01> Kasparov agrees with you.

Jul-20-10		watwinc: "If you accidentally let go of a piece, you can pick the piece back up ..." "Ich spreche, j'adoube!"

Jul-21-10		zanshin: Analysis of the game by NM User: glenn bordonada at Wesley So [Event "Biel 2010"] [Site "Biel, Switzerland"] [Date "2010.07.19"] [Round "1"] [White "Howell, David"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B13"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Bg4 The most popular reply but 6... g6 is preferred by Rybka4 SSE and Houdini 1.03. 7. Qb3 Qc8 8. Nd2 e6 9. Ngf3 Be7 10. Kf1?! Trying very hard to be original, Howell succeeds but the course of the game fails to show any substantial merit. Its idea seems to be to retain the Kingside Rook to support a a pawnstorm in the Kingside. It is not a bad move but neither is it a good one. With this move, the game departs from published practice. Better is the more natural 10. O-O. 10... Bh5 Another good continuation is 10... O-O 11. Re1 Bf5 12. Bxf5 exf5 13. g3 with an equal game. 11. Re1 a6 Black defers castling and plays a waiting game. Meanwhile, he improves his Queenside. 12. Qc2 An alternative is 12. g3 O-O 13. Kg2 Bg6 14. Bxg6 hxg6 15. h3 Re8 =. 12... b5 13. b4?! Howell borrows a well-known idea in the Queen's Gambit where this ugly pawn structure supports a Knight at c5. But here, it is less effective. Now Black gets a slight edge. 13... Bg6 14. Bxg6 hxg6 15. Qd3 a5! click for larger view Black seizes the advantage with this unexpected attack. 16. a3 axb4 17. axb4 Qb7 18. Nb3 O-O But here 18... Ra3! is stronger. Play can continue with 19. Rb1 Ne4 20. Nfd2 g5 21. Be3 Nd6 22. Nc5 Qa8. 19. h4 Ne4?! Allowing White some breathing space. Instead Black can continue more forcefully with 19... Ra3! 20. Nfd2 Re8 21. Bg5 Qb8 22. g3 e5 23. dxe5 Nxe5 24. Qd4 Nc6 25. Qd3 d4 26. Nxd4 Qa8 27. Nxc6 Qxc6 28. Qf3 Rxc3 29. Qxc6 Rxc6 30. Bxf6 gxf6 31. h5 Re6 32. Rxe6 fxe6 33. hxg6 Kg7 with advantage. 20. Nfd2= Ra3 21. Rb1 Rfa8 22. Kg1 White does not fall for the wily trap: 22. Nxe4 dxe4 23. Qxe4? Rxb3! 24. Rxb3 Nxd4!! click for larger view 25. Qxd4 (25.Qxb7? Ra1+ with mate to follow) 25... Ra1+ 26. Ke2 Rxh1 with an easy win. 22... Nd8 More prudent is 22... Nf6 retaining some edge. The text move allows White to equalize. 23. Rh3 Qc6 24. Na5 Best is 24. Nxe4 dxe4 25. Qe3 Qd5 26. Nc5 Bxc5 27. dxc5 with an equal game. But not 27. bxc5 Nc6 28. Rxb5 Ra1+ 29. Kh2 Rf1 and the plan of doubling Rooks on the 1st rank is crippling for White. click for larger view 24... R8xa5! 25. bxa5 Nxc3! Black must be careful. If 25... Rxc3? 26. Qxb5 and it is White who holds the advantage. 26. Rb3! Ra1+ 27. Nb1! Not 27. Kh2 b4 28. h5 gxh5 29. Rxh5 f5! (29... g6 $2 30. Rh6! and White has a winning sacrificial attack on g6 and along the h-file.) with advantage for Black. 27... b4! 28. Bd2! Na2! 29. Re3? After finding a series of "only" moves in extreme time pressure, Howell finally stumbles. He missed Black's next move. 29... Nc1 White wins material. 30. Bxc1 Qxc1+ 31. Kh2 Nc6 32. g3 Nxa5 click for larger view White resigns. Wesley now has a 3 win-2 draw-0 loss record against his British suki. (frequent customer)

Jul-22-10		rafnoc22: Howell did not castle for the purpose of confusing Weskid So. The Filipino Great practiced and prepared so much in this Tourney. He has computer at home. Analyzing positions 5 hours a day. David invented out-of-the-book move, only knows it was a blunder later with so few time left on his C-clock. David "now know" HoWell is his Filipino opponent

Oct-26-12		rjsolcruz: Excellent analysis by NM GLENN BORDONADA. IF YOU WRITE FOR INQUIRER, I WILL SUBSCRIBE FOR A LIFETIME.

Mar-05-18		varishnakov: 10.Kf1 the rare OTB mouse-slip

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