KEG: A good game by Bird, who effectively punished Cohn's unsound attack.Cohn's plan beginning with 10. f5 was questionable at best, but he had nearly even chances until he decided to sacrifice a pawn with 15. Qe3. Bird happily grabbed the pawn with 16...Qxb2, and did not fall into the trap of going after a second pawn with 17...Qxc2 (which would have lost the Queen to 18. Bd1).
After Cohn's 18. h4 and 19. h5, Bird exposed the flaw in his opponent's plan with 19...Qe5 (19...e6 may have been even better).
But Bird erred with 20...Kh8 (he should have played 20...Nc5) and Cohn now had some compensation. But Cohn should surely have tried 23. Nc7. Instead, his 23. Rbd1 allowed Bird to eliminate the hated Knight with 23...BxN. After 24...Ne5, though Cohn had regained the sacrificed pawn, the chances were all Bird's.
Bird should have played 25...hxg6, but after his actual 25...Rf6, Cohn--instead of 26. Rb4, erred with 26. gxh7. This gave Bird the chance he was seeking, and he sprung onto the attack with 26...Raf8.
Cohn was now in serious trouble, and should have sacrificed the exchange immediately with 27. R4d3. Instead, he dithered with 27. Qe2, and was Koed by Bird's powerful 27...Qg3.
Cohn then did sacrifice the exchange with 28. R4d3, but one move to late.
After 28...NxR 29. RxN, Bird could have won neatly and quickly with 29...Rf1+, but his actual 29...Qe5 was more than good enough to secure the win.
The game quickly resolved to an endgame in which Bird was up the exchange for no compensation. Cohn decided to play on, so we have an unusual example of watching a strong player win a totally won ending step by step.
Though the result of the ending was never in doubt, Bird's precise play over the course of the next more than 20 moves is pleasing to watch.
Kibitzing
