Sep-23-18
 | | KEG: Burn's Sicilian Defense got him a decent game, mostly thanks to weak opening play by von Popiel, but Burn then mishandled his game badly. After Burn's poor 27th move, von Popiel had a winning attack. But von Popiel was unable to find a winning plan and Burn slowly (and for a while agonizingly) worked himself back into the game. von Popiel, finding himself getting into trouble, rightly sacrificed the exchange on move 54. Burn did not take full advantage, and von Popiel's attack should have yielded a draw until his catastrophic blunder on move 59 led to immediate disaster. Burn finished the game off briskly from there. 1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. d4 cxd4
5. Nxd4 d6
6. Be2
The Scheveningen Variation.
6... g6
Shall we try a Dragon instead?
7. 0-0 Bg7
8. Be3 Bd7
9. Qd2 0-0
10. f3 a6
11. Rad1
There were many better plans for White to pursue here. He could start with 11. Nd5 or 11. Nb3, or just try a different approach with 11. NxN. The text gives White little, but is sufficient for equality. 11... Qc7
The position was now:
click for larger viewvon Popiel had now arrived at the crossroads. How to proceed? 12. NxN was still a reasonable choice. 12. f4 or 12. g4 were more aggressive options. Instead, von Popiel chose a wishy-washy move, and the game drifted for a few moves with neither side appearing to have a decisive plan or any real advantage. 12. Rf2 Rac8
13. Bf1 Ne5
14. Bg5 Be6
I see no reason for Burn to allow his Bishop to be traded off. 14...Qb6 or 14...Qc5 seem better. But like everything else in this game thus far, the move is neither all that bad or particularly good. 15. NxB fxN
16. h3
Weak. There was no need to weaken his King-side, and he had better choices (e.g., 16. Re1). 16... b5
Burn could have tried to exploit von Popiel's last move with 16...Nh5. 16...Rf7 was another better move. 17. Qc1
Not a blunder, but still feeble looking. He could just have played 17. a4. 17... Nh5
Eyeing the weak g3 square.
18. Ne2
Suddenly concerned about the weak g3 square he had created for himself. He might perhaps have tried 18. a4. This left:
click for larger viewA glance at the position reveals that von Popiel has mishandled the opening and that any advantage lay with Burn. But from here Burn went badly astray and, as I will discuss in my next post on this game, allowed von Popiel to build up what should have been a winning attack. |
|
Sep-23-18
| | KEG: Post II
What to this point had been a dreary uninspired contest soon shifted gears as Burn ruined any advantage he held and got into serious trouble: 18... Nc6
A needless retreat (apparently planning on Nd4 at some point) that allowed von Popiel to seize the initiative. 19. g4
Pretty much ending any king-side pressure Burn had enjoyed and allowing himself to begin his own king-side attack. 19... Nf6
20. c3
20. Nf4 or 20. Be3 (recognizing the useless of his Bishop on g5) were better. 20... e5
Apparently forgetting that only White has a White-square Bishop, Burn here created gaping holes in his position. 21. Ng3
21. h4 or 21. Be3 were better.
21... Nd8
Continuing his misguided retreat strategy. 21...Qa5 or 21...Nd7 were better. 22. a4
A sign of life, but 22. h4 immediately--focusing on the King-side--was surely better. von Popiel eventually advances this pawn three moves later. 22... Rb8
Still seeming to be playing the game in a haze. 22...bxa4 was better. 23. axb5 axb5
24. Qd2 Kh8
For the first half of this game, I don't recognize the usually reliable Burn at all. 24...Ne6 or 24...Qc6 were both much better. 25. h4
Finally starting king-side operations. He could also have played 25. Be3 immediately here. 25... Ne6
26. Be3 Nd7
He could have tried to halt von Popiel's obvious play with 26...h5. 27. h5
27. g5 was also good.
The position was now:
click for larger viewBurn should have tried to blunt von Popiel's attack with 27...Nf4. Instead he responded weakly and opened the floodgates with: 27... gxh5?
Burn's King is now in deadly peril, and von Popiel almost certainly had a won game at this point. Burn soon made matters worse for himself, and a quick finish for von Popiel seemed inevitable. 28. Nxh5 Nf6
More weak defense by Burn. 28...Nf4 or 28...Qc6 were the best chances. The Tournament Book recommended 28...Rf7 here, but this would court trouble after 29. Qd5. 29. NxB!
Removing a key defender of Black's King.
29... NxN
30. Rh2!
The game seems ripe for a crushing attack on the h-file. 30... Rg8
31. Kh1!
Eliminating Black's last hope for counterplay (i.e., a check on the a7...g1 diagonal). 31... Nd7
Burn is still not himself. 31...Ne6 was the best chance to try to hold his difficult position. The position was now:
click for larger viewAt this stage, I would not have bet a plugged nickel on Burn's chances. von Popiel had two Bishops against two Knights, an open h-file on which to operate, and a marginally defended Black King to attack. But from here, as I will discuss in my next post on this game, von Popiel misplayed his winning hand and let a still fumbling Burn back into the game after several further fits and starts. |
|
Sep-23-18
| | KEG: Post III
Getting a theoretically won game does not always bring victory, especially against a tenacious defender. Popiel experienced this phenomenon in losing his winning edge here. 32. Qf2
It is tempting to play to bring the Queen to the h-file, but there were stronger ways to advance White's attack, i.e., 32. c4 (bringing the f1 Bishop to the attack force) or 32. Rh6. von Popiel's move probably did not blow his win, but it was needlessly slow. 32... Nf8
32...Ne6 was better.
33. Qh4
Again too slow. White should have played 33. f4 or 33. c4 here. 33... Qd7?
Burn's head still didn't seem to be in this game yet. 33...Nge6 was unquestionably his best chance to resist. 34. f4
The Tournament Book suggested 34. Rh3 followed by Rd2 (planning to bulk up on the-file), but this was inferior to the text since after 34. Rh3 Black could respond 34...Nge6 (with Nf4 in view). The best lines for von Popiel here were either 34. Ra1 (threatening Ra7) or 34. Bg5 (and if then 34...Rb7 35. c4). 34... exf4
35. Bxf4 Qe6
35. b4 or 35. Qe8 were better.
The position was now:
click for larger view36. e5! is very strong for White here (if 36...dxe5 [Ne8 is better] 37. Bd3 is crushing). But instead von Popiel--inverting his moves perhaps--played the far weaker: 36. Bd3 Ne8!
Burn's defense doesn't look very pretty here, but his pseudo-fortress suddenly looks hard to crack: 
click for larger view37. g5!
The best shot White still has.
37... Rg7
Forced. The always dangerous Burn appears to have roused from his stupor. 38. Be3
With a deadly 39. Bd4 in mind. 38. Qh5 was another good try here. 38... Ng6
39. Qh6
39. Qh5 was clearly better.
39... Qg4
39...Nc7 was a better way to combine defense with an eye to seeking counterplay. The text fails to keep an eye on f7. 40. Rf1!
Burn's last move gave von Popiel this chance to seek play on the f-file. Burn's position looks critical again. 40... e5!
Burn finds the only remedy.
41. Rg2
Other good moves here were 41. Qh3 and 41. Rhf2. von Popiel still has much the better chances, but Burn is now back in the game. 41... Qe6
41...Qd7 was a much better retreat.
42. Rgf2
42. Rd2 or 42. Be2 were better tries.
42... Qg8
42...Nc7 or 42...Qd7 were tighter defensive tries. The position was now:
click for larger viewBurn was clearly hanging on for dear life. But as I will discuss in my next post on this game, from here von Popiel lost his way and Burn got dangerous counterplay of his own. |
|
Sep-25-18
| | KEG: Post IV
Beginning with move 43, Popiel's chances to win vanished quickly, and he soon had the worst of the contest: 43. Bb1
With a view perhaps of having the option of playing on the a2..g8 diagonal or of blocking access for Black to a2. But any such ideas were futile (although the Bishop did make its way to a2 on move 50). The only way for Popiel to pursue what was left of his attack was with 43. Qh3 (followed by Rf6 and Re6) or with 43. Be2 (or maybe 43. Rd1). 43... Qc4
Thanks to von Popiel's last move, this counterplay was now available. 43...Nc7 and 43...b4 were also good choices for Burn here. 44. Kh2
A wimpy move that forfeits anything that remained of his prior winning advantage. 44. Qh3 or 44. Rd1 were much better. 44... Nc7
44...b4 was another good option.
45. Rd1 Rd8
46. Bb6 Rdd7
46...b4 was also to be considered.
The position was now:
click for larger view47. BxN?
The rationale for this trade eludes me. 47. Bd3 was certainly much better. Among its other deficiencies, the text gave Burn a fascinating tactical opportunity, the position now being: 
click for larger viewBurn here played:
47... QxB
It certainly looks natural to recapture, and 47...QxB is certainly better than 47...RxB. But Burn had a better move here, the intermediate move: 47...Rdf7!! Looks crazy, doesn't it. But if then 48. RxR Black wins with 48...Qe2+! Amazing!! (White's best after 47...Rdf7 seems to be 48. Rfd2 after which Burn would have somewhat the better game after 48...QxB. But let's get back to the actual game:
48. Rf6
48. Rf5 was a better try to fight for equality.
48... Qc4
48...Qa7! was much stronger for Black.
49. Rd2 Qc5
Burn continued to miss the most forceful lines, i.e., 49...Rd8 or 49...b4. After the text, von Popiel could have gotten his mojo back with 50. Qh3. But instead he played: 50. Ba2 Rd8
50...Qe3 or 50...Qa7 were definitely better.
51. Rdf2
Again missing the chance to play Qh3.
51... Nf4
Burn again has decent counterplay. 51...Qe3 was also good. 52. Rf3 Qa7!
The position was now:
click for larger viewBurn now has very real threats and the game is in the balance. As I will discuss in my next post on this game, von Popiel here erred badly, got into trouble, received some help thanks to Burn's poor 57th move, and then blundered away the game on move 59. |
|
Sep-25-18
| | KEG: Post V
von Popiel erred in the diagrammed position with which I ended my last post with: 53. Bb3?
He could have avoided a lot of trouble with 53. Bd5 or 53. Be6. The allowed a powerful response by Burn: 53... Qa1!
This left:
click for larger viewAs a result of von Popiel's poor 53rd move, Burn now threatens to take the b-pawn with check and then win the hanging b3 Bishop. Thus, at first blush, things looked bad for von Popiel. But he found an excellent counter-chance: 54. R6xN!
Now 54...Qxb2+ would lose to 55. Rf2. So Burn was forced to play: 54... exR
The position now was:
click for larger viewHow now can von Popiel save himself? He found the one and only answer: 55. Qf6!
By pinning the g7 Rook and attacking the Rook on d8, von Popiel protected himself against 55...Qxb2+ and 56...QxB 55... Qxb2+
Or 55...Re8 immediately.
56. Kh3 Re8
Burn's best chance to play for a win.
57. Bd5
Forced.
The position now was:
click for larger viewWhat now should Burn have played to seek a win?
57... Qe2?
Not this! Burn should have to deep his threats on White's King while guarding against Qxf4 by playing 57...Qc1! With the text, von Popiel could save himself. He began properly with: 58. Qxf4
Burn then tried to salvage some edge with:
58... h6!
This left:
click for larger viewAs I will show in my next and final post on this game, it was in this position that von Popiel made his fatal blunder and allowed Burn to finish him off quickly. |
|
Sep-25-18
| | KEG: Post VI
After a long hard battle, von Popiel committed an unfathomable blunder in the diagrammed position with which I ended my last post by playing: 59. gxh6??
This unleashed the g7 Black Rook that had been merely a defensive fixture and gave Burn a crushing attack. von Popiel had to play 59. Qf6!, which seems to lead to a draw. Now, the game is over. In fairness to von Popiel, this may well have been a time control blunder, since at Munich 1900 one of the time controls was at move 60. 59... Qg2+
60. Kh4 Qh1+
61. Rh3 Qe1+
62. Rg3
This left:
click for larger viewBurn could now have won simply with 62...QxR+ (or 62...RxR first) 63. QxQ RxQ 64. KxR Rc8. But Burn chose another winning line: 62... Rg6
63. h7 Rc8
63...Qh1+ was faster, but the text works also.
64. Bg8
This loses immediately, but so did everything else. 64... Rxc3
64...Rc7 was also crushing.
After the text, the position was:
click for larger viewIn this hopeless position, von Popiel gave up.
0-1 |
|
|
|
|
Kibitzing
