Curt von Bardeleben vs Maurice Billecard (1900)

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Curt von Bardeleben vs Maurice Billecard
12th DSB Congress, Munich (1900), Munich GER, rd 6, Jul-30
Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Morphy Attack (C78) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Oct-02-18		KEG: Through the first five rounds at Munich 1900, Bardeleben was having a wretched tournament. He was mired in last place at 0-5, and had resigned in one game when he was not lost. He finally got on the scoreboard here after a long and not terribly impressive battle with Billecard (who was also towards the bottom of the standings). The game ended when Billecard misplayed a Rook and pawn ending. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Nc3 A harmless alternative to the more usual 5. 0-0. The text is fine so long as White is satisfied with an equal game. 5... Be7 5...Bc5 appears more promising 6. 0-0 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. d3 Na5 9. Ne2 A doubtful plan. 9. Bd2 or 9. h3 are better. 9... c5 10. c3 Another questionable choice. 10. Ng3, 10. Bd2, and 10. Re1 all look better. 10... NxB 11. axN 0-0 12. Ng3 Qc7 13. Qe2 h6 Creating needless weaknesses in his pawn structure. 13...Re8, 13...Be6, and even 13...a5 all were better. The position was now: click for larger view As is obvious, Bardeleben obtained no advantage from the opening. And now he lost his way with: 14. Nh4? He would have had a not terribly inferior position after 14. c4 or 14. b4 or 14. d4. Now, however, Billecard had a tactical shot that could put Bardeleben in serious jeopardy of losing his 6th straight game. But: 14... Re8? Missing 14...Nxe4! Now, the game is once again in the balance. 15. Nhf5 Thanks to Billecard's last move, Bardeleben obtained some benefit from his doubtful Knight sally. 15... Bf8 This left: click for larger view From this roughly level position, both sides lost their way as I will discuss in my next post on this game.

Oct-02-18		KEG: Post II In the roughly even position with which I ended my last post, Bardeleben lost patience and played: 16. f4 16. c4 (or perhaps 16. Qf3) to restrain d5 by Black would have been sounder. Billecard quickly took advantage of the opportunity Bardeleben had given him: 16... BxN 17. NxB d5! Billecard now had a formidable pawn phalanx in the center (which is quickly dissipated): click for larger view 18. Qf3 dxe4 19. dxe4 exf4 19...Re6 was better. 20. Bxf4 Qc6 21. e5 This promising-looking advance leads to the exchange of Queens and an even endgame. 21... QxQ 22. RxQ This left: click for larger view White's Rook on the a-file threatening Black's backward a-pawn is balanced by Black's better pawn formation. While chances were abut even here, there was plenty of play left in the position. 22... Nd5 He could have gotten more bang with 22...Nd7 or 22...Nh5. 23. Bg3 Red8 Given Bardeleben's obvious intention (Nd6) Billecard should probably have played 23...Nb6 allowing him to retreat to d7 or d8 as might be necessary while also keeping an eye on c4. 24. Nd6 This looks stronger than it really was. 24... Nf6 The Tournament Book considers this to have been a mistake, but I see nothing wrong with this move (it has to be better than 24...BxN) if properly followed up. The position was now: click for larger view The complications that followed, as I will discuss in my next post on this game, ultimately led to equality, but only after some spirited (and sometimes questionable) play by both sides.

Oct-03-18		KEG: Post III Bardeleben had various ways to proceed after 24...Nf6. He chose the most direct route: 25. Nxf7!? It is not clear that this ultimately yields an edge to White with best play by Black. Theoretically stronger were 25. Re1; 25. Nb7; or 25. exN. But this was an actual contest and not a theoretical discussion. Looking at the position from Black's (Billecard's) perspective, the text was probably the most frightening move to face. 25... KxN 26. exN This left: click for larger view According to the Tournament Book, if Billecard had here played 26...gxf6, Bardeleben would get the edge after 27. Raf1 (27. Be5 may be even better) Bg7 28. Be5. But after 28...Rd2 White's advantage would have been minimal. Billecard decided to avoid the above lines and played: 26... g6 But this was no better than 26...gxf6. Billedard's best chance lay in 26...g5! which seems to minimize any White advantage (e.g., 27. Kf1 Rd2 28. Rf2 RxR+ 29. BxR a5 30. c4 b4 31. h3 Kxf6 with approximately equal chances. 27. Bf4 Hardly the most forcing choice at Bardeleben's disposal. He should have tried 27. c4 or 27. h4. 27... Re8 Here again, 27...g5 was best. 28. Be3 Bardeleben fails here to take advantage of Billecard's failure to play g5 with 28. h4. 28... Re6 Yet again missing a chance to play g5. 29. Raf1 In turn, Bardeleben again fails to play h4. 29... Rc8 29...g5 [same theme again!] or 29...Rd8 would have given him equality. 30. g4 He should have played 30. h4, 30. Rd1, or perhaps 30. Kf2 30... g5 Finally playing g5...but only when it is no longer best. He should have played 30...c4. 31. h4 And Bardeleben, in turn, finally played h4, but only once it was no longer best (31. Rd1 or 31. Kf2 were best). The position, after all of the above sins of omission, was: click for larger view With 31...gxh4 or 31...Rce8, Billecard would hv=ave had at least an even game. But instead he erred with: 31... Re4? Bardeleben now had the better of the struggle: 32. hxg5 Rg4+ 33. Kf2 hxg5 The position now was: click for larger view From here, however, Bardeleben once again went astray, and the muddled play continued, as I will discuss in my next post on this game.

Oct-03-18		KEG: Post IV In the diagrammed position with which I ended my last post, 34. Rd1 seems indicated and appears to give White much the better chances (control of the d-file, better Bishop, etc.). But Bardeleben here decided to simplify further. While this eventually worked out well for him, this was only because of doubtful play by Billecard. 34. Rg3 RxR 35. KxR This left: click for larger view Billecard's prospects have certainly improved, and with 35...b4, 35...Re8, or even 35...Kg6 he would appear to be holding his own. Instead: 35... Bd6+ This only drove Bardeleben's King to a better post. 36. Kg4 Now it looks as if Bardeleben wins a pawn. But Billecard had a counter-attack in mind. This counterattack might well be sufficient on a theoretical level, but Billecard's entire plan made his task harder. 36... Bf4 The alternative was 36...b4. 37. BxB gxB 38. Rxf4 The position now was: click for larger view Can Black save this game? The theoretical answer is Yes. But Rook endings are always tricky, and this one is no exception. 38... Rg8+ 38...Rh8 may be more accurate, but Black can probably draw in either case with best play. 39. Kf3 Rg1 40. Rf5 Rb1 Leaving: click for larger view This was almost certainly the position Billecard had in mind when he went down this rabbit-hole. He doubtless assumed this would all reduce to a Rook and two pawns versus Rook and two pawns finale. But, as noted above, Rook endings are almost always difficult. 41. Rxc5 Rxb2 42. b4 Kxf6 The position was now: click for larger view Bardeleben has various factors in his favor here. His King can get closer to the Queen-side action, Black's King is cut off, and Black's a-pawn is weak and undefended. As I will discuss in my next post on this game, the position is nonetheless almost certainly a theoretical draw, but Billecard could not afford any missteps.

Oct-03-18		KEG: Post V Bardeleben can almost certainly win a pawn here, but with best play the position should reduce to King, Rook and b-pawn against King and Rook. Black can hold these endings by making sure that in the critical resulting positions his King is not cut off. Billecard forgot this principle somewhere along the way and allowed Bardeleben to score his first win. 43. Ke4 Ke7 So far so good. 43...Ke6 also brings the King to the Queen-side in time. 44. Rc6 Bardeleben want to win the Black a-pawn while trying to keep Billecard's king cut off. 44... Ra2 Still on plan. 45. Kd4 Hoping to help his Rook win a pawn while keeping Billecard's king out of play. The position was now: click for larger view The key position of the game. As the Tournament Book correctly spotted, Billecard's move here cost him the game: 45... a5?? As will be seen, Bardeleben not wins in a walk. But--he could have drawn had he focused on getting his in position so it could not get cut off: e.g., 45...Kd7 46. Kc5 Ra1 47. Kb6 Ra4 48. Rh6 (if 48. Rc7+ Kd6) Ra3 49. Rh7+ Kd6 50. Ra7 Rxc3 51. Rax6 Rb3 52. Kxb5+ Kc7! (now the Black King cannot be cut off and the game is saved) 53. Ra7+ Kb8 54. Rh7 Re3 55. Kb6 Re6+ etc. After 45...a5??, the rest was easy. 46. Kc5! Kd7 Too late!! The position was now: click for larger view 47. Kxb5 axb4 48. cxb4 We now have the classic winning position with Rook and b-pawn against Rook: click for larger view The game was now over: 48... Ra7 49. Kb6 Ra8 50. b5 Rb8+ 51. Ka6 1-0

Jan-15-20		woldsmandriffield: click for larger view Play continued 47 Kxb5 axb5 48 cxb4 with a won ending for White. Instead of the automatic recapture, Black had the astonishing resource 48..Rc2!! 49 bxa5 Rb2+ 50 Kc5 Rc2 51 Rd6+ Kc7 52 Rd3 Ra2 53 Kb4 Rb2+ 54 Ka3 Rb5 55 Ka4 Rb1 56 Rd5 Ra1+ 57 Kb5 Rc1 58 Rc5 Kb7 with a theoretical draw.

Jan-15-20		Granny O Doul: Not disagreeing with KEG's analysis above, but to realize the strength of 14...Nxe4 you must see that 15. Qe4 is answered by ...d5 and if White takes this pawn, then ...Bb7 wins the queen. So White must retreat and adjust to being a pawn down.

Jan-16-20		woldsmandriffield: I scrambled the moves in the previous post: 47 Kxb5 and now instead of 47..axb4 47..Rc2!

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