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Peter K Wells vs Jonathan Speelman
"Wishing Wells" (game of the day Aug-29-2006)
Staunton Memorial (2006), Crowthorne ENG, rd 3, Aug-16
Modern Defense: Standard Line (B06)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Aug-18-06  aragorn69: 14.Bxc4! and 15.Qe2!! give two pieces for a speculative (I don't see any forced win, but Black's defense will be hard to hold, White getting back parts of his investement at will...) attack à la Tal!

15.-Qxa3 16.Qxc4+ Ke7 17.Re1+ Kd8 10.Rb4!? could be what Wells had in mind.

Aug-23-06  Larsker: Wonderful stuff. As <aragorn69> says, 15. -, Qxa3 is probably Black's best chance.
Aug-28-06  syracrophy: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 d5 5. h3 Nf6 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd3 Nxc3 8. bxc3 c5 9. O-O c4 10. Be2 f6 11. exf6 exf6 12. Ba3 Kf7?! <12...Nc6 13.Re1 Kf7 14.Rb1 Qc7 with a slight advantage for white, but the black king is more secure> 13. Rb1 Qa5? <Taking away the queen from the defense of its king. Much better was 13...Re8 14.Re1 Nc6> 14. Bxc4?! dxc4 15. Qe2 Qc7 <15...Qxa3 16.Qxc4+ Ke7 <16...Ke8 17.Qxc8+ Kf7 18.Rxb7+ and mate in four moves> 17.Qc7+ <17.Rfe1+?! Kd8 18.Rb4 Rf8 19.Qd5+ Nd7 with a correct defense, black may survive> 17...Nd7 18.Rfe1+ Kf7 19.Qc4+ Kf8 20.Qe2 Ne5 <nothing better> 21.dxe5 with a tough position> 16. Rfe1 Bf8? <Unprotects the first line. Better was 16...Rd8> 17. Qe8+ Kg7 18. Bxf8+ Rxf8 19. Re7+ Kg8 <19...Qxe7 20.Qxe7+ Rf7 with a slight advantage for white> 20. Qxf8+ 1-0 <Black resigns. After 20...Kxg8 21.Rxc7 and the pawn of h7 or b7 will fall. It's all over>

Aug-28-06  dassy: 14. BXc4 is brilliant! Clearly seeing six moves ahead - I wish!
Aug-29-06  chessmoron: What about 16...Bh6?
Aug-29-06  psmith: <chessmoron> <syracrophy> Both 16... Rd8 and 16... Bh6 seem to hold, although White has a draw in either case, according to Fritz 5.32.

16... Bh6 17. Qe7+ Qxe7 18. Rxe7+ Kg8 19. Re8+ draws

16... Rd8 17. Rxb7! Qxb7 18. Qxc4+ Rd5 19. Qe2! Rd8 20. Qc4+ draws (or 19... Qd7 20. Qe7+ Qxe7 21. Rxe7+ Kg8 22. Re8+)

Aug-29-06  psmith: An interesting try is 15...g5 16. Qxc4+ Kg6.
Aug-29-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: I don't see any way for white to win after 15...Be6 16. Rxb7+ Nd7 17. Rxd7+ Bxd7 18. Qe7+ Kg8.
Aug-29-06  syracrophy: <<psmith>: An interesting try is 15...g5 16. Qxc4+ Kg6.> I agree with you. After 15...g5 16.Qxg4+ Kg6 17.Bd6 Qa6 18.Qxa6<there's nothing better> 18...Nxa6 19.Rfe1 b6 with a slight better position for black
Aug-29-06  syracrophy: <<al wazir>: I don't see any way for white to win after 15...Be6 16. Rxb7+ Nd7 17. Rxd7+ Bxd7 18. Qe7+ Kg8.> Sorry, but I disagree with you. After 15...Be6 16. Rxb7+ Nd7 17. Rxd7+ Bxd7 18. Qe7+ Kg8 19.Qxd7 h5 <19...Qxa3?? 20.Qd5+! Kf8 21.Qxa8+ Ke7 <21...Kf7 22.Qd5+ Kf8 23.Rb1! Qe7 24.Rb8+ winning> 22.Re1+ Kd7 23.Qb7+ Kd8 24.Qxg7 and it's the end for black> 20.Be7 and white's a piece up, with advantage
Aug-29-06  kevin86: While white's attackers are on the roll,black's horses are still in the stable. White will end up at least two pawns and the exchange ahead---and material isn't half the story. Black correctly resigned.
Aug-29-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: <syracrophy: <I don't see any way for white to win after 15...Be6 16. Rxb7+ Nd7 17. Rxd7+ Bxd7 18. Qe7+ Kg8.> Sorry, but I disagree with you.>

I said I didn't see a win; I didn't say there was none.

<After 15...Be6 16. Rxb7+ Nd7 17. Rxd7+ Bxd7 18. Qe7+ Kg8 19.Qxd7 h5 20.Be7 and white's a piece up, with advantage.>

I'm looking at a board now (I know that's cheating), and what I see is that white has ♘+2♙ vs. ♖. Do you see something different?

Aug-29-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: And not that it matters, but this opening isn't any kind of Robatsch that I know. It's a Caro-Kann by transposition.
Aug-29-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: The opening is a standard Gurgenidze Defence, a closed defence which is not easy to defeat, though White does enjoy an advantage in space.
Aug-29-06  Robin01: Is black's 10th move of f6 any good? It seems to open up his king side when it seems like developing his queenside pieces would be better.
Aug-31-06  Marvol: Speelman himself annotates this game in the Guardian: http://sport.guardian.co.uk/chess/s...
Sep-05-06  patzer2: Well's Tal like positional attacking sacrifice 14. Bxc4!! proves to be Speelman's undoing in this game. With Black missing the best defensive reply 16...Rd8 in the followup, this line proved to be an outstanding creative attack.
Sep-05-06  patzer2: Per Fritz 8, Black can equalize and likely force a draw by perpetual after 16...Rd8 =. GM Speelman in his analysis agrees this is Black's best try, but indicates White can make it a bit more complicated than a simple forced draw.

Fritz 8 also recommends 16...Bh6 = as an equalizing try, but I prefer GM Speelman's recommendation of 16...Rd8.

Sep-05-06  patzer2: Steelman's wish is that he had not played 16...Bf8?, allowing Well's a a winning double attack after deflecting and removing the guard with 17. Qe8+! Kg7 18. Bxf8+!

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