notyetagm: Beware: Blunder!
by GM Alex Baburin
Blunders can occur in innocuous
situations – with no threats and no
danger in sight. This is exactly what
happened in the following example:
M. Richter (2412) - Ionov (2545)
39th Rilton Cup (6), Stockholm, 2010
XIIIIIIIIY
8-
+0
7
vlnmk-zp-0
6-
+p
zp0
5
0
4-
+0
3
zP
P0
2-
zPP+0
1+R
mK-0}
xabcdefghy
Black would have pretty good
winning chances in the ending
¥,¤+3§s vs. ¦+3§s, but with an extra
pawn White should be fine. His best
policy is to do nothing, but do it really
well, as Tony Miles liked to say. Alas,
he strayed from that line immediately,
trying to be 'active'.
36.¦b7?? Rooks belong to the 7th
rank, right? Wrong! At least, they don't
always belong there...
36...¥b6! This is the end of that
active rook...
37.g4 ¢d6 38.g5 hxg5 39.¢g2 ¢c6
40.¦xb6+ ¢xb6 41.¢g3 ¤f6 42.f4
gxf4+ 43.¢xf4 ¤d7 0–1