From: Dennis Baker <helios!canal.crc.uno.edu!DCBCS@tssi.com>
Subject: More exciting Gulf Coast Open action
Organization: Chessnews list (chessnews-request@tssi.com)
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 14:24:00 GMT


Gulf Coast Open
Metairie (3-29-92)
Pirc Defense
Ron Burnett (2467) - Miles Ardaman (2474)

    This was a round 4 (of 5), board 2 game.  Also going on at the same
    time was Browne-Wolff on board 1, so apparently the cream of the 
    tournament had risen to the top.

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 (:01) 4.Nf3 (:01) Bg7 5.h3

    Is this still in fashion?  This move does seem to give Black problems
    with his QB, but you think how can a move like h3 be such a worry
    for Black?

5...O-O (:03) 6.Be3 Nbd7 (:07)

    This looks rather "clutter-y" for Black, but what do I know?

7.Bc4 (:10)

    And here I'd be tempted to push the pawn to e5, now that a ...Ng4 is
    no worry and ...Nd5 is also out.  Space!

7...c6 (:13)

    Threatening the standard "destroy the center" ...d5, as well as the
    threatening/weakening ...b5.

8.a4 (:13)

    Sigh... Another one of those RESTRAINING, WAITING, BLOCKADING moves
    I've warned you all about.  8.e5 looks more straightforward.

8...d5 (:17) 9.Bd3 (:15) dxe4 (:18) 10.Nxe4 (:16) Nd5 (:25)

    Perhaps Black should relieve his cramped position with 10...Nxe4
    11.Bxe4 Nxf6 12.Bd3 when now 12...c5!? looks interesting, with the
    idea 13.dxc5 Nd5.  I put '!?' because I'm too lazy to analyze it
    to completion!

11.Bg5 (:20) h6 (:25) 12.Bd2

    White has provoked a weakening of the Black king position.  The
    more weaknesses you provoke, the more targets you have to attack.

12...a5 (:27)

    This move secures the knight's position on d5, somewhat, by providing
    the c4, ...Nb4 escape hatch.

13.c3 (:24) Qc7 (:36) 14.Qc1 (:31)

    Attacking the aforementioned target created on h6.  However, White
    is really being provocative now, and Black accepts the challenge to
    charge forward in the center.

14...f5 (1:06) 15.Ng3 (:36) e5 (1:07)

    So much violence after only 15 moves!  I should remind everyone here
    of the time control -- 35/90.  So here Black has left himself only 23
    minutes to reach move 35.

16.Bxh6! (:45) e4 (1:14) 17.Bxg7 (:55) Kxg7 18.Ng5

    Saved by the fork!

18...N7f6 19.Bc2 (1:10) e3! (1:18)

    I mean White DID leave his king in the center during all this mess.
    It's Black's turn to mount an attack.  Note that now both players
    are short of time.

20.Nf3 (1:13) f4 (1:20) 21.Ne2 (1:18) b6 (1:23)

    What?  This is the big T?  (at-Tack!)  Well, it is hard to be critical
    when Black has so little time.  21...b6 does open the f1-a6 diagonal.
    And what else is there?  Maybe 21...Qe7 with ideas like ...Ne4, ...Bf5,
    and ...Rae8, should White not make a move!  Perhaps if after 21...Qe7
    22.Ne5, Black might try 22...exf2+ 23.Kxf2 f3!?  Hey, the Black position
    is getting desperate!

22.Ne5 (1:21) g5 23.Bb1 (1:23)

    White tries to sneak in a Qc2.

23...exf2+ 24.Kxf2 Ne3

    Mechanical prevention of Qc2!

25.g3 (1:25) Be6 (1:29)

    From here on out it's a blitz to the TC.

26.gxf4 Nfd5 27.Qg1 Qe7 28.Ng6 Qf6 29.Nxf8 Rxf8

    I should point out that these kinds of exchanges are many times
    dangerous.  White wins the exchange, but to do this, one of his
    attacking pieces on the king side has disappeared, while another
    piece, the black QR, has taken the lost KR's place.

30.Qg3 Kh8 31.Ke1

    Both kings try to flee the scene of the crime.  Only one makes it!

31...gxf4 32.Qf3 Bf5 33.Qh5+ Kg7 34.Rg1+ Ng4 35.Rxg4+ 1-0

    TC!  Of course now after 35...Bxg4 36.Qh7 is mate.  An interesting
    game.

Dennis Baker
<DCBCS@uno.edu>