Let's Take A Look

Lets Take A
Look...
Nigel Davies


by Bruce Alberston
We invite you to submit games to be considered by Nigel in this column. For
all games submitted, please provide the following information: (1) Names of
both players; (2) Ratings of both players; (3) When and where the game was
played; (4) The time control used in the game; and (5) Any other information
you think would be helpful for us to know. Please submit the games (in PGN
or CBV format if possible) to: nigeldavies@chesscafe.com. Who knows,
perhaps you will see the game in an upcoming column, as Nigel says to you,
Lets take a look...
Quitting and the Comeback
Making a comeback is one of the most difficult things to do with dignity.
Greg Lake
The Stones dont really need to do it for money, so they must get some kind of
pleasure out of it. Theyre not like a group thats disbanded and gone away
and made a comeback. Theyve always been there. Mick Taylor
In some circles Stalin has in fact been making a comeback. His portrait hangs
above the dashboard of trucks, a symbol of blue-collar nostalgia for a tough
leader. Serge Schmemann
At the last couple of chess events I attended (the British Championships and
the first of the 2006-7 Four Nations Chess League weekends), several
grandmasters showed up, not to play but to watch. At the British it was
J onathan Speelman and J ulian Hodgson, who were beaming ear to ear as they
watched their former colleagues get ready to do battle. And at the 4NCL it
was J ohn Nunn who wasnt playing, and appeared to be very happy and
relaxed.
I got to speak with Speelman and Hodgson, somewhat bemused that they
werent listed to play in the main event. As an opening gambit I enquired if
they were competing in the veterans section. They then explained how they
both had houses in Swansea and decided to take a holiday and watch a bit of
chess.
I can understand them in a way. Chess, if you play it properly (and I mean
for blood rather than fun) is a difficult, demanding and even painful
activity. You undergo hours of stress and can see the fruits of a well-played
game disappear in a single move. A few crazy people (myself included it
seems) actually seem to be at home with this and would never contemplate
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giving up. Others start to wonder if its really worth it, and in addition to
Messrs. Speelman, Nunn and Hodgson one might note that Keene, Stean and
Hartston stopped playing, too.
So are these former stars just wimps or is there more to it? Amateurs seem to
have the opposite problem in that theyd love to play more, but just cant find
the time. In defence of the retired GMs, the psychological dynamics are very
different for amateurs and professionals, the latter having reputations that
tend to fare better if they just stop rather than growing old disgracefully. Its
an ego thing with the pain of going downhill in public being too much to bear.
There are also plenty of less exalted players whose egos cant seem to take the
pain; they stop playing and start talking about how good they used to be. Its
interesting to consider if there might not be an algorithm to determine ego size
based on a decline in rating and the decline in the number of games played.
But I should probably leave that to the more mathematically inclined.
What distinguishes the quitters from those who intend to continue to the bitter
end, regardless of any embarrassment? I can only speak for myself in saying
that I believe chess can be very useful for ones health and character. You
need to be in decent shape to play chess and free from stress, so continuing to
play can foster a better lifestyle, at least in some cases. Longevity and good
health doesnt really have the same motivational quality as the idea of beating
ones neighbour in a chess game.
Before anyone else does, I should point out that there is an alternative
approach in that one may dull the pain of ones setbacks by imbibing ever
increasing amounts of alcohol. This in turn will have a feedback effect and
send the player concerned on an ever descending spiral. But Id claim that
such cases were a distinct minority.
Do the quitters ever regret their decision and try to make a comeback? Yes
frequently, and they usually end up quitting for good after their first,
disastrous attempt. Former British Champion J onathan Penrose once tried it,
got beaten up badly by the juniors and disappeared thereafter. I witnessed
Raymond Keenes comeback tournament in Portugal (sensible idea at least
not to play on your own doorstep) in which he drew game after game with
Portuguese orange growers. And we better not mention J ohn Nunns recent
comeback attempt.
Whats the problem in making a comeback? Besides the obvious rust, the
more insidious issue is that players are becoming tougher all the time. Before
the computer era it was much easier for the stronger player to confuse his
opponent in the opening, now it is extremely difficult. Computers enable
people to study much more efficiently, see the latest wrinkles and (perhaps
most importantly) see their opponents games. Players who were active before
computers (or other new developments) came onto the scene, may be able to
adjust if they stay in the game, but if they disappear for a few years, theres
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going to be plenty of catching up to do. One tournament certainly isnt
enough, but most of the comeback kids dont stick around any longer than
that.
The following game impressed me because of the way White managed to
control Blacks wild attempts at getting the initiative. This isnt easy at the
best of times, and for people who dont get to play that much it can be
especially difficult.
J ussi J akenberg (1800) Roald Berthelsen (1685)
Norrortsmsterskapen 2005
St. George Defence [C00]
1 e4 e6 2 d4 a6 3 c4
Stopping Blacks idea of b7-b5 whilst gaining space, all very logical.
3b5
At least it should have been stopped!
Black makes it clear that he has little concern for anyones safety, either his
opponents or his own. I tend to see games like this as being a passenger in a
car with a reckless driver theres a good chance of a crash and nobody
knows wholl survive.
4 cxb5 Bb7 5 f3
Fastening the e4-pawns safety belt this guy needs to stay alive and intact in
order to block the a8-h1 diagonal.
5...axb5 6 Bxb5 Qh4+7 g3
Blacks last move was quite clever he
gets White to weaken the support for f3 by
advancing the g-pawn and this in turn
makes e4 weaker. Its all rather
reminiscent of the English Defence (1 c4
b6 is its most respectable form), which
Tony Miles used to great effect in the early
part of his career.
7...Qh5 8 Nc3 Bb4 9 Bf1!
Looks like an excellent and non-
stereotypical decision. This position had actually occurred before, but Im
sure White came up with this on his own rather than knowing the theory
(one gleans from the usage of the word that this is the several million games
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in the latest database, but then nobody knows theory).
9...Nf6
Wow, a theoretical novelty (excuse the irony)! But actually this doesnt make
sense because Black needs the ...f7-f5 pawn lever. In the well-known game
Gastmeyer Schuett, Neumuenster 1997, Black played the more logical
9...Ne7, and this helped him get plenty of compensation after 10 Bg2 f5 11
Nge2 c5 12 Be3 0-0 13 0-0 cxd4 14 Bxd4 Nbc6.
Not wishing to be derelict in my duty to make some off-the-cuff suggestions,
Black might also consider 9...f5 and 9...Nh6.
10 Bg2 Nc6 11 Nge2 Ba6
The fact that this bishop feels obliged to change diagonals might be viewed as
a major strategic achievement on Whites part.
12 0-0 Qa5 13 Be3
Also not bad is 13 Rf2 without any pawn
levers Blacks not going to make much of
an impression on Whites solid structure.
13...Rb8
Black can get his pawn back with
13...Bxc3 14 bxc3 Bxe2 15 Qxe2 Qxc3,
but then 16 Rac1 leaves him in dire
straights, because 16...Nxd4? is answered
by 17 Qf2.
14 Rf2 g5?
I wouldnt want to start the game as one of this guys knights pawns!
14...Bc4 is better but leaves Black with inadequate compensation.
15 a3 Bxc3 16 Nxc3 Bc4 17 e5
Giving Black a square for his knight, but the g6-pawn is a goner. 17 d5 exd5
18 Bxg5 is pretty good too, but its getting past the stage when it matters too
much.
17...Nd5 18 Nxd5 Bxd5 19 Bxg5 Rb3 20 Bd2 Qb6 21 Bc3
Once again everything is protected.
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21Ke7?
Blacks king isnt going to be safe here. Anyone for 21...h5?
22 Qd2 Rg8 23 Rd1 Rg6 24 f4
Earlier in the game White would have been loathe to allow his light-squared
bishop to be exchanged. Here it is the prelude to a deadly attack.
24Bxg2 25 Kxg2 Qb5 26 f5!
Ripping Blacks king position asunder.
26 Qd5+27 Kg1 exf5 28 Rxf5 Rb8 29
Rdf1 Rg7 30 Qf4 Qe6 31 Rf6
OK, things like 31 d5 work here too, but
why complicate? One should always
remember the KISS principle: keep it
simple sonny. There are no points for
artistic impression.
31Qc4 32 Qh4 Kf8 33 Qe4 Re8 34
R6f4 Kg8 35 d5
An instructive move. Its always good to offer desperate people hopeless
endgames as their best chance. Very often your generosity is rejected and
they make things even worse for themselves.
35Qc5+36 Kg2 Nxe5
Last gasp.
37 Bxe5 d6 38 Qf3 dxe5 39 Rxf7 Qc2+40 Kh1 Qg6 41 Rf8+1-0
A nice example of how to deal with the kind of flailing play that is all too
common at club level.
Recommended Reading
Comeback by Dick Francis (Fawcett 1993)
Copyright 2006 Nigel Davies. All rights reserved.
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