[Event "Idaho Closed Championship"] [Site "Twin Falls (ID)"] [Round "3"] [White "Buckendorf Glen (ID)"] [Black "Vandenburg Richard S (ID)"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C70"] [Opening "Spanish: 4.Ba4"] 1. e4 {Notes by Glen Buckendorf.} e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O d6 {? Golombek in "Modern Opening Chess Strategy" calls this the Steinitz Defense Doubly Deferred. With this move Black threatens to capture the e- pawn now that his own pawn is really protected. What is White's best reply? Remembering two of the objectives in the Spanish for White -- the weakening of Black's Queenside pawn formation and the gaining of center control. Note how this is accomplished by White's next two moves.} 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. d4 exd4 {Best is 7 .. .Nxd4, wich most closely follows the theme of Black's active defense. It was popularized by Rubenstein.} 8. Nxd4 Bd7 {Better is 8 ...c5 9 Ne2 Be6 10 Nbc3 Be7 11 Ng3 as in Michell - Khan, Worchester, 1931.} 9. Re1 {Better is 9 Nc3 or 9 Bg5 to develop White's neglected Queenside pieces or even 9 Qf3 with the threat of 10 e5.} Be7 10. e5 {While this does force Black to accept doubled, isolated c-pawns, it costs White too much time moving pieces that are already developed and Black uses this to obtain counter-play.} dxe5 11. Rxe5 O-O 12. Re1 {! The thre at is 12 ...Bd6 13 Re1, and the well known sacrifice of the B at h2 -- 13 ... Bxh2+ 14 Kxh2 Ng4+ 15 Kg1 Qh4 and the mate at f2 or h2 cannot be prevented. However, 12 Bg5 followed by 13 Bxf6 develops a piece and also prevents the attack.} Nd5 {Centering the N and vacating the f6 square for the B to attack the b2- square which becomes White's weak point.} 13. c4 {Behind in deve lopment and making a pawn move -- very bad judgement. White should develop his Queenside pieces. Black's permenant pawn weakness isn't going anyplayce. White should strive to trade down and reach an endgame as quickly as possible.} Nb6 14. Qc2 {The start of a series of weak moves by White. Even though it blocks the dark-squared B, better is 14 Nd2.Then White's weakness on b2 can c3 can be held without allowing the doubling of his pawns.} Bf6 15. Be3 {15 Ne2 or 15 Rd1 look better as the B should be tied to b2.} c5 16. Nb3 {Now 16 Ne2 is required. 16 ...Nxc4 17 Qxc4 Bxb2 18 Nbc3 Bxa1 19 Rxa1 and White has the edge as his two pieces are worth more than the R, The text leaves White with the same weakness as Black has had since the opening.} Na4 17. Nc3 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Be6 19. Nxc5 Nxc5 20. Bxc5 Re8 21. Rad1 Qg5 22. Be3 Qa5 23. Rd2 Rad8 24. Red1 Rxd2 25. Rxd2 Bxc4 26. h3 Be6 27. c4 c5 28. Rd1 Rb8 29. Bd2 Qc7 30. g3 Rd8 31. Bf4 Rxd1+ 32. Qxd1 Qb6 33. Qd6 Qxd6 34. Bxd6 Bxc4 35. Bxc5 Bxa2 36. Bb6 {With Bs of opposing colors, the game is a dead draw. Fine's "Basic Chess Endings" says: "One pawn ahead or a positional superiority which is decisive in other endings is, as a rule, insufficient here because Black can only attack the enemy pawns with his K. In general, it is necessary to have effective threats on both sides of the board in order to be able to win." The key here is the fact that White can place his K on a1 and the Black B is of the wrong color to promote his passed a-pawn so that, if necessary, White can trade his three Kingside pawns for two of Black's and sacrifice the B for the other Kingside pawn, even though he is a B and pawn up, can only draw. The game continued on quite a few more moves under time pressure but was finally drawn.} Kf8 37. f4 Ke7 38. Kf2 Kd6 39. Ke3 Ke6 {...drawn after some additional moves.} {#d} 1/2-1/2