Tuesday, August 11, 2020

8.Bb5-f1, A Mystery Move

     When I came across the following game from the 1947 Australian Championship and saw Steiner’s 8.Bb5-f1 it left me baffled.
    In an article by C.J.S. Purdy he attempted to explain why the move was good, but unfortunately his evaluation and conclusions were wrong. At the time the line played it was not well analyzed and today with the help of over 70 years experience and the likes of Stockfish and Komodo the incorrect evaluation becomes obvious. 
    I won't fault Purdy though because he was (and still is) one of the best teachers you can find. Besides, Lajos Steiner was a top level player and if he played 8.Bb5-f1 there must have been a reason! Maybe Steiner and Purdy were wrong, but remember, there was a time when the best players in the world thought the K-Indian or the Modern Defense were bad. Again, time and engines can make a big difference. 
    Purdy put forth the idea that the best way for the beginner to avoid falling into opening traps (I think you could also include gross blunders in the opening) is to 
 
1) Don’t play anything beyond the 4th rank (5th as black) until you are developed unless it attacks something, 
2) As black develop your dark squared B to e7, 
3) Avoid h3 (or h6) unless it attacks a piece and 
4) Castle ASAP. 
 
    This advice will hardly allow you to play master chess, but at the beginner, or near-beginner, level it will generally let you avoid any serious opening mishaps.
Following this advice, Purdy didn’t recommend the Ruy Lopez because he deemed it too complicated for beginners. Also, he recommended not playing it against a stronger player. On the other hand, Alex Yermolinsky advised that you play the mainline openings that you see GMs play and learn the themes and ideas behind them. Yermo added that he liked nothing better than to see a lower rated player trot out an inferior opening (or defense) against him. 
    Robert F. Combe (1912 - 1952) was a Scottish lawyer who caused a major sensation when he won the 1946 British Championship ahead of several established players once commented that he didn’t think the Ruy Lopez was an effective weapon for white because black could adapt almost any defense against it and achieve a satisfactory position. Further, he added that the usual 3...a3 only tended to obscure the deficiencies of white’s plan. Heresy! 
    Purdy discussed the below game in part because it gives us some idea of the subtleties of the Ruy Lopez. And, as mentioned, he offered an explanation of white’s curious 8th move. The game is also interesting because Lajos Steiner, a very strong player, managed to lose the game from a superior position. Who does that?

 

Lajos Steiner - Bernard Y. Mills

Result: 0-1

Site: Australian Championship, Adelaide

Date: 1947

Ruy Lopez Steinitz Defense

[...] 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 ♘f6 This attack on the e-Pawn is not an actual threat because if black captures it, white wins back the P on e5. 4.O-O ♗e7 Purdy would approve although this move is rarely played.
4...♘xe4 is the mainline. 5.d4 ♘d6 6.♗xc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 ♘f5 8.♕xd8 ♔xd8 with the classic endgame.
4...♘xe4 5.d4 exd4 causes black problems after... 6.♖e1 d5 7.♘xd4 ♗c5 8.♗xc6 bxc6 9.f3 ♕h4 10.g3 (10.fxe4 loses to 10...♗xd4 11.♕xd4 ♕xe1#) 10...♕h5 11.c3 O-O 12.fxe4
5.♖e1 d6 6.c3 O-O 7.h3 This violates Purdy's advice of not playing h3 unless it attacks a piece, but here he thought is was necessary. Why? Because if white were to play the immediate 7.d4 black could play ...Bg4, a move that Purdy believed white should never permit. Actually, that is questionable because ... Bg4 often does not turn out well for black.
7.d4 This is actually quite playable as he does not need to fear 7...Bg4 7...♗g4 Better is 7...Bd7 8.♗xc6 (8.d5 ♘b8 9.h3 ♗h5 and black has eqalized.) 8...bxc6 9.dxe5 ♗xf3 10.♕xf3 with a good position.
7...♗d7 Purdy claims this prevents d4 which it does not. 8.♗f1 Purdy, and apparently Steiner, mistakenly believed that this move, which loses a tempo, was necessary to prepare 8.d4. Purdy pointed out that the B is not undeveloped because it is in play and it doesn't obstruct any of white's pieces. Esoteric! In any case, that explains the reason why Steiner played the B back to its original square.
8.d4 Today this is the move that almost everybody plays and white scores quite well with it. 8...♘xd4 This rather surprising move is black's best move. 9.♘xd4 exd4 10.♗xd7 ♕xd7 11.cxd4 d5 and black has equalized.
8...h6 Another violation of the Purdy rule of not plating ...h6 unless it attacks something. Nevertheless, according to Purdy this is an excellent move because it will be useful in the coming position. As a master you have to know when it's OK to break a general rule.
8...♗e6 was Purdy's original suggestion. 9.d4 exd4 10.cxd4 d5 11.e5 ♘e4 and white is slightly better.
9.d4 exd4 This allows white to reap the rewards of the time he has lost fiddling around preparing d4.
9...♘h7 A salient point of black's last move. Rogers,I (2582)-Bosch,J (2445)/Enschede NED 2004 yielded a draw for black after 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.b4 a6 12.♗e3 ♘g5 and white could make no progress.
10.cxd4 White's P-center has a decided cramping effect on black and therefore black makes an immediate counter in the center. 10...d5 11.e5 ♘e4 12.♘c3 Normally in these types of positions (e.g. the Open Ruy Lopez) black would play ...f5, but it doesn't work here because the d-Pawn in undefended. 12...♘xc3 (12...♗f5 13.♗d3 ♘xc3 14.bxc3 is about equal.) 13.bxc3 ♗e6 Correct was 13...Bf5 as noted. 14.♗d3 ♕d7 15.♗c2 Black should still play ...Bf5. Instead he plays a move which Purdy described as black's one and only mistake, but a serious one. 15...f5 16.exf6 ♖xf6 17.♘e5 ♘xe5 18.dxe5 ♖ff8
18...♖f7 was worthy of consideration. 19.♗e3 ♗f5 20.♗xf5 ♖xf5 21.f4 ♖af8 with some play.
19.g4 To prevent ...Bf5. Purdy spent considerable time here explaining why white has a big advantage, but in reality he has none...the position is equal.
19.f4 This is a much different story...white does have a considerable advantage after this. 19...♗c5 20.♔h2 ♗f5 21.♗xf5 ♖xf5 22.g4 ♖ff8 23.f5 and white as a dangerous attack.
19...♗c5 Here is the problem with white's last move...black has a counterattack against the f-Pawn 20.♕d3 This serious miscalculation is where Steiner loses the game...there is no mate and black is now on the attack!
20.♖f1 was absolutely necessary. 20...g5 21.♕d3 ♕g7 and the chances are even.
20...♖xf2
20...♗xf2 won't to the trick. 21.♔g2 ♗xe1 22.♕h7 ♔f7 23.♗g6 ♔e7 24.♕xg7 ♗f7 25.♗a3 wins
20...♗xf2 21.♔g2 ♖f7 doesn't work either. 22.♕h7 ♔f8 23.♕h8 ♔e7 24.♕xa8 ♗xe1 25.♗a3 wins.
21.♕h7 ♔f8 22.♗a3 A rather odd situation because there is no way for black can do any damage with a discovered check. 22...♕e7 23.♖e3 A final blunder that loses immediately. (23.♗xc5 loses 23...♕xc5 24.♖f1 ♖xf1 25.♔xf1 ♕xc3 wins)
23.♗g6 This move keeps the chances even after 23...♖f4 24.♔g2 ♗g8 25.♕h8 ♖f2 26.♔g3 ♗xa3 27.♔xf2 ♕g5 Only this move is sufficient to keep black in the game. 28.♗f5 ♗c5 29.♔g2 ♕d2 with a draw as neither side can force a win.
23...♖xc2 24.♕h8 (24.♖f1 ♔e8 25.♗xc5 ♕xc5 26.♕xc2 ♕xe3 and black wins.) 24...♔f7 25.♖f1 ♔g6 26.♕xa8 ♗xe3 27.♔h1 ♕h4 White is facing an unavoidable mate in 5. 28.♖f6 (28.♕e8 ♔h7 29.♕h5 ♕g3 30.♕g6 ♔xg6 31.♖f6 gxf6 32.c4 ♕xh3#) 28...♔h7 Steiner resigned. (28...♔h7 29.♕h8 ♔xh8 30.♖f8 ♔h7 31.♖h8 ♔xh8 32.c4 ♕xh3#)
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