Thursday, March 4, 2021

 
     Draws have long plagued the game. After the 1967 Capablanca Memorial in Havana, Svetozar Gligoric claimed that the increased percentage of draws in many strong tournaments didn't illustrate a decline of fighting spirit but rather the increased strength of the competitors. 
     Part of the problem explained Gligoric was the vast knowledge of openings which reaches deep into the middlegame plus there is a high level of defensive technique that even included players of "lesser reputations." I remember Reshevsky commenting that he did not believe Capablanca's play fell off much in his later years, but rather the higher level of the competition accounted for his results tapering off. 
     Gligoric added that gradually even the strongest GMs were becoming accustomed to "having to wear down every day a stubborn resistance which defies their powers and forces them to find ever keener weapons whereby to achieve victory." Remember that was back in 1967. 
     Then, along with the burden of having to come up with opening innovations which cause the opponent to have to devote time to finding a good antidote, one still is facing a capable opponent. Additionally, the GM is also tasked with finding moves to maintain the tension throughout five hours of play so even facing a lesser opponent is very tiring. Thus, when meeting their peers GMs may be inclined to accept an easy draw.
     The winner of the following game was Hector Rossetto (September 8, 1922 - January 23, 2009) who was one of the best players in Argentine history. He was awarded the IM title in 1950 and the GM title in 1960. He was a five-time Argentine Champion (1942, 1944, 1947, 1962, and 1972). He was a player from the Golden Age Argentine when the country boasted of Miguel Najdorf, Erich Eliskases, Herman Pilnik, Carlos Guimard, Julio Bolbochan and Oscar Panno. 
     From the 1960s to the 1980s his opponent, Silvino Garcia Martinez (July 4, 1944), was the leading Cuban player and is the first Cuban Grandmaster. He was awarded the IM title in 1969 and the GM title in1975. He has won the Cuban Championship four times (1968, 1970, 1973, 1979). He was awarded the title of FIDE Senior Trainer in 2007.
    In their game Garcia seemed to be on the way to developing a K-side attack, but Rossetto had plenty of pieces available for defense. When Garcia's "attack" ground to a halt Rossetto's 24...f5! turned the tables. Then it was Rossetto who had an overwhelming K-side attack which he finished up with his nifty 29th move surrendering his Q for two Bs...they more than enough compensation. 

Silvino Garcia - Hector Rossetto

Result: 0-1

Site: Capablanca Memorial, Havana

Date: 1967

Ruy Lopez

[...] 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 a6 4.♗a4 d6 5.c3 ♘f6 6.O-O b5 Rather unusual at this point, bur not at all bad. Usual is 6...Bd7 7.♗b3 ♗e7 8.d4 O-O 9.h3 ♘d7
9...h6 10.♘bd2 ♖e8 11.♗c2 ♗f8 12.d5 ♘e7 13.b3 c5 is equal and the players soon agreed to a draw. Laznicka,V (2517)-El Taher,F (2456)/Olomouc 2005
10.a4 ♗b7 11.a5 ♗f6 12.d5 Garcia elects to close the center. The other option is to keep the tension. Which method to play is a matter od preference.
12.♗e3 ♘e7 13.d5 g6 14.c4 is equal after 14...c6. Gazic,J (2289)-Hesse,J (2028)/Lueneburg 2013
12...♘e7 13.c4 ♘c5 14.♘c3 b4 15.♘a4 After this white's pieces get into an awkward position on the Q-side and he wastes time untangling them. Probably retreating to e2 would have been better. 15...♘xa4 16.♖xa4 c5 17.♖a1 ♘g6 18.g3 ♗c8 19.♔h2 ♖a7 20.♘g1 ♗g5 21.f4 This turns out to be a serious mistake in that it weakens the K-side and allows black a strong attack.
21.♗xg5 ♕xg5 22.♗c2 f5 23.exf5 ♗xf5 24.♘f3 ♕f6 25.♗xf5 ♕xf5 26.♘d2 ♖af7 27.f3 and white's defenses are adequate and black's attacking chances have been greatly reduced.
21...exf4 22.gxf4 ♗h6 Even better was 22...Bf6. Black's pieces on the K-side look clumsily placed, but that is an illusion as they will soon spring into action. 23.♗e3 ♕e7 24.♕d3 f5 The beginning of an irresistible attack. It's hard to believe that in just a few short moves white will be destroyed. 25.exf5
25.e5 is even worse. 25...♘xe5 26.♕e2 (26.fxe5 ♕xe5+) 26...♘g6 and black has picked up a free P.
25...♗xf5 26.♕d2 ♕e4 27.♖ae1 ♕d3 Trading Qs would not lessen the force of black's attack. 28.♕d1 (28.♕xd3 ♗xd3 29.♖f3 ♖e7 30.♗d2 ♖xe1 31.♗xe1 ♗e4 wins.) 28...♖e7 29.♗c1 ♖xe1 30.♕xd3
30.♖xe1 ♘xf4 31.♖f1 (31.♕xd3 ♘xd3 32.♗xh6 ♘xe1 wins) 31...♕xd1 32.♖xd1 would leave white with a hopelessly lost ending even though he is only a P down. 32...♗g6 33.♖f1 ♘d3 34.♖xf8+ ♔xf8 35.♗xh6 gxh6 36.♘e2 ♘xb2
30...♖xc1 Crushing. The Q is helpless against black's swarming pieces.
30...♗xd3 Black still has a huge advantage after this, but it is not nearly as good, or pretty, as 30...Rxc1 31.♖xe1 ♘xf4
31.♕f3 ♖xf1 32.♕xf1 ♗xf4+ 33.♔h1 ♗e4+ 34.♘f3 White resigned. A forceful game by Rossetto.
34.♘f3 And here is an example of the nastiness white is facing if he plays on... 34...♗e5 35.♗d1 ♘h4 36.♕e1 ♖f4 37.♔g1 ♗xf3 38.♗c2 (38.♗xf3 ♘xf3+) 38...♗xd5 39.♗d1 (39.cxd5 ♘f3+) 39...♗d4+ 40.♔h2 ♗xc4 etc.
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