Keres' Last Tournament

     The games of some players just never grow old because their games are, if not instructive, just enjoyable to play over. One such player was Paul Keres (January 7, 1916 – June 5, 1975, age 59) who was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s. 

     In 1974 his health declined to the point that he did not play any major tournaments that year. Vancouver 1975 was the first big class tournament in Canada; it took place from May 17 to 25. 

     Ten rounds were played in nine days and against doctors' orders, Keres played and went through the tournament without any strain.

     An amusing anecdote is that the scoresheets used were new fangled no-carbon ones and for unknown reasons, perhaps lack of trust in them, Keres made duplicate copies of his scoresheets. 

 

     Keres defeated Denis Allen, James McCormick, Craig Barnes, Bruce Harper, John Watson, Peter Cleghorn and Walter Browne. He was held to draws by Gyozo Forintos, Elod Macskasy and Duncan Suttles. Keres died of a heart attack in Helsinki while returning to Estonia from Vancouver. 

     In the last game of his life he defeated Walter Browne in the last round. In the following game he handily defeats John Watson, a US National Master at the time.

Paul Keres - John Watson

Result: 1-0

Site: Vancouver Open

Date: 1975

Torre Attack

[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.♘f3 c5 In the Torre Attack white aims for quick and harmonious development. He bolsters P s4 Pawn with c2–c3, then often enforces e2–e4 to obtain attacking chances on the K-side. White's exact strategy will depend on the type of setup black employs. 3.c3 b6 Here black develops according to the Q-Indian scheme in an attempt to control e4. 4.♗g5 e6 5.♘bd2 h6

5...♗b7 6.e4 h6 7.♗xf6 ♕xf6 is equal. Drozdov,A (2347)-Bykhovsky,A (2455)/Tel Aviv 2002

6.♗h4

6.♗xf6 ♕xf6 7.e4 cxd4 8.cxd4 with equality. Olbrich,M (2295)-Paehtz,E (2340)/Dresden 2000

6...♗e7 7.e4 O-O 8.♗d3 ♗a6 This move exchanges off white's potentially dangerous B, but has the disadvantage of leaving his N misplaced and it's going to take him too much time to reposition it. It's interesting to note that even with his light squared B missing Keres is still able to mount a formidable K-side attack. (8...d5 9.e5 ♘fd7 10.♗xe7 ♕xe7 11.O-O ♗b7 with equality.)

8...♗b7 9.dxc5 bxc5 10.e5 ♘h5 11.♗xe7 ♕xe7 12.O-O d6 13.exd6 ♕xd6 14.♗e4 Even with the isolated c-Pawn black has achieved equality.

9.♗xa6 ♘xa6 10.e5 ♘e8 11.♗xe7 ♕xe7 12.♕a4 Watch how Keres' Q as if by magic ends up harassing black's K on the other side of the board. 12...♘ec7 13.♘e4 cxd4 14.♕xd4 ♘c5 15.♖d1

15.♘f6+ is interesting. If 15...gxf6 16.exf6 and black has to give up the Q to avoid mate.

15.♘f6+ ♔h8 After this white has no more than equality after 16.♘h5 ♖fd8 17.O-O

15...♘xe4 16.♕xe4 ♖fd8 17.O-O d5 18.♕g4 Technically the position is equal, but it's amazing to watch Keres built up a K-side attack with so little material especially with his light squared B missing. 18...♕c5 19.♘d4 ♖e8 This is the beginning of black's downfall because it's a waste of time and removing the guard from the f-Pawn will have consequences. The immediate 19...Nb5 was correct.

19...♘b5 20.♘b3 ♕c4 equalizes 21.f4 a5 22.♖f3 a4 23.♖g3 g6 24.♘d2 ♕c5+ 25.♔h1 a3 and with careful defense black has sufficient play. Here's how Stockfish conducted a Shootout... 26.f5 exf5 27.♕xf5 ♕e7 28.bxa3 ♖xa3 29.e6 ♕xe6 30.♕xe6 fxe6 31.♖xg6+ ♔h7 32.♖xe6 ♘xc3 33.♖c1 d4 34.h3 ♖d7 35.♖xb6 ♖xa2 36.♘f3 ♘d5 37.♖b3 ♘f4 38.♖d1 d3 39.♘e5 ♖da7 40.♘xd3 ♖d7 41.♘f2 ♖xd1+ 42.♘xd1 draw

20.♖d3 The R joins the attack. 20...♘b5 21.♖g3 g6 The weakness of black's K is fatal as he has no pieces that can readily come to the Ks defense. 22.♘b3 ♕e7 (22...♕c4 is no longer effective because of 23.f4) 23.h4 ♔h7 24.♖f3 ♖ec8 His best chance was 24...h5 stopping the advance of white's h-Pawn. 25.♖f4 a5 26.h5 g5 This only results in a further weakening of his K.

26...♖g8 was relatively best. Then after 27.♕f3 ♖af8 28.♕e3 black can hang on with 28...f5

27.♖f6 ♖c4 28.f4 ♖g8 29.♘d2 The N joining in the attack will result in a quick end. 29...gxf4

29...♖g7 There is no salvation in sacrificing the exchange. 30.♘xc4 ♕c5+ 31.♔h2 ♕xc4 32.♖xh6+ ♔xh6 33.fxg5+ ♔h7 34.g6+ fxg6 35.hxg6+ ♔h6 36.♕h3+ ♔g5 37.♕e3+ ♔h5 38.♖f4 and wins

30.♖xh6+ Perhaps an elementary tactic, but still stunning. 30...♔xh6 31.♕xg8 ♕c5+ 32.♔h2 ♕e3

32...♕c8 33.♕xf7 ♕e8 34.♕xe8 ♔g7 35.♘xc4 ♘d4 36.cxd4 f3 37.♖xf3 a4 38.♕g6+ ♔h8 39.♖f8#

33.♕h8+ Black resigned. (33.♕h8+ ♔g5 34.♘f3+ ♕xf3 35.gxf3 ♔h4 36.♖g1 f5 37.♕f6+ ♔xh5 38.♕g5#)

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