|
(10) Singapore - Batavia [C28]
Cable Match, October 1900 - April 1901, 10.1900
[J. B. Elcum]
1.e4
e5
2.Nc3
Nf6
3.Bc4
A safe variation, which leads to a slow game. 3...Nc6
Perfectly sound. More enterprising would be 3...Nxe4 but White has several good replies. 4.d3
Bb4
5.Nge2
Of doubtful value. It is not clear whether it would not be better to lay 5.f4. This would give White a strong attack, at the expense of some disarrangement of pawns. 5...d6
6.0-0
[ 6.f4
Ng4
7.h3
Qh4+
8.g3
Qh5
etc.] 6...Be6
In the Hastings Tournament with Walbrodt, Pollock played 6...Bg4 and drew. [ 6...Bg4
] 7.Nd5
Bxd5
This exchange scarcely seems to benefit Black. 8.exd5
Ne7
9.c3
Bc5
10.d4
exd4
11.Nxd4
h6
Batavia do well to avoid exchange the strong King's Bishop, and see through the little trap laid for them if they try to win the d5-pawn. Thus, if 11...Nfxd5 12.Bxd5 Nxd5 13.Nf5! and wins. 12.Bb5+
Kf8
Probably best. The alternative was 12...Nd7 giving White a choice of moves. A strong continuation would be 13.Ne6!! [ 12...Nd7
13.Ne6
(Diagram) 13...fxe6
14.dxe6
c6
15.exd7+
Qxd7
16.Bd3
with a better game.] 13.c4
Qc8
14.Nb3
The first of several ill-judged moves, which tie up the Queen Side pieces and neutralise and positional advantage Singapore may have gained. The Knight eventually makes his way to Nf3, where he might have gone direct. It is of importance however to bring the Bc1 into play as soon as possible. 14...a6
15.Ba4
Ba7
16.Nd2
Qg4
17.Qb3
Still further blocking the Bishop. Almost anything would have been better than this. White appears for some reason to dread an exchange of Queens, but 17.Bc2 was to be preferred whether Black exchanged or not. [ 17.Bc2
] 17...Rb8
18.h3
Qg6
[ 18...Qe2
would be at least as good.] 19.Qc3
Nh5
20.Bc2
Qg3
(Diagram) 21.Nf3
Nf4
22.Bxf4
"In this position, being Batavia's turn to play, Singapore wired that if 22... Qxf4 their reply would be 23.Rae1 , but a telegram since received reads : ' Illness excuse delay'." 22...Qxf4
23.Rae1
c6
24.Re4
Qf6
25.Qxf6
gxf6
26.Nh4
cxd5
27.cxd5
Rc8
[ 27...Nxd5
28.Rd1
and White recovers the pawn with a decisive advantage.] 28.Bb3
Rg8
29.Rfe1
Rc7
30.Kf1
Bc5
31.a3
Rg5
32.f4
Rg3
33.Bc4
Re3
[ 33...b5
34.Bxb5
axb5
35.Rxe7
Rxe7
36.Rxe7
] 34.R1xe3
And a draw was agreed on. There is nothing else in the game, the latter part of which was admirably played by the Batavia representatives. Had Black played 33...b5 White might still have hoped to win: 34.Bxb5 axb5 35.Rxe7 Rxe7 36.Rxe7. 1/2-1/2
|