*
The Campbell Report
Hard Chess
with USCF Master Mark Morss
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Agulnick - Morss, US12P01 [C44]

My opponent in this game was Michael Agulnick of Far Rockaway, New York.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bb4 6.Bc4 Bxc3+

The best move is generally considered to be 6...d6, but since this exchange is recommended after both 7. O-O and 7. Qb3, it does not appear to matter if Black plays it right away.

7.bxc3 d6 8.0-0

8.Qb3 (this can also arise from 6...d6 7. Qb3 Bxc3+! 8. bxc3, and that is best play after 7. Qb3, since 8. Qxc3 would be met by 8...Qf6!) 8...Qd7!? 9.Ng5 (9.Qc2 Nf6 10.0-0 0-0 11.h3 Re8 12.Bd3 h6 was played in Ciocaltea-Kovacs, Baja 1971. White did not have enough for his pawn.) 9...Nh6! (9...Ne5 10.Bb5 c6 11.f4 cxb5 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Ba3 gave White sufficient compensation in Hoogendoorn-Van Wessel, Groningen 1995) 10.Qc2 Ne5 11.Bb3 Qe7 12.f4

Agulnick-Morss(z)
Analysis position after 12. f4
A) 12...Nd7!? It's interesting that Black has time for this. 13.Ba3 (13.0-0 Nc5) 13...Nc5 14.Bxc5 dxc5 15.0-0-0 f6 16.Nf3 Bd7 17.Rxd7 Kxd7! (17...Qxd7 18.Rd1 Qe7 19.e5 Rd8 20.Re1 f5 21.Ng5 and White has compensation, according to Blees) 18.Rd1+ Kc8 19.e5 c6 20.Rd6 Kc7! (20...fxe5 21.Be6+ Kb8 22.Qd2 e4 23.Ne5 e3 24.Qd3 was unclear in Blees-Bosch, Groningen 1997) 21.Re6 Qf8 22.exf6 gxf6 23.f5 Rd8 24.Qe4 Kb8 with advantage to Black, according to Blees. I doubt if I myself would have thought of 12...Nd7;

B) 12...Nc6 would have been more my speed, and then 13.0-0 f6 14.Nf3 Nf7 with a torturous game for both sides, but perhaps slightly more torturous for Black.

8...Nf6

I do not think that 8...Bg4!? is as good, though it may give equality. 9.Qb3 (9.Ba3 Nf6 transposes into the game) 9...Bxf3 10.Bxf7+ Kf8 11.gxf3 Ne5 and now:

A) 12.Be6 Play is similar after 12. Bd5. 12...Nxf3+ 13.Kg2 Qf6 14.Qxb7 Nh4+ 15.Kg3 Qf3+ 16.Kxh4 h6! 17.Qxa8+ Ke7 and Black's attack is overwhelming. Analysis by O'Kelly.;

B) 12.Bxg8! Rxg8 13.f4 (13.Qxb7 g5! Botterill.; 13.Kg2 Qf6 14.c4 g5! Sokolov.) 13...Nf3+ 14.Kg2 Nh4+ 15.Kh1 Qd7

Agulnick-Morss(y)
Analysis position after 15...Qd7
B1) 16.c4! is Botterill's 1986 proposal, so far ignored by theory, and is critical for 8...Bg4.
B1a) 16...g5 is an ambitious idea that I had recently, but it seems to be too weakening. 17.Rb1! (17.fxg5 Qg4 18.Rg1 Qxe4+ 19.f3 Qe2 20.Qxb7 Re8 21.Rb1! Rg7 22.Rb2 Qxf3+ 23.Qxf3+ Nxf3 24.Rf1 Rf7 25.Rbf2 Ne5 is even) 17...Re8 18.Qc3 Rxe4 (18...b6 19.f3 and White looks good) 19.Rxb7 favoring White;

B1b) 16...Qg4 17.Qg3

B1b1) 17...Qe2?! 18.Be3 Ng6 19.f5 Ne7 (19...Ne5 20.c5 is very good for White) 20.c5 d5 21.Rfe1 Qh5 (21...Qc4 22.Bg5 and White stands quite well) 22.f3 and White's game is preferable;

B1b2) 17...Qxg3 18.fxg3 Ng6 is about equal, although White may be a little more comfortable;

B1c) 16...Qc6 17.f3 Re8 18.Qb5 is Botterill's idea for how White can equalize after 16...Qc6;

B1d) 16...Re8 17.Qg3 Ng6 (otherwise f4-f5 may leave Black's knight stranded) 18.f3 Qc6 (18...Qf7 19.Be3 is the same) 19.Be3 Qxc4 20.Qh3 Rh8 21.Rac1 Qf7 22.f5 Ne5 23.f6! with very definite chances for White;

B2) 16.f5 Qc6! a transpositional point called attention to by Botterill, but ignored by theory. (16...Re8? was actually played in the quoted game, and White missed 17.Qxb7! Qa4 18.f3 Qc2 19.Qb2±) 17.f3 Re8 18.Qc2 (18.Bg5 Rxe4 19.Bxh4 Rxh4 20.Rae1 Rc4! and Black was winning in Richter-Volz, 19th German cc. Champ., 1983-85.) 18...g5! 19.fxg6 Nxg6 20.Bh6+ Ke7 Ciocaltea-Karaklajic, Smederevka Palanka, 1971. "Black stands better because White's pawns are split into four islands." Botterill;

C) 12.Bh5?! 12...Rb8 13.f4 (13.Be3? Qh4) 13...Qh4 14.Qd1 Ng6 is good for Black.

9.Ba3

9. e5; see Koller-Morss.

9...Bg4!

9...0-0?! 10.e5

10.Qb3

10.Bb5 0-0 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.e5 Nd5 13.exd6 (13.Qd3?! Re8 14.exd6 Nf4 and Black had the upper hand in Penrose-Smyslov, Munich 1958) 13...cxd6 14.c4 and White lacks full compensation for the pawn.

10...Na5 11.Bxf7+ Kf8 12.Qa4 Bxf3 13.gxf3 Kxf7 14.Qxa5 Re8

thus reaching the end of a book variation that is attributed to Alekhine. White's weak pawns condemn him to a difficult struggle. Black has no real difficulty with his king.

15.Qb5?!

15.c4 is better, though Black's game remains preferable.

15...Qd7!

The pleasures of correspondence chess include not only the opportunity to find such ideas, but to find them in a comfortable setting. I worked out this idea at the picnic table in my backyard, on a fine September afternoon, while nursing a mug of ale.

16.Qxb7 Rab8 17.Qa6

Agulnick-Morss(x)
Game position after 17. Qa6

17...Nxe4!

This was the culmination of my picnic table analysis.

18.Qd3

18.fxe4? Qg4+ 19.Kh1 Qf3+ 20.Kg1 Rxe4 21.h3 (21.Bxd6 cxd6 22.Qxa7+ Kf6 and Black's attack is overpowering) 21...Qxh3 22.f4 (22.Bxd6 is insufficient) 22...Qg3+ 23.Kh1 Qh3+ 24.Kg1 Qg4+ with a crushing attack.

18...Nf6 19.Qc4+ Kf8 20.Rfe1 Qf7 21.Qd3 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Kg8 23.Qc2 Nd7! 0-1

Agulnick-Morss(w)
Game position after 23...Nd7!

Black will play ...Ne5 and ...Rf8. White's early resignation is characteristic of postal chess. If a strong player establishes a reasonably clear winning postion against you, it is often better to resign than to fight on valiantly, but at the expense of time that you could devote more profitably your other games.

Copyright © 1999 by Mark F. Morss

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