1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Qd5$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The Kazakh master was known for going his own way in the opening. Black’s last move is of the same provocative spirit as the Scandanavian defence. That being said, I find no other fault with this move (<em>I myself dabble with the Scandanavian from time to time</em>), and would like to point out that numerous strong players have played it, including the late Mark Dvoretsky. </strong>}
5.Bd3$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Keres does not try to <em>refute </em> Black’s last move and instead concentrates on rapid development.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">An exciting game between two young stars saw</strong> } 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nf3
Nf6 7.Bd3 Ne4 8.O-O Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3 10.Rb1 Nc6 11.Be3 Bd7 12.Rb5
Qd6 13.Rxb7 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Bxd4 15.Bxd4 Qxd4 16.Rxc7 Qb6 17.Rc4
h6 18.Qg4 O-O 19.Qe4 f5 20.Qe5 Rac8 21.Rd1 Rxc4 22.Bxc4 Bc8 23.h3
Kh7 24.Bb3 Rf6 25.Rd6 Qb7 26.Kh2 Rg6 27.f3 Qe7 28.Rd2 Bb7 29.Re2
Bxf3 30.Bxe6 Qg5 31.Bxf5 Bxe2 32.Bxg6+ Kxg6 33.Qxe2 Qf4+ 34.g3
Qa4 35.c4 Qc6 36.h4 a5 37.Qd3+ Kf7 38.Qf5+ Ke7 39.Qxa5 Qxc4 40.Qe5+
Kd8 41.Qxg7 Qxa2+ 42.Kh3 Qe6+ 43.Qg4 Qf6 44.Qg8+ Ke7 45.Kg4 Qe5
46.Qh7+ Ke8 47.Qg6+ Ke7 48.Qxh6 Qe4+ 49.Kh5 {<strong style="color:black;"> 1-0, Romanishin O – Dvoretzky M , Odessa 1972 Ch URS (1/2 final)</strong> })
Nf6$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Continuing with the policy of provocation. Of course, Black was not tempted to capture the White d-pawn!</strong>} 6.Nxf6+ {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Evidently Keres was not concerned about the opening of the g-file and Black’s <em>coming attack </em>.</strong>} gxf6 7.Nf3 Rg8{[#][%cal Rg8g2] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 8.O-O{[#] <strong style="color:red;">When Keres was a young player he loved to attack and soon earned the reputation for being some sort of attacking genius who could perform tactical miracles on demand. As he got older, Keres’ style of play matured and he became primarily a positional player. I mention this so that the reader can understand Keres apparent fearlessness of castling Kingside facing an open g-file. He fully appreciated Black’s attacking schemes but realized that White would have no problem dealing with them. In the meantime, Black lags in development and his own King in the centre might soon become a concern.</strong>} Nc6 {[#]}
({<strong style="color:black;">A curious example of how quickly things can go south for Black was seen in this short game: </strong> } 8...Bd6 9.c4! Qh5 10.c5!$16
Qg4 11.g3 Be7 12.Re1 f5 13.Be2 Nd7 14.Ng5 Qxg5 15.Bxg5 Rxg5 16.b4
Nf6 17.Bf3 c6 18.b5 {<strong style="color:black;"> 1-0, Crawley Gavin – Clarke Brandon , London 8/12/2009 </strong> }
)
9.Re1{[#][%cal Re1e8] <strong style="color:red;">A useful move. Once more White naturally ignores the <em>threat</em> of Black capturing the d-pawn.</strong>} Qh5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 10.Be4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">White now intends to counterattack, possibly either by advancing his d-pawn or exchanging on c6, depending – of course – on how Black plays.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">There are more cautious approaches available for White. For example (A:) </strong> } 10.Be2 Bd6 11.g3 Qh3 12.d5 Ne7 13.dxe6 Bxe6
14.Bb5+ Bd7 15.Bxd7+ Qxd7 16.Qd4 Qg4 17.Qxg4 Rxg4 18.c3 O-O-O
19.Bf4 Nc6 20.Bxd6 Rxd6 21.Re8+ Rd8 22.Rae1 Ra4 23.a3 Ra5 24.Kg2
Rad5 25.R8e4 Rf5 26.R1e2 h5 27.R2e3 Rd1 28.b4 a6 29.c4 b5 30.Rc3
Kd7 31.Nh4 Re5 32.Rf4 Rd6 33.Nf3 Re2 34.cxb5 axb5 35.Rc5 Ra2
36.Rxb5 Rxa3 37.Rxh5 Rb3 38.b5 Ne7 39.Rh7 Rxb5 40.Rxf7 Rbb6 41.Rh4
Ke6 42.Rhh7 Nd5 43.Rf8 Rd7 44.Nd4+ Kd6 45.Nf5+ Kc6 46.Rh4 Rb2
47.Rc4+ Kb5 48.Rc1 Rb4 49.h4 c5 50.Rc8 Nc7 51.h5 Ne6 52.h6 Re4
53.h7 {<strong style="color:black;"> 1-0, Glek Igor – Hoang Thanh Trang , Budapest 1998 </strong>}
)
( {<strong style="color:black;">Or (B:)</strong> } 10.Bf4 Bd6 11.Bg3 Bxg3 12.hxg3 Bd7 13.Re4 O-O-O 14.Rh4 Qa5
15.c3 e5 16.Qc2 Be6 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Qxe5 19.Rf4 Qc5 20.b4
Qb6 21.Rf3 h5 22.Bf5 Rg5 23.Bxe6+ fxe6 24.Rd1 Rdg8 25.Qh7 a6
26.a4 Qc6 27.b5 axb5 28.axb5 Qxb5 29.Ra1 Kb8 30.c4 Qe5 31.Rfa3
b6 32.Ra8+ Kb7 33.R1a7+ Kc6 34.Rxg8 {<strong style="color:black;"> 1-0, Emma Jaime – Ubeda F, Buenos Aires 1977 </strong>}
)
Bd6{[#][%cal Rd6h2]} 11.g3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A telling moment and a grandmasterly move! Keres pauses his own plans of attack so as to reduce Black’s threats before they become serious. </strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">An example of what can go wrong with White can be seen here: </strong> } 11.c4$6 Bd7 12.d5$6 Ne7 13.dxe6 fxe6 14.Bxb7 Rb8$17
15.Be4 f5 16.Bc2 Bc6 17.Ba4 {<strong style="color:black;"> so far the game Jakovenko Dmitry – Hoang Thanh Trang , Budapest 1996, and now </strong>}
Rxg2+!{[#]} 18.Kxg2 Qxh2+ 19.Kf1 Qh3+ {<strong style="color:black;">with a crushing attack </strong>}
)
f5$5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;"> Of course not</strong> } 11...e5? 12.dxe5 fxe5 13.Nxe5! Qxd1 14.Bxc6+ bxc6 15.Rxd1
Bxe5 16.Re1 f6 17.f4$16 )
({<strong style="color:black;">Depressing seems </strong> } 11...Ne7 12.c4! c6 13.Bd3$5 b6 14.Re4$5
({<strong style="color:black;">or perhaps </strong> } 14.Be2 Qg6 15.a4! ) {<strong style="color:black;">when Black’s pieces lack coordination </strong> })
12.Bxc6+ bxc6 13.c4!{[#] [%cal Rd1a4,Rc4c5]<strong style="color:red;">White is beginning to create real threats. Black must take immediate steps to prevent things from becoming serious</strong>} c5$5{[#][%cal Rc8b7,Rb7f3] <strong style="color:red;">Preventing c5 and planning to counterattack with Bb7</strong>} 14.dxc5!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Another pragmatic decision by Keres. After some thought, he decides to eschew his own attacking chances in the middlegame, simplify the game with exchanges (to nullify Black’s own attacking chances) and enter an endgame where he has the better pawn structure. This ‘minimalist’ way of playing chess is quite often seen amongst mature players. They reduce their losing chances (in the middlegame) and rely on their experience and technique in the endgame nursing smallish edges. We must also realize that Keres knows that he is facing a dangerous attacking player.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;"> Wrong is </strong> } 14.d5$6 f4! )
({<strong style="color:black;">Tempting but too ambitious is </strong> } 14.b4$6 Bb7 15.d5 O-O-O!{<strong style="color:black;">and Black’s chances are not bad </strong> } )
Bxc5 15.Be3{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Ditto the last comment.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Keres had already rejected the objectively stronger </strong> } 15.Qb3$5{<strong style="color:black;">because Black would have many tactical shots should White play imprecisely </strong> } Bd7$5 16.Qb7 (16.Ne5? Bxf2+!) Rd8! 17.Qxc7? Qxf3$19 18.Qxc5 Bc6! )
Bb4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Wrong would be </strong> } 15...Bxe3 16.Rxe3
Bb7 17.Qa4+!{<strong style="color:black;">when </strong> } c6{<strong style="color:black;"> is practically forced </strong> } )
({<strong style="color:black;">It is tempting to try to maintain Black’s Bishop pair with </strong> } 15...Be7 {<strong style="color:black;"> but probably Black did not like his position after</strong> } 16.c5! {<strong style="color:black;">for example </strong> } Bb7 17.Qa4+ Kf8 18.c6 Qxf3?
19.Bh6+ )
16.Nd4 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">Not falling for </strong> } 16.Qa4+? Bd7 17.Qxb4 Qxf3!{<strong style="color:black;"> when Black has a winning attack after Bc6 the next move</strong> } )
Qxd1 17.Rexd1 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">White has the better pawn structure; Black has the Bishop pair as way of compensation. However, as we shall see, Keres’ previous evaluation of his chances in this ending is correct. The pawn structure is more important here. That and the fact that Black has difficulty coordinating his pieces. White has ideas such as Nb5 or Nc6 or Bf4. As well as a3,b4 and c5. </strong>}
Bd7 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Not what Black wants, but he has to deal with the threat of Nb5 or Nc6</strong>}
( 17...a6$6 18.Nc6 Be7 19.Bf4$16 )
( 17...Bb7$6 18.Nb5$16)
18.Rac1$6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A very subtle imprecision by Keres which throws away almost all of his advantage. As we shall soon see, both players overlooked a clever tactical resource for the Blackside.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Correct is the immediate </strong> } 18.Nb5! Bxb5 19.cxb5 {<strong style="color:black;">which will very likely just transpose into the game continuation. </strong> } )
e5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Virtually forced.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;"> Of course not </strong> } 18...a6? 19.c5! c6 20.Nb3 {<strong style="color:black;">when the Black Bishop on b4 is in real trouble. </strong> } )
19.Nb5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
Bxb5?{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">What both players overlooked is that after </strong> } 19...O-O-O! {<strong style="color:black;"> White should not take the pawn!</strong> } 20.Nxa7+ ({<strong style="color:black;">Relatively best is </strong> } 20.a3 {<strong style="color:black;">when after </strong> } f4! 21.axb4 ( 21.Bxa7 Be7 )
fxe3 22.fxe3 Bxb5 23.cxb5 Rg4 {<strong style="color:black;">the game is heading inevitably towards a draw </strong> } ) Kb7{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 21.Nb5$6 (21.c5! Be6! {<strong style="color:black;">just barely manages to hold for White </strong> }) f4! 22.Bd2
( 22.a3 Be7 23.Bd2 Bg4! ) Bg4!$17 {<strong style="color:black;">Had Keres seen this idea earlier, then he would surely have played Nb5 a move earlier and maintained all of the advantages of his position. </strong> })
20.cxb5$16{[#] <strong style="color:red;">It is clear that Black has no compensation for his weakened pawn structure, and Black will probably be fortunate if he can limit the damage to the loss of only one pawn.</strong>} Bd6 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 20...Ba5 21.Rd5
f6 22.b4 Bb6 23.Bxb6 cxb6 24.Rc7 )
21.Rc6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">White has a number of plans of more or less equal value. Here Keres toys with the idea of Ra6 at some point. </strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">The computer prefers the immediate </strong> }21.Bc5 {<strong style="color:black;"> but I think that it is more or less the same as what happens in the game.</strong> }Kd7
( 21...Rg6 22.Bxd6 Rxd6 23.Re1 ) 22.Bxd6 cxd6 23.Rc6 Rg6 24.Ra6$16 )
({<strong style="color:black;">Very tempting, but a false path, is the immediate </strong> } 21.Rxd6 cxd6 22.Rc7$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">White simply intends to play Bxa7 and advance his b-pawn. Infact, it looks as though it is winning as Black can not stop White from doing this! BUT, Black can save himself with a little bit of MAGIC!</strong>}
Rg4! {<strong style="color:black;">Black’s only chance is to move this Rook behind the White pawn on b5. </strong> }
( 22...a5? 23.b6 ) 23.Bxa7 Rb4! 24.b6 Rxb2 25.a4 e4!
26.a5 d5! 27.a6 d4!$17{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A remarkable position! The White Bishop can not free itself and the most White can accomplish is to advance his b-pawn, which will allow Black to give back the exchange and reach a winning ending with his passed d-pawn.
NOW BACK TO THE ACTUAL GAME CONTINUATION </strong>} )
Rg4!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">black must play actively if he is to try to save his game.</strong>} ( 21...f4 22.Bc5 ) 22.Bc5!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">This move gets played anyway!</strong>} ( 22.a3$5 ) Ra4 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">There is nothing better</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">A: </strong> } 22...Rd8 23.b3
Bxc5 24.Rxd8+ Kxd8 25.Rxc5 f6 26.Rc6 Rg6 27.Ra6 )
({<strong style="color:black;">B: </strong> } 22...Rc4 23.Rd5! Kd7 24.Bxd6 Rxc6 25.bxc6+ Kxc6 26.Rxe5 cxd6 27.Rxf5 )
({<strong style="color:black;">C: </strong> } 22...Rb8 23.Bxd6 cxd6 24.Rdxd6 Rxb5 25.Rc8+ Ke7 26.Ra6 Rxb2
27.Rc7+ Kf8 28.Raxa7 )
23.Bxd6 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} cxd6 24.Rdxd6
Rxa2{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 25.Rd5$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Another pragmatic decision by Keres. He prefers a purely technical solution to the game, confident of his technique. It is Keres’ disciplined simplicty that I find remarkable in this game. He made an earlier decision to avoid unnecessary and possibly messy complications, and stuck with it for the entire game. Others might have played differently (and won faster) but Keres wanted to avoid any risk. This is the trademark of a really experienced grandmaster! </strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">Objectively best is to play for mate! </strong> } 25.Rf6! Rxb2 ( 25...Rd8 26.Rxf5 Rd7 27.Rxe5+ Kf8
28.b4 {<strong style="color:black;">and Black can seriously consider resigning </strong> } ) 26.Rc7 Rxb5 27.Rfxf7 {<strong style="color:black;"> when it is difficult for Black to avoid being mated!</strong> } )
Rxb2 ( 25...f4 26.Rxe5+ Kf8 27.Rf5 ) 26.Rxe5+
Kf8 27.Rxf5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">White is now threateing Rc7, so Black’s next move is virtually forced.</strong>} Re8 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 28.Rc7 Re7 29.Rxe7 Kxe7 30.Rh5!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">This must have been what Keres had been playing for. He will chuck his b-pawn for the h-pawn, giving him a 3-1 majority on the Kingside. What about Black’s a-pawn? It turns out that it is not as dangerous as it looks! White’s Rook will take care of it. It turns out that the ending is winning. But the process is instructive.</strong>} Kf8 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black has no other constructive move. He forces White to capture the pawn.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">It makes no real difference if Black plays up with </strong> } 30...Kf6 {<strong style="color:black;"> as White will play the same way as in the game continuation.</strong> } )
31.Rxh7 Rxb5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 32.Rh6!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A precise move. White threatens to play Ra6 which would force Black to defend passively with his Rook.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Less precise is </strong> } 32.Rh8+ Kg7 33.Ra8{<strong style="color:black;">as now the White Rook is passive! </strong> } Rb7)
Ra5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 32...a5 33.Ra6 ) 33.Kg2 Kg7{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 34.Rc6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">White’s plan now is to begin to advance his Kingside pawns. In principle, he should be able to create two connected passed pawns. Should Black advance his f-pawn, then White will likely play h3 and g4, creating the connected pawns sooner. In the game continuation, Black tries to make use of his only real source of play: advancing his a-pawn.</strong>} Ra2 {<strong style="color:black;">It makes no difference if he plays to a1 immediately </strong> } 35.g4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Or h4, it makes little difference</strong>} a5 36.Ra6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} a4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">If Black should ever play the desperate f5, then probably White would just advance his g-pawn, followed by the advance of his h-pawn.</strong>} 37.h4
a3 38.h5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Ra1{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Curiously, when I checked my large database for similar Rook and Pawn endings, I discovered hundreds of examples from master and grandmaster chess! Of course, in Keres time he would not have access to this kind of information. He simply knew what he was doing!</strong>} 39.Kf3 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">There are several ways to proceed. In general White will hide his King from back rank checks by placing it infront of his f-pawn on f4 or f5. Black is powerless to prevent this for very long. </strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Praxis has also seen the immediate </strong> } 39.g5 a2 40.h6+ Kh7 41.f4 {<strong style="color:black;"> which also wins easily enough. Black can not attack the White pawns.</strong> } )
Ra2{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} (39...a2 40.Kf4) 40.Kg3{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
Kh7 41.Ra7{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Kg8 42.g5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Ra1 43.Kf4 Ra2 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 44.f3{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Rh2 45.h6 a2 46.Kf5
Rb2 47.Ra8+ Kh7 48.f4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Rf2 49.Ra7 Kg8 50.Ke5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Rb2 51.Ra8+ Kh7 52.Kf6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The end is near</strong>}
Rf2 53.f5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black resigns. He either loses his pawns and/or gets mated in the next few moves.</strong>} 1-0
