Sunday, October 16, 2005

Christiansen-Jacobs, Lone Pine 1974

Black to play after 22.Bxf3.


I was looking through an old Chess Player (one of the early competitors of The Informant) and came upon the following game which I had marked (likely for how well it illustrates the isolated queen pawn's "lust to expand.") Now, interested in the Queen's Gambit Declined as Black, I find the opening worth studying. Black does well using a Queen's Gambit set-up against the English or Catalan and the resulting IQP positions are favorable due to his lead in development.

You can play over the game online, download the PGN or get it as text below.

[Event "Lone Pine op"]
[Site "Lone Pine"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Christiansen, Larry Mark"]
[Black "Jacobs, John N"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "1974.??.??"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. b3 (5. O-O O-O 6. d4 $14 { is the Catalan.}) 5... c5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. d4 { White gives Black an isolated Queen's pawn.} Nc6 8. O-O O-O 9. Bb2 Ne4 $1 10. dxc5 {Necessary to avoid the annoying pin by ...Bf6.} (10. Nc3 Bf6 $1 $15) (10. Nbd2 Bf6 $15) 10... Bxc5 11. Nc3 Nxc3 $1 12. Bxc3 d4 $15 { Gheorghiu thought Black already had a sizable edge.} 13. Bb2 Bg4 14. Rc1 Bb6 15. h3 Be6 16. Qd2 Qd7 17. Kh2 Rfe8 { Placing the Rooks at e8 and d8 is best in these positions.} 18. Rfd1 Rad8 19. Ba3 $2 {The beginning of a maneuver intended to put pressure on Black's pawn with Qb2 and Bc5 and possibly e3 if the Black Queen remains at d7. The problem, of course, is that this plan is slow and allows Black to attack.} ({ White must play} 19. e3 $1 d3 $1 (19... dxe3 $4 20. Qc3 $18) 20. Ne1 { and hope that he can win the d-pawn.}) 19... Bd5 $1 20. Qb2 Qf5 21. Kg1 Bxf3 $1 22. Bxf3 (22. exf3 d3 $1 $19) 22... d3 $1 $19 { A classic case of the IQP's "lust to expand."} (22... Qxh3 $15 23. Bc5 { offers White more chances for defense a pawn down.}) 23. Kg2 (23. Rf1 Qxh3 { gains tremendously in force due to the threat of Qxg3+ with the opened Bishop's diagonal.}) 23... Rxe2 $1 24. Bxe2 $2 (24. Rd2 Rde8 $1 $40) 24... Qxf2+ 25. Kh1 dxe2 26. Rxd8+ Nxd8 $1 27. Qe5 (27. Qc2 Qf1+ $1 28. Kh2 Bg1+ 29. Kh1 Be3+) 27... Qf1+ {and Black will force mate.} 0-1

No comments: