1986-02-15 - Handley, Mike 1-0 Lindley, M
According to the original annotator this is a Benko Gambit Rejected! This sets the scene as Black soon embarks on a faulty plan. Mike Handley soon drives him backwards, wins one Pawn and then another. Resignation is none too soon.
[Event "BRISTOL LEAGUE CONGRESS SECTION 2"] [Site "?"] [Date "1986.02.15"] [Round "2"] [White "Handley, Mike"] [Black "Lindley, M"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A57"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "59"] {Original notes by Steve Maggs (SM) in BCT issue 57, May 1986.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. a4 {"White rejects the Benko Gambit with this strong positional rejoinder." SM. Interesting use of the word 'rejected' rather than 'declined'. } bxc4 5. Nc3 g6 {"If Black tries to keep c4 - 5...Ba6 5 e4 d6 7 a5! with the threat of Qa4+ and the capture of c4. If 7...Qd7 8 Qa4 Qxa4 9 Rxa4 and c4 is still going to drop." SM.} 6. e4 d6 7. Bxc4 Bg7 8. f4 O-O 9. Nf3 Bg4 10. O-O Nbd7 11. h3 {The game Karl-Nemet, Baden Casino Open 1999, went on 11 a5 Ne8 12 h3 Bxf3 13 Qxf3 Nc7 14 Ra1 a6 15 Qd3 Qb8 17 Bd2 Qb7 18 Bh4 Bf6 19 Bg3 Nb5 20 e5! dxe5 21 f5 and White was better, 1-0 in 50 moves.} Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Qa5 $6 { The beginning of a dubious plan. The Black Queen gets short of squares and the Knights become vulnerable.. The correct plan is to play ...a7-a5 and then plonk a Knight on b4 via a6 so it could be that the natural-looking 10...Nbd7 is an error.} 13. Re1 Nb6 14. Bb5 $1 {"Exploiting the absence of Black's light-squared Bishop to possibly use c6 as an outpost if desired. Also Black's Queen is very restricted." SM. For an effective exploitation of c6 with a Bishop in the Benko Gambit see Korchnoi-Quinteros. Leningrad Interzonal 1973.} Nfd7 15. Bd2 Qb4 16. Qe2 c4 {"If 16...Qxb2 17 Rfb1 Qc2 18 Bd3 traps the Queen. " SM. This move also defends against the threat of 17 a5 winning a piece because the Knights are defending each other. The defence is now 17 a5 Bxc3 18 Bxc3 Qxb5 because Black cut off the Queen e2 from the b5 Bishop, However, the Pawn is very exposed. I'm struggling to find constructive alternatives for Black. Going for simplification with 16...Qd4+ 17.Be3 Qxe3+!? 18.Qxe3 Bd4 19. Qxd4! cxd4 20.Ne2 simply loses a Pawn. If 16...a5 17.Bc6 Rab8 (if 17...Ra7 18. Nb5 wins the Rook.) 18.Nd1 Qd4+ 19.Kh1 still leaves White at least +1 according to Deep Rybka, and it looks like the a5 Pawn is dropping.} 17. Bc6 Rad8 18. a5 Na8 {"At last creating an escape path for the Queen, as well as intending to [re]develop the Knight on c7." SM.} 19. Na4 Qb8 20. Qxc4 Qc7 $2 { "Black has now had disastrous second thoughts and has 'changed horses in midstream'. Now the Knight is left on a hopeless square while Black has a cramped, passive game. largely due to White's powerful Bishop on c6. It is interesting to note just how helpless Black was to prevent the loss of his c4 Pawn. White's plan is to simply overrun the Queenside." SM. Steve actually gave this a ?? This is not so much changing horses in midstream as stranding one on an island! Deep Rybka draws little difference between the text and other moves, but getting the Knight back into play deserves some sort of priority. Black is not going to survive with a Knight on a8.} 21. Rab1 Rc8 22. b4 e6 23. b5 e5 {Another change of heart? If Black wanted to do this then he could have played it in one move as 23 dxe6 e.p.?? leaves the c6 Bishop en prise.} 24. Qb4 Rb8 $2 {Meekly surrendering the d6 Pawn. Black had to play 24.. .exf4 25 Bxf4 Ne5 come what may.} 25. Rec1 {Now the simple threat of 26 Bxa8 obliges the Black Queen to step away from the d6 Pawn.} Qd8 26. Qxd6 Nf6 {And now White is in complete control while Black is collapsing. Resignation would not be out of place.} 27. Qxd8 Rfxd8 28. fxe5 Nxe4 29. Bf4 Nc7 30. e6 { "White's pressure was all on the Queenside, but it is interesting that it was Black's centre that collapsed when he tried to free himself with 22...e6 and 23...e5, because his defence was positionally flawed." SM.} 1-0
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