Con ECO C41

Amador - Conquest

Capablanca XXXI Cienfuegos 1996

Philidor C41

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 ed4 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Bf4 O-O 7. Qd2 c6 8. O-O-O b5

[8... d5 9. ed5 Nd5 10. Nd5 Qd5 11. Kb1 a5 12. Be2! a4 (12... Qg2?! 13. Rhg1 White has the initiative) 13. Bf3 White has a slight advantage 13... Qc5 (13... Qc4 14. Rhe1 Bc5 15. Re4 Qa6 16. Bh6 Bd4 17. Rd4 gh6 18. Qh6 Bf5 19. Rd8 Nd7 20. Qg5 Bg6 21. R8d7 White has a moderate advantage Brustman-Chiburdanidze/Novi Sad olw (12) 1990 1/2-1/2(70)) 14. Rhe1 Bf6 15. Be3 Rd8? 16. Nc6!! Rd2 17. Bc5 Rd1 18. Bd1! White has a decisive advantage  Leko,P-Barbero,G/Magyarorszag 62/(333) 1994]

9. f3 b4 10. Nce2?!

Played a tempo and soon facing an unpleasant surprise. Consulting my database later on I learnt that 10.b1 is correct and promising. [10. Nb1! Qb6 11. g4 d5 (11... Rd8 12. h4 c5 13. Nf5 Bf5 14. gf5 Nc6 15. Qg2 Nd4 16. Bh6 Ne8 17. Bg5 Nf6 18. Nd2 Qb7 19. Bd3 Kh8 20. Rdg1 Rg8 21. f4 White has a moderate advantage Lanka,Z-Bosboom/Amsterdam DON open (04) 1994 1-0 (35)) 12. e5 Ne8 13. Nf5 (13. h4 Nc7 14. Nf5 Bc5 15. Bd3 Nd7 16. Bh6 Ne5 17. Ng7 Kh8 18. Nh5 Ne8 19. Qg5 Nf3 20. Bg7 Kg8 21. Bh7 Kh7 22. Qh6 Kg8 23. Qh8# 1-0 Hyldkrog-Jensen/cr 1984) 13... Bc5 14. Re1 a5 15. h4 Na6 16. h5 Nac7 17. Bg5 f6 18. ef6 Nf6 19. Ng7 Kg7 20. Bh6 Kh8 21. Bf8 Bf8 22. Qf4 Nd7 23. g5 c5 24. Qf7 c4 25. Bh3 Qd4 26. h6 Bd6 27. Bf5 Nf8 28. Rh4 1-0 Poulsen-Jensen/cr 1984]

10... c5!

$146

11. Nf5

[11. Nb5? Qa5 12. Na3 Nc6 (12... Qa4)] [11. Nb3!? c4 12. Nbd4 Qa5 13. Kb1 unclear position]

11... Bf5 12. ef5 Nc6?

[12... d5! 13. g4 d4 Black has a slight advantage]

13. g4 Qa5 14. Kb1 Ne5 15. Ng3!

White has a moderate advantage

15... Nfd7

[15... Nf3 16. Qg2 (16. Qe2 Ne5 17. Be5 (17. g5 Nfd7 18. Bg2 White has sufficient compensation for material deficit) 17... de5 18. g5 Ne8 19. f6 gf6 20. Nf5 White has the attack) 16... Nh4 (16... Ne5 17. g5) 17. Qh3 Ne8 18. g5 White has a moderate advantage]

16. Be5! Ne5

[16... de5 17. Qd7! Rad8 18. Bc4 Rd7 19. Rd7 with a promising position in return for the queen sacrifice]

17. f4! Nc6 18. g5 Nd4 19. Bc4

White has a moderate advantage

19... d5 20. Bd5 Rad8 21. Qg2 Bd6 22. f6!

[22. g6 was also possible of course but the text is more energetic]

22... Qc7

[22... g6 23. h4! Bf4 24. h5! and Black can win material but he cannot stop the attack]

23. g6!?

Still playing for the attack but it was very simple to take on g7 and win in a few moves. [23. fg7! White has a decisive advantage 23... Kg7 (23... Rfe8 24. Nh5 Re2 25. Nf6 Kg7 26. Qh3 h5 27. Nh5 Kf8 28. Ng3) 24. Nh5 Kh8 25. Nf6 Be7 26. Qh3 Bf6 27. Be4]

23... hg6 24. Nh5

[24. Rd4 my original idea when I played 23.g6 24... cd4 25. Nf5 Rc8! 26. Rc1 d3] [24. Ne4!? As suggested by Conquest was still strong enough 24... Ne6 singular move 25. Be6 fe6 26. Qg6 (26. Ng5!) 26... Bf4 27. fg7 Rd1 (27... Rf7 28. Nf6) 28. Rd1 Qg7 29. Qe6 Kh8 30. Nc5]

24... Kh7 25. fg7 Rfe8 26. g8Q Rg8 27. Nf6 Kg7 28. Ng8 Rg8 29. h4 Bf4 30. Rdf1

[30. h5 g5 31. h6 Kh8]

30... Rf8 31. Qg4

[31. h5 g5]

31... Bh6 32. Rhg1

[32. h5 g5 33. Be4!?]

32... Qd6 33. Bc4 f5 34. Qg2 Re8 35. h5 g5 36. c3??

A crazy move in time trouble, I saw that any knight move loses immediately, but the black knight can stay right where it is! [36. Qb7 White has a decisive advantage 36... Kh8 (36... Re7 37. Qc8 Re3 38. Qg8 Kf6 39. Re1) (36... Qe7 37. Qa6) 37. Qa7]

36... bc3 37. bc3 Rb8

[37... Qb6!? 38. Qb2 (38. Ka1? Re2!) 38... Rb8 39. Bb3 unclear position]

38. Ka1 g4

[38... Qg3 39. Qd2]

39. Rd1?

[39. Rb1! White has a moderate advantage]

39... Qg3

an unexpected blow, fortunately White has a saving move available. [39... Be3! was very dangerous  40. Rge1 Qg3!]

40. Bd3 Qe5 41. Rb1! Rb1

[41... Rd8!? 42. Bc4 Be3 43. Rgd1]

42. Kb1 Ne6 43. Qb7

[43. Kc2!? White has a moderate advantage]

43... Kf6 44. Qh7

[44. Rf1 Nf4]

44... Qb8!

again an unexpected resource!

45. Kc2

[45. Ka1?? Bd2! Black has a decisive advantage]

45... Qh2 46. Kb3 c4!

[46... Qg1? 47. Qh6 when the passed pawn on h5 becomes inmediately da]

1/2-1/2

[Event "Capablanca mem-A"]
[Site "Cienfuegos"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Rodriguez, Amador"]
[Black "Conquest, Stuart"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C41"]
[WhiteElo "2485"]
[BlackElo "2540"]
[Annotator "Rodriguez,Am"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventDate "1996.05.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "CUB"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 54"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Bf4 O-O 7. Qd2 c6 8. O-O-O b5 (8... d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Kb1 a5 12. Be2 $1 a4 (12... Qxg2 $6 13. Rhg1 $36) 13. Bf3 $14 Qc5 (13... Qc4 14. Rhe1 Bc5 15. Re4 Qa6 16. Bh6 Bxd4 17. Rxd4 gxh6 18. Qxh6 Bf5 19. Rd8 Nd7 20. Qg5+ Bg6 21. R8xd7 $16 {Brustman-Chiburdanidze/Novi Sad olw (12) 1990 ½-½(70)}) 14. Rhe1 Bf6 15. Be3 Rd8 $2 16. Nxc6 $3 Rxd2 17. Bxc5 Rxd1+ 18. Bxd1 $1 $18 { Leko,P-Barbero,G/Magyarorszag 62/(333) 1994}) 9. f3 b4 10. Nce2 $6 {Played a tempo and soon facing an unpleasant surprise. Consulting my database later on I learnt that 10.b1 is correct and promising.} (10. Nb1 $1 Qb6 11. g4 d5 (11... Rd8 12. h4 c5 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. gxf5 Nc6 15. Qg2 Nd4 16. Bh6 Ne8 17. Bg5 Nf6 18. Nd2 Qb7 19. Bd3 Kh8 20. Rdg1 Rg8 21. f4 $16 {Lanka,Z-Bosboom/Amsterdam DON open (04) 1994 1-0 (35)}) 12. e5 Ne8 13. Nf5 (13. h4 Nc7 14. Nf5 Bc5 15. Bd3 Nd7 16. Bh6 Nxe5 17. Nxg7 Kh8 18. Nh5 Ne8 19. Qg5 Nxf3 20. Bg7+ Kg8 21. Bxh7+ Kxh7 22. Qh6+ Kg8 23. Qh8# {1-0 Hyldkrog-Jensen/cr 1984}) 13... Bc5 14. Re1 a5 15. h4 Na6 16. h5 Nac7 17. Bg5 f6 18. exf6 Nxf6 19. Nxg7 Kxg7 20. Bh6+ Kh8 21. Bxf8 Bxf8 22. Qf4 Nd7 23. g5 c5 24. Qf7 c4 25. Bh3 Qd4 26. h6 Bd6 27. Bf5 Nf8 28. Rh4 {1-0 Poulsen-Jensen/cr 1984}) 10... c5 $1 $146 11. Nf5 (11. Nb5 $2 Qa5 12. Na3 Nc6 (12... Qa4)) (11. Nb3 $5 c4 12. Nbd4 Qa5 13. Kb1 $13) 11... Bxf5 12. exf5 Nc6 $2 (12... d5 $1 13. g4 d4 $15) 13. g4 Qa5 14. Kb1 Ne5 15. Ng3 $1 $16 Nfd7 (15... Nxf3 16. Qg2 (16. Qe2 Ne5 17. Bxe5 (17. g5 Nfd7 18. Bg2 $44) 17... dxe5 18. g5 Ne8 19. f6 gxf6 20. Nf5 $40) 16... Nh4 (16... Ne5 17. g5) 17. Qh3 Ne8 18. g5 $16) 16. Bxe5 $1 Nxe5 (16... dxe5 17. Qxd7 $1 Rad8 18. Bc4 Rxd7 19. Rxd7 {with a promising position in return for the queen sacrifice}) 17. f4 $1 Nc6 18. g5 Nd4 19. Bc4 $16 d5 20. Bxd5 Rad8 21. Qg2 Bd6 22. f6 $1 (22. g6 {was also possible of course but the text is more energetic}) 22... Qc7 (22... g6 23. h4 $1 Bxf4 24. h5 $1 {and Black can win material but he cannot stop the attack}) 23. g6 $5 {Still playing for the attack but it was very simple to take on g7 and win in a few moves.} (23. fxg7 $1 $18 Kxg7 (23... Rfe8 24. Nh5 Re2 25. Nf6+ Kxg7 26. Qh3 h5 27. Nxh5+ Kf8 28. Ng3) 24. Nh5+ Kh8 25. Nf6 Be7 26. Qh3 Bxf6 27. Be4) 23... hxg6 24. Nh5 (24. Rxd4 {my original idea when I played 23.g6} cxd4 25. Nf5 Rc8 $1 26. Rc1 d3) (24. Ne4 $5 {As suggested by Conquest was still strong enough} Ne6 $8 25. Bxe6 fxe6 26. Qxg6 (26. Ng5 $1) 26... Bxf4 27. fxg7 Rxd1+ (27... Rf7 28. Nf6+) 28. Rxd1 Qxg7 29. Qxe6+ Kh8 30. Nxc5) 24... Kh7 25. fxg7 Rfe8 26. g8=Q+ Rxg8 27. Nf6+ Kg7 28. Nxg8 Rxg8 29. h4 Bxf4 30. Rdf1 (30. h5 g5 31. h6+ Kh8) 30... Rf8 31. Qg4 (31. h5 g5) 31... Bh6 32. Rhg1 (32. h5 g5 33. Be4 $5) 32... Qd6 33. Bc4 f5 34. Qg2 Re8 35. h5 g5 36. c3 $4 {A crazy move in time trouble, I saw that any knight move loses immediately, but the black knight can stay right where it is!} (36. Qb7+ $18 Kh8 (36... Re7 37. Qc8 Re3 38. Qg8+ Kf6 39. Re1) (36... Qe7 37. Qa6) 37. Qxa7) 36... bxc3 37. bxc3 Rb8+ (37... Qb6+ $5 38. Qb2 (38. Ka1 $2 Re2 $1) 38... Rb8 39. Bb3 $13) 38. Ka1 g4 (38... Qg3 39. Qd2) 39. Rd1 $2 (39. Rb1 $1 $16) 39... Qg3 {an unexpected blow, fortunately White has a saving move available.} (39... Be3 $1 {was very dangerous } 40. Rge1 Qg3 $1) 40. Bd3 Qe5 41. Rb1 $1 Rxb1+ (41... Rd8 $5 42. Bc4 Be3 43. Rgd1) 42. Kxb1 Ne6 43. Qb7+ (43. Kc2 $5 $16) 43... Kf6 44. Qh7 (44. Rf1 Nf4) 44... Qb8+ $1 {again an unexpected resource!} 45. Kc2 (45. Ka1 $4 Bd2 $1 $19) 45... Qh2+ 46. Kb3 c4+ $1 (46... Qxg1 $2 47. Qxh6+ {when the passed pawn on h5 becomes inmediately da