The Berlin Defense and the Endgame
By GM Pal Benko
The Berlin Defense (C67) in the "Spanish torture" is designed to head right into an ending. Benko brings us up to date on the latest in this potent weapon against attacking players.
The third Grand Prix event of 2008 was organized in Elista, Russia. The Berlin Defense variation of the Ruy Lopez, a system that leads to an early endgame, was played four times here.
Even Garry Kasparov praised it, label ing it as an effective weapon against attacking players, as Kramnik showed when he successfully used it against him during their world championship match.
Typical win example
GM Dimitry Jakovenko (FIDE 2737) GM Yue Wang (FIDE 2736)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3
- After 9. Nc3
This will be the starting point for the games that follow. Black hopes to com pensate White's kingside pawn majority with his own bishop pair. White also has some developmental advantages, but the black position is hard to penetrate.
White believes that his kingside advance is prepared well enough.
11.... Nh4 12. Nxh4 Bxh4 13. Rd1 Be7 14. Kg2 h5 15. f3 Be6 16. Ne2 Rd8 17. Be3 a6
Too cautious. Instead 17. ... Rd5! and after 18. Rxd5 cxd5 19. Bxa7 b6 20. a4 Kd7 favors Black.
18. Nf4g6
Better is 18. ... Rxd1 19. Rxd1 hxg4 20. hxg4 Bd7, keeping the bishop pair.
19. Rxd8+ Kxd8 20. Rd1 + Kc8 21. Nxe6 fxe6 22. f4 b5 23. b3 Rh7 24. Bf2 hxg4 25. hxg4 Rh8 26. Rh1 Rxh1 27. Kxh1
After trading the rooks White can carry out the f4 f5 breakthrough. Black has no counterplay.
27.... Kd7 28. Kg2 Bb4 29. Kf3 Ke8 30. Ke4 Ke7 31. Bh4+ Ke8 32. f5 gxf5 + 33. gxf5 exf5 +
Blockading with either 33. ... Kd7 or 33. ... Kf7 may have provided longer resist ance but Black trusted in his chances with diminished material.
34. Kxf5 Bc3 35. Bf2 Ke7 36. e6 Ke8 37. Bg3 Ba5 38. Be5 Bb6 39. c3 c5
Since 39. ... Ba5 40. b4! Bb6 41. Bd4 would have resulted in a winning king and pawn ending for White.
Prepares a break in for the white king.
42.... Be1 43. Ke6 Bh4 44. Kd6 Bxe7+ 45. Kxc6 bxc4 46. bxc4 Kd8 47. Bd6 Bh4 48. Bxc5 Kc8 49. Kb6 a5
In case of 49. ... Kd7 50. Kxa6?, then Kc6! draws but 50. Kb7 and pushing the c pawn wins easily enough.
50. Kxa5 Kb7 51. Kb5 Bg3 52. a4 Ka8 53. Be3 Bd6 54. Bd2, Black resigned.
Black gave up because of 55. Bb4 and c5 is not possible to prevent but the immediate 55. c5? would be a blunder since 55. ... Bxc5! could draw. A similar process should come at c7 too after push ing the pawns to a6 and c6.
Two pawns more !?
GM Alexander Grischuk (FIDE 2719) GM Pavel Ejanov (FIDE 2720)
See diagram after 9. Nc3
Starts an immediate demonstration of his kingside forces. No time is wasted.
11.... Nh4 12. Nxh4 Bxh4 13. h3 Be7 14. Kg2 h5 15. f3 hxg4 16. hxg4f5
Opening up the position is premature due to lagging development.
Gives up defending the c7 pawn. (The trouble would be even greater after 18. ... f5 19. Rh1 Rg8 20. Rae1.)
19. Bxc7 f5 20. gxf5 Rg8+ 21. Kf2 Bc5+ 22. Ke2 Rg2+ 23. Kd3 Bxf5+ 24. Ne4 Ke7 25. Rd2 Rxd2+ 26. Kxd2 Bxe4 27. fxe4 Rg8
- After 27. ... Rg8
28. Rh1
The situation has cleared up after some complications. White is a pawn up but realizing the advantage is not easy.
28.... Bd4 29. b3 Rg2+ 30. Kd3 Bg7 31. Bf4 b5 32. Rh5 a6 33. a4 Rg4 34. Be3 Rg3 35. c4 Kd7 36. Ke2 bxa4 37. bxa4 Bc3 38. Rh7+ Ke6?!
Simpler was 38. ... Rg7. Trading either the rooks or the bishop would ease his defense.
39. Rc7
39. Bf4! would have thwarted the acti vation of Black's king.
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Benko's Bafflers |
Problem I Gerd Wilhelm Horning (Germany) |
Problem II Alain Pallier, (France) | ||||
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Most of the time these studies resemble positions that could actu ally occur over the board. You must simply reach a theoretically won position for White. Solutions can be found on page 71. Please e mail submissions for Benko's Bafflers to: pbenko@ uschess.org | ||||||
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