Reply #8: Janssen - Dambacher, Dutch Championships, Round 2, Hiversum

[Jack Rabbit]

Ruud Janssen is an international master who is not expected to be the next Dutch national champion.

But this is a very pretty game.



Ruud Janssen right, playing White) and Martijn Dambacher
preparing for action prior to the game presented here
Photo: Website of the 2007 Dutch National Championships

Ruud Janssen vs. Martijn Dambacher
Dutch National Championships, Round 2
Hilversum, June 2007

Queen's Gambit Exchange: Hastings Opening

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 0-0 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. Nge2

• 8. Nf3 is the more-common alternative with many variations.

8. -- Re8 9. 0-0 Nf8 10. Qc2 c6 11. f3 Be6 12. Rad1 N6d7?!

• Black's prospects after the text move are statistically not good.
• If 12. -- Rc8 13. Kh1 Ng6 then:
• If 14. e4 dxe4 15. fxe4 Ng4 16. Bc1 c5 17. e5 cxd4 18. Nxd4 Qxd4 19. Bxg6 Qxe5 20. Bf4 Qc5 21. Bxh7+ Kh8 22. Be4 is an equal game(Sadler-Asrian, FIDE KO Ch, Las Vegas 2000).
• 14. Ng3 Nh5 15. Bxe7 Nxg3+ 16. hxg3 Qxe7 17. Kg1 c5 18. Bxg6 hxg6 19. dxc5 Qxc5 20. Rd4 b5 gives Black a slight spatial plus, but White's Knight has a better future than Black's Bishop. (Tukmakov-Miladinovic, Elenite 1995).
• 12. -- Ng6 13. Ng3 Rc8 14. Rde1 c5 15. f4 Nf8 16. Kh1 h6 17. Bh4 a6 18. Qd2 cxd4 19. exd4 Ne4 is level (Bareev-Jussupow, Munich 1994).

13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. e4 dxe4

• 14. -- f6 15. Ng3 Qd6 16. Qf2 Rad8 17. Rfe1 g6 18. f4 Bf7 19. f5 Kg7 20. Bc2 g5 21. Bb3 gives White a superior game tanks to his pawn center (Fish-Askarian, Ukraninian TCh, Alushta 2000).

15. fxe4 Rac8!?

• Black breaks from the book, since the book doesn't have a happy ending for Black.
• 15. -- Nb6 16. e5 c5 17. Nb5 cxd4 18. Nexd4 Qh4 19. Nf3 Qh6 20. Nd6 gives White early cances to take home a full point. (Lobron-Jussupow, Donner Mem, Amsterdam 1994).

16. Ng3

• White makes a non-committal move waiting for Black to show his hand.
• 16. Nf4 Bg4 17. Rd2 Qd6 18. Rff2 c5 19. Nb5 Qb8 20. d5 is equal.

16. -- c5?

• This move looks reasonable in that is attacks White's pawn center, but the center has not yet been immobilzed. It is more important to stop the advance of the pawns first.
• 16. -- Nf6 17. Qa4 a6 18. Bc2 Bg4 19. Rc1 Qd7 20. Qb4 b5 gives White a small edge in space, but Black will have counterplay if White advances the e-pawn (for example, 21. e5 a5!).

17. d5

• Since the text movechanges the the status of White Dishop from bad to worse, White might consider 17. dxc5, but it doesn't promise much.
• 17. dxc5 Qxc5+ 18. Qf2 Ne5 19. Be2 Nfd7 20. Nf5 Bxf5 21. exf5 is even and drawish.

17. -- Bg4

• The Bishop has no other quarter.

Black: Martijn Dambacher
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White: Ruud Janssen
Position after 17. -- Be6g4

18. Be2!!

• White forces Black to give up his once active Bishop who no longer has room to maneuver for White's bad Bishop.

18. -- Bxe2 19. Qxe2 Nf6

• Black attempts to blockade White's pawns, but he's already in a deep hole.
• If 19. -- Qe5 20. Qh5 Qxh5 21. Nxh5 Rcd8 then:
• 22. Ng3 Nb6 23. Kf2 Ng6 24. Nf5 gives White a small spatial edge.
• After 22. -- Ne5 23. Nf5 a6 24. d6 Ne6 25. Nd5 Black is getting a case of the cramps.
• If 19. -- Qe5 20. Qf2 Nf6 21. Nf5 Rc7 22. Nh6+ then:
• 22. -- Kh8 23. Qf5 Qxf5 24. Rxf5 give White a huge edge in space.
• 22. -- gxh6 23. Qxf6 Ng6 24. Qf5 gives White more space, more piece activity and a better center.
• White has a won game after 19. -- Ne5 20. Nf5 Qd7 21. Qb5 Rc7 22. d6 Qxb5 23. Nxb5 Rd7 24. Nc7.

20. d6 Qe6

• After 20. -- Qe5 21. Rf5 Qe6 22. e5 N6d7 23. Nd5 White looks better on dark squares than he did just a few moves ago.

Black: Martijn Dambacher
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White: Ruud Janssen
Position after 20. -- Qe7e6

21. Rxf6!!

• The exchange sacrifice is well calculated. White gets both Knights for the Rook.

21. -- Qxf6 22. d7!

• This is the point of the combination. Black's next move is forced.

22. -- Nxd7 23. Rxd7

• Winning from here is a piece of cake.

23. -- Rb8 24. Nf5 Red8 25. Nd5 Qg5 26. Rc7 Kf8

• If 26. -- Qc1+ 27. Qf1 Qxf1+ 28. Kxf1 then:
• 28. -- Kf8 29. Rxc5 Rbc8 30. Nc7 Rd1+ 31. Ke2 Rcd8 32. Nd5 000
• 28. -- c4 29. e5 Re8 30. Nd6 Rxe5 31. Ne7+ Kf8 32. Nef5 g6 33. Rxf7+ 000

27. Qf1 Rdc8 28. Rxc8+ Rxc8 29. Nd6 1-0

• Black must either lose the Rook or submit immediately to checkmate.
• Mh. Dumbacher resigns.