Brock, Bill - Pullin, Matt
EC Economy Open 4 (Evanston Chess Club)
Round 3
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4
e6 3.c4 c6
4.Nc3 Brock's usual move in this position
is 4.Qc2, which has a very solid reputation. However, in order to have more fun Bill plays 4.Nc3 which
invites Black to enter the Botvinnik variation with 4...Nf6 5.Bg5 dxc4, or...
4...dxc4 4...dxc4
which is the Noteboom variation. This has been in my repetoire against the Queen's Gambit since I
began playing chess, but I have only achieved this position five times in my career; it is difficult
to reach because there are numerous ways for White to avoid it. Yet in this tournament both of my
White opponents allowed me to play this defense!
5.a4
Bb4 6.e4 6.e3
has a much better reputation, and is seen 69% of the time. Whereas 6.e4 conquers more space in the
center, the move is very double edged as d4 is weakened and White may lose a tempo defending his e
pawn. 6.e3 b5 7.Bd2 Bb7 8.axb5 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 cxb5 10.b3 a5 11.bxc4 b4 12.Bb2 Nf6 is the mainline, where
White recovers the pawn and has attacking chances in the middlegame, but in an ending Black's connected
outside passers are often worth more than a piece.
6...b5
7.axb5 A premature capture. The most popular
move is 7.Bd2; 7.Be2 and 7.Bg5 are also reasonable.
7...cxb5
8.Be2 Bb7 9.e5 Extremely
committal, but 9.Qc2 Nf6 =+
9...Ne7 10.
15.Qxe4
Nbd5 16.Bd2 a6 Ra6
was a threat, but Crafty thinks that I was too cautious here. 16...a5 17.Rfb1 Qd7 =+
17.Bg4
Qc7 18.f4 g6 Setting
up a blockade on the light squares. It is not suprising that two knights are doing more work than
two bishops in this position.
19.Be2 h5
20.g3 Kd7 With
the center closed, this is the perfect place for the king to be. If the queens and light square bishop
are traded Black can win by penetrating with the king on the light squares.
21.h3 ?
Bill believes White's position urgently requires an f4-f5 break. I believe this move is a mistake
and white needs to spend more time preparing the break. 21.Rf3 .: Be1 is a possibility we discovered
after the game.
21...Nf5 22.Qf3
h4 23.g4 Ng3
24.Rf2 Nb6 Crafty
thinks I erred here, giving 24...Nxe2+ -1.13 The point of 24...Nb6 is that if 25. Bd1 (Crafty -0.72),
saving the light square bishop, 25...Qc6 and White cannot dodge the queen trade due to mate on h1.
I would have been happy in either case; trades in the Noteboom favor Black!
25.Rg2
Nxe2+ Now this trade is forced.
26.Qxe2
Qc6 27.Rf1 Rag8 Prophylactic
against White's only aggressive move, f4-f5. Since Bill is not one to grovel for a draw, he goes for
it anyway!
28.f5 gxf5
29.gxf5 Qxg2+
30.Qxg2 Rxg2+
31.Kxg2 Rg8+ 32.Kh2 After
this move the White king is cut off for a long time, but otherwise ...Rg3 and the pressure on both
wings is too much for White to handle in the bad bishop vs. good knight ending.
32...Nd5
33.fxe6+ fxe6
34.Rf7+ Kc6 35.Rh7
Rg6 The safest move. If 35...a5 36.Rh6
forces Black to worsen the position of one of his three pieces. Crafty loves 35...a5 36.Rh6 Re8 -3.75,
but I don't play endings like a computer and I feel the g file is too important to give up.
36.Rxh4
a5 37.Rg4 This
ending is a forced loss, but at least White manages to activate the king and trade off his inferior
rook. 37.Ra8 Kb7 keeps White fighting a little longer.
37...Rxg4
38.hxg4 b4 39.g5
Kd7 40.Kg3 b3
41.Bc1 Nxc3 42.g6
Ke8 43.Kg4 Kf8
44.Kg5 Nd5 White
resigns. The Noteboom passed pawns will win by themselves.
Analysis by Matt Pullin
Copyright 2007 Matt Pullin, Published by evanstonchess.org with permission.
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