White: GM Yasser Seirawan
Black: GM Joel
Benjamin
Estes Park, Colorado,
1987, Round 11
Catalan Opening [E11]
1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e6, 3. g3 Bb4+, 4. Bd2 Qe7, 5. Nc3 Bxc3, 6. Bxc3 Ne4, 7. Qc2 Nxc3,
8. Qxc3 O-O, 9. Bg2 d6, 10. Nf3 Re8, 11. Rd1 Nd7, 12. O-O e5, 13. Rfe1 e4, 14. Nd2 Nf6,
15. Nf1 d5, 16. Ne3 Be6, 17. f4 Rad8, 18. f5 ……
Believe it or not….the losing move. Black retreats,
regroups, starts a diversion counter attack on the queen side, only to return
to this lonely pawn later after possible defenders have left the area.
18. ….. Bc8
19. c5 h5
20. Rf1 b6
21. Rc1 Ba6
Attacking a different lonely pawn.
22. Qd2 Rb8
23. b3 c6
24. Rc2 bxc5
25. Rxc5 Qd6
26. Rfc1 Rb6
One defender leaves the area.
27. Qe1 Nd7
28. R5c2 Qh6
Looking for all the world like Black is attacking an
unguarded knight, when the goal is really to have White un-guard the f-pawn
once the Lady of the House is dealt with.
29. Qf2 Bb7
30. Rc3 a5
31. Nd1 a4
32. e3 Ra8
Sadly White thinks he is solid now; backward pawn advanced,
enemy e-pawn blocked, Queen and knight properly placed to defend either side of
the board. Looks great, but in actuality…..not so much!
33. Nd2 Qd6
34. Bf1 Nf6
Black is still acting like he wants to attack that e-pawn and
the queen-side simultaneously and that is what White defends. But White weakens
the squares around his king in the process.
35. h3 Bc8!
Whites says to himself….”Self. My queen can cover three
pawns at once." A real 90’s woman….in 1987.
36. bxa4 Rxa4
37. Nb3 Ra3
38. Nc5 Rxc3
39. Rxc3 ……
Clearing the back ranks for an invasion!
39. ….. Bxf5!
40. Qxf5?? ……
I’m no grandmaster, but not accepting the sacrifice and
returning the rook to c1 seems to hold for a while.
40. ….. Qxg3+
41. Kh1 Rb2
Resigns
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