British 2015 Round by Round

Simon Ansell · Post by **Simon Ansell** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 8:54 pm

108. Nh6 was possible?

edit: actually maybe that's a draw after 108... Rh6 109 a8Q Rh2 110 Kf1 Kf3 when 111 Qf8 Bf4 might even lose for White!

Martin Benjamin · Post by **Martin Benjamin** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 8:54 pm

Tim Harding wrote: It does look as if Howell is about to win. Whether he should have been allowed to isn't so clear.

It isn't immediately apparent to me how White can escape the perpetual

Carl Hibbard · Post by **Carl Hibbard** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 8:59 pm

Was ... Rc2 winning there? Engine anyone?

Martin Benjamin · Post by **Martin Benjamin** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:01 pm

Easier watching than playing, but surely both players have ovelooked that 117..... Rc2 must be winning - or am I wrong?

Tim Harding · Post by **Tim Harding** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:02 pm

Simon Ansell wrote:108. Nh6 was possible?

No, I think there's no way out of perpetual after 108 Nh6 Rxh6 109 a8Q R+ etc unless White walks into a mating net at g1, when Qf8+ fails to Bf4.

Seems I was wrong, but I thought Howell had seen a way to meet Rh3+ by Nd3, Rxd3+ Kd2 to gain a tempo but I guess that also was too risky.

Perhaps White's best chance was the Nxd6+ I mentioned earlier.

Now it seems that GORMALLY is closer to the win but they are moving so quickly the engine doesn't have time to do a proper calculation so the evaluations can't be trusted.

Martin Benjamin wrote:
Tim Harding wrote: It does look as if Howell is about to win. Whether he should have been allowed to isn't so clear.
It isn't immediately apparent to me how White can escape the perpetual

Yes ...Rc2 would have won for Gormally I think.

John Anderson · Post by **John Anderson** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:03 pm

Oops - didn`t Gormally miss a win with 119. ...Rc2! ?

Reg Clucas · Post by **Reg Clucas** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:03 pm

Carl Hibbard wrote:Was ... Rc2 winning there? Engine anyone?

My engineless appraisal suggests ...Rc2 is met by Ne3 giving a tempo for the pawn to promote

Roger de Coverly · Post by **Roger de Coverly** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:05 pm

Martin Benjamin wrote:Easier watching than playing, but surely both players have ovelooked that 117..... Rc2 must be winning - or am I wrong?

That's what the stockfish engine at chessbomb thought.

NickFaulks · Post by **NickFaulks** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:05 pm

When you're congratulating yourself on finding a clever way to draw, it's easy to overlook a flukey win

Tim Harding · Post by **Tim Harding** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:08 pm

Reg Clucas wrote:
Carl Hibbard wrote:Was ... Rc2 winning there? Engine anyone?
My engineless appraisal suggests ...Rc2 is met by Ne3 giving a tempo for the pawn to promote

117 (or 119)...Rc2+ 118 Ne3 Rc1+ 119 Nd1 Rxd1 mate. Even if you give White a tempo to play a8Q he still gets mated.

Roger de Coverly · Post by **Roger de Coverly** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:11 pm

Tim Harding wrote: Even if you give White a tempo to play a8Q he still gets mated.

The engine had Nh4 check giving up the Knight, but allowing Rf8 check stopping the mate. The pawn at a7 seems to fall leaving Black winning with the extra piece.

Reg Clucas · Post by **Reg Clucas** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:13 pm

Tim Harding wrote:
Reg Clucas wrote:
Carl Hibbard wrote:Was ... Rc2 winning there? Engine anyone?
My engineless appraisal suggests ...Rc2 is met by Ne3 giving a tempo for the pawn to promote
117 (or 119)...Rc2+ 118 Ne3 Rc1+ 119 Nd1 Rxd1 mate. Even if you give White a tempo to play a8Q he still gets mated.

You're right, I thought Carl was referring to the position with the K on g1.

LawrenceCooper · Post by **LawrenceCooper** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:14 pm

I knew the game would have an uneventful end and so nipped out to Tesco

Tim Harding · Post by **Tim Harding** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:15 pm

When Gormally played his blunder 83...Rd7, Howell had not much more than 30 seconds to calculate the unexpected opportunity so he can forgive himself for not doing it. The chance never came round again (G maybe realised what he had done and didn't make the same mistake again).

After 84 Nxd6+ Bxd6 85 e5 Bc7 (other retreats lose the b-pawn) Stockfish recommends the simple 86 Ke4 (no need for crazy R moves and a pawn fork) and Black soon loses the g-pawn (or maybe the b-pawn). Then it's three passed pawns versus a bad B with the more active K and R. So possibly a White win with care unless Black can find a way to return the bishop for two pawns and then hang on.

Settling for a perpetual when you've been trying for ages to save a game and don't see that you can now win is very human; we've all done it.

Martin Benjamin · Post by **Martin Benjamin** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:18 pm

When I was looking at 117....Rc2, I thought 120 Nxh4+ gxh4 121 Rf8+ 121...Ke3 122 a8 = Q might refute it, but (can't claim to have seen this until looking more closely) the super-cool 122....h3 seems to win.

I would love to claim to being confident of finding this over the board and having the nerve to play it under the 30 seconds increment phase of the game after 120 moves, but being honest with myself.............

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