Goeller-Kernighan, KCC Summer Tourney 2005

Here is my game from last night against NM Mark Kernighan. It began as a repeat of the Grand Prix Attack line from our playoff game in the Kenilworth Chess Club Championship, but I varied with an improvement recommended by Steve Stoyko following that earlier game. As usual against Mark, I probably had a win. But as they said about Alekhine, "you have to beat him three times: in the opening, the middlegame, and the ending." Mark refuses to go down... Another escape by our Mr. Houdini.

[Event "KCC Summer Tournament"]
[Site "Kenilworth, NJ USA"]
[Date "2005.06.23"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Goeller, Michael"]
[Black "Kernighan, Mark"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B23"]
[WhiteElo "2020"]
[BlackElo "2216"]
[Annotator "Goeller,Michael"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[TimeControl "G60"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 {I had actually been planning a surprise alternative but then felt unprepared to try it.} Nc6 3. f4 g6 ({Mark used to play} 3... e6 { in skittles against me exclusively, but began employing the fianchetto line when we met for our Kenilworth Chess Club Championship playoff game to decide uncontested 3rd place.}) 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bb5 Nd4 6. O-O Nxb5 7. Nxb5 d6 ({ Generally recommended as equal is} 7... d5 $1 {when an interesting try for advantage is the sharp} 8. e5 $5 d4 $1 9. c3 $5 a6 10. Na3 d3 $1 11. Nc4 b5 12. Ne3 Nh6 13. b3 Nf5 14. Qe1 O-O 15. Ba3 b4 $2 ( 15... Qc7 16. Qf2 Nxe3 17. Qxe3 c4 $13) 16. cxb4 cxb4 17. Bxb4 Qb6 18. Bc3 Bb7 19. Qf2 Nxe3 20. Qxe3 Qxe3+ 21. dxe3 Rfc8 22. Rac1 e6 23. Rfd1 Bf8 24. Bb2 Rc2 25. Rxc2 dxc2 26. Rc1 Be4 27. Kf2 a5 28. Ke2 a4 29. Nd2 Bf5 30. h3 axb3 31. axb3 Ra2 32. g4 Rxb2 33. gxf5 gxf5 34. Kd3 Bc5 35. Kc3 Ra2 36. Nc4 Kg7 37. b4 Ba7 {1-0, Hebden-Thorsson, Kopavogur 1994}) 8. c4 $1 { Recommended by Steve Stoyko following my earlier playoff game against Mark.} ({ I think I had played either} 8. Qe1) ({or} 8. d3 {previously.}) 8... Bd7 ({ I like the sharp} 8... a6 $1 9. Nc3 b5 $1 (9... e6 $6 10. d3 (10. d4 $1 $14) 10... Ne7 11. Be3 O-O 12. Qd2 Qc7 13. Ne2 b6 14. Ng3 Rd8 15. Qf2 f5 16. Rae1 $13 {0-1 Andersson,P-Lund,V/Hallstahammar 2001 (36)}) 10. d3 (10. cxb5 $6 axb5 11. Nxb5 $2 Ba6 $17) (10. d4 $1 $13) 10... b4 (10... Bxc3 $5 11. bxc3 bxc4 12. dxc4 Rb8 $11) 11. Ne2 f5 12. e5 Nh6 13. d4 Nf7 14. dxc5 dxe5 15. Qxd8+ $6 (15. Qa4+ $1 $14) 15... Kxd8 $13 {1-0 Rausis,I-Marcelin,C/Evry 2002 (47)}) ({ Also playable is} 8... Nf6 9. d3 O-O 10. Qe1 a6 11. Nc3 b5 12. Qh4 (12. f5 bxc4 13. dxc4 e6 14. Bg5 Bb7 15. Rd1 h6 16. Bxh6 Nxe4 17. Bg5 Nf6 18. fxg6 fxg6 19. Nd2 Bc6 {1-0 Vakhania,A-Balkhamishvili,T/Tbilisi 2002 (19)}) 12... b4 13. Ne2 e6 14. g4 $5 Nd7 15. Qh3 f5 $2 (15... Re8 $5 16. Ng5 Nf8 $13) 16. gxf5 $2 (16. Ng5 $1 Nf6 (16... h6 $2 17. Nxe6) 17. e5 $1 $16) 16... exf5 17. Ng5 Nf6 18. e5 dxe5 19. fxe5 Nh5 $1 20. Qg2 Ra7 21. Ng3 Qd4+ 22. Rf2 Nxg3 23. Qxg3 Bxe5 24. Bf4 Bxf4 25. Qxf4 Qxf4 26. Rxf4 Re8 27. d4 h6 28. Nh3 g5 29. Rf2 f4 30. Nxf4 gxf4 31. Rxf4 Rg7+ 32. Kf2 cxd4 { 0-1 Steve Pozarek-Sergei Kudrin/Washington 1990 (32)}) 9. Nc3 e6 $2 {Stoyko thought this was a very bad move. There seem to be a number of alternatives for Black:} ({a)} 9... Bc6 10. d3 Nh6 11. Qe1 Qd7 12. f5 $6 gxf5 13. Bxh6 Bxh6 14. exf5 Qxf5 15. Nh4 Qg5 16. Kh1 O-O-O 17. Rxf7 Rhf8 18. Rxh7 Rh8 19. Rxh8 Rxh8 20. Ne4 Qh5 21. Qg3 Bxe4 22. dxe4 Bg5 23. Nf3 Bf6 $13 { 1-0 Bogut,Z-Milanovic,D/Neum BIH 2004 (46)}) ({b)} 9... e5 10. d3 Ne7 11. f5 $5 gxf5 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nh4 Be6 14. Ne4 Qd7 15. Bh6 Kf8 16. Nf6 Qd8 17. Qd2 Ng8 18. Bxg7+ Kxg7 19. Nh5+ Kf8 20. Nf5 h6 21. Nfg7 Ke7 22. Qf2 Kd7 23. Qf3 Kc7 24. Qe4 Qd7 25. b4 cxb4 26. c5 Ne7 27. Rac1 Nc6 28. Nxe6+ fxe6 29. cxd6+ Qxd6 30. Rf7+ Kb6 31. Rc4 a5 32. Qe3+ Ka6 33. Nf6 Rab8 34. Rd7 Qf8 35. Ne4 Kb5 36. Nc3+ bxc3 37. a4+ Ka6 38. Rxc6+ b6 39. Rcc7 Ra8 40. Qe4 Qb8 41. Qc4+ b5 42. Rc6+ { 1-0 Roberts,P-Brod,M/Budapest HUN 2003 (42)}) ({c)} 9... Nh6 $5) 10. d3 $6 ({ Stoyko thought the best way to exploit Black's last move was by opening the position with} 10. d4 $1 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Qb6 $2 12. Be3 $3 Qxb2 13. Ncb5 $1 $40 ( 13. Qd3 $5 $16)) 10... Ne7 (10... Nh6 $5) 11. Be3 Qb6 12. Qd2 Nc6 13. e5 $1 ({ Stoyko thought a simple move like} 13. Kh1 {was enough for White to pursue an edge. Later, though, he was persuaded that my sharp line might be good--though he still thought that the move was just too typical of my hurried attacking style.}) 13... dxe5 14. Ne4 (14. Qf2 $5) ({Mark had expected} 14. fxe5 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Bxe5 16. Qf2 f5 17. Bxc5 Qc7 $13 { when Black's King is stuck in the center--but he's used to that!}) 14... Nd4 ( 14... exf4 $2 15. Bxc5 Qxb2 16. Qxf4 $40) (14... Qb4 $5 15. Qf2 $36) 15. fxe5 ( {Simpler is} 15. Nxe5 f5 (15... f6 16. Nxd7 Kxd7 17. b4 $1 $36) 16. Nxc5 $1 Qxc5 17. Qf2 $16) 15... Nxf3+ 16. Rxf3 Bxe5 17. Bxc5 $2 ({We decided after the game that White had two ways to create excellent winning chances: a)} 17. Nxc5 Bc6 18. Nxe6 Qxb2 19. Nc7+ Kf8 20. Qxb2 Bxb2 21. Rb1 Rc8 22. Nd5 $16) ({ or better b)} 17. Nf6+ $1 Bxf6 (17... Kd8 18. Nxd7 Kxd7 19. Rxf7+ Kc8 20. Qf2 $18) 18. Rxf6 O-O-O { Black cannot save the f-pawn due to his weakness on the dark squares} (18... O-O $4 19. Qf2 $18 {among many others}) 19. Qf2 $1 Be8 20. Bxc5 Qc7 21. Bxa7 $18) 17... Bd4+ $1 {I had completely overlooked this move in my calculations.} ({I had expected} 17... Qc7 18. Qg5 $3 (18. Qb4 $5) 18... Bc6 19. Nf6+ Bxf6 20. Qxf6 Rg8 21. Bd6 (21. Re3 $1 $18) 21... Qd7 22. Rf2 h5 23. Raf1 $18) 18. Bxd4 Qxd4+ 19. Kh1 $6 {Since an ending is inevitable in this position, White does best to keep his King near the center.} (19. Qf2 $1 Qxf2+ 20. Rxf2 $14) 19... f5 $1 20. Qc3 Qxc3 21. Nxc3 Kf7 22. Re1 Rad8 23. Kg1 Rhe8 24. d4 Bc6 25. Rd3 e5 26. d5 {I think I offered a draw hereabouts since we both had less than 5 minutes left and I figured--correctly--that he would do much better under the clock pressure since he faced it practically in every game he played.} Bd7 27. b4 $1 e4 28. Rde3 $6 {The Rook seems too passively placed here.} ({ A better try may be} 28. Rd4 Kf6 29. c5 Ke5 30. Rdd1 $13) 28... Kf6 29. c5 Rc8 30. Rd1 ({Stoyko thought it was necessary to play} 30. g3 $13 { sooner or later--and better sooner.}) 30... Re5 31. a4 $2 {Up until this move things were about equal, but now the evaluation shifts toward Black.} ({Better } 31. Rf1 $1 Ke7 32. Kf2 $14) 31... a5 $1 32. c6 $6 bxc6 33. dxc6 Bxc6 34. b5 Ba8 35. Rd6+ Ke7 (35... Re6 $1 36. Rd7 f4 $1 $19) 36. Ra6 f4 $1 37. Rh3 h5 38. Rxa5 e3 39. Ne2 Rd5 $6 { We were both in terrible time pressure at this point, with flags about to fall.} (39... Rd8 $1 $19) 40. Rf3 Rd2 $1 (40... g5 $1) 41. Ra7+ Kf6 $2 (41... Kd6 $1 $19) (41... Ke6 42. Nxf4+) 42. Ra6+ $2 (42. Rxf4+ $1 Ke6 43. Rxa8 $5 Rxa8 44. Re4+ Kd7 45. Rxe3 Rxa4 $19) 42... Ke5 43. Nxf4 $2 Bxf3 {My flag fell as soon as he hit the clock with my Rook. Mark then started his own clock and counted 18 seconds left for himself. So it was another narrow victory for Mr. Houdini. } 0-1