The Palooka V tayhk Match: Game 3

Hi fans of The Palooka.

This posting features a long, tough, endgame. I am proud of my play, because, despite errors in the opening, I rallied and played very well - I had to be very careful and played a series of ‘only’ moves to win. These kind of intricate, aggressively played games, have become the standard fare in The Palooka-tayhk match.

The Palooka Versus tayhk
Site: http://www.itsyourturn.com/

Irregular/tayhk-style Opening

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d6 3. Nf3 Be7 4. Bc4 Bd7 (tayhk certainly goes his own way in the openings) 5. Nc3 c5 6. dxc5 dxc5 7. Ne5 Bf6 8. Bf4 Ne7 9. Qd2 Nbc6 10. Nxd7 Bxc3 11. Qxc3 Qxd7 12. Rd1 (I thought at the time 12. Qxg7 Rg8 13. Qxh7 0-0-0 gave my opponent too much counterplay for the Pawns, but in hindsight maybe I was wrong: 14. Qxf7 Rdf8 15. Bxe6 Rxf7 16. Bxd7+ Kxd7 17. 0-0-0+ Ke8 18. Bg3 and the extra Pawns are worth the win; I now win a Pawn in a different way) Nd4 13. Be5! (we have a highly original position, partly from the 19th Century and partly from the 21st ) Rd8 14. Bxg7 Rg8 15. Bxd4 cxd4 16. Qh3! (he did not foresee this way of protecting the King-side Pawns) Qc6 17. Bd3 Ng6 18. g3 (18. 0-0 was playable; I was still nervous about tactical counter-chances like this: 18. Qxh7 Rh8 19. Qg7 Ke2! 20. e5 Rdg8, so I decided to hang onto my spoils and consolidate) Ne5 (the tactical shot 18...f5 19. exf5 loses for White to Qxh1+ but White only needs to reply19. f3 and retains a winning advantage) 19. Qxh7 Ke7 20. Qh4+ Kd6 21. Qf6 Qb6 22. f4 Ng4 23. e5+ Kc7 24. Qxf7+ Kb8 25. b3 Qc6 26. Kd2 (there is nothing better with Knight forks and Rooks on files attacking my Pawns, so I give up the exchange – a mere hiccup on the road to victory) Nf2 27. Rhg1 Rdf8 28. Qe7 Nxd1 29. Rxd1 Re8 30. Qb4 (White still has a winning advantage and now tries again to consolidate) Rc8 31. Re1 Rgd8 32. Re2 Rd5 33. Ke1 a5 34. Qd2 Qc5 35. a4 Rg8 36. Rg2 b6 37. g4 ('time to get rolling, boys' if The Palooka is to have any chance to win) Rd7 38. h4 Rh8 39. Qf2 Qd5 40. Rh2 Rf8 41. Qg3 (I thought it was possible to defend f4, but I was wrong; maybe I advanced my K-side Pawns too early?) Rdf7 42. Rf2 Rxf4! 43. Rxf4 Qxe5+ 44. Kd1 Rxf4 45. Qg2 Qg7 46. g5! (if Rxh4; Qg3+) e5 47. Qg3 Qc7 48. Bc4 e4 49. Qh3 Rf2 50. Qe6 e3 (an amazing position, typical of games in my match against tayhk; thank goodness I have a white-squared Bishop) 51. Kc1 Ka7 52. g6 Qg7 53. Bd3 e2 (I told you he was cunning) 54. Bxe2 Rf6 55. Qd5 Rxg6 56. Bf3 (and so am I) b5 57. Qa8+ (axb5 Rg1+ and after 58. Kd2 I was worried about Qh6+) Kb6 58. Qb8+ Kc5 59. Qxb5+ Kd6 60. Qc6+ Ke5 61. Qe4+ Kd6 62. Qc6+ Ke5 63. Qe4+ (just trying to force an error) Kd6 64. Qd5+ Ke7 65. Qxa5 Rg1+ 66. Kb2 d3+ 67. c3 Qg6 (still an amazing position, more typical of master games rather than pugilists at our level; maybe sometimes we average players play well) 68. Qc7+ Kf8 69. Qd8+ Kg7 70. Qe7+ Kh8 (he cannot allow The Palooka to swap Queens or allow a Bishop check my moving to the white squares) 71. Qe5+ Kg8 72. Be4 Qg3 73. Qe8+ Kg7 74. Qe7+ (finally!) Kg8 75. Qh7+ Kf8 76. Bxd3 Qe1 77. Qf5+ (White must not allow Black even a hint of a sniff of a whiff of attack or perpetual check) Kg7 78. b4 Qd2+ 79. Bc2 Qc1+ 80. Kb3 Rf1 81. Qg5+ (now it is easier to win, but Black had no real chances anyway) Kf7 82. Qxc1 Rxc1 83. h5 Rh1 84. Bg6+ Ke6 85. Kc4 Kd6 86. Kb5 Rg1 87. c4 Rg5+ 88. Kb6 Kd7 89. c5 Kc8 90. b5 Re5 91. a5 Re6+ 92. c6 Rf6 93. a6 Kb8 94. a7+ Ka8 95. Kc7! (if Kxa7; b6+ and b7 win) Re6 96. Kd7 Re5 97. c7 Rd5+ 98. Kc6 1-0
Completed May 29, 2004

A difficult 'won game' to win. I learned a lot about Queen endings with Bishop versus Rook, the importance of controlling key squares, diagonals, and not hurrying. The White Bishop, his weaker King and my Queen checks, were the critical factors. The strategy involved trying to balance safety, nudging my Pawns forward, and aiming to swap Queens.

The end is ironic: the mighty Bishop still stands proudly (he had God on his side), in control of critical squares; Black has to look on in horror as the White Pawns advance inexorably; the brave Black Rook can do little to help his Lord and Master.

The score in this match was now 2:1 in favour of The Palooka.

More in the future, when it's The Palooka's turn to get belted around.