A game from the 2007 Wellington Chess Club Championships

International Master Anthony Ker and I played this game in the 2007 Wellington Chess Club Championships. The advantage went back and forth, until the endgame when White was forced to sacrifice his knight to stop Black’s central pawns. White’s king was corralled when Black’s king advanced up the board.

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Ker, Anthony - Nijman, Brian

18 Sep 2007, Wellington Chess Club Championships, 0:1

1. e2-e4 e7-e6 2. d2-d4 d7-d5 3. e4-e5 c7-c5 4. c2-c3 Nb8-c6 5. Ng1-f3 Ng8-e7 6. Nb1-a3 c5xd4 7. c3xd4 Ne7-f5 8. Na3-c2 Qd8-b6 9. Bf1-e2 Bf8-e7 10. h2-h4 h7-h5 11. b2-b3 Bc8-d7 12. Bc1-b2 Nc6-b4 13. Nc2xb4 Qb6xb4 14. Ke1-f1 Bd7-b5 15. Ra1-c1 Ke8-d7

[15... O-O!? 16. Bb2-c3 Bb5xe2 17. Qd1xe2 Qb4-a3 18. Rc1-c2 Ra8-c8 Black has an edge]

White to Move

16. Bb2-c3 Bb5xe2 17. Qd1xe2 Qb4-b6 =/+ 18. g2-g3 Be7-a3?

[18... Ra8-c8 19. Kf1-g2 Rc8-c6 20. Bc3-b2 Rh8-c8 =/+]

19. Bc3-b2 Ba3xb2 20. Qe2xb2= Ra8-c8 21. Kf1-g2 Qb6-a6 22. Qb2-d2 b7-b6?!

[22... Qa6-a3]

23. Nf3-g5 f7-f6 24. e5xf6 g7xf6 25. Ng5-h3 Rc8xc1?!

[better is 25... Qa6-a5 26. Qd2-d3 White has an edge]

26. Rh1xc1 Rh8-c8

[better is 26... Rh8-g8 27. Kg2-h2 Rg8-c8 28. Rc1xc8 (28. Nh3-f4? Rc8xc1 29. Qd2xc1 Qa6xa2 gives Black the edge) 28... Qa6xc8 29. Nh3-f4 Qc8-e8 30. Qd2-d1 advantage to White]

27. Rc1-e1?

[27. Nh3-f4 Rc8xc1 28. Qd2xc1 Nf5xd4 (28... Qa6xa2 29. Nf4xh5 Nf5xd4 30. Nh5xf6 Kd7-d6 31. Qc1-f4 e6-e5 32. Qf4-g4 Nd4-e6 33. h4-h5+/-) 29. Nf4xh5 Qa6-e2 30. Nh5xf6 Kd7-e7 31. Qc1-f4 advantage to White]

27... Rc8-g8

[27... Qa6-a5?! 28. b3-b4 Qa5-a4 29. Nh3-f4 Rc8-c2 30. Qd2-d3 Qa4xa2 31. Qd3-b5 Rc2-c6 32. Nf4xh5 Nf5xd4 33. Nh5xf6 Kd7-c8 34. Qb5-d3 advantage to White]

28. Kg2-h2?!

[28. Nh3-f4! Nf5xh4 29. Kg2-h1 (29. Kg2-h3 Nh4-f3 30. Qd2-e3 Nf3-g5 31. Kh3-g2 Qa6xa2 32. Nf4xh5 Rg8-f8 33. Re1-c1 Ng5-e4 34. Qe3-f4 Rf8-c8 35. Nh5xf6 Ne4xf6 36. Rc1xc8 Kd7xc8 37. Qf4xf6 Kc8-d7 38. g3-g4 Qa2xb3=) 29... Nh4-f3 30. Qd2-e3 Nf3-g5 31. Nf4xe6 Ng5-e4 32. Ne6-f4 Qa6xa2 33. Nf4xd5 (33. Re1-e2=) 33... Rg8-e8=]

28... Qa6-a5! (the only move and a strong one)

White to Move

29. Qd2xa5

[29. b3-b4 Qa5-a3 30. Nh3-f4 Qa3-f3 (30... Nf5xg3?! 31. Qd2-c2 Rg8-g4 32. Qc2-h7 Kd7-c8 33. Nf4-d3! Ng3-e4 34. Qh7xh5 advantage White Rg4xh4!? 35. Qh5xh4 Qa3xd3 36. Qh4-h8 Kc8-b7 37. Re1-c1 Kb7-a6 38. Qh8-c8 Ka6-b5 39. Qc8-d7 Kb5xb4 40. Qd7-e7 Kb4-b5 41. a2-a4! Kb5-a5 42. Qe7xa7 Qd3-a6 43. Qa7xa6 Ka5xa6 44. Rc1-c6 e6-e5 45. f2-f3 Ne4-d2 (45... Ka6-b7 46. Rc6-e6 Ne4-c3 47. d4xe5 f6xe5 48. Re6xe5+/-) 46. Kh2-g3 Nd2-c4 47. Rc6xf6 e5xd4 48. Rf6-f4+/-; 30... Rg8xg3 31. f2xg3 Qa3xg3 32. Kh2-h1 Qg3xh4 33. Kh1-g2 Qh4-g3 34. Kg2-f1 Qg3-f3 35. Kf1-g1 Qf3-g4 36. Kg1-f2 Qg4-g3 37. Kf2-f1 Qg3-f3=) 31. Nf4xe6 (31. Qd2-c2 Nf5xd4 32. Qc2-h7 Kd7-d6 33. Qh7xg8 Qf3xf2=) 31... Nf5xg3 (31... Rg8xg3 32. Ne6-f8 Kd7-d8 33. Nf8-e6=) 32. Ne6-f8!! (only move) Kd7-d8 33. Nf8-e6 Kd8-d7=]

29... b6xa5 (both players are short on time) 30. Nh3-f4 Nf5xd4 31. Re1-d1?

[31. Nf4xh5 Kd7-e7=]

31... Nd4-f3 (advantage to Black) 32. Kh2-h3 Rg8-h8 33. Nf4xd5!? e6xd5 34. Rd1xd5 Kd7-e6 35. Rd5xa5 Rh8-h7 36. b3-b4 Nf3-e5 37. a2-a4?!

[37. Kh3-g2 (Black retains his advantage)]

37... Ne5-d3 38. Ra5-a6 Ke6-f5 39. Ra6-a5 Kf5-e4!?

White to Move

[39... Kf5-g6 (also good)]

40. f2-f3 Ke4-e3-/+

[40... Ke4xf3 41. Ra5-f5 Kf3-e3 42. Rf5xf6 Nd3xb4]

41. Ra5-b5?

[41. Ra5-f5 Ke3-f2 42. Rf5-d5!? (42. g3-g4 Rh7-c7 43. Rf5xf6 Rc7-c1 44. g4xh5 Nd3-e5 45. Kh3-h2 Ne5xf3 46. Kh2-h3 Rc1-c4-/+; 42. Rf5xf6 Rh7-c7 43. g3-g4) 42... Nd3-c1 43. f3-f4 Nc1-e2 44. Rd5-d2 Rh7-g7 45. Kh3-h2 Kf2-e3 46. Rd2-a2 Ne2xg3 47. b4-b5 Ng3-f1 48. Kh2-h1 Rg7-g4-/+]

41... Ke3-f2 42. Rb5-f5

[42. Rb5-d5]

42... Nd3-e5

[42... Kf2-g1! 43. g3-g4 Rh7-e7 44. g4xh5 (44. g4-g5 Re7-e2 45. Rf5xf6 (45. f3-f4 Re2-e3#) 45... Re2-g2 46. g5-g6 Nd3-f2#) 44... Re7-g7]

43. g3-g4

Black to Move

43...Rh7-d7 44. g4xh5 Rd7-d1 45. Rf5xe5 f6xe5 46. Kh3-g4 Rd1-d4 47. Kg4-f5 Rd4xb4 48. Kf5xe5 Kf2xf3 49. Ke5-f6 Rb4xa4 White resigns [0:1]