Mikenas - Goldenov
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Chernev writes:
"Suffering from severe pressure, Mikenas sees a glimmer of hope. There is
a little combination that will free his game, and net him two pieces for a Rook.
The sequel shows that Black saw the combination too, and a bit more!"
[See the book,
{The} "1000 Best Short Games of Chess,"
by Irving Chernev. Game # 569, pages 285-286.]
***
For my part I will say this is a pretty and interesting game of chess. And it was
played between two very strong Russian players. But it basically looks like a trap.
I see little that might elevate this game to the list of, "The Ten Best Short {Miniature}
Games of Chess."
(Or even give it consideration for that list.) This is also a critical
game for the theory of this line. (The Grunfeld English.)
1. c4
Nf6; 2.
Nc3
d5; MCO-14 calls this the,
"Grunfeld English."
3. cxd5
Nxd5; 4.
e4!?,
A very sharp move. It kicks the
Black Knight on
d5 but also weakens
White's d3-square.
{
White could play:
4.g3!?
g6; 5.Bg2
Nb6;
6.d3
Bg7; 7.Be3
0-0;
8.Qd2
Re8;
9.Bh6
Bh8;
The end of the column # 61; page # 687.
10.h4
c6; 11.h5
Nd5;
12.hxg6
hxg6; 13.Nf3
Nd7;
14.Ng5
N7f6; 15.Bf3,
("+/=") and now Black can
play 15...Bg4. Serper - Ganguly; Calcutta, 1995.
"If Black survives the mating attack on the h-file, his central superiority will become dangerous."
- GM N. DeFirmian.
[See MCO-14;
Engish Opening section.
Pages # 687-688, col. # 61,
and notes (a.) through (f.);
mainly note (f.).];
Or White could try:
4.Nf3
g6; 5.Qa4+!?
Bd7;
6.Qh4
Nxc3; 7.dxc3
Nc6;
8.e4
e5;
9.Bg5
Be7;
The end of column # 62, pg. # 687. 10.Bc4
h6; 11.Bxe7
Qxe7;
12.Qg3
0-0-0; 13.0-0,
("=") and "White has a lasting initiative."
- GM N. DeFirmian.
GM V. Kramnik - GM V. Ivanchuk; Las Palmas, 1996.
[See MCO-14; English Opening.
Pages # 687-688, col. # 62,
and notes (g.) through (j.);
mainly note (j.).] }
4...Nb4; 5.
Bc4!?, (Maybe - '?!') A very ambitious move, but it leads to
problems on the white squares.
{
Chernev says:
"Definitely not 5.d4?
Qxd4;
and the joke is on White."
6.Qxd4
Nc2+
; 7.Kd1
Nxd4; ("/+" or
"-/+")
I (LM A.J. Goldsby I) like:
5.a3!
Nd3+; 6.Bxd3
Qxd3;
7.Qf3!, and White has good
central control and a nice lead in development.
(This is basically a Lowenthal Sicilian
with colors reversed.);
The book,
"The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings," (E.C.O.) gives the line:
5.d3
e5; 6.Nf3
Bc5;
7.a3
N4c6; 8.Bg5!?,
(8.Be2!?)
8...f6; 9.Be3!
Bb6!;
10.Rc1
0-0; ("=")
(See the diagram directly below.)
|
Rosetto - Schweber;
Championship of Argentina, 1963.
[ECO "A" {1st Edition};
pg. # 97, line/row # 5,
and note # 32.] }
5...Be6!?; (Maybe - '!')
A very aggressive move, but it saddles Black with
doubled and isolated e-Pawns.
Chernev writes:
"Willing to saddle himself with an ugly doubled Pawn in return for a grip on the
weakened white squares."
Chernev [and ECO!] gives this
move an exclam, but I am unconvinced
that it
deserves this award.
6.Bxe6
fxe6; 7.
Nge2, What else is White to do?
"Unfortunately he still cannot play 7. d4."
- Chernev.
[
7.d4?
Qxd4!;
See the note after White's 5th move. ].
7...Nd3+; 8.
Kf1
Nc6; 9.
Qb3!?, ("+/=") Interesting.
This looks risky to me.
(But it is the first choice
of many computers.)
[9.g3!?
].
9...Qd7!; Chernev does not award this an exclam, but I think it deserves one.
Black could have played ...a6; or ...b6; or ...Rb8. 9...Qd7!; is clearly the best,
as Black gambits a Pawn to open lines.
.
To me - it took a lot of courage to
do this, especially with the doubled pawns on e6.
10.Qxb7,
(!?) This is sharp, but there is also a certain amount of risk
that is definitely associated with this move.
[10.g3!?
].
10...Rb8; 11.Qa6
g6; Who stands better
here?
E.C.O. gives the evaluation that,
"Black is much better." ("/+")
[ECO "A" {1st Edition};
pg. # 97, line/row # 5,
and note # 31.]
One should note that the computers
still give the evaluation of, ("+/=");
or that,
"White is slightly better."
I don't buy ECO's evaluation!! (Maybe yet another case in theory of the result
influencing the overall evaluation of the game, and the positions in the game?)
I think the computer is closer to being right.
Maybe a better evaluation would
be "unclear," or "a slight initiative for Black?"
12. h4!? With the idea of attacking Black with h4-h5, and also the defensive
idea of Rh3. But it may not be the most accurate.
[White should probably play:
12.b3!,
with the idea of:
Ba3 and Nc1 - with equality.
Or White could try:
12.g3!?, with the idea of
(maybe) Nf4!? ] .
12...Rb6!; Black
has definite compensation here. (And the initiative, also.)
13. Qa4
Bg7; 14.Rh3!?,
This looks good, but could be risky.
(It might be better to play h5 here.)
White may already be intending a combination which is flawed.
[14.h5!?
].
14...0-0; Very
good, Black's edge (initiative) is now growing with every move.
Chernev writes:
"Safeguarding his King, developing his Rook and threatening 15...RxP/f7+;
- all in one breath."
15.Nd1
Rb4; Black has a nagging initiative.
White to move.
What move would you play?
16. Rxd3?, (Maybe - '??')
This may be the decisive error.
(The computers immediately change
from an evaluation of a few hundredths
of a point better for White, to a decisive
advantage for Black!)
[
16.Qa3!, ("=") 16...Nce5!;
Black still has a very powerful initiative and an attack. ]
16...Qxd3; Black
is now winning.
("-/+");
17. Qxc6
Rxe4; 18.
Ne3, White appears to have plugged
all the holes
in his leaky dike. (But it is only a facade.)
[
Chernev comments:
" If 18.Ndc3??
Bxc3; ("-/+") and the Bishop is untouchable." ].
18...Rxe3!,
"and Black wins," according to Chernev. 0-1
A pretty and entertaining little game.
But it is hardly [I.M.O.H.O.] worthy of the 'Ten Best.'
[
18...Rxe3; 19.dxe3;
(19.a4
Qxe2+; 20.Kg1
Qxf2+; 21.Kh2
Be5+; 22.Kh1
Re1#.
Or 19.Qb5
Rxf2+!; 20.Kxf2
Rxe2+!; 21.Kf1
Qxb5; and Black will mate White
in like 9 moves at most.) 19...Qd1#; ]
0 - 1
(I
first annotated this game first in the 1970's for a possible contribution for an
English book.
My contribution was either never used, or at least never acknowledged. But I now
present the game,
thoroughly annotated for your enjoyment. The opening is especially important to
theory.)
This game is the full
length version of the game as it exists in my database.
(I have not shortened it for publication.)
If you would like a copy of that game to study, please contact
me.
Click HERE to return to my GeoCities "Home Page."
Click HERE to return to my (GeoCities) "Best Short Games Page."
Copyright A.J. Goldsby I. © A.J. Goldsby, 1983-2005.
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2006. All rights reserved.
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