MARK RUBERY CHESS
South African veterans, Watu Kobese and Shabier Bhawoodien, had an exciting tussle at the Cape Town Classic event a few years ago, eventually reaching a most interesting endgame where the rook does battle with three connected passed pawns.
Bhawoodien,S (2130) - Kobese,W (2330) [C16]
Cape Town Classic 2015
(Watu employs the line of the Winawer when he wants to impose a positional game on his opponent) (Responding with a rare continuation)…Ba6
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 b6 53.g4? 5.g3 6.Bg2 Nh6?! 7.Bxh6 gxh6 8.Qd2 Qg5 9.f4 Qg6 10.a3 Be7 11.Qf2 c6 12.Bh3 h5 13.0–0–0 c5 14.Nf3 Nc6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.f5!
(White already has developed a serious initiative)…Qh6+
17.Kb1 d4 18.Ne4 Bc4 19.Rhe1 Rb8 20.Ka1 Bd5 21.Qe2 Kd7 22.c3 Rb3 23.Ned2 Rhb8
(In a difficult position Black throws an exchange into the fire)
24.Nxb3 Bxb3 25.cxd4 Kc7 26.Rc1 Bd5 27.f6 Bf8 28.Rc3 Bxf3 29.Qxf3 Rxb2!? 30.Rb3 Rxb3 31.Qxb3 Qd2 32.Rb1 Qxd4+ 33.Ka2 Qd5 34.Qxd5 exd5 35.Bg2 d4 36.Bxc6 Kxc6 37.Rb8 Bh6 38.e6 fxe6 39.f7 e5 40.f8=Q Bxf8 41.Rxf8 Kd5
(After many adventures White has reached a winning, if not entirely clear, ending)
42.Kb2 e4 43.Kc2 e3 44.Rf5+ Kc4 45.Rf4 a5 46.h3 a4 47.Re4 Kd5 48.Rh4 Kc4 49.Rxh5 d3+ 50.Kd1 Kd4 51.Rh4+ Kc3 52.Rxa4 (52 Re4! e2+ 53 Ke1 Kc2 54 Rc4+
was one relatively straightforward route to victory)…c4
(White still prevails after 53.Rb4 amongst others but the lines look quite perilous and need a steady silicon hand to navigate…Kd4
{53...e2+ 54.Ke1 Kd4 55.Kd2 Kc5 56.Rb1 Kd4 57.Rc1! c3+ 58.Rxc3 e1=Q+ 59.Kxe1 Kxc3 60.Kd1} 54.a4 Kc5 55.Rb8 c3 56.a5 Kc4 57.Re8! e2+ 58.Ke1 Kb3 59.a6! c2 60.Kd2 Kb2 61.Rb8+ Ka2 62.Rc8 Kb1 63.a7! e1=Q+ 64.Kxe1 c1=Q+ 65.Rxc1+ Kxc1 66.a8=Q d2+ 67.Kf2 d1=Q 68.Qa1+)… e2+
(Now Black is able to force a positional draw, since, as opposed to the above line, the a-pawn is not a factor)
54.Ke1 Kd4 55.Ra7 c3 56.Re7 c2 57.Kd2 Kc4 58.Re3 Kb3 59.Re7 Kb2 60.Rb7+ Ka2 61.Re7 Kb2 62.Rb7+ Ka2 0.5-0.5
‘While playing in the 1955 Hastings Tournament many people believed I was dead and buried in England. When the Romanian master Istvan Szabo died the press agencies announced my death by mistake. In fact the English chess player Hugh Alexander had already published my obituary in his chess column when I arrived at Hastings.’ (Lazlo Szabo)