Game of the Month

Spectators' Favorite

One of the most entertaining players on the American Swiss-System circuit is Emory Tate. This is because Tate is always either attacking, sacrificing for an attack, testing out unusual defensive formations, or doing whatever else he can to unbalance the position and go for the win, no matter who he is playing. Although in the 1998 World Open, Tate did not start out that well, and re-entered multiple schedules in order to improve his score, he still produced some of the more amazing games from the event. In his game against former U.S. Women's Champion Angelina Belakovskaia, Tate found himself forced into a double-Exchange sacrifice, but came back swinging in a highly unclear position. Belakovskaia is herself known as an attacking player, and she fought back, giving up her entire material advantage in order to crystallize the position and suddenly emerge in a winning bishop endgame.

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 a6

A little bit reminiscent of the Dzindzi-Indian (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 a6), except here the moves … c7-c5 and d4-d5 have already been played, so Tate's line is a more forcing way to try to get into certain variations of the Benko Gambit. For example, Black avoids the line 3 … b5 (after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5) 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6, the main lines of the Benko.

4 Nc3

Accepting the invitation to this very sharp line of the Benko Gambit which usually arises via 3 … b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 Nc3 axb5. An interesting alternative was 4 Nf3 b5 5 Bg5, trying to render Black's … a7-a6 irrelevant.

b5 5 cxb5 axb5 6 e4 b4 7 Nb5 d6 8 Bf4 Nbd7

By far the most common line here is 8 … g5!, to gain a tempo after 9 Bxg5 Nxe4. On the other hand, 8 … Nxe4, opening the e-file is very troublesome due to the heavy pressure on d6; since on 9 Qe2 Black can still play 9 … g5, White should probably play 9 Nf3, when the threat of 10 Qe2 is very strong, probably forcing Black into contortions starting with 9 … Ra5!? . Tate has many quirky variations prepared, and early deviations from the main lines are integral to his style. With 8 … Nbd7 he challenges White to show how strong the attack is, as if no central breakthrough occurs, Black is left with a nice position with his strong queenside pawn chain.

9 Nf3

Belakovskaia chooses the most efficient method of development. She does not fear 9 … Nxe4? because of 10 Qe2 Ndf6? (Black must play 10 … f5 but 11 Ng5 Ndf6 12 f3 is strong) 11 Ng5 as then 11 … Nxg5 runs into 12 Nxd6+ Kd7 13 Qb5+ and White wins.

Nh5

Against both 9 … Bb7 and 9 … Ba6, Fedorowicz gives 10 e5 as strong, while on 9 … Nb6, he suggests the elegant 10 Ne5! dxe5 11 Bxe5 with a nice attack brewing.

10 Bg5

DIAGRAM

Ra6

This is the new move. 10 … Qb6 11 Nd2 has led in practice to great positions for White. The critical line was considered 10 … Nhf6 (a tacit offer to repeat the position) 11 e5! dxe5 (or 11 … Nxe5 12 Nxe5 dxe5 13 Bc4, but this may not be so clear) 12 Qe2 provoking an immediate crisis. After the text, if given a chance, Black will now develop in peace with … g7-g6, etc. But a problem with the rook on a6 is its essential passiveness – this rook is usually needed to generate pressure against the knight on b5.

11 e5! f6

Out of the question is 11 … dxe5 12 d6.

12 e6 fxg5 13 Nxg5 g6 14 Nf7 Qa5

This is the crux of Tate's idea. In the line 15 exd7+?, for example, after 15 … Bxd7 16 Nxh8 Bxb5, Black is down the Exchange, but the White knight on h8 is in trouble, and the Black dark-squared bishop is about to assume monstrous proportions.

15 Nxh8 Ne5

A nice centralization, but White is about to pick up a second Exchange!

16 Nc7+ Qxc7 17 Bxa6 Bg7

DIAGRAM

18 Qa4+?!

Tempting, but it is unclear what this accomplishes. It seems better to cough up the e-pawn rather than the b-pawn, by playing 18 Bxc8 Qxc8 19 Nf7.

Kf8 19 Nf7 Qa7

Pushing White onto the defensive, while avoiding the exchange of light-squared bishops.

20 Nxe5 Bxe5 21 Bb5 Qxa4 22 Bxa4 Bxb2 23 Rb1 Bc3+ 24 Kd1 Nf4

DIAGRAM

Still down two full Exchanges, Black has made tremendous progress, and White's rooks will find it very difficult to get into play.

25 Bc6 Ba6

The question here was whether to pick off a button with 25 … Nxg2. White cannot play 26 a4 as 26 … bxa3 e.p. 27 Rb8 a2 works. The problem with 25 … Nxg2 is simply that it wastes time. A tough choice, but Tate plays for maximum activity. The bishop on a6 views juicy squares such as e2 and d3.

26 g3 Ne2

Another idea was 26 … Be2+ 27 Kc1 Nd3+ 28 Kc2 Ne5, or even 26 … Bd3, but in that case after 27 Rb3 White may find a better way to give back some material, utilizing Rb3xc3. With the text Tate plans … Ne2-d4 followed by incursions with the light-squared bishop. Any way you slice it, Belakovskaia will have to give back one of the Exchanges. She chooses to do so right away.

27 Re1! Bxe1 28 Kxe1 Nc3

Black still has only a knight for the rook, but his queenside chain is very imposing, and White's pawns at a2 and d5 might get weak. On the other hand, if White can push his a-pawn along somehow, Black's lack of a rook could be telling.

29 Ra1 Bc4

DIAGRAM

30 a4! b3

Almost impossible to resist, but it turns out the right way was 30 … bxa3 e.p.!! 31 Rxa3 Bxd5 with good drawing chances.

31 Kd2! b2 32 Rg1 b1(Q) 33 Rxb1 Nxb1+ 34 Kc2

An amazing transformation. Black has cashed in his b-pawn for a rook, and is now a piece ahead, but the knight is trapped in quite unusual fashion on b1, and meanwhile the White a-pawn has turned into a giant! If 34 … Na3+ 35 Kb2, and the c4 outlet is blocked, while b5 is unavailable. Or 34 …Ba2 35 Kb2, and whichever minor piece Black preserves will be unable to deal with the White a-pawn later.

Kg7 35 Kxb1 Kf6

It appears that Black is also losing after 35 … Ba6 (to forestall White's next move) 36 a5 Kf6 37 a6 Ba8 38 Kc2 Kd4 39 Kb3.

36 Bb7 Ke5 37 a5 Ke4 38 Kb2 Kf3 39 Kc3 Bb5 40 a6 Bxa6 41 Bxa6 Kxf2 42 Kc4 Kg2 43 Kb5 c4 44 Kc6 1 - 0