Nigel Short recently gave a simultaneous exhibition in Manchester as part of a visit to the North West. Our own David Broadbent was there and by all accounts made Nigel work pretty hard, finally falling in a good Knight vs. bad Bishop endgame.
Here it is with David’s comments:
Nigel Short vs David Broadbent
Ashton Under Lyme
20th March 2010
1. d4 d5
2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. cd ed
5. Bg5 Be7
6. e3 c6
7. Bd3 Nbd7
8. Ne2 0-0
Short is preparing centre / kingside attack.
9. Qc2 Re8
10. 0-0 g6
All standard book until my 10. … g6. The book move is Nf8 but I decided it was good tactics to block Short’s Bishop and Queen and move out of book (I had a plan!)
11. Rae1 Nh5
12. Bxe7 Rxe7
13. Qd2 f5
Attempting to block a centre attack. Short now switches to the Queenside.14. b4 Nhf6
15. f3 Qe8
16. Nc1 Kg7
17. Nb3 Rb8
Determined not to move my Queenside pawns.18. a4 Nf8
19. a5 Bd7
20 Bc2 Qf7?
Ne6 is possibly best.
21. Nc5 Qe8
Two moves wasted. I expected Short to play e4.
22. Nd3 Ne6
23. Ne5 Nd8
24. Na4 Nf7
25. f4 Ne4
26. Bxe4 dxe4
27. Nc5 Nxe5
28. fxe5 Be6
29. g4 Rf7
Short switches to the Kingside.
30. gf gfShort obviously has an advantage but ais running out of attacking pieces. I can still defend easily.
31. Kh1 Kh8
32. Rf4 Rd8
33. Rg1 Qe7
34. Qg2 Bc8
Looking to cover a6 / b7 in the ending.35. Qg5 Re8
36. h4 Rg7
37. Qxe7 Rxg1+
38. Kxg1 Rxe7
39. Kh2 Kg7
40 Rf2 h6?!
h5 is maybe better? Or b6 to free the bishop?41. Rg2+ Kh7
42. h5 Re8
43. Rg6 Rg8
44. Rxg8 Kxg8
45. Kg3 Kf7
46. Kf4 Ke7
47. Na4 Be6
48. Nc3 a6?
What else? (How about Bc4 to stop the Knight manoever? -Ed.)
49. Ne2 Kf7
50. Ng3 1-0
Instructive endgame. Short probably knew how he could win 15 moves ago. Still, 50 moves was not bad.