Santhosh, Matthew Paul - Poleschi, Richard
CCN vs IECC Match Bd 5, 2001
Notes by Junior Tay, Santhosh Matthew Paul

B04. 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 7.Qe2 Nc6 8.O-O O-O 9.h3 a5 10.a4 d5?! Better is

[10...dxe5 11.dxe5 Nd4 12.Nxd4 Qxd4 13.Re1 Be6

(13...e6 14.Nd2 Bd7 (14...Nd5 15.Nf3 Qc5 16.Qe4 Qb4 17.Bc4 Nb6 18.b3! is the famous Short-Timman, Tilburg 1991 game which saw Short tie up Black in the centre and Kingside before marching his king to h6 delivering the mating act.) 15.c3 (15.Nf3 Qb4 16.Bd2 Qc5 17.Be3 Qb4 and now White goes for the win but... 18.Bg5 Bc6 19.Rad1 Nxa4 20.Qe3 after Nxb2 there is just insufficient compensation 21.Rd4 Qc5 22.Nh2 h5 23.g4 h4 24.Bf6 a4 25.Ba2 a3 26.Qf4 Ra4 27.c4 b5 28.Bxg7 Kxg7 29.Qf6+ Kg8 30.cxb5 Qxd4 31.bxc6 Nd3 0-1 Galyas,M-Kahn,E/Budapest HUN 1999 (31)) 15...Qc5 16.Nf3)

14.Nd2 Bxb3 15.Nxb3 Qc4 16.Be3 Qxe2 17.Rxe2 Nc4 18.Bd4 Rfd8 19.Bc3 Rd5 20.Rae1 c6 21.Re4 b5 22.Ra1 Bxe5 23.Bxe5 f5 24.Ree1 Nxe5 25.axb5 Rxb5 26.f4 Nd3 27.Rxe7 Nxf4 28.Rc7 a4 29.Rxc6 Rbb8 30.Nc5 Rxb2 31.Rxa4 Rxa4 32.Nxa4 Ra2 33.Rc4 Nd5 34.Kf2 Kf7 35.Kf3 Ra3+ 36.c3 g5 37.g3 Ke6 38.g4 f4 39.Nc5+ Ke5 40.Ne4 h6 41.Rc8 Ne7 42.Re8 Ra7 43.Nd2 Rd7 44.Ke2 Kf6 45.c4 Kf7 46.Ra8 Nc6 47.Nf3 Re7+ 48.Kf2 Nb4 49.Rd8 Re3 50.Rd2 Kf8 51.Kg2 Nd3 52.Ra2 Nc5 53.Rb2 Re4 54.Rc2 Ke7 55.h4 gxh4 56.Nxh4 Kf6 57.Nf3 Re3 58.Rb2 Nb3 1/2-1/2 Rozsnyai,T-Chetverik,M/Budapest HUN 1999 (58)]

11.Nc3 Bf5

[11...Be6 12.Bf4 Qd7 13.Rad1 h6

(13...Nd8 14.Rfe1 c6 15.Qd2 f5 16.h4 h5 17.Ne2 Bf7 18.Ng5 Ne6 19.Nxe6 Bxe6 20.Bg5 Nc4 21.Qc3 Kf7 22.Nf4 Rg8 23.Rd3 b5 24.axb5 cxb5 25.Bxc4 bxc4 26.Rg3 Bf8 27.b3 cxb3 28.cxb3 Liberzon,V-Hlousek,Z/Luhacovice 1971/MCD/1-0 (45))

14.Rfe1 Nd8 15.Nh2 Kh7 16.Ng4 c6 17.f3 g5 18.Bh2 Bf5 19.f4 gxf4 20.Bxf4 Ne6 21.Bc1 Ng5 22.Ne3 Bg6 23.h4 Ne4 24.h5 Bf5 25.Nxf5 Qxf5 26.Nxe4 dxe4 27.Rf1 Qd7 28.Qxe4+ 1-0 Kholmov,R-Hlousek,Z/Kapfenberg 1970/EU-chT (28)]

12.Bf4 Qd7 13.Rad1 h6 14.g4! Be6 15.Bh2 #White's plan is pretty obvious, free up the f4 to charge! What can Black do about this? Rae8 16.Nh4 Kh7 17.Nb5 Santhosh: A move with two goals. 1) To bring my light-squared Bishop ( the most important attacking minor piece for White in many King pawn openings) to c2 by playing c3. 2) To restrain his ...f5/f6 break, if only for one move, because of the hit on his c7 pawn. Nd8

[17...Nb4 18.f4 c6 19.Na3 f5 20.c3 Na6 21.Bc2 with similar play to the game continuation]

18.f4 c6 19.Na3 f5 20.c3 Rf7 21.Bc2 Rg8 22.b3 Not allowing Black to simplify with Nc4 Bf8 23.Kh1 Qc8

[23...fxg4 24.f5! Bxf5 25.Nxf5 gxf5 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 27.e6]

24.Rg1 Bd7 25.gxf5 Santhosh: I played this move only because I found the resulting 28th move. Bxf5 26.Nxf5 gxf5 27.Qh5 e6 #This position looks solid enough for Black. How can White improvise with his a3 N hanging? 28.Rg4! When I first saw this position, it reminded me of a Kasparov-Yusupov game which the World No 1 player sacrificed a Knight in a similar pawn structure. (Insert Kasparov-Yusupov USSR 1981) Santhosh: Black's position looked solid enough after 17...e6. I must have tried every 25th legal move for White, but Black looked good each time. I spent literally hours on the 25th move. I thank God for giving me patience. I simply dropped the game for a few days. When I returned to the position, 28. Rg4 !! popped up without any effort at all ! As soon as I saw it, I knew I had a winner. If I had lost patience, I might have sent some plausible 25th move instead. I could never have found 28. Rg4! OTB. I'm playing a Muzio Thematic now, and I'm reminded of Thomas Stock's words: The question the Muzio Gambit asks is: Is there a kink in the 'f' file ? If there is a kink, White wins, otherwise he can only hope for a draw". 28. Rg4! works because there IS a kink in the 'g' file. Rfg7

[28...Rxg4 29.hxg4 Bxa3

(29...Kg8 30.Rg1 Rg7 31.gxf5 Rxg1+ 32.Bxg1 exf5 33.Qg6+ Kh8 34.Bxf5)

30.gxf5 exf5 31.Rg1 Qe6 32.Qg4! with mate to follow]

[28...Bxa3 29.Rdg1 with the threat of Qxh6 and mate to follow. Rxg4 30.Qxg4]

29.Rdg1 Nf7 30.Bg3 # Nh8? Santhosh: This loses. A better defence was 30... Be7 to cover the 'h4' square. I did not find a simple win after this

[30...Bxa3 31.Bh4 Nh8 32.Bf6 Rxg4 33.hxg4]

[30...Be7! 31.Bh4 Bxh4

(31...Qd8! 32.Bxf5+ exf5 33.Qxf5+ Kh8 34.Qh5!?)

32.Qxh4 Qd8 33.Qh5 keeping up the pressure on f5, when Black can defend f5 with ...Qc8 or ...Qd7. White now goes Bd3, preparing Nc2-->e3, increasing pressure on f5. I think a piece sac on f5 is inevitable.]

31.Bh4 Rg6 32.Bf6 Qe8 # 33.Bxf5! Knight hanging? Why not offer another piece instead! exf5 34.Qxf5 Bg7

[34...Bxa3 35.h4 Be7 36.h5 Bxf6 37.hxg6+ Rxg6 38.Rxg6 Nxg6 39.Qxf6 Nd7 40.Qf5]

35.h4 #and the threat of h5xg6 is unstoppable Bxf6 36.h5 Be7 37.Nc2 Nd7 38.hxg6+ Rxg6 39.Ne3 Nf8 40.Qh5 Ne6 41.Rxg6 Nxg6 42.f5 Nef4 43.fxg6+ Qxg6 44.Qxg6+ Nxg6 45.Nf5 A magnificent win!

1-0

B04. 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 7.Qe2 Nc6 8.O-O O-O 9.h3 a5 10.a4 d5?! Better is
	[10...dxe5 11.dxe5 Nd4 12.Nxd4 Qxd4 13.Re1 Be6
		(13...e6 14.Nd2 Bd7 (14...Nd5 15.Nf3 Qc5 16.Qe4 Qb4 17.Bc4 Nb6 18.b3! is the famous Short-Timman, Tilburg 1991 game which saw Short tie up Black in the centre and Kingside before marching his king to h6 delivering the mating act.) 15.c3 (15.Nf3 Qb4 16.Bd2 Qc5 17.Be3 Qb4 and now White goes for the win but... 18.Bg5 Bc6 19.Rad1 Nxa4 20.Qe3 after Nxb2 there is just insufficient compensation 21.Rd4 Qc5 22.Nh2 h5 23.g4 h4 24.Bf6 a4 25.Ba2 a3 26.Qf4 Ra4 27.c4 b5 28.Bxg7 Kxg7 29.Qf6+ Kg8 30.cxb5 Qxd4 31.bxc6 Nd3 0-1 Galyas,M-Kahn,E/Budapest HUN 1999 (31)) 15...Qc5 16.Nf3)
	14.Nd2 Bxb3 15.Nxb3 Qc4 16.Be3 Qxe2 17.Rxe2 Nc4 18.Bd4 Rfd8 19.Bc3 Rd5 20.Rae1 c6 21.Re4 b5 22.Ra1 Bxe5 23.Bxe5 f5 24.Ree1 Nxe5 25.axb5 Rxb5 26.f4 Nd3 27.Rxe7 Nxf4 28.Rc7 a4 29.Rxc6 Rbb8 30.Nc5 Rxb2 31.Rxa4 Rxa4 32.Nxa4 Ra2 33.Rc4 Nd5 34.Kf2 Kf7 35.Kf3 Ra3+ 36.c3 g5 37.g3 Ke6 38.g4 f4 39.Nc5+ Ke5 40.Ne4 h6 41.Rc8 Ne7 42.Re8 Ra7 43.Nd2 Rd7 44.Ke2 Kf6 45.c4 Kf7 46.Ra8 Nc6 47.Nf3 Re7+ 48.Kf2 Nb4 49.Rd8 Re3 50.Rd2 Kf8 51.Kg2 Nd3 52.Ra2 Nc5 53.Rb2 Re4 54.Rc2 Ke7 55.h4 gxh4 56.Nxh4 Kf6 57.Nf3 Re3 58.Rb2 Nb3 1/2-1/2 Rozsnyai,T-Chetverik,M/Budapest HUN 1999 (58)]
11.Nc3 Bf5
	[11...Be6 12.Bf4 Qd7 13.Rad1 h6
		(13...Nd8 14.Rfe1 c6 15.Qd2 f5 16.h4 h5 17.Ne2 Bf7 18.Ng5 Ne6 19.Nxe6 Bxe6 20.Bg5 Nc4 21.Qc3 Kf7 22.Nf4 Rg8 23.Rd3 b5 24.axb5 cxb5 25.Bxc4 bxc4 26.Rg3 Bf8 27.b3 cxb3 28.cxb3 Liberzon,V-Hlousek,Z/Luhacovice 1971/MCD/1-0 (45))
	14.Rfe1 Nd8 15.Nh2 Kh7 16.Ng4 c6 17.f3 g5 18.Bh2 Bf5 19.f4 gxf4 20.Bxf4 Ne6 21.Bc1 Ng5 22.Ne3 Bg6 23.h4 Ne4 24.h5 Bf5 25.Nxf5 Qxf5 26.Nxe4 dxe4 27.Rf1 Qd7 28.Qxe4+ 1-0 Kholmov,R-Hlousek,Z/Kapfenberg 1970/EU-chT (28)]
12.Bf4 Qd7 13.Rad1 h6 14.g4! Be6 15.Bh2 #White's plan is pretty obvious, free up the f4 to charge! What can Black do about this? Rae8 16.Nh4 Kh7 17.Nb5 Santhosh: A move with two goals. 1) To bring my light-squared Bishop ( the most important attacking minor piece for White in many King pawn openings) to c2 by playing c3. 2) To restrain his ...f5/f6 break, if only for one move, because of the hit on his c7 pawn. Nd8
	[17...Nb4 18.f4 c6 19.Na3 f5 20.c3 Na6 21.Bc2 with similar play to the game continuation]
18.f4 c6 19.Na3 f5 20.c3 Rf7 21.Bc2 Rg8 22.b3 Not allowing Black to simplify with Nc4 Bf8 23.Kh1 Qc8
	[23...fxg4 24.f5! Bxf5 25.Nxf5 gxf5 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 27.e6]
24.Rg1 Bd7 25.gxf5 Santhosh: I played this move only because I found the resulting 28th move. Bxf5 26.Nxf5 gxf5 27.Qh5 e6 #This position looks solid enough for Black. How can White improvise with his a3 N hanging? 28.Rg4! When I first saw this position, it reminded me of a Kasparov-Yusupov game which the World No 1 player sacrificed a Knight in a similar pawn structure. (Insert Kasparov-Yusupov USSR 1981) Santhosh: Black's position looked solid enough after 17...e6. I must have tried every 25th legal move for White, but Black looked good each time. I spent literally hours on the 25th move. I thank God for giving me patience. I simply dropped the game for a few days. When I returned to the position, 28. Rg4 !! popped up without any effort at all ! As soon as I saw it, I knew I had a winner. If I had lost patience, I might have sent some plausible 25th move instead. I could never have found 28. Rg4! OTB. I'm playing a Muzio Thematic now, and I'm reminded of Thomas Stock's words: The question the Muzio Gambit asks is: Is there a kink in the 'f' file ? If there is a kink, White wins, otherwise he can only hope for a draw". 28. Rg4! works because there IS a kink in the 'g' file. Rfg7
	[28...Rxg4 29.hxg4 Bxa3
		(29...Kg8 30.Rg1 Rg7 31.gxf5 Rxg1+ 32.Bxg1 exf5 33.Qg6+ Kh8 34.Bxf5)
	30.gxf5 exf5 31.Rg1 Qe6 32.Qg4! with mate to follow]

	[28...Bxa3 29.Rdg1 with the threat of Qxh6 and mate to follow. Rxg4 30.Qxg4]
29.Rdg1 Nf7 30.Bg3 # Nh8? Santhosh: This loses. A better defence was 30... Be7 to cover the 'h4' square. I did not find a simple win after this
	[30...Bxa3 31.Bh4 Nh8 32.Bf6 Rxg4 33.hxg4]

	[30...Be7! 31.Bh4 Bxh4
		(31...Qd8! 32.Bxf5+ exf5 33.Qxf5+ Kh8 34.Qh5!?)
	32.Qxh4 Qd8 33.Qh5 keeping up the pressure on f5, when Black can defend f5 with ...Qc8 or ...Qd7. White now goes Bd3, preparing Nc2-->e3, increasing pressure on f5. I think a piece sac on f5 is inevitable.]
31.Bh4 Rg6 32.Bf6 Qe8 # 33.Bxf5! Knight hanging? Why not offer another piece instead! exf5 34.Qxf5 Bg7
	[34...Bxa3 35.h4 Be7 36.h5 Bxf6 37.hxg6+ Rxg6 38.Rxg6 Nxg6 39.Qxf6 Nd7 40.Qf5]
35.h4 #and the threat of h5xg6 is unstoppable Bxf6 36.h5 Be7 37.Nc2 Nd7 38.hxg6+ Rxg6 39.Ne3 Nf8 40.Qh5 Ne6 41.Rxg6 Nxg6 42.f5 Nef4 43.fxg6+ Qxg6 44.Qxg6+ Nxg6 45.Nf5 A magnificent win! 1-0