Simonaitis - Treger

A. Simonaitis(1990) - Yefim Treger (2265)

1. e4 ...c5 2. Nc3..Nc6 3. f4..a6 This was also played in Simonaitis-Bonin, Queens Chess Club Summer Open, 9/3/05. In that game white drew. Played continued 4.Nf3 e6 5.d4..cd4{5..d6 was was Simonaitis-Hutama (2200) U.S.A.T.E., Parsippany, NJ 2/19/06) 6Nxd4 ...Nxd4 {6...Bb4 was tried by Bill Arluck in a game at Polgar CC but led to a bad game for black} 7.Qxd4 ...b5 8. Be3..Bb7 9. Be2 ...Rc8 10. a3 ..Nf6 11. 0-0...Bc5 12. Qd3 Qb6 13. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 14 . Kh1 ..d5 but after 15 exd5 ..exd5 16 Rad1 0-0 17 Qf5 black erred in an even game with 17...Nxe4 18. Nxe4 de4 19 Qxc5 Rxc5 20.c3 and white had a nice game because white controlled the d file.
4. Nf3 d6 5.d4 Bg4 6.dxc5 dc5 7. Be2 Perhaps 7d5..Nd4 8 Be2 is also playable because the d5 pawn constricts Black somewhat.
7..e6 Only 7...Qxd4 is in my bookupexpress2000 program. In future i will just call this "bookup", but the actual name of the program is bookupexpress2000. And the line that Bookup gives is 7...Qxd1+ 8.Bxd1 Rd8 9.0-0 e6 10.Be3 Nf6 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 ..Nd4 13.Bd1...b5 14.e5 ...Nd5 15 Nxd5 Rxd5 16. g4(to prevent ...Nf5) 16...c4 17. c3 Nc6 18. Bf3 Bc5 19 Rfe1+- (Black's rook mis in an awkward spot)
8. 0-0 Qxd1 9. Bxd1 (Very thematic, as it is better to take with the bishop , first of all to keep the two bishops and secondly to protect c2. Bishops are better than knights in many middle games, and definitely in the endgame.)9...Nge7 10. Be3 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 ... Nd4 12. Bd1 0-0-0 13. Na4! 13.Na4! is a hard move to make because we are taught that "knights on the rim are dim" The move has plusses and minuses. On the one hand the knight in conjunction with the bishop on e3 attacks the c pawn, especially after white plays c3 to activate the bishop's latent threat to the c5 pawn on the diagonal. Howver the move c3 also takes away a retreat square for the knight.
13...b5 While to the spectator this may seem a surprise move , I had anticipated it , along with my response to 13...Nec6 14 c3 ..b5 in which 15 cd..cd 16 Bf2 bxa4 17Bxa4..Kb7 when both 18 Rac1 and 18 Bxc6+ are good In the latter 18...Kxc6 19Rac1 with 20 Rfd1 to follow.
The text is also based on a tactic by Black on two target white pieces- the c5 knight and the Bishop on e3, which will be attacked by a knight discovery on f5.
14. Nxc5 Nef5!? 15 exf5 (15. Bxd4 Nxd4 16 Nb3 is the "safety-valve" continuation) 15....Bxc5 16 . Bf2 White retains the threat to win a piece by 17.c3 16...exf5 Black creates an open square ..e6, whereby the knight when it retreats to e6 can protect the bishop on c5.
17 c3 ..Nc6 18 Bb3 This renews the threats while at the same time prevents tactically ..Nxf4 or ..Rd2 18..Rd7 19. a4! Opens another front ( i recall how GM Susan Polgar lectured to us at the Polgar Chess center not long ago that when you have an advantage best way to increase it is if you can open another front and acquire more advantages that way) The move a4 threatens to open the a file an dif allowed throw in a devastating check on a8. 19....Bxf2 20. Rxf2 ...Nc5 21. Bc2 Threatens both 22 axb5 and also 22Bxf5 21...bxa4 22. Bxf5..Ne6 23. Rxa4 ..Rd6 24. Re2...g6 25 Bxe6+ Crafty also likes 25 Bc2! ..f5 26 g4 fg 27 f5 gf 28. Bxf5 Re8 29 Rxg4 Re7 30.Rge4 Kd7 31. Kf2.
Howeer it alos thought the text was also winning for white. 25. ..fe6 26Rae4 kd7 27 Kf2 Rf8 28 Ke3 h5 29 rd2 29. b4 is also a good move.29...Rb8 30.Red4 Rxd4 31 Rxd4+ Kc6 32. b4 Rb5 33. Ke4 a5 34 bxa5 Rxa5. Here i thought 34 Kd3 might be better, and it would definitely win if Black passed with the the pawn by playing 34...a4 35 Kc4(35 Kc2 is better)35.Rd3! ...g5 36. fg5 Rxg5 37. Rg3 Rc5 The rest of the game was in time scramble and so the order of the moves now is based on my reconstruction , and may not be in order.38. Rg6 Kd6 39.Kd4 Rd5+ 40. Ke4 Re5+ 41. Kd4 Rd5+ It was around here that Treger offered a draw.42. Kc4 Rd2 43. h4 Rf2 44.g3 Re2 45. Kd3 Re1 46. Rg5 Rg1 47. Kc4 e5 48. Kd3 Kd5 49 Rxh5 Rxg3 50. Kd2 Rg1 51. Kd3 Rg4 This position was eventually reached and there was less than a minute on my clock so i forced the draw by playing...52c4+ ...Rxc4 53 Rxe5+ Kxe5 54Kxc4 Kf5 55 h5 Kg5 56h6 Kxh6 DRAWN

Analysis by Rooney