Mike Splane – Lev Feldman (1937)

7/31/2008 Campbell Chess Club

1.  e4 d6   

Already a surprise. I expected, and was well prepared for, a Ruy Lopez.

2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Be2 c6 5. Be3 b5 6. f4 b4 7. Nb1 Ngf6 8. Bf3 a5 9. Nd2 Ba6 10 c4

Too ambitious. This allows him to get rid of the b 5pawn which was blocking lines for his pieces.

10. … bc 11. bc 0-0 12. g4 e5 13. g5 ef 14. Bf4 Ne8 15. Qb3?

The queen is misplaced here. I should simply complete my development with Ne2. My reluctance to play this natural developing move is the reason I got in trouble later. I was trying to prevent him from playing f6.

15. … Nc7 16. h4 Ne6 17. Be3 Ra7 18. Nh3?

This decentralizing move is the cause of all my problems. I thought he was cramped, so I didn’t want him to be able to exchange any pieces, but I needed to shore up my center pawns and get castled.

18. … Rb7 19. Qa3 c5!!

This destroys my center. Back is better now.

20. d5 Nc7 21. Qa5 Nb5 22. Qd8 Rd8 23. Rb1 Nc3

I was more frightened of Bc3. The knight capture lets me trade rooks, putting his bishop on a bad square, so I gain some critical tempos.

24. Rb7 Bb7 25. Bf4 Ba6

To prevent my knight going to the great square on d4. I think he also could have gotten away with capturing the a-pawn,

26. a3 Bb5!!

I didn’t understand what he was doing, so I ignored him. With all of his pieces on the queenside my plan is to play Nh3-f2-g4, h4-h5, and Nf6+ when the open lines and the two bishops and rook will coordinate well against his king. As the old saying goes, hit em where they ain’t. This plan is one move too slow.

Lev has come up with the tremendously deep idea of maneuvering his Nb8 to d3. He really deserved to win this game.

27. Nf2 Na6 28. Ng4 c4 29. Be3 Na4 30. Nf6+ Bf6 31. gf N6c5

And suddenly I’m in big trouble. The knight check on d3 is devastating, yet I can’t stop it without losing the e pawn. I decided that giving the pawn away was my best chance, it takes him two tempos to capture the pawn and I can use those to open kingside lines.

32. Be2 Re8 33. h5 Ne4 34. hg hg

This may not be best. White doesn’t appear to have anything decisive after 34 … Nf6 or 34. ... fg

If 34. … Ng3? 35 gf+ Kf7 36. Rh7+ with a crushing attack, the main point being the rook can check on g7 to win the knight.

35. Ne4 Re4 36. Kf2

Suddenly all my pieces are coordinated, the c pawn is rendered harmless, I have the bishop pair, and I have some mating threats. I think I’m ok here, but probably not winning. He has to be careful not to allow Be3-h6-g7

36. … Re5 37. Bf3 c3?

One move can spoil a great game.

38. Bh6 Kh7

He can stop mate with 38. … Be2! 39. Be2 Rf5+ 40. Ke3 Rf6 But I didn’t see how he would save his rook after 41. Bd3.

39. Bf8+ Rh5 40. Bh5 gh 41. Bd6 Nb2 43. Bf4 Kg6

At this point Lev pointed out that his flag had fallen, so

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