Tebb, David (2290)    --    Gillani, Tunveer MD (2405)
BCF-ch  (4)   Norwich
1994     1-0     B21

A very entertaining morra gambit full of exciting counterplay and excellent commentary by the eventual winner, David Tebb.

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 a6 7.O-O Qc7 8.Qe2 Nf6 9.Bg5!? (D)

( No doubt inspired by this game, a couple of players have experimented with the same piece sacrifice one move earlier: 9.Nd5 exd5 10.exd5+ Ne7 11.d6 Qxd6 12.Ng5 Qc6 13.Bxf7+ Kd8 14.Bf4 ( 14.Bb3 Ke8 15.Nf7 Rg8 16.Ne5 Qe4 17.Bf7+ Kd8 18.Be3 Ned5 19.Bxg8 Nxe3 20.Qxe3 Qxe3 21.fxe3 Bc5 22.Bb3 Bxe3+ 23.Kh1 Bc5 24.Nd3 Bd4 25.Rad1 d6 26.Nf4 Be5 27.Nd5 Bg4 28.Rd2 Rc8 29.Re1 Nd7 30.Ne3 Bh5 31.Nc4 Ke7 32.Nxd6 Rc7 33.Nc4 Kf6 34.Nxe5 Nxe5 35.Rd6+ Kf5 36.Rd5 Re7 37.Bc2+ Kf6 38.Rd6+ Kg5 39.Rd5 Kf6 40.Rd6+ Kg5 41.Bxh7 Bf7 42.Bb1 Bc4 43.b3 Bb5 44.Re3 Bc6 45.Rd4 Kf6 46.h3 g5 47.Rd6+ Kg7 48.Bf5 Re8 49.Bd7 Re7 50.Bxc6 bxc6 51.Kg1 Kf8 52.Kf2 a5 53.Ke2 Kg7 54.g3 Kf7 55.h4 gxh4 56.gxh4 Kg7 57.h5 Kf7 58.Rg6 Nxg6 59.hxg6+ Kf6 60.Rxe7 Kxe7 61.Kd3 Kf6 62.Kc4 Kxg6 63.Kc5 Kf6 64.Kxc6 a4 65.bxa4 Ke7 66.a5 1-0 Langrock,H-Luckow,R/Kiel 2000 ) 14...Nfd5 15.Bxd5 Qxd5 16.Rfd1 Qf5 17.g4 Qf6 18.Rd6 Qxd6 19.Nf7+ Ke8 20.Nxd6+ Kd8 21.Nf7+ 1-0 Wortel,M-Azadmanesh,M/Hengelo 1995 )

( 9.Rd1 Bc5 )

I don't like this move, even though it carries a massive threat...

( Far more sensible was 9...d6 )

The exclamation mark is for having the courage to make an intuitive sacrifice. It was impossible to see all the following variations over the board.

( Not 10.h3?? Nd4! 11.Nxd4 ( 11.Qd1 Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 Qh2# other moves lose the queen ) 11...Qh2# )

Sensibly declining the sacrifice. What would have happened if he'd taken? Let's look at a few lines:

( 10...exd5 11.exd5+ Ne7 ( The alternative way to hang onto a piece is worse: 11...Nce5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 ( 12...Qxe5 13.Qxg4 +- ) 13.f4 f6 ( 13...Bc5+ 14.Kh1 f6 15.fxe5 fxg5 16.d6 +- ) ( 13...Bc5+ ) ( 13...Qc5+ 14.Kh1 f6 15.fxe5 fxg5 16.d6 ) 14.fxe5 fxg5 15.d6 +- Black won't be able to survive for long. ) 12.d6! ( 12.Rfe1? d6 ) 12...Qxd6 13.h3 ( 13.Rad1 Qc5 ( 13...Qb6 14.Bxe7 Bxe7 15.Rfe1 Qd8 ) 14.Bf4 ) 13...Nf6 ( 13...f6 14.Rfd1 Qc5 15.hxg4 fxg5 16.Rac1 +- ) ( 13...Nh6 14.Rfe1 f6 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Rad1 ) 14.Ne5 Nfd5 15.Rfe1 f6 16.Qh5+ g6 17.Nxg6 hxg6 18.Qxh8 fxg5 19.Qg8 Qf6 20.Qxd5 +/- and White has regained material whilst still attacking. )

I still needed to stop ...Nd4

( 11.Rfd1 was an alternative )

( I never even considered 11.Bf4 Bd6 which throws away the initiative )

( 12...Bd6 13.h3 Nh2 14.Nxh2 Bxh2+ 15.Kh1 Be5 16.f4 ~ )

( 13.Bf4 d6 14.Rc1 )

( 14.Bf4 = )

( Not 14...Qxe5?? 15.Bf4 +- )

Unpinning the f-pawn. I was determined to give up a piece!

( A safer alternative was 15.Rc1 d6 16.Bf4 )

Finally he takes the knight!

( 16...Ng6 17.exd5+ Kf8 18.Rde1 Bb7 19.f5 +/- )

( 16...Nc4 17.exd5+ Kf8 ( 17...Ne3 18.f5 O-O 19.Bxe3 Re8 20.Rd3 Qe5 21.Qf3 Bxe3 22.Re1 Qxb2 23.Rdxe3 +/- ) 18.d6 Bb7 19.Bxc4 bxc4 20.Qe5 f6 ( 20...Bb6 21.Bh6 +- ) 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Qxf6+ Kg8 23.Qg5+ Kf7 24.Qxc5 ~ ( 24.Qf5+ = ) )

( 18.exd5? is too slow )

( It would be suicidal to castle: 18...O-O?? 19.Rxf7! ( 19.Qh5 +- is also crushing ) 19...Rxf7 20.Qh5 and Black is mated in 6 moves )

( 18...Bb7 19.Bxf7+ Kd8 20.Qg4 $40 )

( 19...Kd8 is better )

( 21...Be3 22.Qb4+ Kd8 23.e6 +- )

( 22.Qxg5+ Be7 23.Qxg7 Qh6 24.Qg3 = )

( 22...Be7 23.exd7 Bb7 ( 23...Bxd7 24.Rd1 Qc6 25.Bg6 Rf8 26.Bf5 +/- ) 24.Re5 ~ )

By now we were both very short of time and the next dozen or so moves were made in a furious time scramble. So not surprisingly we both made mistakes.

( 24.Qxg4 = )

I was trying to be too clever

( I should have played the obvious 25.Qxg4 with at least equality )

I now realised my mistake. Black is getting counterplay.

Another good move, intending ..Rc1

I had to take back this way to keep the pressure on

( 29.Rxd1 Qh6 =+ ( 29...d6 ) )

Mistakenly still trying to win.

( 31.Kh1 seems to lead to a draw: 31...Bb7 32.Rxd7+ Kc8 33.Qc1+ ( 33.Rxb7? Kxb7 34.Qd7+ Ka8 35.Qxe7 Rc8 -+ ) 33...Bc5 ( 33...Kb8?? 34.Qc7+ ) 34.Bg6 = )

For some reason, I missed this obvious counter-sacrifice.

( 32.Rxd7+?? Ke8 -+ )

He still had to make 6 moves to reach the time control and his flag was raised, so he probably thought he was being sensible in forcing the queens off. But the move's a blunder.

( He should have played 34...Bxg4 35.Qd4 Qh3+ 36.Kg1 Qg3+ 37.Kf1 Qf3+ 38.Kg1 Qxf7 -/+ when I have a few checks, and can pick up one or two pawns, but black's bishops must give him the advantage. )

A nice tactic, which he overlooked. It wins a bishop.

The time scra mble was over, and we spent a few minutes filling in the moves on our scoresheets. The clocks went back an hour, which gave me plenty of time to find the most accurate moves to win.

The bishop has very few squares

( 46...Be6 47.e5 )

( 46...Bf7? 47.Ra7+ )

( 46...Bc4 47.b3 )

Taking another square from the bishop, and putting Black in zugzwang.

( 47...Kd7 48.Rb6 )

( 48...Bf7 49.Rg7 )

Seeing the bishop trapped, he resigned.