Tactical Endings – Two Full Games

These are two full games with interesting Tactical Endings. See the Tactical Endings Puzzle page to test yourself before viewing the entire games.









 
PircB09
Austrian Attack 
6.e5 

Michael Goeller (1940)
Robert Bazaz (1875)

Candidate Expert Invitational
West Orange, NJ, 1981


1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. e5 dxe5 7. fxe5 Nd5 8. Bc4 Nxc3?! 9. bxc3 c5 10. O-O Nc6 11. Ng5 e6 12. Be3 cxd4 13. cxd4 Ne7 14. Ne4 Nf5 15. Qd2 h5? 16. Rxf5?! premature >= 16. Rad1! 16… exf5 16… gxf5? 17. Bg5 f6 (17… Qc7? 18. Nf6+) 18. Nxf6+ Bxf6 19. Bxf6 Rxf6 20. exf6 Qxf6 21. Re1+/- 17. Bg5 Qc7 18. Nf6+ Kh8? One problem with White’s premature attack is that Black can force a draw with 18… Bxf6 19. Bxf6 Qxc4 20. Qh6 Qxd4+ 21. Kf1 Qc4+!!= and the White King cannot escape the checks.(And not 21… Qxa1+?? 22. Ke2 Qxe5+ 23. Bxe5 f6 24. Qxg6+ Kh8 25. Bxf6++-) 19. Be2!-> Now Black shoul d suffer the consequences of his weak dark squares because he cannot prevent the plan of Qf4, Bxh5! and Qh4 winning. But he does find a trick and I fall for it. 19… Rd8!? sneaky 20. Bxh5?! Completely focused on my own attack, I overlook that Black might have ideas of his own. Better 20. Qf4! Bf8 21. Rd1 Qxc2 22. Bxh5-> 20… Qxe5! This ends White’s attack and forces multiple exchanges into a rather equal ending. 21. dxe5 Rxd2 22. Bxd2 Bxf6 23. exf6 gxh5 The exchanges have left material roughly equal with opposite-colored bishops on the board. But while bishops of opposite-color are notorious for creating drawish endings, they are also known to create attacking chances. White now conjures up a mating attack in which Black assists to some degree, unaware of the danger. 24. Rb1 b6 25. Rb3 Be6? 26. Rh3! Kh7? Black should play 26… f4! to escape any potential mating nets. White would then win a pawn, but the opposite-colored bishops would make winning a chore. 27. Rxh5+ Kg8 Only now does Black see 27… Kg6?? 28. Rh6# 28. Bh6 Kh7[] Forced to avoid Bg7 and Rh8#. 29. Bf4+! Played to prevent …f4. 29… Kg8[] 29… Kg6?? 30. Rh6# 30. h4! Rd8? Black can only save himself by 30… Bc4[] 31. Kf2! Re8[] 32. Bh6 Re2+ (32… Be2 33. Rxf5+-) 33. Kg1! (33. Kg3!?+/-) 33… Re1+ (33… Bd5 34. Rg5+ Kh7 35. Bg7+-) 34. Kh2 Be2[] 35. Rxf5+/- and White’s two-pawn advantage gives him excellent winning chances. 31. Bh6 Rd1+ 32. Kh2 Kh7 Mate is unavoidable: 32… f4 33. Bg7 f3 34. Rh8# 33. Bg7+ Kg6 34. Rh6# and the dark square attack is triumphant. 1-0 [Michael Goeller]

 








 
QGDD59
Tartakower Variation 
5.e3 

Mark Kernighan (2230)
Dragan Milovanovic (2245)

Hamilton Quads (3)
Hamilton, NJ, 2004


1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nf3 h6 7. Bh4 b6 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Rc1 Bb7 11. Bd3 Rc8 12. O-O Nxc3 13. Rxc3 c5 14. Bb1!? Nd7 15. Qc2 g6 16. Qa4?! Bxf3!? 17. gxf3 cxd4 18. Qxd4 Rxc3 19. Qxc3 Nf6 20. Rc1 Rd8 21. Kf1 Nd5 22. Qd4 e5 23. Qc4 Qg5 24. h4 Nxe3+!? 25. fxe3 Qxe3 26. Qc3 Qf4 27. h5?! Qh2 28. Bd3? Qxh5? 29. Ke2 Qh2+ 30. Kd1 Qf2 31. Qc4 Rd4 32. Qc8+ Kg7 33. Rc3 Rh4 34. Be2 Rh1+ 35. Kd2 Qd4+ 36. Kc2 Rh2 37. Qa6 e4 38. fxe4 Qxe4+ 39. Kd2 Qf4+ 40. Kc2 Qe4+ 41. Kd2 Qf4+ 42. Kd1! Qd4+ 43. Qd3 Qa4+ 44. Kd2 Qf4+ 45. Qe3 Qd6+ 46. Kc1 h5 47. Rc8 h4 48. Qc3+ Kh6 49. Qe3+ Kg7 50. Qc3+ Kh6 51. Qd2+!? Qxd2+ 52. Kxd2 Kg5 53. Rc7 f5 54. Rxa7 Kf4 55. Ra4+ Kg3 56. Ra3+ Kf4 57. Rf3+ Kg5 58. a4 h3 59. b4 Kh4 60. a5 bxa5 61. bxa5 Rg2 62. Rf4+ Kg3 63. Rf3+ Kh4 64. a6! h2 65. a7 h1=Q 66. a8=Q Qh2 66… Kg4 67. Rf2+! Kg3 (67… Kg5 68. Rxg2++-) 68. Qf3+ Kh4 69. Rxg2+- 67. Qd8+ Kg4 67… g5 68. Qh8+ Kg4 69. Qd4+ Kh5 70. Rh3+!+- 67… Rg5 68. Qd4+ Rg4 69. Qh8+ Kg5 70. Qxh2+- 68. Rf2+! Kg3 69. Qg5+! Kh3 69… Kxf2? 70. Qe3# 70. Qh6+ Kg3 71. Qxg6+ 71. Rf3+! Kg4 72. Rf4+ Kg3 73. Qg5+ Kh3 74. Rh4# 71… Kxf2 71… Kh3 72. Qh5+ Kg3 73. Rf3# 72. Qxf5+ Kg3 73. Qg4+ Kf2 74. Qf3+ Kg1 75. Qf1# 1-0