Chess Improvement

Chess Strategies: Bishops versus Knights; Endgame Analysis

May 11th, 2009

This is my other favorite game of the April Colorado Informant, Volume 36, #2. David Meliti won clear first in the 2008 December Winter Springs Open with 3.5/4, cracking 1900. It was the endgame that caught my eye. So many people trade bishops for knights without a second thought.

In a very reduced ending with just Bishop and two pawns versus Knight and two pawns David fashioned a win against Markus Petters. Let this ending be a warning to all who disrespect the mighty bishops.

[Event "2008 Winter Springs Open"]
[Site "Manitou Springs, CO"]
[Date "2009.12.06"]
[Round "2"]
[White "David Meliti"]
[Black "Markus Petters"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black resigns"]
[WhiteElo "1935"]
[BlackElo "2025"]
[Opening "French: Tarrasch"]
[ECO "C03"]
[NIC "FR.14"]
[Time "02:42:12"]
[TimeControl "40/2 G/1"]

2008 Winter Springs Open
December 6, 2008
Weather – cool
Round 2
40/2, G/1
French Defense, Tarrasch Variation
White – David Meliti, tournament winner 1935
Black – Markus Petters, 2025

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Be7 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 c5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O O-O
8. Ne4 Nd7 9. dxc5 Nxc5 10. Nxc5 Bxc5 11. Bc4 Nb6 12. Qe2 Qc7 13. Bd3 Nd5
14. Qe4 f5 15. Qc4 Bd7 16. Nd4 Rae8 17. Nb3 Bb6 18. Qxc7 Nxc7 19. c4 Na6
20. Be3 Nb4 21. Bxb6 axb6 22. Rfd1 e5 23. Be2 Ba4 24. Rd6 Bxb3 25. axb3 Nc6
26. b4 Rd8 27. Rad1 Rxd6 28. Rxd6 Rd8 29. Rxd8+ Nxd8 30. c5 Kf7 31. g4 g6
32. Bc4+ Kf6 33. gxf5 Kxf5 34. f3 e4 35. Kf2 Kf4 36. fxe4 Kxe4 37. Bg8 h6
38. Bh7 bxc5 39. bxc5 Kd4 40. Bxg6 Kxc5 41. Kg3 Ne6 42. Kg4 Ng7

43. Kf4 The game has been remarkably unremarkable, staying pretty close to even the whole way. There is almost nothing left, symmetrical h-pawns, symmetrical b-pawns, one bishop, one knight. I felt sure this was a dead draw playing over it. Knights like outposts but they are hard to come by with just two pawns to provide them. If Markus had activated his sidelined knight with 43 … Ne6+ 44 Ke5 Nd4 that would have been OK. Petters can also join forces with his King, Knight and h6 pawn to create a barrier covering almost the entire 5th rank with 43 … Kd6!. Instead Markus moved his King to his designated Knight Square.

43 … Kd4???? 44. Bf7!!!!
Bam! Just like that it’s over. The Knight can’t move and David’s plan is to move his King in and remove the knight from the freezer. Meliti doesn’t care if Markus runs around and wins his b-pawn, after winning the knight David will Queen his h-pawn while his long-range bishop will stop the black b-pawn from Queening. David just taps his feet until Petters moves his King and then swoops into Ke5-f6:g7. David moves his pawns one square at a time even though they can legally move two sqaures. After a while Markus has to give way with his horrified King. Very simple and elegant after you see David’s Master plan but until then, it looks like magic.

44 … b5 45. h3!!

45 b4!! wins just fine, the idea is to stop Petters’ pawns any way you can and not worry about losing your b-pawn. On principle, David avoids wasting any pawn tempi until Markus gives up and moves his King.

45 … b4 46. b3!!
b-pawn stopped, what about the h-pawn? 46 h4!! also works

46 … h5 47. h4!!
Both pawns stopped. Move your King, Markus! 47 Kg5 Ke5 48 B:h5?? N:h5 49 K:h5 Kd4 is an immediate draw. 47 Kg5 Ke5 48 B:h5?? Ne6+! 49 Kg4 Kf6!! is another easy draw. The Black King heads for h8 to stop the wrong-colored rookpawn from Queening and the Black Knight sacs itself for the b-pawn with Ne6-d4:b3 dead draw. Meliti could continue the torture by not grabbing the h5-pawn – 47 Kg5 Ke5 48 h4!! would keep the game going. David’s move is much simpler than all this. No Black pawn moves = a Black King move = dead Black Knight = free White h-pawn = new White Queen = 1-0

47 … Kd3 48. Ke5! Ke3 49. Kf6! Kf4 50. Kxg7! Kg4 51. Kh6!!
I’m the kind of jerk that would play 51 B:h5+!! for one last chance to sacrifice.

51 … Kxh4 52. Bxh5! Kg3 53. Kg5! Kf2 54. Kf4
1-0 Markus moves away.
I’m sorry but the rest of the game didn’t do anything for me.

Meliti-Petters2009.pgn
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[Event "2008 Winter Springs Open"]
[Site "Manitou Springs, CO"]
[Date "2009.12.06"]
[Round "2"]
[White "David Meliti"]
[Black "Markus Petters"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black resigns"]
[WhiteElo "1935"]
[BlackElo "2025"]
[Opening "French: Tarrasch"]
[ECO "C03"]
[NIC "FR.14"]
[Time "02:42:12"]
[TimeControl "40/2 G/1"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Be7 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 c5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O O-O
8. Ne4 Nd7 9. dxc5 Nxc5 10. Nxc5 Bxc5 11. Bc4 Nb6 12. Qe2 Qc7 13. Bd3 Nd5
14. Qe4 f5 15. Qc4 Bd7 16. Nd4 Rae8 17. Nb3 Bb6 18. Qxc7 Nxc7 19. c4 Na6 20.
Be3 Nb4 21. Bxb6 axb6 22. Rfd1 e5 23. Be2 Ba4 24. Rd6 Bxb3 25. axb3 Nc6 26.
b4 Rd8 27. Rad1 Rxd6 28. Rxd6 Rd8 29. Rxd8+ Nxd8 30. c5 Kf7 31. g4 g6 32.
Bc4+ Kf6 33. gxf5 Kxf5 34. f3 e4 35. Kf2 Kf4 36. fxe4 Kxe4 37. Bg8 h6 38.
Bh7 bxc5 39. bxc5 Kd4 40. Bxg6 Kxc5 41. Kg3 Ne6 42. Kg4 Ng7 43. Kf4 Kd4 44.
Bf7 b5 45. h3 b4 46. b3 h5 47. h4 Kd3 48. Ke5 Ke3 49. Kf6 Kf4 50. Kxg7 Kg4
51. Kh6 Kxh4 52. Bxh5 Kg3 53. Kg5 Kf2 54. Kf4
1-0 Petters pushes off
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