Victor Schaakvierkampen

Foto: René Coeniaerts

Tussen al die leuke en minder leuke schaaktoernooien kom je soms iets origineels tegen. Zo maakte het Tata Steel Chess Tournament afgelopen jaar indruk op me met het idee de toppers een dagje in het Rijksmuseum onder beroemde schilderijen te laten spelen. Het creëerde een heel speciaal sfeer, iets wat het schaken oversteeg. Zo’n bijzonder gevoel overviel me, toen ik de speelzaal van Victor Schaakvierkampen instapte. Op alle muren hingen prachtige schilderijen, in elke hoek stonden bijzondere schaakkunstwerken tentoongesteld. De 1ste editie van dit toernooi vond plaats in de prachtige winkel van Victor4art in Heerlen, een van de grootse creatieve winkels van Nederland (die ik met veel moeite niet heb leeggekocht…).

foto: Erika Sziva

Twee kunstenaressen, Elfie Hertog en Joyce Weijers, werkten een jaar lang om al dat moois voor elkaar te krijgen. De prijsuitreiking van het toernooi was tegelijkertijd de officiële opening van de tentoonstelling, Dubbelschaak, die nog t/m 28 november te zien zal zijn bij Victor4art.

En al was het toernooi qua omvang nog bescheiden, circa 60 deelnemers, zo’n inspirerende omgeving had ook zijn uitwerking op de schakers. Het toernooi bestond uit 2 invitatievierkampen, de overige deelnemers waren qua sterkte in vierkampen ingedeeld. In de groep van de Limburgse helden had Tom Bus een spetterende overwinning op de groepswinnaar, Ruud van Meegen. Hij analyseert zijn eigen partij in het Engels, hopend dat op deze manier een breder publiek van zijn ‘kunstwerk’ kan genieten.

Tom Bus (foto: René Coeniaerts)

Tom Bus – Ruud van Meegen
(Victor vierkampen, Heerlen 2014)
1. e4
Normally I play 1.c4. For this occasion I played the textmove. I have heard rumours that this move is sound.
1.  ..  c5  2. Nf3 g6
Is it a Dragon? Is it an accelerated Dragan? No, it’s an hyperaccelerated Dragon! GM Iturrizaga Bonelli (2725) is a big fan of this variation.
3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6
I didn’t feel for the solid Maroczy-bind. Today I am in the mood for some fireworks.
5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4
I remember that Fischer played this setup against Samuel Reshevsky. After that game Sammy was not pleased with Bobby, because Bobby read an article of the refutation of this variation in the Russian magazine “64”.
7. ..  d6
This is the game Fischer had studied.7… O-O 8. Bb3 Na5 9. e5 Ne8 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. Ne6 (1-0 Bastrikov, G-Shamkovich,L/Sochi 1958/EXT 1999)
8. f3
I have seen this position before. My homework might pay off.
8. ..  Qb6
Oops.I missed this one. The queen is attacking b2 and d4. I will lose a pawn. Grrr,I wished I knew more theory of this line. Ok, let’s make the best of it. The line I prepared in the morning was 8… O-O 9. Qd2 Bd7 10. O-O-O Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12. h4 Nc4 13. Bxc4 Rxc4 14. h5 Nxh5 15. g4 Nf6 and now 16. Nb3 and the game is ready for a lot of complications. For instance Re8 17. Bh6 Bh8 18. Bg5 Qc8 19. Rh4 Rxc3 20. bxc3 Be6 21. Rdh1 Bg7 22. e5 dxe5 23. Bxf6 Bxf6 24.Rxh7 Qc4 25. Kb1 Qf4 26. Qg2 Bg7 27. Qh3 f5 28. Nc5 Bc8 29. gxf5 Bxf5 30. Ne6 Bf6 31. Rg7+ Bxg7 32. Qh7+ Kf7 33. Nxg7 Kf8 34. Qh8+ Kf7 35. Qxe8+ Kxg7 36. Qxe7+ Kg8 37. Rd1 (1-0 Short,N (2635)-Khalifman,A (2640)/Germany 1991/GER-chT).
9. Nf5 Qxb2
Gligoric once said:”Never take the pawn at b2, even when it’s correct!”
10. Nxg7+
At least I can exchange the big defender Bg7. Maybe my bishop (e3) can show it’s value later!
10. ..  Kf8 {11.Nd5 Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Kxg7 13. Rb1
The alternative is 13. O-O Qc3 14. Qc1 h5 15. Rb1 f6 16. Rb3 Qa5 17. Qb2 Qc7 18. f4
13… Qc3+ 14. Kf2 h5N
Ruud played this move after more than 10 minutes of thought. Actually speaking I didn’t expect this move. Why weaken the kingside voluntarily? I think that a quick reorganistion of the forces will be asked for. At home Fritz 12 prefered 14…..h5 too. I am a pawn down. I try to find compensation in quick development and pressure at the queenside. I prefer 14… Qa5 at once. 15. h4 h5 16. g4 hxg4 17. fxg4 Ne5 18. g5 Bg4 19. Qd4 Rac8 20. Rxb7 e6 21. Rxa7 Rxc2+ 22. Kg3 Qb5 23. Bf4 exd5 24. Rh2 Rhc8 25. Bxe5+ dxe5 26. Qxe5+ Kg8 27. Rxf7 Kxf7 28.Qf6+ Kg8 (1/2-1/2 Vachier Lagrave,M (2730) -Savchenko,B (2638) /Moscow 2010/CBM 135)
15. Rb3 Qa5 16. Qa1+ f6 17. Rhb1 Qc7 18. f4
Black has weakened his kingside and problems with his queenside. I try to avoid Ne5 and furthermore I like to put some pressure on the kingside. During the postmortem I found an old game with this same position (with another moveorder) 18. Qc3 This move is
stronger than mine. 18. .. Re8 19. f4 e6 20. Bc4 (20. Bd4 e5 21. Be3 ) 20… Na5 21. Bb5 Re7 22. Ra3 Qxc3 23. Rxc3 b6 24. Rd1 Nb7 25. e5 fxe5 26. fxe5 dxe5 27. Bg5 Nc5 28. Bc6 Rf7+ 29. Rf3 Rxf3+ 30. gxf3 Bb7 31. Bxb7 Rf8 32. Bc6 e4 33. f4 e5 34. Ke3 Ne6 35. Rd7+ Kh8 36. Be7 exf4+ 37. Kxe4 Rf7 38. Ke5 Nc5 39. Bf6+ (1-0 Stein, L-Kupreichik,V/Moscow 1969/URS-ch)
18… Rf8?!
The mysterious rook move. Ruud told me that he wished to protect the seventh-line when needed. (Now black could play) 18… b6 19. Rc3 Bb7 20. f5 Qd7 21. Be6 Qe8 22. fxg6 Qxg6 23. Bd5 Rac8 with equal position)
19. Qc3
Centralization of the queen to pin the knight and to put pressure on Nc6.
19. .. e6
I think the pressure became too much. Ruud played a wonderful tournament. He won against the ratingfavorits Henk Temmink and Jozef Simenon. But today Ruud had difficult times.
20. Bxe6
“A pawn is a pawn.” Korchnoi used to say.
20. ..  Qa5
Resignation? A tougher defence started with 20… b6 21. Bd5 Bb7 22. Qd3 $16.
21. Rxb7+
“Une petite combinaison” Capablanca remarks.
21. .. Kh8 22. Qxc6 
Another step closer to the king.
22. .. Bxe6 23. Qxd6 Qxa2 
I am a pawn up. Furthermore there are bishops of opposite colours. Conclusion: Let’s start to attack the king!
24. R1b2 Qc4

25. Rc7?
I saw the doubling at the seventh rank and figured that as sufficient. Much stronger is 25. Qe7 $18 Rf7 26. Rb8+ Kh7 27. Qd8 Rxb8 28. Rxb8 Qxc2+ 29. Kg1 with winning position.
25. .. Qxe4 26. Rbb7
Or  26. Rb4 Qd5 27. Rbb7 Rf7 28. Qxd5 Bxd5 29. Rxf7 Bxb7 30. Rxb7
26. .. Bg8 27. Bd4
Here he comes!
27. ..  Rae8

Huh? What a nice gesture. Ruud didn’t wish to defend stubbornly with 27… Qf5 28. Rc5 Qe6 29. Qxe6 Bxe6 30. Rcc7 Bg8 31. c4 Rad8 32. Bc3
28. Qxf6+ Rxf6 29. Bxf6#
Ultimately the bishopdid the trick! 1-0

###pgn###

[Event “Victor Toernooi “]
[Date “2014.12.08”]
[Round “3”]
[White “Bus, Tom”]
[Black “van Meegen, Ruud”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “B35”]
[WhiteElo “2116”]
[BlackElo “2153”]
[PlyCount “57”]
[WhiteTeam “1.30u + 30 sec/move”]
[BlackTeam “Heerlen”]
[WhiteTeamCountry “NED”]
[BlackTeamCountry “NED”]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 d6 8. f3
Qb6 9. Nf5 Qxb2 10. Nxg7+ Kf8 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Kxg7 13. Rb1 Qc3+ 14. Kf2
h5 15. Rb3 Qa5 16. Qa1+ f6 17. Rhb1 Qc7 18. f4 Rf8 19. Qc3 e6 20. Bxe6 Qa5 21.
Rxb7+ Kh8 22. Qxc6 Bxe6 23. Qxd6 Qxa2 24. R1b2 Qc4 25. Rc7 Qxe4 26. Rbb7 Bg8
27. Bd4 Rae8 28. Qxf6+ Rxf6 29. Bxf6# 1-0

%%%pgn%%%