World Championship Hardenberg 2007 round 6
Ba,S. - Kouogueu,L. 1-1 (2007.05.18)
≡ 1.32-28 17-22 2.28x17 12x21 3.31-26 7-12 4.26x17 12x21 5.36-31 1-7 6.33-28 7-12 7.39-33 12-17 8.44-39 8-12 9.37-32 18-22 10.41-36 13-18 11.50-44 9-13 12.34-30 2-8 13.30-24 20x29 14.33x24 22x33 15.38x29 19x30 16.35x24 21-27 17.32x21 17x37 18.42x31 12-17 19.46-41 4-9 20.43-38 14-19 21.40-35 19x30 22.35x24 10-14 23.45-40 5-10 24.48-43 16-21 25.38-32 21-26 26.41-37 11-16 27.39-33 17-22 28.43-39 6-11 29.47-42 11-17 30.32-28 17-21 31.28x17 21x12 32.49-43 12-17 33.43-38 17-22 34.38-32 14-20 35.42-38 16-21
Kouogueu attempts to control white's left wing. Now 36.32-28? is not possible due to 21-27 37.28x17 8-12 38.17x19 9-14 39.31x13 14x41 40.36x47 20x38 B+ But after two moves he has to let go, and then it will be white who is in control of the left side of the board.
≡ 36.39-34 9-14 37.44-39 20-25 38.32-28! 14-20 39.28x17 21x12 40.33-28 10-14?
This is a dangerous move, since it gives white the opportunity to take possession of all strategic squares. A much better defense was ≡ 18-22! 41.28x17 12x21 and if white attacks the piece on 21, black will take piece 24 in return: 42.38-32 10-14 43.31-27 14-19! 44.27x16 19x30 and the position is about equal.
≡ 41.31-27 14-19 42.40-35 19x30 43.35x24 12-17
Ba still had plenty of time, but he didn't find the strongest play. After 44.38-33! 18-23 [ ≡ 3-9? 45.24-19 13x24 46.28-22 17x28 47.33x2 24x44 48.37-32! is winning for white] ≡ 45.29x9 20x40 46.9-4 40-45 47.4-22 45-50 48.22x11! white has very good opportunities to win the game.
Now Kouogue finds an elegant way to make a draw using a piece sacrifice.
17-22! 45.28x17 3-9 46.27-22 18x38 47.17-11 13-18 48.24-19 9-13 49.39-33
The variant ≡ 49.19-14 20x9 50.11-7? looks attractive for white, but black can play 26-31! then.
≡ 13x24 50.33x42 24x33 51.11-7 8-13 52.37-32 18-23 53.32-27 13-19 54.27-22 33-38 55.42x33 19-24 56.33-28 23x32 57.7-2
and after 20 more moves the game ended in a draw.
Akker,van den,J. - Pierre,R. 2-0 (2007.05.18)
≡ 1.32-28 18-23 2.38-32 12-18 3.31-27 20-24 4.43-38 17-21 5.37-31 21-26 6.49-43 26x37 7.42x31 7-12 8.41-37 11-17 9.31-26 6-11 10.36-31 1-6 11.46-41 14-20 12.41-36 17-22 13.28x17 11x22 14.48-42 24-29 15.33x24 20x29 16.47-41 10-14 17.35-30 4-10 18.30-25 15-20 19.32-28 23x21 20.26x28 19-23 21.28x19 14x23 22.25x14 10x19 23.37-32 9-14 24.32-28 23x32 25.34x23 18x29 26.38x27 6-11 27.39-34 19-23 28.44-39 11-17 29.34-30 5-10 30.30-25 14-19 31.42-38 19-24
The white left wing is far from ideal, and on the lower right corner white has too many pieces. So in this position it is black who has the advantage. Despite this, van den Akker seems only interested in one thing: to win this game.
32.38-32 17-21 33.32-28 23x32 34.27x38 10-14 35.41-37 13-18 36.38-32 18-22 37.43-38 21-26 38.39-33 16-21 39.32-28!?
The most realistic continuation for white (with only 2 minutes on the clock) was to accept a draw after ≡ 39.40-34 29x40 40.45x34 22-28! 41.32x23 21-27 42.31x22 12-18 43.23x12 8x30 44.25x34. But Van den Akker continues on the dangerous path he took.
≡ 12-18 40.28x17 21x12 41.33-28 14-19 42.31-27
A crucial moment in the game. White has very little time left, and black is in complete control of the position. After 18-23! 43.38-32 12-18! the white position would be split in two parts, and it is very likely that the position would be lost for white. For example 44.50-44 8-13 45.40-35 3-9 46.44-40 2-7 47.40-34 29x40 48.35x44 24-29 49.36-31 (what else?) 9-14 50.45-40 29-34 51.40x29 23x34 B+ But Pierre's attention is caught by a combination.
Indeed white doesn't have to fear the combination: 29-34 44.40x20 19-24 45.20x29 17-22 46.28x17 18-23 47.29x18 8-12 48.18x7 2x42 leads to a draw, for example after 49.25-20. Here black realized that it would not win, and so he changes plan and tries to surprise the white player with a piece sacrifice.
≡ 29-33!? 44.28x39 17-22 45.36-31 19-23
At first sight this sacrifice looks good for black, but white has unexpected counterplay. So now it is black who has to look for a draw.
After ≡ 8-13? white plays 47.39-33 13-19 48.45-40 2-8 49.40-34 8-13 50.34-30 23-29 51.50-44 29x38 52.32x43 and as soon as black plays 22-28 white can normalize the position with 37-32.
≡ 47.39-34 3-9 48.45-40 9-14 49.34-30 14-19 50.40-34 2-7 51.50-44 7-11 52.34-29 24x33 53.25-20 11-16 54.20-15 12-17 55.15-10 17-21 56.10-5
So far Pierre has perfectly defended the position. An easy draw is available after 22-28 followed by 33-38.
But this is a mistake. The black player didn't calculate deep enough.
57.32x43 21x41 58.31-27 22x31 59.30-24 19x30 60.5x46 30-34 61.44-39 18-22 62.39x30 22-27 63.46-28 31-36 64.30-24! 26-31 65.24-19!
And now Pierre realized that his rescue plan fails: 36-41 66.28x46 31-37 67.46x21 16x27 68.19-14 27-31 69.14-10 31-37 70.10-5 37-42 71.43-38 42x33 72.5-32 W+
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