Simon Harmsma - Erik ten Hagen 1-1
In the final round of the semi-finals of the Dutch Championship 2023 Simon Harmsma battled for his final chance to reach the final.
≡ 1.34-29 19-23 2.33-28 23x34 3.39x30 17-21 4.44-39 11-17 5.50-44 7-11 6.38-33 21-26 7.42-38 1-7 8.47-42 20-25 9.39-34 14-19 10.44-39 10-14 11.49-44 5-10 12.28-23 18x29 13.34x23 25x34 14.40x29 19x28 15.32x23 15-20 16.45-40 16-21 17.38-32 11-16 18.32-27 21x32 19.37x28 26x37 20.41x32 13-18 21.43-38 20-25 22.40-34 14-20 23.35-30 7-11 24.30-24 10-15 25.46-41 17-21 26.41-37 11-17 27.37-31 9-13 28.31-27 2-7
It was probably better to immediately attack the black left wing using ≡ 29.48-43! 4-9 30.34-30 25x34 31.39x30 18-22 32.27x18 13x22 33.32-27 22x31 34.36x27 21x32 35.38x27. This position is much harder to defend for black than the one in the game.
≡ 4-9 30.48-43 18-22 31.27x18 13x22 32.32-27 22x31 33.36x27 21x32 34.38x27 17-21 35.42-38 21x32 36.38x27 12-17 37.40-35 7-11 38.34-30 25x34 39.39x30
Black is too eager to make a king.
With ≡ 41.18-13! 9x18 42.23x12 8x17 43.30-25 white could have forced a very promising endgame with a piece more.
≡ 21-26 42.18-12 8x17 43.28-22 17x39 44.38-33 39x19 45.24x4 11-17 46.4-27 20-25?
This is losing. A funny way to make a draw was ≡ 17-22! 47.27x25 6-11! 48.30-24 3-9 49.25x3 11-17 50.3x21 26x17 etc.
≡ 47.30-24 25-30 48.27-21 30x19 49.21x30 26-31 50.30-48 31-36 51.48-37 3-9 52.35-30 9-13 53.30-25 13-18 54.37-19 6-11 55.19-37 11-17
White should have won the game by first playing ≡ 56.29-24! Then after 17-22 57.37-19 18-23? white can for example take 58.19x17. Now if black immediately tries to make a king using 36-41? he loses due to 59.17-28 W+. Hence black must play ≡ 15-20 59.25x14 36-41 and then white decides the game by building a capture position with 60.17-8!, see diagram 3a)
Note that this is not the only possible capture position, an alternative one is given in diagram 3b)
So on move 57 black must wait using ≡ 22-27 58.19-46! 27-31 59.46-32! 18-22 60.32-46! 22-27. Now white cannot play 61.46-23? due to 27-32 62.23x26 36-41 with a draw. But instead white builds another capture position using ≡ 61.25-20! 31-37 62.46x16 36-41 63.16-32! 41-47 64.32-10 15x4 65.20-15 47x20 66.15x24 W+
≡ 18-23 57.19x11 15-20 58.25x14
© Wieger Wesselink https://10x10.org