Monday, August 11, 2008

Tartakower Plays the BDG

Tartakower was one of the few grandmasters who was willing to give the BDG a try now and then. (That's only one of many reasons he has long been my favorite GM.) Here's one of his games where Black declines the gambit with an inferior line. Tartakower - Raizman Paris Christmas Tournament, 1954/55 [Game 261c in Diemer's book, his notes after Tartakower] 1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.Nc3 e5 5.dxe5 Qxd1+ 6.Kxd1 Nfd7 7.Nd5 c6 8.Nc7+ Kd8 9.Nxa8 Nxe5 "...eine Idee des französischen Meisters Raizman, mit der er in der letzen Runde des internationalen Weihnachtsturniers in Paris 1954/55 GM Dr. S. Tatakower überraschte, dessen Kommentar im Turnierbuch ich folge..." ("an idea of the French master Raizman, with which he surprised GM Dr. S. Tatakower (whose commentary in the tournament book I follow) in the last round of the international Christmas tournament in Paris 1954/55 ..."} 10.Be3 c5 11.Ke1 Bd6 12.Rd1 Ke7 13.Nc7 Bxc7 14.Bxc5+ Kf6 15.fxe4 Nbc6 16.Nf3 Re8 17.Be2 g5 18.Rf1 Kg6 19.Bd6 Ba5+ 20.c3 Ng4 21.Rd5 h6 22.Nd4 Bb6 [22...Ne3 23.Nxc6 Nxd5 24.Nxa5+-] 23.Bxg4 Bxg4 24.e5 Nxd4 25.Rxd4! [25.cxd4 Be6 26.Rb5 Bc4 27.Rf6+ Kg7] 25...Bxd4 26.Rf6+ Kg7 27.cxd4 Be6 28.b3 Rc8 29.Kd2 Rc6 30.Rf2 a5 31.Kd3 Bd5 32.g3 Rc1 33.Ba3 Rc6 34.Be7 a4 35.bxa4 Ra6 36.Rc2 Rxa4 37.a3 Ra5 38.Rc7 Rb5 39.Bb4 Kg6 40.Rd7 Be6 41.Rd6 Kf5 42.h3 h5 43.Ke3 Rd5 44.Rb6 Rd7 45.Bc5 Kg6 46.Ke4 Kh7 47.h4! gxh4 48.gxh4 Bd5+ 49.Kf5 Kg7 50.Kg5 Bf3 51.Rf6 Bd1 Black offered a draw here. 52.Bd6 Rd8 53.Rf1 Bg4 54.Rb1 [54.Rc1 Rc8 55.Rxc8 Bxc8 56.Kxh5 f6] 54...Bf3 55.Rb3 Bd5 56.Rc3 Kh7 57.Rc5 [57.Kxh5? Rg8 threatening Be6 and Bg4#] 57...Be6 [57...Rg8+ 58.Kf6] 58.d5 Bg4 59.Rc7 Rd7 60.Rxd7 Bxd7 61.Kxh5 Ba4 62.Bb4 Bb3 63.d6 Be6 64.Kg5 1-0