We continue with our grandmother thinking article reprinted from BDG World 46, July 1991.
Purser,Tom - Schiller,Eric
Correspondence USA Today LINC, 1990
BDG, Euwe Defense
1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6
I was thinking about playing 4.Bg5, but with his second or third move Black had transmitted something to the effect of "I stand behind what I write," which led me to believe that the Euwe was in the offing. A grandmother's intuition, you might say, but since my opponent had recommended the Euwe in both Unorthodox Openings and Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, maybe it was more than that.
4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Qd2
Diemer played 8.a3 here, to preserve his Bishop on d3. I wanted to see what Black's loss of time in exchanging was worth. Not enough for White to allow it, I'm afraid.
8...Nb4 9.0-0-0 Nxd3+ 10.Qxd3 0-0 11.h4 c5 12.Bf4 Nd5 13.Ng5
Trying to provoke some weakness in Black's Kingside pawn structure.
13...g6 Rewarded with (potential) holes at f6 and h6 and a target for the h-pawn at g6. 14.Qf3 Nxf4 15.Qxf4
Now Black has the two Bishops, although he's only playing with one.
15...Qd6 16.Qf3 cxd4 17.Nce4
All this bobbing and weaving is rough on granny's lumbago.
17...Qd5 18.Nf6+ Bxf6 19.Qxf6 Qxa2
Wouldn't you? Almost a grandmotherlike move.
20.h5 Well, at least Black has something to think about back home now. White just might play h5-h6 or Nxh7.
20...Qa1+ 21.Kd2 Qa5+ 22.Kc1 Qf5 23.Qe7
23...Bd7! [23...h6? 24.Nh7 Kxh7 25.Qxf8]
24.hxg6 Rac8 25.gxf7+ Kg7
26.Rd2 [26.Rxh7+ beckons, but it loses: 26...Kg6 27.Rd2 Qf1+ 28.Rd1 Qxg2 29.Rd2 Qg1+ (29...Qxg5?? 30.Rg7+ wins) 30.Rd1 Qxg5+-+]
26...h6 27.Qxd7 Qxg5 28.Qxe6 d3 29.c3 Rc6 30.Qd7
30...Rxf7 [On 30...Ra6 White parries the threatened 31...Ra1+ with 31.Qd4+ Qf6 (best) 32.Qxf6+ Rxf6 33.Rxd3=]
31.Qxd3 Ra6 32.Rh3 Rg6 33.Rf3
[And the game is equal here, although Black blundered on the next move with 33…Rgf6?? 34.Rg3 1-0.]
To be continued…
Play through this game and download PGN here.
