Chessvilile - Chess Instruction: Annotated Games - Polugaevsky - Planinc Skopje 1971 - with notes by NM Bill McGeary - annotated chess games, chess games commented, chess analysis

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Annotated Game
Polugaevsky - Planinc
Skopje 1971
with notes by NM Bill McGeary

I first went over this game in 1972 or '73 when I was still a young, ambitious player. In those days there weren't million game databases to do research, instead we waited for the twice-yearly arrival of the Informant to get our opening updates. I found this game in one of those Informants and immediately it had an effect. I changed from looking for the crucial updates in the Najdorf to the most current available Polugaevsky games.

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.b3

Today I am not sure I would play this as Black is given a target to aim for with a5-a4.

4...Bf5 5.Bb2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.d3 h6 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Qe1 Bh7 10.e4

10...dxe4

The play up to Black's last move was considered standard fare in the King's Indian Attack for three decades. Some of the ideas may seem odd to the innocent eye, but there is quite a bit of thought involved.

Black has arranged the K-side pieces compactly, keeping open ideas of ...a5-a4 or ...Na6 to initiate operations on the Q-side and kept the bulwark d5-pawn protected. The Bh7 appears to be "biting on granite" staring at the e4, d3, c2 phalanx, but it could be thought of as "attacking" the chain.

White has been able to play e4 which is a major component of his strategy. The most obvious idea is to advance e4-d5 creating a wedge in the center that White can use as a lever to support operations on the K-side.

Black's last move 10...dxe4 has changed the view of each side a bit. White will push forward on the K-side as suggested above, but won't advance e5 as a prelude to this. The reasons for not advancing to e5 are simple; after e4-e5 the Bh7 would have a much better view of the proceedings while the Bb2 would be cut off; second the d5-square would be too good of an outpost for Black. Black's changed path now revolves around active piece play emphasized by the lines opened in the center.

11.dxe4 Na6 12.Qe2 Nc5 13.Ne5 Qc7 14.Kh1

This is typical, White just rumbles along. Now, there will be no checks on the g1-a7 diagonal and g1 is ready for a rook.

14...Rad8 15.f4 Ne8

Freeing f6 for the Bishop and relocating to the more active square d6.

16.Rad1 Nd6 17.Qe3 Na6 18.a3

Have to keep an eye on the Na6 and protect b4.

18... Bf6 19.g4 Nc8

Keeping an eye on e5 in order to slow down g4-g5. Black has been pushed back to three ranks and is relying on tactics to keep afloat. With a bit of care White can continue the attack down the f- and g-files because Black doesn't have any serious counter thrust.

20.Qg3 Qe7 21.g5

This pawn sacrifice is temporary and requires only small bits of calculation. The combined pressure on the a1-h8 diagonal and the g-file marks g7 as the target for which Black has only the Bf6 to defend. Once this is seen it is only a short stretch to see the Bf6 has no safe squares from which to defend g7 after the game sequence. These ideas all work nicely together.

21...hxg5 22.fxg5 Bxg5 23.Ndf3 Bf5 24.Nxc6

Attacking the Qe7 while opening e5 for the e4 pawn.

24...bxc6 25.e5 Bh4 26.Nxh4 Bxc2 27.Rc1 Bh7

Black appears to be holding, but the Na6, Nc8 and Rf8 are not involved.

28.Rg1 Rd3 29.Qg4

Threat - Bf1.

29...Re3 30.Bd4 Rd3 31.Bf1 1-0

A game won not by deep opening preparation or hard tactics, but with simple ideas. The way that one idea (White playing e4) led to another (Ne5 with f4 and g4) and the next (g5 and Nxc6) make this game a great advertisement for simple openings.

NM Bill McGeary is a two-time 2-State Champion
(Washington, 1982; Alaska, 2004)

Annotated Games Index