Scottish Annotated Games

Last updated 11 July 2001

Lennox, C J (2300) - Milligan, B (1965) [A09]
SCCA Championship 1999-00
[Notes by Jonathan Lennox]

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.g3 c5 4.b4 cxb4 5.a3 e6 [A reversed Benko. Personally I wouldn't dream of letting my opponent play such a critical variation with an extra tempo, but Bernard's play is nothing if not optimistic!]

6.Bg2 Nc6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Bb2 bxa3 9.Nxa3 Bc5 10.Ne1! e5 11.Nd3 Bd6 [Black makes the critical decision to allow the capture of the black-squared bishop. 11...Be7 would of course permit White to regain his pawn by 12.Bxc6+, but it would by no means clearly good to do so.]

12.Nb5 e4 13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.Ba3 Qe6 15.Nf4 Qe5 [15...Qxc4 16.d3 is awkward for Black. Now, my original intention was also 16.d3, but after rejecting that and 16.Rb1, I fortunately settled on a strong move.]

16.Qb1! h5 [Watch this pawn!]

17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.cxd5 Qxd5 19.Bxe4 Qe6 20.e3 dxe3 21.fxe3 h4 [Now I had planned 22.Bf5 Qh6 23.Bxc8 hxg3 24.Bd7+! but when I noticed that Black could play 22...Qd5 instead, I looked for something better.]

22.Rf4! hxg3 23.Bxc6+ Qxc6 24.Qb4 gxh2+ 25.Kf2 Qc7 26.Rc1 a5 [A better chance than either 26...h1Q 27.Rxh1 Rxh1 28.Qf8+ or 26...Qd8 27.Rxc8!]

27.Qe4+ Be6 28.Rxc7 h1Q [The h-pawn has done all that could be expected of it, but...]

29.Re7+ Kd8 30.Qxh1 [I don't recall ever capturing two queens in three moves before!]

30...Rxh1 31.Rd4+ Kc8 32.Re8+ Kc7 33.Rxa8 Rh5 34.Re8 [34...b5 35.Re7+ Kc6 36.Rd6# would be a fitting finish to the attack on the black squares!] 1-0