Scottish Annotated Games

Last updated 21 March 2002

Bryson, D M - Webb, S [B69]
Scottish Centenary International, 1985
[Notes by Douglas Bryson]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7 9.f4 Be7 10.Nf3 b5 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.f5 Qb6 13.Kb1 0-0-0 14.g3 Ne5!? [I intended to follow Matulovic-Mednis, Informator 32/275. Black varies first with 14... Ne5 which gets an ! in Sicilian Richter-Rauzer by Harding and Markland. (Mednis played 14... Kb8).]

15.Nd4 h5 16.Bh3 Ng4 17.fxe6 fxe6 18.Bxg4 hxg4 19.Nf5! [The book ended with 16... Ng4 but 19.Nf5! suggests that White has won the opening (if 19... exf5 20.Nd5 then White recovers the pawn with a fine position).]

19...Bf8 20.Nxd6+ Bxd6 21.Qxd6 Qxd6 22.Rxd6 Kc7 23.Rhd1! [Much better than retreating the Rd6. Now, when Black recovers his pawn on h2, he will have the Bd7 pinned.]

23...b4! 24.Ne2 e5 [Stops the knight coming to f4. White now has to spend a lot of time to get this piece to a good square.]

25.Nc1 Rxh2?! [Simon suggested that this was too risky, and he should have played 25... Bc6 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 27.Rxd8 Kxd8 28.Nd3 a5 29.Nf2 Bd7 which he thought might be drawn with best play.]

26.b3! [A difficult decision to take away the obvious square for the knight, but 26.Nb3 Rhh8 (only move) 27.Nc5 Bc8 leads nowhere. Also, 26.Rxa6 Ba4!!]

26...Rh3 27.R1d5 Rxg3 28.Nd3 Rf3 [28... Rg1+ was the only move I considered, when 29.Kb2 g3 30.Nxb4 g2 31.Nxa6+ Kc8? 32.Rb6 Rb1+ 33.Ka3 Rb8+ is mate next move. Therefore, instead of 31... Kc8? Black could try 31... Kb7 32.Rxd7+ Kxa6 33.Rxd8 Rb1+ 34.Kxb1 g1=Q+ 35.Kb2 and the two rooks are better than the queen.]

29.Nxb4 a5 30.Na6+ Kb7 31.Rc5! 1-0 [If 31... g3 32.Rc7+ Ka8 33.Nc5 and White wins because of the threat of 34.Ra6+ Kb8 35.Rb7+ Kc8 36.Ra8#]