Scottish Centenary Tournament

Last updated 22 February 2004

Berta,M (2430) - Bohak,J (2395) [A30]
SCCA-100, 1984
[Notes by John Hawkes]

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.b3 Bg7 4.Bb2 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0-0 c5 7.c4 0-0 8.Nc3 Ne4?! [Another line goes: 8...e6 9.Rc1 d5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.d4 Na6 12.dxc5 Nxc5 Taimanov-Kudrin, Titograd, 1984.]

9.Qc2 Nxc3 10.Bxc3 d5 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.d4 dxc4 13.dxc5! Begining a subtle manoeuvre to take advantage of Black's lack of attention to his q-side development.

13...cxb3 14.Qxb3 Qc7 15.cxb6 Qxb6 16.Qc3+ Qf6 17.Qc7 Be4 18.Qc4 Bc6 19.Rac1 The repercussions of Black's q-side mess will be long term.

19...Rd8 20.e4 e5 21.h4 Rd6 22.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Qe7 24.Bh3! Underlining his opening advantage. It will be extremely difficult for Black to develop and also resist the pressure which will have to be faced very soon in the middle game.

24...a6 25.Qc3 f6 26.h5 g5 27.Bf5 Ra7 28.Nh2 Be8 The final phase is delightful.

29.h6+! Kxh6 If he refuses, he is going to be terribly bottled up by Qc8 and trouble at f6.

30.Qb3! Rb7 31.Qg8 The point. There is only one defence to Ng4+, followed by Kg2 and Rh1#.

31...Bh5 32.g4 Qf7 33.Qh8! [Very fine play. If: 33.Qh8 Bg6 34.Rd3 and Rh3+ applies the coup de grace.] 1-0