Scottish Centenary Tournament

Last updated 22 February 2004

Webb,S (2550) - Sorensen,H (2470) [A67]
SCCA-100, 1984
[Notes by John Hawkes]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+ A favourite with the English postal GMs Webb and Hollis.

8...Nfd7 [It's universally accepted that Black's reply is quite forced, but: 8...Nbd7 9.e5 dxe5 10.fxe5 Nh5 11.e6 Qh4+ 12.g3 Nxg3 13.hxg3 Qxh1 14.Be3 Bxc3+ 15.bxc3 Qe4 might hold if there's a good reply to: 16.Qf3 Qxf3 17.exd7+! Bxd7 18.Bxd7+ Kxd7 19.Nxf3 b6? (>=19...Kd6 )20.Ne5+ Ke7 21.a4! According to Koualty, Black's only try is: 21...Rhe8 ]

9.a4!? a6 [In the 11th World Championship, Baumbach-Danner went: 9...Na6 10.Nf3 Nc7 11.0-0 a6 12.Bxd7+! Bxd7 13.f5 0-0 14.Bg5 and a vigorous attack by the World Champion brought victory in 32 moves.]

10.Bd3 Qh4+ 11.g3 Qd8 12.Nf3 0-0 13.0-0 Nf6 Black's last five moves are not at all convincing, with so many losses of tempi. It's no surprise that White gains a strong k-side initiative.

14.f5 Ng4 15.h3 Ne5 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 17.Bh6 Bxg3 18.Qf3 Be5 19.f6 Nd7 20.Bg7 Turning down the win of the exchange to have a fianchetto at the wrong end!

20...Nxf6? [Black later gave the better: 20...Qb6! 21.Kh1 Qxb2 22.Ne2 Qd2 23.Rad1 Qg5! logically using the black squares which White has abandoned by his "strong" Bg7.]

21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Qxf6 Bxh3 23.Qxd8 Raxd8 24.Rfe1 f6 25.a5 Black has three pawns for the piece, but White's q-side bind is a big plus.

25...Rf7 26.Na4 Bd7 27.Nb6 Be8 28.Rab1 Bb5 29.Bf1! Re7 30.Bh3 Kg7 31.Be6 Rc7 32.Re3 Be8 33.Rf1 Bf7 34.Ref3 [ It's hopeless: 34.Ref3 Bxe6 lets in the knight at d5.] 1-0