Scottish Centenary Tournament

Last updated 22 February 2004

Bryson,D (2575) - Povah,N (2475) [B33]
SCCA-100, 1984
[Notes by Nigel Povah]

Notes based on Nigel Povah's commentary in Informator 38.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Ndb5 [Played this way, Black is open to the variation: 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 ]

6...d6 7.Bf4 e5 8.Bg5 a6 9.Na3 b5 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Nd5 f5 12.Bd3 [Alternatives are: 12.Bxb5 ; 12.Nxb5 ; 12.Qd3 ; 12.c3 ; 12.exf5 ]

12...Be6 13.Qh5 Rg8! [Canadian GM Jean Hebert, in his very fine annotation to his game with black against Martinovsky (III North Atlantic Championship), pointed out this strong text move. Anyhow, he got a good game by the older: 13...Bg7 14.0-0 f4 15.c4 b4 16.Nc2 Rb8! 17.b3 h6 18.g3 0-0 19.Rad1 Qg5 20.Be2 Rb7! and Black won in 49.]

14.f4 [White can also try: 14.g3 ]

14...Nd4! 15.c3 Bxd5 16.exd5 e4 17.0-0-0 [17.cxd4 Qa5+! 18.Kf1 Qd2 19.Be2 Qxb2-/+ (Povah)]

17...b4! 18.Nc2 [White gets one surprise after another. If: 18.cxb4 exd3 19.Rxd3 Bg7=/+ ]

18...Nxc2 19.Bxc2 Qf6! A comprehensive move, holding the f5 and h7 pawns, putting the finger on White's soft spots b2 and c3, and anticipating White's next.

20.Ba4+ Ke7 21.Qe2! bxc3 22.Bc6 Bg7! [White is too active after: 22...Rd8 23.Qxa6 Bh6 24.g3 cxb2+ 25.Kb1 Qc3 26.Rhe1 ]

23.Bxa8 Rxa8 24.Qc2 The threat was c2! followed by Rc8! if the queen takes.

24...Rb8 25.b3 [25.Qxc3? Rc8! ]

25...Kf8! 26.a3 Otherwise the Black queen gets to a3 and after a6-a5-a4 there's a mating attack.

26...Qd8 27.Kb1 Qa5 28.Ka2 Rb5 29.Qe2! [29.a4 Rxd5 30.b4 Rxd1! 31.bxa5 Rxh1 (or 31...Rd2 the win is clear, so White sets a trap.) ]

29...Qb6! [29...Rxd5 30.b4! Rxd1 31.bxa5 Rd2+ (31...Rxh1 32.Qxa6~~ )32.Qxd2 cxd2 33.Kb3~~ ]

30.Qc2 Qb7 31.Rhg1 Rxd5 32.g4 fxg4 33.Rxg4 Bf6! 34.f5 Rxd1 35.Qxd1 d5 36.Qg1 Qc7! [36...d4 37.Qg3 Ke7 38.Qg2~~ ]

37.Kb1 c2+ 38.Kc1 Be5 39.Rg8+ Ke7 40.f6+ Kd7 41.Rg4 h5 42.Rh4 Qc3 43.Qa7+ Bc7 44.Qb7 Qd3 0-1