Scottish Centenary Tournament

Last updated 22 February 2004

Bryson,D (2575) - Berta,M (2430) [C44]
SCCA-100, 1984
[Notes by John Hawkes]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 [An extraordinary miniature occurred in the ICCF World Cup V Tournament between Wittling and Sergiev: 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 d6 9.Nd5 Nxe4 10.Bxd8 Bxf2+ 11.Ke2 Bg4+ 12.Kd3 Ne5+ 13.Kxe4 f5+ 14.Kf4 Ng6# ]

4...d5 [The defence 4...Nf6 often used by Boey, has a main line which makes interesting postal chess. After: 5.e5 Ne4 6.Qe2 f5 7.exf6 d5 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.cxd4 Kf7 10.fxg7 Bb4+ 11.Kd1 Re8 12.Be3 Kg8 Estrin considers Black's game virtually won. Indeed, the game Mondragon-Palciauskas, III North American Championship, went: 13.a3 Ba5 14.Kc1 c5 15.dxc5 d4 and confirmed the ex-World Champion's view.; A considerable improvement for White was seen in Bryson-Jenkins, Scottish CC Championship, 1978-79, with: 4...Nf6 5.e5 Ne4 6.Qe2 f5 7.exf6 d5 8.Nbd2! d3 9.Qe3 Bc5 10.fxg7 Rg8 11.Nd4 Rxg7 12.Bxd3 Bf5 13.0-0 Qf6 14.Bxe4 Bxd4 15.cxd4 Re7 16.Bxf5 Rxe3 17.fxe3 Qg5 18.Nb3 Ke7 19.e4 Qg7 20.exd5 Rg8 21.Bh3 Nxd4 22.Nxd4 Qxd4+ 23.Kh1 Qg7 24.Bf4 and White won.; There's also: 4...Nge7! 5.Bc4 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nxd4 0-0! 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qf3 Bd6 11.Nd2 Re8 12.h3 Qe7!-/+ Christiansen-Kasparyants, ICCF Master Class.]

5.exd5 Qxd5 6.cxd4 Nf6 [Beware of ECO's 6...Bg4 7.Nc3 Bb4! which was demolished rapidly in another III NAC game, Preo-Sarosy: 8.Be2 Nge7?! 9.0-0 Qa5 10.Bd2 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Nxd4 12.Bxb7 Rd8? 13.a3 Bxc3 14.Bxc3 Qb6 15.Qa4+ Rd7 16.Rfe1 Qxb7 17.Bxd4 c5 18.Bxc5 0-0 19.Rad1! Rc7 20.Qb4 and White won.; Black has better on the 8th move however: 6...Bg4 7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Be2 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4 10.Be3 (10.Qb3 ; and 10.Bxc6+ are both preferable to: ) 10...Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxc3+ 12.Kf1 Qc4+ 13.Kg1 Nge7 14.Rc1 Qxa2 15.Ra1 Qc4 16.Rc1 Marshall-Capablanca, 1926, draw. 16...Qa2 17.Ra1 Qc4 18.Rc1 Qb4! Bryson-Flear, Edinburgh, 1985, 0-1.; Also in this line, 6...Bg4 7.Nc3 allows 7...Bxf3?! when a sample line: 8.Nxd5 Bxd1 9.Nxc7+ Kd7 10.Nxa8 Bh5 11.d5 Nd4 12.Bd3 Bg6 13.Bxg6 hxg6 14.Be3 Nc2+ 15.Kd2 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Nf6 offers ample scope for analysis.; 6...Bg4 7.Be2 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 transposes back to the first variation above, while avoiding 7... Bxf3.]

7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Be2 Ne4 9.Bd2 Bxc3 10.bxc3 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 0-0 12.Rb1 b6 13.0-0 Qd6 This stops Velimirovic's manoeuvre Qf4-h4.

14.Bd3 h6 15.Rbe1 Bd7 16.Re3 [A simple, strong plan. Black was probably expecting: 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qc5= ]

16...Rfe8 17.Rfe1 Kf8 18.Bc2 Rxe3 19.fxe3! The very experienced Berta is about to receive a chess lesson!

19...Be6 20.Qd3 g6 21.e4 This emphatically declines Black's draw proposal.

21...Ne7 22.Qe3 Kg7 23.d5 Bd7 24.Qd4+ Kg8 25.Ne5 Rf8 26.Bb3 Black can only find a simplifying continuation, and loses in quick time to the White centre pawns.

26...c5 27.dxc6 Qxd4+ 28.cxd4 Bxc6 29.d5 Bb7 30.d6 Nc6 31.Nxc6 [31.Nxf7 followed by e5 and e6 also won. (Bryson)]

31...Bxc6 32.e5 Bd7 33.Rc1 Rd8 34.Rc7 a5? [A blunder, but after: 34...Kf8 35.Rxa7 wins. (Bryson)]

35.Rxd7! Rxd7 36.e6 1-0