Scottish Centenary Tournament

Last updated 22 February 2004

Sorensen,H (2470) - Berta,M (2430) [C99]
SCCA-100, 1984
[Notes by John Hawkes]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Bb7 14.Nf1 Rac8 15.Bb1 [In the Volmac-15 Tournament, no less than four of Berta's opponents had preferred 15.Re2 in this position (even Sorensen had it on his scoresheet, scrubbed out!). All the games continued: 15...d5?! 16.dxe5 Nxe4 17.Ng3 f5 18.exf6 Bxf6 and all were lost by Black!; Steadier is 15.Re2 Nd7 16.Ne3 Rfe8 17.b3 Bf8 18.Bb2 Nc6 19.Rc1 Qb8 20.dxe5 Ndxe5 21.Nd4+/- Zagarovsky-Kauranen, 6th World Final.]

15...Rfe8 16.Ng3 g6 [16...exd4! 17.Nxd4 d5 18.e5?! Bb4 19.Bf5 Bxe1 20.Bxc8 Qxe5 when Black has the upper hand. Rubtsova-Honfi, Ladies CC, 1981.]

17.a4 With absolute logic.

17...exd4 18.axb5 axb5 19.Nxd4 Qb6 20.Ndf5! Rxc1 21.Qxc1 Nb3 22.Qc3 Nxa1 Now another knight is offered.

23.Nh5!? gxf5 24.Qg3+ Ng4 25.hxg4 Qd4! Lucky!?

26.e5 f4 27.Qh3 Bg5! Excellent defence! Now Black threatens Rxe5 and it's his game. [27...dxe5 28.Bxh7+ Kxh7 29.Ng3+ Kg6 30.Qh5+ Kf6 31.Qh6# must have been one of umpteen variations Black rejected during his 12-day think.]

28.Bxh7+ Kf8 29.Rxa1 Qxb2 With tempo, so why not?

30.Rb1 Qxe5 Due to his mastery of the long diagonal, Black has no serious problems left. Indeed, with the Nh5 out of play, Black has all the winning chances.

31.Qd3 b4 32.Bf5 Bd5 Having defended superbly, Black drifts.

33.Qd2 After a prolonged think by White. [33.g3? Qe1+! 34.Rxe1 (34.Kh2?? Qxf2+ 35.Kh3 Qg2# ) 34...Rxe1+ 35.Qf1 Rxf1+ 36.Kxf1 fxg3 37.Nxg3 b3-+ ]

33...b3 34.g3 Bc4 [34...fxg3 35.f4 ]

35.gxf4 Bh6 36.Rd1 Qc5 37.Qc3 Suddenly White's on the attack again.

37...Re2 38.Qh8+ Ke7 39.Qf6+ Ke8 40.Qh4 Qa5 41.Nf6+ [41.Nf6+ Kd8 42.Ne4+ Kc7 43.Qe7+ Kb8 44.Qxd6+ etc.] 1-0