Scottish Centenary Tournament

Last updated 22 February 2004

Povah,N (2475) - Foldi,J (2555) [E16]
SCCA-100, 1984
[Notes by John Hawkes]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 a5 [Siklos-Abramov, VIII World Championship, went: 4...Bxd2+ 5.Qxd2 b6 6.Nc3 d5 7.e3 Ba6 8.b3 c5 9.dxc5 bxc5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.0-0-0 Bb7 12.Bb5+ Kf8 13.Bc4 Qa5 14.Nxd5 Qxd2+ 15.Rxd2 Ne4 16.Rc2 Nd7 17.Nd2! but the White advantage failed to produce a win.]

5.g3 b6 [Black's other plan is to transform his central pawn formation by: 5...d6 6.Bg2 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 White then has a "freebie" with his q-bishop: 8.Bg5 (8.Bh6!? gxh6 9.a3 Bc5! 10.dxc5 Nxc5= and Black is solid (Taimanov).) 8...exd4 9.Nxd4 0-0 10.Qc2 h6 11.Bf4 Ne5 12.b3+/= (Taimanov)]

6.Bg2 Bb7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Bf4 Posing more problems than the standard 8.Nc3. Black now opts for the provocative solution faced with the threat of c5 then a3. [8.Nc3 Na6 9.Ne5!? Bxg2 10.Kxg2 Qb8 11.e4 Qb7 12.Qf3+/= Nesis-Kjarner, CC, 1982-84.]

8...Bd6!? 9.Bxd6 cxd6 10.Nc3 [Another idea is Voronkov's 10.d5!? ]

10...Ne4 11.Na4 d5 12.Nd2 d6 13.cxd5 exd5 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Qb3 Nd7 Black has his centre pawns restructured, but has some q-side weak spots.

16.Rfc1 Rb8 17.Rc2 Nf6 18.e3 Bd5 19.Qb5 Be6 20.Nc3 Rc8 21.b3 Nd5 This forces White into the exchange of rook for knight and two pawns.

22.Nxd5 [22.Rac1 Nb4 23.Rd2 Nd5 24.Rdc2 and repetition.]

22...Rxc2 23.Bxe4 Rc8 24.Qxb6 Bxd5 25.Qxd8 Rfxd8 26.Bxd5 Rc2 As the tournament progressed, it became imperative that Nigel won this game to assure his GM title. Viewed in that light, the following play is all the more dramatic.

27.a4 Rdc8 Mistakenly, Black also tries for a win.

28.Bc4 Kf8 29.Rd1 Ke7 30.Kf1 g5 31.g4 h5?! 32.gxh5 Rb2 33.Kg2 Rh8 34.h3 Rxh5 35.Rc1! d5 36.Bd3 [36.Bxd5? g4! and goodbye GM title. ]

36...Rh6 [36...Rxb3 37.Be2 Rh6 38.Rc5 restores White's advantage.]

37.Rc7+ Kd6? Losing. [37...Kf8 was necessary.]

38.Rxf7 Ke6 39.Rf5 Rf6 40.Re5+ Kd6 41.Bf5 Kc6 42.Kg3 Rd6 [42...Rxb3 43.Be6 ]

43.Kg4! Giving Black a choice of the b- or f-pawns, but ensuring a passed h-pawn for White.

43...Rxb3 44.Kxg5 Rb2 45.f4 Ra2 46.Bg4 Rxa4 47.f5 Rb4 48.f6 Rb8 49.f7 Rf8 50.Be6 The centralised bishop is key to White's play.

50...a4 51.Kf6 a3 52.e4 dxe4 53.Rxe4 Ra8 54.d5+ Kc5 55.Re1 a2 56.Rc1+ Kd4 57.Ra1 Rb6 58.Kg7 Rb7 [58...Rb1 59.Rxa2! would have brought an abrupt end.]

59.d6 Ke5 60.Bxa2! [60.Rxa2? Kxe6 61.Rxa8 Rxf7+ when Black has more hope than he deserves.]

60...Ra3 61.d7 Rg3+ 62.Kh6 Rb6+ 63.Kh5 Rb8 64.Re1+ Kf6 65.Rf1+ [65.Rf1+ Ke7 66.f8Q+ Rxf8 67.Rxf8 Rxh3+ 68.Kg4 Rd3 69.Rf7+ Kd8 70.Be6 etc. (Povah)] 1-0