Anneke Treep (NL), white, and Christiaan Freeling (NL), black.
1. f25 | eg8 | |
2. f46 | f0x7 | Maximum capture precedes. Black could have captured f9x7, which is to be prefered on tactical grounds in many situations. White employs an opening that is usually played in the 'mirror variant' 1.f25 - c64, 2.ge5. In that line there's not a 'hole' on i5 as here on f2. After the exchange, black appears strong on the f-line. |
3. ih7 | cxg7 | |
4. g3x6 | bc4? | Why the questionmark? |
5. gf6 | AAARGH! That's why. In fact both Anneke and I owe you an apology for not spotting obvious tactics. We've picked up Bushka after some two years of not playing and obviously we've both lost our edge. Of course there's a sunny side: you get a chance to see the tactical quagmire Bushka presents. Sudden death is around every corner and the right path is almost religiously narrow. No, I'm not dead yet, just bleeding. | |
cxe6 | ||
6. if5 | f9x6 | |
7. ixg6 | f86 | A man down & unreasonably optimistic. |
8. g57 | e76 | Threatening to win a man with -e65; e14x-c4d3x, or two men with -f65; hxg6 (phalanxcapture precedes) fg5x, capturing f2, f6 and h5. Unfortunately for black, white has a move to solve these problems simultaneously. |
9. g68! | exg6 | |
10. g45x | ad5 | |
11. ed3 | d54x | |
12. d23x | f75 | |
13. f34x | f65x | |
14. ji6 | cd4 | |
15. ih6 | bd5 | |
16. hg6 | d76 | |
17. g59 | ef9x | Of course I've looked at ef5x, in which case both Anneke and I get to promote a man to king. But mine gets born in a prison. |
18. hg5x | bc6 | |
19. hg4? | ce6! | Because of hg4, black can use a threat on a 'T-strike'. |
20. gf6x | de6x | White now cannot move to e3 because of de4 (the T-strike: white loses a man either way). This is vital because white is out of tempo. There's a loophole, but it comes with a price tag. |
21. dc3 | c54x | |
22. gf5 | de5x | |
23. gf4 | cxe4 | |
24. e1x3 | de4 | That was the loophole and this is the price tag. Black can break through. |
25. ed2 | ef4 | |
26. e34 | f43 | |
27. ed4 | Black cannot promote now: f2 is covered, and on g3 the king would fall on the next move. | |
de8! | To get the phalanx from the g-line. And it isn't a sacrifice either. | |
28. gf8x | fg3 king | |
29. gf7 | g37! | The man on f7 cannot be defended. |
30. d45 | gi7 | |
31. fe8 | ig7x | After which white offers a draw. Promotion on e9 would draw after g75. After an exchange of kings, white is too late, while d56 would lose the man on d2. Promotion on d8 loses the man on d5, g75 again being the key-move. Black accepts gladly. |