endgame6

AUTUMN ENDGAME - EPISODE 6

"Well, here we are again, in Moscow, but with a repeat of London. Dmitri Serikov against John Osprey. What can we expect, Ray? Give us the background."

R:"Osprey's lucky to be here at all. He lost his last three games in London to finish near the bottom. Nobody seems to know how he got the invitation to the Kremlin All-Stars. The rumour is that Serikov wangled the invite."

"'Invitation', please, Ray, not 'invite'."

R:"Oh, so you're Edward Winter now, are you? Anyway, he's here, with his score of 2-0 against Serikov, but this is Serikov's first chance to see if Osprey will risk the same variation they had on their dramatic, sensational, incredible, first game encounter in London."

"For first time listeners, Ray, what happened then?"

R:"Serikov was mated on the 15th move, playing as White in the Ruy Lopez. Such a thing is unheard of, at least since Keres slaughtered Alekhine in something like the same way at Margate in 1937."

"But Alekhine was Black."

R:"Of course he was. But it was a Steinitz Defence Deferred."

"And Keres won only on move 23, not on move 15."

R:"But it would still have been a backrank mate next move."

"Let's not argue. There's nothing to argue about."

R:"Why not? Listeners love an argument."

"What's happening in the game? They've been making moves for several minutes now."

R:"Yes. I was going to say that Serikov must have prepared. He'll have done his homework. And Osprey isn't put off. He's gone for the same line as in London. They both have. It'll have to be Serikov to diverge first. Where will it be, I wonder? I must say that Osprey looks dishevelled. My spies tell me that he had quite a night yesterday evening. And he's older than Serikov, so it might tell."

"But they're playing fast. He won't get into time trouble at this rate."

R:"You wait. Serikov will make him think soon, I'll wager my next six books on it."

"There's no change as far as I can see, right up to the 10th move."

R:"Yes. That's a surprise. I didn't expect 10.Nd2-c4. I think he's daring Osprey to advance his rook to d4 again."

"And he's done it!"

R:"So we've got a prepared line by both sides. It can't repeat for much longer. And... here we are. Just like I said in London, but Serikov fell for a sucker punch. It's c2-c3 on the 13th move. Unlucky for some, and my money's against Osprey this time."

"In spite of his 2-0 score against Serikov?"

R:"Be®MDIT&hibar;cause®MDNM&hibar; of his two-nil score. Look at the rating difference, over 200 points between them. You can't argue with the ratings."

"Osprey's not going to agree."

R:"Well, Serikov's won the exchange by force, there are no queens on the board, Osprey's king's side is undeveloped, and his own back rank this time is bare. All Serikov has to do is get a rook there and Osprey'll be tied up, effectively a piece down, after which it'll be a matter of time."

"But how does he get a rook the Osprey's back rank."

R:"Probably by sacrificing a pawn. It'll be well worth it, to get a free rook on the eighth."

"And is that what Serikov is doing?"

R:"Yes! I'm right again! Black's bishops aren't all that wonderful as they haven't got any support, and the white pawns are harassing them."

"But Osprey already has a pawn for the exchange, and this makes two pawns for the exchange. Surely that's compensation?"

R:"Look at the position. Serikov's rook's going to give check. On the back rank. It's retribution for Osprey's back rank rook mate in London."

"But there's nothing fatal. Osprey's covered with his knight."

R:"Look. The knight's pinned, the bishop is tied to its defence, Black has no threats."

"I like the look of Osprey's queenside pawns."

R:"It's not about pawns. It's about positional bind."

"What's Serikov doing now?"

R:"He's ganged up on Black's c7 pawn. It's attacked twice and can't be defended."

"Except by the king."

R:"That's one defender. Serikov's got two attackers. This must still be home analysis. Osprey might as well resign."

"That'll be on move 21, then."

R:"Right. Osprey's smiling. Can't think why. Maybe he's thinking back to his orgy of last night."

"What orgy?"

R:"Sorry. Can't divulge my sources. Nothing to smile at here. His c7 pawn is going to be taken with check. There's no defence."

"What has he moved his knight for, then?"

R:"His knight? It's a blunder. His pawn is pinned on the rank. Bishop takes knight wins a piece. Osprey should have resigned, like I said."

"Well, he's not resigned, he's moved his king up."

R:"Shades of Alekhine's 48.Kg2 in his 32nd match game against Capablanca."

"In 1927, listeners."

R:"70 years ago. But this is now."

"So? Keep going, Ray. Is Osprey surviving?"

R:"Well, he's got his king active, he's recovered his sacrificed piece - that was a great piece of analytical preparation, but it won't save him. Serikov's rook is rampaging the seventh rank and has just taken another pawn."

"And Osprey's taking his time now. What's he got to choose between?"

R:"Good question. If he moves his rook he loses another pawn, leaving White with a passed h-pawn. There's no point that I can see in moving his bishop. He could play it to c4 to stop White from castling,, but that would block the c-pawn that he wants to advance. And in any case why would White want to castle, with his king well placed in the centre to meet any advance of Black's pawns? Note that Black was forced to give up his pair of bishops by White's pawn sacrifice earlier. As far as I can see Osprey's stuck for a decent move. There's his king, but so what? There's nothing for the king to threaten."

"But he's moved it!"

R:"Ah. We can all see the point of Black's moves after he's made them. The trick is to make just those moves."

"Whatever do you mean, Ray?"

R:"It's quite simple. The king was in the way of the rook."

"Nonsense. The rook's on h8."

R:"But the open file is the b-file. The king move vacates the b-file, approaches the bishop in case the bishop needs defending, and, as I say, leaves the b-file for his rook."

"So Jonathan's OK then?"

R:"Did I say that? Of course he isn't. But it was his best move."

"They're moving a bit faster now."

R:"Yes, the moves are easier. If Serikov attacks Osprey's a-pawn, which Osprey's king move left in the lurch, threatening to capture it with check, then the bishop move we mentioned earlier ..."

"To c4?"

R:"Quite. ... would be a good response, a very good response."

"But he hasn't done that."

R:"Naturally not. He's got his own king into play and released his own king's rook. Now the advantage of the exchange is going to pay off."

"So we 'mark your words' again, do we, Ray?"

R:"You do."

"Then why has Serikov resigned?"

R:"What nonsense. Don't be absurd. Must be Osprey."

"Scout's honour, it's Serikov. There's uproar in the hall."

R:"How many moves have they played? I can't make it out."

"White's resigned before playing his 30th move. They had a flurry of checks and the demonstration board couldn't keep up."

R:"It's electronic. Of course it can keep up."

"Not in this case it couldn't. But they've got it right now. You tell us, Ray. Why has Serikov resigned?"

R:"Taken leave of his senses, perhaps. Let's see. Well, it's not checkmate this time. Osprey's last move was a retreat. Ah, protecting his a6 pawn against capture with check."

"That's nothing to resign about."

R:"No, but wait. Hum. Ah, the bishop, Osprey's bishop, is poised to attack, to play to b3."

"But why can't Serikov oppose rooks on the be-file?"

R:"The checks have seen to that. They have gained time, so that if White played rook to b1, the reply pawn to d3 check would win at one. Serikov's right to resign."

"So?"

R:"I can hardly believe Osprey's revived the Steinitz Defence Deferred after all these years."

"And what do you say, Carol?"

C:"Another great day for England. Osprey's delighted. We all are. And the two players are pleased, too. Amazing that Serikov keeps his composure. The two of them have got up from the board and are leaving the hall together. The camera's following them."

"There's an outside camera. There always is on Red Square, still Moscow's main tourist attraction."

C:"Yes, there they go. Walking across together towards the old Gum store. Talking animatedly. I wonder what about. There's a big black limousine drawn up alongside them. My God, they've been bundled inside. The limousine's disappeared off screen. Whatever's happened? What's the Russian for 999?"

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The game: Dmitri Serikov (Russia) vs. John Osprey (England)

Ruy Lopez. Steinitz Defence Deferred.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.Bxc6+ bxc6 6.d4 Bg4 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8+ Rxd8 9.bNd2 f6 10.Nc4 Be6 11.fNd2 Rd4 12.Na5 Bb4. This position occurred in the first encounter game, when Serikov played 13.Nxc6.

13.c3 Bxa5 14.cxd4 exd4 15.b4 Bxb4 16.Rb1 c5 17.a3 Bxd2+ 18.Bxd2 Ne7 19.Rb8+ Nc8 20.Ba5 Kd7 21.Rb7 Nb6 22.Bxb6 Kc6 23.Rxc7+ Kxb6 24.Rxg7 Kc6 25.Kd2 Rb8 26.Rc1 c4 27.Ra7 Rb2+ 28.Rc2 c3+ 29.Kc1 Rb6 30. White resigns because of the threat of Bb3.

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Autumn Endgame - episode 6