[Event "Hoogovens"] [Site "Beverwijk"] [Date "1946.01.05"] [Round "1"] [White "De Groot, Adriaan"] [Black "O'Kelly de Galway, Alberic"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C65"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "59"] [EventDate "1946.01.05"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "NED"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] {The following game is one between two remarkable characters. White was a very strong Dutch player, who represented the Netherlands in three Olympiads, became a Professor, and in the 1940s-60s caried out psychology investigations on chess player's thinking processes. Black was a hereditary Count, spoke at least six languages fluently, and shortly after this game was played became an otb GM winning several strong European events and a correspondence GM winning the World Correspondence Championship.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 (3... a6 {The Morphy Defence is the most frequent move chosen by Black here. The following sequence} 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 {has been played in innumerable games and is still not exhausted. Black can hold the balance but, unless the Marshall Gambit (8...b5), or earlier the Open variation (5...Nxe4), are utilised then Black may be subject to the so-called Spanish Torture and not so infrequent brilliant White king's side attacks.}) 4. O-O Bc5 {The Classical variation of the Berlin Defence where Black places the bishop on a more active, but also more vulnerable, square than e7.} (4... Nxe4 {can lead to complications but after} 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {the main line of the so-called Berlin Wall play can be as dull as ditchwater often leading to draws as Kasparov found to his cost in the World Championship match with Kramnik in 2000.}) 5. Nxe5 (5. c3 {is the equally valid means of attempting to show the bishop is exposed on c5 but Black has a decent game after} O-O 6. d4 Bb6 7. dxe5 Nxe4 {one top-flight example being Shirov-Topalov, Sofia MTel Masters 2009.}) 5... Nxe5 6. d4 c6 {Black has also played many other moves in this position with the alternative method of attacking the bishop being essentially the second main choice. For example,} (6... a6 7. Be2 ({or} 7. Ba4 Nxe4 {Timmerman, Wch 15 corr.1996.}) 7... Ba7 {Chandler-Spassky, Lloyds Bank open London 1984.}) 7. dxe5 {The best way forward} (7. Be2) ({or} 7. Ba4 {retreating the bishop has been played on occasion but achieves little whilst}) ({the rare} 7. f4 {is promising for Black (Romero Holmes-Winats, Hoogovens-B Wijk aan Zee 1992.) after} Qb6) 7... Nxe4 (7... cxb5 8. exf6 Qxf6 {is better for White as in Miller-Haessel, Calgary open 2012.}) 8. Bd3 d5 (8... Nxf2 {looks an obvious move but after} 9. Rxf2 Bxf2+ ({If} 9... Qh4 10. Qf3 {wins: Campbell-Robertson, IECG QN-2000-0-00151 e-mail 2000.}) 10. Kxf2 Qh4+ (10... Qb6+ 11. Kf1 O-O 12. Qh5 h6 13. Bxh6 $18 {Tiron-Puscas, ROME-ch Sarata Monteoru 2012.}) 11. Kg1 Qd4+ 12. Kh1 Qxe5 13. Nd2 d5 14. Nf3 {White is better due to the exposed Black queen and open e-file. Ulybin-Groetz, Rilton Cup Stockholm 2010 is one of several examples.}) 9. Qf3 {This is Ok for White if followed up optimally. Stronger, though, was} (9. exd6 {as played against O'Kelly later in the same event as the main game which then continued} Nf6 ({Not} 9... Nxd6 {as} 10. Re1+ {is very strong.}) 10. Re1+ Be6 11. Bf5 O-O 12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. Rxe6 Qd7 14. Re7 Qf5 {and Black had a good gam in Vlagsma-O'Kelly, Hoovogens Beverwijk 1946.}) 9... Qh4 10. g3 Ng5 (10... Bg4 {is more promising although a murky position results from} 11. Qf4 g5 12. gxh4 gxf4 13. Bxf4 O-O-O) 11. Qd1 {A smalll inaccuracy. Best is} (11. Qe2 {and} Qh3 {may be answered with} 12. Be3 ({certainly not} 12. Bxg5 {due to} Bg4 13. Qe1 Bf3 {and Black wins.})) 11... Nh3+ {This check only apparently inconveniences White.} (11... Qh3 {fails to} 12. Bxg5 Bg4 13. Be2 {retaining the extra piece.}) ({but} 11... Bxf2+ {works well for instance} 12. Rxf2 Nh3+ 13. Kg2 Nxf2 {when Black has the preferrable game.}) 12. Kg2 Qe7 13. f4 h5 {A dubious attacking idea. More natural was} (13... O-O {although White is much better due to f5-6 or f5 and e6 possibilities..}) 14. Nc3 {Much stronger were} (14. e6 Bxe6 15. f5 Nf2 16. Rxf2 Bxf2 17. Kxf2 Qf6 18. Qf3) ({or} 14. f5 Nf2 15. Rxf2 Bxf2 16. Kxf2 Qxe5 17. Nd2 {each causing Black considerable problems.}) 14... g5 {White fails to respond with the strongest reply so this attacking advance also now secures the h3 knight and Black's game.} (14... Bg4 15. Be2 Bf5 {is a less risky way to achieve these objectives.}) 15. f5 (15. fxg5 {appears to assist Black's attack but White has a hidden resource.} Nxg5 16. Bxg5 Qxg5 17. Nxd5 {a move difficult to forsee} h4 (17... cxd5 18. Bb5+ Kf8 19. Qxd5) 18. Nf6+ Ke7 19. g4 {nullifying the attack and obtaining good play for the sacrifice in each case.}) 15... g4 16. Qe2 Bd7 17. Na4 Bb6 18. b4 O-O-O {Surprisingly, from such a good player as O'Kelly who went on to win the event, an example of castling into an attack.} (18... Qxb4 {loses to} 19. Nxb6 axb6 20. e6) ({but} 18... c5 {just holds the balance.}) 19. Nxb6+ axb6 20. a4 Rhe8 21. a5 bxa5 (21... Qxe5 {fails to} 22. Qxe5 Rxe5 {which leaves White with an overwhelming attack down the a-file after} 23. axb6) 22. Bb2 d4 $2 {Likely the idea of queen's-side castling as Black now gets significant tactical play by threatening Bc6+} (22... axb4 $2 {loses quickly to} 23. e6 fxe6 24. Qe5) (22... Qxb4 {now allows Black to defend unusually by advancing pawns in front of his king to challenge White on the a-file thus} 23. Rfb1 Qc5 24. Qe1 b5 25. Rxa5 (25. Qxa5 {is a mistake due to} Qf2+ 26. Kh1 Qf3#) 25... Kb7 {and holds.}) 23. Rxa5 Qxb4 {Now this loses emphatically.} ({However,} 23... c5 24. e6 {retains control of e5 so prevents Black counter-attack being effective. For example} ({Not} 24. Rxc5+ Qxc5 25. bxc5 Bc6+ 26. Be4 (26. Qe4 Bxe4+ 27. Bxe4 Rxe5 $19) 26... Rxe5 {also wins for Black.}) (24. Re1 {loses an important tempo and again Black can defend via} Bc6+ 25. Kf1 b6) 24... fxe6 (24... Bc6+ 25. Be4) 25. f6 Qd6 26. Be4 $18) 24. Ra8+ Kc7 25. Ba3 c5 (25... Rxa8 {fails to simply} 26. Bxb4) 26. Bxb4 Rxa8 (26... Bc6+ {can now be met with the reply} 27. Be4 {for if} Rxe5 28. Ba5+ Kd7 (28... b6 29. Bxb6+ Kxb6 30. Qa6+ Kc7 31. Qxc6#) 29. Rxd8+ Ke7 30. f6+ Ke6 31. Qc4+ {wins.}) 27. e6 Bc6+ 28. Be4 cxb4 29. Bxc6 bxc6 30. Qe5+ {Whilst Black has secured enough for the queen, the offside knight, weak d4 and b4 pawns, combined with the open king position means White wins rapidly.} 1-0