[Event "Munich Olympiad"] [Site "?"] [Date "1958.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Macleod, N.A (SCO)"] [Black "Palmiotto, F (ITA)"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B21"] [Annotator "M.J.Donnelly"] [PlyCount "82"] [SourceVersionDate "2024.08.10"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 a6 6. Bc4 b5 {The same plan as played by Sanchez in the other game in this article but even earlier with no Black pieces yet developed.} 7. Bb3 Bb7 8. O-O b4 {Immediately attacking the knight. Instead Black can develop a piece with} (8... Be7 {leaving White with two main options.} 9. Re1 (9. Qe2 {the typical place for the queen in this opening seems better as played in Dunne-Bachler, USA WS/14 M22 ICCF e-mail 2014.}) 9... d6 10. Bf4 {was met by} g5 11. Bg3 (11. Be3 $5 {was safest}) 11... h5 12. h3 g4 13. hxg4 hxg4 14. Nd4 Nf6 15. e5 (15. Bxe6 $5 {was worth a shot}) 15... dxe5 16. Bxe5 Nbd7 {and it's White that is over-extended as in Mikhailovsky-Caruana, Titled Tuesday intern op INT blitz Chess.com 2020}) 9. Na4 {Offering a second pawn.} (9. Nd5 {is the alternative this time offering a piece. A representative game continued} exd5 10. exd5 Bd6 11. Re1+ Kf8 12. Qd4 {with an unclear game in Bisby-Hunt, BCF-ch T1b 2015-16.}) 9... Nf6 {A safe move, developing and reinforcing the attack on e4. Instead Black may risk all and try and hang onto the material via} (9... Bxe4 10. Re1 Nf6 11. Be3 Nc6 12. Nd2 Bd5 13. Nb6 Bxb3 14. axb3 Rb8 15. Rxa6 {when Black had the more comfortable game in Pliester-Van der Weil, Ostend open 1983.}) ({Alternatively} 9... d6 10. Qe2 Nd7 11. Rd1 Ngf6 {is another solid line when a number of correspondence games have continued with the slightly surprising move} 12. Rd4 {with compensation for the pawn. An example being Overton-Sakai, ICCF Jubilee Q50 e-mail 2003.}) 10. Be3 Nxe4 (10... Bxe4 11. Ng5 (11. Nb6 {is fine for Black since there is no useful discovered attack on the rook. One variation might be} Ra7 12. Nd5 Rb7 13. Nxf6+ Qxf6 14. Rc1 Nc6 {with Black two pawns up.}) 11... Bb7 12. Nb6 Nc6 {with a slightly improved version of the main game as Black has more pieces developed in comparison.}) 11. Nb6 Bc5 12. Bxc5 Nxc5 13. Nxa8 Bxa8 14. Qd4 {Activating pieces seems a key characteristic of Norman's game.} Nxb3 (14... Bxf3 {met by gxf3 of course leaves pawn weaknesses and allows Qg5+, but simply by} 15. Qxc5 {attacking b4 and preventing the Black king castling White keeps the advantaage.}) 15. Qxg7 Rf8 ({The paradoxical} 15... Ke7 {is best here as White is forced to play} 16. Qg5+ ({and not} 16. axb3 Rg8 17. Qxh7 Bxf3 {when Black wins.}) 16... Ke8 17. axb3 Bxf3 18. Qg7 Ke7 19. Qg5+ {with a draw.}) 16. axb3 Bxf3 17. gxf3 {The two sets of doubled pawns compensates Black for the slight material deficiency.} h5 $6 {in preventing Qxh7 Black moves the wrong rook's pawn.} (17... a5 {allowing Nc6 is superior since if} 18. Qxh7 Qg5+ 19. Kh1 Nc6 {Black has a solid game, is only an exchange down at present, and may aim to attack the weak White pawns with the queen.} (19... Qf6 {is also fine for Black. For example, if} 20. Qd3 Rh8 21. Rg1 ({not} 21. Rxa5 {and Black wins with} Qf4) 21... Nc6 22. Rg3 {with a position in equilibrium.})) 18. Rfe1 Qb6 {Defending a6 with the queen, then planning Nc6, allows White to mobilise the king's rook in a rapid raid. Again a5 was required.} 19. Re5 Nc6 20. Rxh5 Nd4 21. Rh8 ({Likely planned earlier but the quiet consolidating move} 21. Kg2 {is very strong as Black is unable to exploit the open king's position. For example,} Nxb3 22. Rd1 a5 ({or} 22... Nc5 23. Qd4) 23. Rxd7 Nc5 24. Rd2 {with a great advantage in each case.}) 21... Rxh8 (21... Nxf3+ {loses the knight as the White king is safe following} 22. Kg2 Rxh8 23. Qxh8+ Ke7 24. Kxf3 Qc6+ 25. Ke3 Qc5+ 26. Qd4) 22. Qxh8+ Ke7 23. Qh4+ Ke8 24. Qe4 Nxb3 25. Rd1 a5 {Now too late so best was} (25... Qb5 {providing for a check on g5 and recentralising the knight with Nc5.}) 26. Qe3 {This offer to exchange queens had to be finely judged in reducing the game to a rook versus knight battle with Black possibly obtaining a passed pawn at some point.} (26. Qd3 {keeps the queens on and forces} Nc5 {. Now following} 27. Qe3 {White can plan to push the h-pawn but then Black has} Na4 {again leading to a position difficult to judge in a practical game.}) 26... Qxe3 (26... Nc5 27. h4 {is the position from the last note but with White a move ahead.}) 27. fxe3 a4 (27... Ke7 {or}) (27... d5 {both preventing White attacking the pawns from the rear would be somewhat better.}) 28. Rd6 Nc5 ({After} 28... a3 {the rook controls the game by} 29. bxa3 bxa3 30. Ra6 Nd2 31. Kf2 Nc4 32. e4 Ke7 (32... d5 33. exd5 exd5 34. Ke2 Ke7 35. f4) 33. Ke2 Kf6 34. f4) 29. Rd4 b3 ({The pawn advance} 29... a3 {loses to} 30. Rxb4 a2 ({and if} 30... axb2 31. Rxb2 Nd3 32. Rb8+ Ke7 33. h4) 31. Rb8+ Ke7 32. Ra8) 30. Kf1 e5 ({If} 30... Ke7 31. Ke2 f5 32. h4 {and again the rook dominates the game and the White king can head for the queen's-side as occurred later in the game.}) 31. Rc4 d6 32. Ke2 f5 33. Kd2 Kf7 34. Kc3 Kg6 (34... Ke6 {keeps the king centrally placed but loses time in needing to watch the h-pawn. The rook then breaks into the Black position after} 35. h4 Kf6 36. Rb4 Kg6 37. Rb6 Kh5 38. Rxd6 Kxh4 39. Rd5 {winning.}) 35. Rb4 Kg5 36. Kc4 f4 37. e4 Kh4 (37... Ne6 {at first sight appears a better defence as Black obtains a passed pawn supported by the knight. However, after} 38. Rxa4 Nd4 39. Ra8 Nxf3 40. Kxb3 Nxh2 41. Kc4 f3 42. Rf8 {holds back the pawn so White's b-pawn can advance to win easily.}) 38. Rb6 Ne6 39. Rxd6 Nd4 {Allowing White to simplify into a winning K+P ending. No better was} (39... a3 {as the White king is in the ideal position to control any Black queen's-side pawn advances. For instance} 40. Kxb3 Nd4+ 41. Rxd4 exd4 42. bxa3) 40. Rxd4 exd4 41. Kb4 Kh3 {and 1: 0, it's not known if by exceeding the time limit or by resignation, before White can play e5.} ({Instead if} 41... d3 42. Kc3 {once again puts the White king on a square that controls the game and further pawn advances by Black are no use. For example,} a3 (42... d2 43. Kxd2) (42... Kh3 43. e5) 43. bxa3 {A nicely played ending demonstrating good technique.}) 1-0