[Event "Zilveren Dame-wedstrijd V.A.S. 1919/20"] [Site "?"] [Date "1919.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Weenink, H."] [Black "Marchand, M."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C66"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "47"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.05.17"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 {A move often played by Emmanuel Lasker and in recent times also used frequently by Caruana, Nakamura and Carlsen.} (3... a6 {is by far the most popular move here and also favoured by the modern elite players listed above.}) 4. O-O d6 {the game returns to the Steinitz Defence to the Ruy Lopez.} (4... a6 {in line with the following note, my first ever correspondence chess (by postcards!) went} 5. Ba4 Nxe4 {transposing to the open variation of the Morphy Defence.much favoured by Euwe and later Korchnoi,} 6. Re1 Ng5 7. Nxg5 Qxg5 8. d4 Qh4 9. Bxc6 dxc6 10. Rxe5+ Be6 11. Bg5 Qxg5 12. Rxg5 {1:0 Donnelly-Rigby PCL (Junior) corr. 1968.}) 5. d4 (5. Re1 {is the equally popular alternative and was played in my first representative games for the Durham County team (versus Northumberland). This was whilst still classed as a junior, a very unusual occurance in those days, but the norm nowadays. The same theme ocurred in this game as in the Weenink game but received a geat deal more help from my opponent than that provided from Marchand.. Possibly the only realistic feature of these two early games is to encourage a player to continue being interested in the unlimited possibilies of the chess board.} Be7 6. h3 Bd7 7. c3 a6 8. Ba4 b5 9. Bc2 Na5 10. d4 exd4 11. cxd4 O-O 12. Qd3 c6 13. e5 Nd5 14. Qxh7# {Donnelly-Cook, Leeds 1967. It is recalled the game lasted about 10 minutes much to the chagrin of my father who drove a total of around 3 hours to get me to and from the match. My opponent was also chastised by Alan Sayers who was seeking a brilliant game from this match for his well known and excellent Sunderland Echo chess column but was appalled by the weak ending to the game.}) 5... Bd7 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Re1 exd4 {Black has to give up the centre.} (7... O-O {is poor due to} 8. Bxc6 Bxc6 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Qxd8 Raxd8 11. Nxe5 Bxe4 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Nd3 (13. Rxe4 $2 Rd1+) 13... f5 14. f3 Bc5+ 15. Nxc5 Nxc5 16. Bg5 {winning material as in the famous game Tarrasch-Marco, DSB Kongress Dresden 1892. An analysis of this line was published by Tarrasch around 1890, and it even became known as the Dresden trap. However, this has not prevented numerous strong players from experiencing the same fate as Marco since those distant times.}) 8. Nxd4 O-O {the game has proceeded along lines which nowadays are still played by the likes of Van Foreest from both sides of the board..} 9. Nxc6 (9. Bxc6 {is the alternative way of disrupting Black's pawn formation.} Bxc6 (9... bxc6 {So-Nihat, Speed Chess Chess.com INT blitz 2021.}) 10. Nxc6 bxc6 {Erenburg-Akhmetov, Moscow Aeroflot op 2002.}) ({White may also choose to retain pieces by} 9. Bf1 {which has been played by Ivanchuk a few times.}) 9... bxc6 10. Ba4 {retaining pressue on c6 and keeping open the possibility of moving to b3 attacking f7. Black's game is solid, however, as White has also tried every other retreat of the bishop without particular success.} Re8 {With indirect pressure on e4. Black also obtains decent counter-play with the several other options available such as} (10... c5) ({and} 10... Rb8) ({or the provocative} 10... Ng4) 11. h3 h6 {A slow but careful plan whilst other players have chosen more activity with} (11... Rb8 {Potrata-Sitar, SLO-CupT F9 ICCF e-mail 2012.}) (11... Qb8 {Barbaric-Talmon, Baden MA Leimen 2001.}) 12. Qd3 ({A later game went} 12. Bf4 Rb8 13. Bb3 Nh7 14. Qf3 Bg5 $2 15. Bxf7+ Kxf7 16. Bxg5+ Nf6 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Qxf6+ gxf6 19. b3 $16 {Monatas-Colmenares, Noel Benavides op Barranquilla 1999.}) ({but} 12. e5 {was permature in Almanzar Vasquez-Quiroz Farias, DOM-ch (Women) Santa Domingo 2016 as Black was fine after .} dxe5 13. Rxe5 Bd6 14. Rxe8+ Qxe8) 12... Qc8 {Preventing the move Qa6 is certainly playable but the queen ends up diverted from the centre and sacrifices such as Bxh3 are not likely to become a reality.} 13. Bf4 Nh7 {in order to play Bf6.} (13... a5 {to exchange queens via Qa6 can be met by} 14. e5 Nd5 15. Nxd5 cxd5 16. Bxd7 Qxd7 17. Qxd5 {winning a pawn.}) 14. Rad1 {White is powerfully centralised.} Nf8 {Black's position is still solid and the knight can go to e6 or g6 with a decent game.} (14... Bf6 {can be met by} 15. e5 dxe5 (15... Bxe5 16. Bxe5 dxe5 (16... Rxe5 17. Rxe5 dxe5 18. Qxd7 $18) 17. Qxd7 $18) 16. Bxh6 ({but not by} 16. Qxd7 Qxd7 17. Rxd7 exf4 $13) 16... gxh6 17. Qxd7 $18) 15. Ne2 Bf6 16. c3 Qb7 17. Bc1 {A characteristic move in several openings where a developed minor piece retreats to defend the b2 pawn from attack by a major piece.} Ne6 18. Bc2 Nf8 {This appears as a loss of time but Black is still OK. More posiitve though was} (18... Nc5 19. Qf3 Be5 20. Qh5 Qb6 $11 ({or} 20... a5 21. f4 g6 22. Qxh6 Bg7 $11)) 19. Ng3 Ng6 $6 {Inaccurate as the knight does not attack the bishop on f4.} (19... Qb5 {challenging the queen gives Black a fair game. For if} 20. c4 Qb6 {is fine for Black.}) 20. Nh5 Be7 $2 {Fatal. Also no use is} (20... Be5 {due to} 21. f4) ({so essential was the subtle} 20... Bh4 21. g3 (21. e5 {gives White some advantage by} Qb5 22. Qxb5 cxb5 23. exd6 Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 cxd6) 21... Ne5 22. Qe3 Be7 $11) 21. e5 Rad8 (21... Be6 {fails to} 22. exd6 {with the same continuation for White as in the game. Whilst}) (21... Nxe5 {allows} 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Qh8#) 22. e6 {A winning advance exploiting the single guard on g6 and the threats along the b1-h7 diagonal.} Bxe6 (22... Ne5 {is futile due to} 23. Rxe5 ({or} 23. Qh7+)) 23. Rxe6 fxe6 24. Qxg6 ({White wins easily after} 24. Qxg6 {even though Black has a rook plus pawn for two minor pieces. The mating threats simply cannnot be met.} Bf8 (24... Bf6 25. Nxf6+) 25. Nf6+ Kh8 26. Qh7#) 1-0