Unlike most of our "Game of the Week" articles, today's game was played over 65 years ago by a man celebrating his 110th (yes, you read that right) birthday! The game is from the 1951 Ontario Championship, won by Canadian great Frank Anderson who happened to be the victim in his final round encounter with Zoltan Sarosy.
To learn more about Zoltan Sarosy, check out the recent Globe and Mail article at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/hungarian-chess-master-living-in-toronto-tells-tales-from-his-110-years/article31391585/
[Event "Ontario-ch"]
[Site "Toronto CAN"]
[Date "1951.03.25"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Sarosy, Zoltan"]
[Black "Anderson, Frank"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A29"]
[Annotator "Upper,John"]
[Plycount "71"]
[Eventdate "1951.03.23"]
[Eventtype "tourn"]
[Eventrounds "6"]
[Eventcountry "CAN"]
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 { the main line of the English Four Knights } 6...Nb6 ( 6...Be6 { surprisingly scores quite poorly for such a natural move } 7.O-O Be7 8.d4 exd4 9.Nxd4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 ) 7.O-O Be7 8.d3 O-O 9.Be3 Bg4 { There were a number of alternatives here, but this one is typically quite effective. However, that was not the case in this game, so Black essayed ...f5 at the Ontario Championship the following year and obtained equality in that encounter. } ( 9...f5 10.Qc1 Bf6 11.a4 a5 ( 11...Nd4 { led to absolute chaos in Kveinys-Jakubowski, Swidnica 2000. There followed: } 12.Bxd4 exd4 13.a5 dxc3 14.axb6 cxb2 15.Qc4+ Kh8 16.Rxa7 Rxa7 17.bxa7 Bd7 18.Ne5 { with dual threats of Nf7+ and Bxb7 and promotion led to an eventual win for White } ) 12.Nb5 h6 13.Rd1 Nd5 14.Bc5 Rf7 15.e4 Ndb4 16.d4 exd4 17.Nfxd4 Nxd4 18.Nxd4 Bxd4 19.Bxd4 Qe8 20.e5 Be6 21.f4 Rd8 22.Bc3 Rxd1+ 23.Qxd1 Rd7 24.Qe2 c5 25.Rd1 ( 25.Qb5! ) 25...Qd8 26.Rxd7 Qxd7 27.Qd2 Qxd2 28.Bxd2 b6 29.Bf1 Kf7 30.Kf2 Bb3 31.Bb5 Ke6 32.Ke3 Nd5+ 33.Kd3 Nc7 34.Bc4+ Bxc4+ 35.Kxc4 Kd7 36.Bc3 Kc6 37.b3 Ne6 38.Bb2 Nc7 39.Bc3 Ne6 40.Ba1 Nd8 { ½-½ (40) Sarosy,Z-Anderson,F Ont- Ch, Toronto, 1952. } ) ( 9...Re8 { with the idea of sliding the Bishop back to f8 is another popular idea } ) ( 9...Be6 { the main move. The position is roughly equal and White has numerous ways to continue - many of his ideas revolve around controlling the c5 square } ) 10.h3 Bh5 11.a4 a5 12.Rc1 { A very logical developing move which has apparently been tried only in this game (according to my very possibly incomplete database) } 12...f6 { A clever way of supporting e5 but more importantly allowing the Bishop to go back to f7 for more scope or defensive reasons along the a2-g8 diagonal } 13.Nb5 Nd5 14.Bc5 Re8 { probably the first move I found a bit surprising. I would have likely not shied away from taking on c5 and planting the c-knight on b4 } 15.Nh4 Bf7 16.Nf5 Bf8 17.Qd2 Be6 18.Ne3 Nxe3 { likely not best. The b4 square would have been a good place to go with ...Ndb4 } 19.Qxe3 Bxc5 20.Qxc5 Re7 21.e3 Rd7 22.Rfd1 ( 22.d4 { may have been possible } 22...exd4 23.exd4 Kh8 ( 23...Nxd4 24.Nxd4 Rxd4 25.Bxb7 Rb8 26.Rfe1 { with a clear advantage } ) 24.Rfe1 Bb3 25.d5 Bxd5 26.Nxc7 Rxc7 27.Bxd5 { with White firmly in the driver's seat } ) 22...Bb3 23.Rd2 Rxd3? ( 23...Nb4 { was the complex but correct continuation. Here is a sample line } 24.Bxb7 Rxd3 25.Rxd3 Nxd3 26.Qc6 Rb8 ( 26...Nxc1 27.Bxa8 Nd3 28.Nxc7 ) 27.Rc3 Nb4 28.Qxc7 Qxc7 29.Rxc7 Bxa4 { with approximate equality. A draw would not be far off } ) 24.Rxd3 Qxd3 25.Rc3? { Not capitalizing on Black's error } ( { better was +/- } 25.Nxc7 ) 25...Qd1+ 26.Kh2 Bf7 27.Nxc7 Rd8 28.Qb6 { The past few moves have been the best, but here, Black errs } 28...h6 ( 28...Rd2 29.Qxb7 Nd8 { is a neat resource which keeps the position fairly level. White can't play too aggressively here as his King isn't totally safe either. } ) 29.Qxb7 Nb4 30.Nb5 { not the strongest continuation } ( { best was } 30.Rc5 { with the intention of forcing ...Qxa4 followed by Nb5 and potentially Nd6 (immune due to Qb8+) } ) 30...Qxa4?? ( 30...Bd5! 31.Bxd5+ Nxd5 32.Rc8 Rxc8 33.Qxc8+ Kh7 34.Qf5+ { and White can perhaps push a little bit, but Black should definitely be OK with correct play } ) 31.Rc7 Qb3 32.Be4 ( 32.Nd6! { even a little stronger } 32...Rxd6 33.Qc8+ Kh7 34.Qf8 { +- } ) 32...Qe6? ( 32...f5 { would have required White to find 33.Rc8! +- as after 33.Bxf5, Black would be back in the mix after ...Qxb2 threatening f2 } ) 33.Re7 { Now it's all over } 33...Qc4 34.Nd6 Rxd6 35.Qb8+ Be8 36.Qxe8# { Despite a few inaccuracies, a strong attacking game by a player who soon after became the Canadian Champion }
1-0
