[Event "12th ECC final"]
[Site "Budapest HUN"]
[Date "1996.11.24"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Rozentalis, Eduardas KSVL"]
[Black "Glek, Igor ROEK"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2610"]
[BlackElo "2670"]
[ECO "C41"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Annotator "Rozentalis"]
[PlyCount "121"]

{Blatny: This game is nice example of excellent endgame technique. Watch 
how Rozentalis realised his small advantage gained through simple 
combination. The combination allowed him "just" to transpose from 
middlegame to better endgame. The destiny of games between two strong 
players is often decided by such subtle strategical means.} 
1.e4 {Blatny,P} 1...e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Nc3 O-O 
7.O-O-O Nc6 8.Qd2 Be6 9.h4 
    ( 9.Kb1 {Blatny} 9...a6 $5 10.Bd3 h6 11.Bf4 Nb4 $1 12.Nd4 Nxd3 13.Qxd3
    Nd7 14.Bg3 Bf6 15.Qe3 Re8 16.Rhe1 Ne5 17.f4 Nc4 18.Qe2 Bxd4 $1 19.Rxd4
    b5 {Blatny: and Black got dangerous initiative on the queenside in the
    game Voitsekhovsky,S-Litvinov,V/ Minsk op 1996.} )
    ( 9.Bb5 {Blatny Same plan of exchange on c6, as used by Rozentalis in 
    the game. His "waiting" h4 gives him the possibility to play Bb5 later
    under better circumstances, because here it can be met with Rb8, 
    preparing rook for the opening of the b-file.} 9...Rb8 $1 10.Bxc6 bxc6
    11.Nd4 Bd7 12.h3 Re8 13.g4 h6 14.Bf4 Bf8 15.f3 d5 16.exd5 cxd5 17.Nf5 
    Rb4 $1 {Blatny: and Black got good counterplay in 
    Seirawan,Y-Schmucki,R/Zuerich sim 1988.} )
9...Re8 
    ( {Ich denke} 9...a6 {ist besser.} )
    ( {Blatny: If Black tries to prevent Bb5, move h2-h4 is very useful 
    for the protection of the square g5, as was showed in the following 
    game:} 9...a6 {Blatny} 10.Qe1 $1 Nd7 11.Kb1 Re8 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Ng5 $1
    Rad8 14.f4 {Blatny: and White has initiative, which he used for 
    successful attack on the kingside in Kupreichik,V-Laketic,G/ Cattolica
    1993} )
10.Bb5 a6 
    ( {I would prefer} 10...Rb8 {Blatny as played in the example above. 
    The move in text practically loses tempo, because White wants to take 
    on c6 anyway.} )
11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Nd4 Bd7 13.f3 {Blatny: Typical move in such positions. 
White not only strenthens his centre but also prepares g4 with pawn attack
on the kingside.} 13...h6 {Blatny: Gets the bishop away but at the cost of
weakening the structure. After g4-g5 in the future h6 would be the target 
of the attack.} 
    ( 13...c5 14.Nde2 $14 )
    ( 13...Rb8 $5 {Blatny} )
14.Be3 d5 {Blatny: Black doesn't want to wait passively, but he wrongly 
estimates the result of coming combination. Für diesen typischen 
Gegensclag ist Weiß gut vorbereitet.} 
    ( {Prophylactic move} 14...Nh7 {Blatny is worth consideration.} )
15.exd5 Nxd5 {#} 
    ( 15...cxd5 16.Nb3 {Die Felder d4 und c5 sind schwach.} )
16.Nxc6 Bxc6 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 
    ( 17...Bxh4 $2 {Blatny} 18.Nxc7 $1 Qxc7 19.Rxh4 $18 {and the presence 
    of opposite color bishops makes things even worse for Black. His 
    position is hopeless.} )
18.Qxd5 Bxh4 19.Qxd8 $1 
    ( 19.Qh5 Qf6 20.Bxh6 Rab8 $1 $132 )
19...Bxd8 20.Bf4 {Blatny: "The smoke went up" and the results are clear. 
White has much better pawnstructure - two compact islands against three 
damaged of Black and more active pieces. Also the placement of kings is of
big importance: white can support the 3:2 majority on the queenside. Of 
course it is possible to look for improvements of Black's defense in 
following phases of the game, but it doesn't affect the "endgame concerto"
of Rosentalis. His technique will be so smooth and so logical... Yes, 
chess can be very "simple" when you know how to do it... Das Endspiel ist 
wegen der bessere Bauernstruktur (zwei weiße gegen drei schwarze 
Bauerninsel) und der besseren Läufer für Weiß vorteilhaft.} 20...Kf8 
    ( 20...f5 {Blatny} 21.Rd7 {/\Rhd1} )
21.g4 {Blatny: Fixing the kingside.} 21...Rb8 22.c3 f6 {Schwarz will den 
Zug g4-g5 vermeiden, aber das macht die weiße Felder am Königsflügel 
schwach.} 
    ( 22...Re2 {Blatny} 23.Rh2 )
23.Rd7 Re7 24.Rhd1 Ke8 25.R7d2 
    ( 25.Rxe7+ $6 {Blatny} 25...Kxe7 {/\Ke6,f5+/-/+/= _|_} )
25...Rc8 26.Kc2 c6 27.Bd6 Re3 28.Rd3 {Es ist richtig, die einzige aktive 
schwarze Figur abzutauschen.} 28...Re2+ 29.R1d2 Rxd2+ 
    ( 29...Re1 {Blatny} 30.Kb3 {with activisation of the king.} )
30.Rxd2 c5 31.c4 {Blatny: From now White tries to stop all opponent's 
pawns on the "bad bishop" squares and puts own pawns on white squares.} 
31...Rc6 32.Rd5 Be7 {Interresant war auch der Läufertausch nebst 
Vorbereitung eines Bauernmarsches am Damenflügel; aber ich wollte meine 
gute Läufer behalten.} 33.Bf4 Kf7 34.Kd3 Ke6 
    ( {Die letzte Möglichkeit war:} 34...g5 35.Be3 Kg6 {aber nach} 36.Rd7 
    {steht Weiß klar besser.} )
35.Be3 Rc8 
    ( 35...g5 {Blatny} 36.f4 $1 gxf4 37.Bxf4 Bf8 $8 38.Be3 {and White just
    managed to create further weaknesses. The single weakness is never 
    sufficient for a win.} )
36.f4 Bd6 37.f5+ Ke7 38.b3 a5 39.a4 $1 {Blatny: Prevents simplifying a5-a4
and finishes the part of the plan which relied in fixing opponent's pawns 
on "bad" squares.} 39...Rc6 
    ( {After} 39...Rb8 {Blatny White is not forced to defend b3, he can go
    for rook endgame with} 40.Bxc5 Bxc5 41.Rxc5 Rxb3+ 42.Kd4 $1 Rg3 43.
    Rxa5 Rxg4+ 44.Kd5 {and the active king together with fast a-pawn 
    should decide.} )
40.Ke4 Rc8 41.Bf2 Rc6 42.Rd3 $1 {Makes space for the king. Der Turm räumt 
das Feld d5 für den König, und deckt gleichzeitig von d3 den schwache 
b3-Bauern. Außerdem bereitet er den B-Abtausch nebst Bg3 vor.} 42...Bc7 
43.Rf3 Bb6 
    ( 43...Bb8 {Blatny} 44.Kd5 $18 )
44.Bg3 Ba7 45.Kd5 Kd7 46.Re3 Rb6 47.Bf4 Rb7 48.Bd6 Kd8 49.Rd3 
    ( 49.Ke6 {Bringt nichts wegen:} 49...Rb6 {/\Bb8} )
    ( 49.Kc6 $6 {Blatny} 49...Rb6+ 50.Kd5 
        ( 50.Kxc5 $4 Rxd6+ )
    50...Rb7 )
49...Kd7 
    ( 49...Rd7 {Blatny} 50.Kc6 $18 )
50.Bxc5 Bxc5 51.Kxc5+ Kc7 52.Re3 Kd7 53.Kd4 {Am einfachsten.} 53...Rb8 54.
Kc3 {Blatny: Now the rook has free hands for attack against a5.} 54...g6 
55.Rd3+ Kc7 56.fxg6 Rg8 57.Rd5 Rxg6 58.Rxa5 Rxg4 59.Rf5 {Blatny: Last 
accuracy brings opponent's rook into very passive position and completely 
stops movement of black pawns.} 59...Rg6 60.a5 Kd6 61.a6 
    ( 61.a6 {Blatny} 61...Ke6 62.Ra5 Rg8 63.a7 Ra8 64.b4 $18 {wins.} )
1-0

