David Bronstein - Efim Geller
C69 Spanish Exchange Variation
Notes by Tim McGrew



1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 f6 6.d4 Bg4 7.c3 Bd6

This is one of Black's better defensive ideas. 7...exd4 8.cxd4 Qd7 9.h3 Be6 10.Nc3 leads to the sort of position where Bobby Fischer used to squeeze his opponents to death.

8.Nbd2

8.Be3 followed by Nbd2 is another way for White to complete his development.

8...Qe7 9.a4

Perhaps White should have tried 9.Nc4 0-0-0 10.Qe2 instead.

9...Nh6 10.a5 Nf7 11.Qc2 0-0 12.h3 Bd7 13.b3 Rae8 14.Bb2 Nh8 15.Nh4 Qf7 16.Nc4 exd4 17.cxd4 Qh5 18.Nf5 Bxf5 19.exf5 Re2 20.Qd3 Rfe8 21.Ba3 Bxa3 22.Rxa3 R2e7 23.Ne3 Rd7 24.Ra4 Nf7!

The Knight looked pathetic on h8, but it will be superbly well placed on d6. White is already in trouble.

25.Rb4 Nd6 26.Rd1 Qf7 27.Kf1 Red8 28.Qc2 Nb5 29.Qc5 Qf8 30.Qxf8+ Kxf8 31.Nc2

White holds on by his fingertips, but ...

31...c5!

Oh dear. There goes a pawn.

32.Rc4 cxd4 33.Rd3 Kf7 34.b4 c6 35.g4 h5 36.Ke2 Rd5 37.Kd2 R8d7 38.f3 Rd8 39.Ne1 hxg4

White has succeeded in blockading the center, so Black opens a distant file for his Rook.

40.hxg4 Rh8 41.Nc2 Rh2+ 42.Kc1 Rf2 43.Rc5

Perhaps 43.Nxd4 offered the most resistance.

43...Re5 44.Rd2 Rxf3 45.Nxd4 Nxd4 46.Rxd4 Rxc5+!

With this move, Black splits the White pawns and wins one of them.

47.bxc5 Rc3+ 48.Kd2 Rxc5 49.Rd7+ Kg8 50.Rxb7 Rxa5

So White is two pawns down -- a devastating material disadvantage. But the pawns are split, so Black has to demonstrate some technique to win.

51.Ke3 Kh7 52.Kf4 Ra1 53.Rc7 Kh6

Black's King will stay on the kingside to defend the pawns. On h6, he has the added benefit of preventing g5.

54.Kg3

54.Rxc6 Ra4+ 55.Kf3 Kg5 56.Rb6 Ra3+ 57.Ke4 Kxg4 58.Rb7 Ra4+ 59.Ke3 Kxf5 60.Rxg7 and Black wins, though the win is rather tedious. For the record, here is the winning technique against White's most stubborn line of resistance: 60...Ra3+ 61.Kf2 Kf4 62.Kg2 a5 63.Rc7 Ra2+ 64.Kh3 a4 65.Rc4+ Ke3 66.Rc3+ Kd4 67.Rc7 Rb2 68.Rd7+ Kc3 69.Rc7+ Kb3 70.Rb7+ Ka2 71.Rf7 a3 72.Rxf6 Rb4! 73.Rf2+ Kb3 74.Rf3+ Ka4 75.Rf2 Rc4! 76.Kg3 Kb3 77.Kf3 a2 78.Rf1 Kb2 and White cannot stop Black from queening.

54...Rc1 55.Kh4 Rh1+

Black tacks around a little bit before deciding on the proper plan.

56.Kg3 Rc1 57.Kh4 a5 58.Ra7 Rh1+ 59.Kg3 Ra1 60.Rc7 Rc1 61.Ra7 c5 62.Kf4 Ra1

The simplest way for Black to use his material advantage is to lure White's King away, using the a- and c- pawns as decoys, and win the remaining White pawns on the Kingside.

63.Rc7 Ra3 64.Ra7 Ra4+ 65.Kg3 Ra1 66.Rc7 Rc1 67.Ra7 c4

Black decides: the c-pawn will be the decoy. This is a little closer to the kingside (a disadvantage), but since Black's Rook will be in front of the pawn, it is in some ways preferable that it not be the a-pawn.

68.Kf4 Rf1+ 69.Ke3 Rg1 70.Kf4 c3 71.Rc7 Rc1 72.Rc8

A little joke: White threatens mate in one.

72...g6 73.Ke3 gxf5 74.gxf5 Kg5 75.Rc5 Re1+ 76.Kd3 Re5!

A nice bit of bullying.

77.Rxc3

77.Rxe5 fxe5 78.Kxc3 Even apart from the fact that the Black King can assist here, White's King cannot stop both pawns. 78...Kxf5-+ 

77...Kxf5

If it weren't for Black's a-pawn, White could draw here with 78.Rc1 intending to deliver checks from the front.

78.Ra3

78.Rc1 a4 79.Rf1+ Kg5 80.Rg1+ Kh4 81.Rf1 f5 82.Kd4 Ra5 and Black wins.

78...Kg4 79.Kd4 Re1

Keeping White's King cut off.

80.Rxa5 f5

Obvious and strong. With the White King cut off, Black will set up the Lucena position effortlessly. The finish, had White chosen to play it out, might have been 80...f5 81.Ra8 f4 82.Rg8+ Kf3 83.Rf8 Kg3 84.Rg8+ Kf2 85.Rf8 f3 86.Kd3 Kg2 87.Rg8+ Kf1 88.Rf8 f2 89.Rf7 Re8 90.Kd2 Rd8+! 91.Kc3 Rd5 92.Rf8 Ke2 93.Re8+ Kf3 94.Rf8+ Ke3 95.Re8+ (95.Rf7 Rc5+ 96.Kb4 Re5 97.Kc4 Re4+ 98.Kc3 Rf4-+ ) 95...Kf4 96.Rf8+ Rf5-+

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