Better Late Than Never

Here is a game from last weekend's Winter Cup. Like any King's Gambit, the pyrotechnics begin early. Unfortunately, Zvedeniouk wasn't at his usual best. In the first round he dropped a queen to Norm Greenwood. And in this fourth round match-up against 1683-rated Savilieff, Zvedeniouk was simply outplayed almost right from the get go.

Savilieff was too classy especially in the endgame phase. Thanks to Savilieff for sending me this game.

2005 Fairfield Winter Cup
Zvedeniouk, I.
Savilieff, G.
ECO C33

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Qh4+ 4. Kf1 b5 5. Bxb5 Nf6 6. Nc3 (6. Nf3 Qh6 7. Nc3 g5 8. d4 Bb7 9. h4 Rg8 10. Kg1 gxh4 11. Rxh4 Qg6 12. Qe2 Nxe4 13. Rxf4 f5 14. Nh4 Qg3 15. Nxe4 {1-0 Short,N-Kasparov,G/London 1993/EXT 98}) 6... c6 According to my database, this is a novelty. (6... Ng4 7. Nh3 Nc6 8. Nd5 Nd4 9. Nxc7+ Kd8 10. Nxa8 f3 11. d3 f6 12. Bc4 d5 13. Bxd5 Bd6 14. Qe1 fxg2+ 15. Kxg2 Qxh3+ 16. Kxh3 Ne3+ 17. Kh4 Nf3+ 18. Kh5 Bg4# {0-1 Schulten,J-Kieseritzky,L/Paris 1844/EXT 99}) 7. Bc4 Ba6 8. Qe2 Bxc4 9. Qxc4 Ng4 10. Nh3 Bd6 (10... f3! 11. Nd1 (11. Qd3 Nxh2+ 12. Rxh2 Qg3 13. Qxf3 Qxh2 The computer programs judge this as -+ but it seems that White maintains some life thanks to Black's lag in development.) 11... Nxh2+ 12. Rxh2 Qg3) 11. d4 f3! 12. Bg5 fxg2+ 13. Kxg2 Qxg5 14. Qe2 (14. Qxf7+ Kxf7 15. Nxg5+ Kg6 16. Nf3 Ne3+ 17. Kf2 Nxc2 18. Rac1 Nb4 19. Rhg1+ Kf7 20. Ke3) 14... Ne3+ 15. Kf2 Qg2+ 16. Kxe3 Qxh3+ 17. Kf2 Qh4+ 18. Kg2 O-O 19. e5 Re8 20. Ne4 Bxe5 21. dxe5 Rxe5 22. Rhe1 d5 23. Qf2 Qxf2+ 24. Nxf2 Nd7 25. Nd3 Rxe1 26. Rxe1 Kf8 27. Kf2 Re8 28. Rg1 Nf6 29. Rd1 Ne4+ 30. Kf3 f6 31. b3 Ke7 32. Nb4 Kd6 33. c4 Re5 34. h4 Rf5+ 35. Ke3 Re5 36. Kf3 a5 37. Nd3 Rf5+ 38. Ke3 Nc3 39. Rg1 dxc4 40. bxc4 g6 41. a3 Na4 42. Rg4 Nc5 43. Rd4+ Kc7 44. Nf4 Re5+ 45. Kf3 Ne6 46. Nxe6+ Rxe6 47. h5 Re5 48. hxg6 hxg6 49. Kf4 Kb6 50. Rd8 Kc5 51. Rc8 Rh5 52. Ke4 Rh4+ 53. Kd3 Rxc4 54. Rf8 Rd4+ 55. Kc3 Rd6 56. Ra8 Kb6 57. Kc4 f5 58. Rb8+ Kc7 59. Ra8 Kb6 60. Rb8+ Ka7 61. Rf8 Kb7 62. Rf7+ Kb6 63. Rf8 Rd5 64. Rg8 f4! Giving up a pawn at exactly the right time. It seems that reading"Dvoeretsky's Endgame Manual" is definitely paying dividends. 65. Rxg6 Rf5 66. Rg2 f3 67. Rb2+ Kc7 68. Rf2 Kd6 69. Kd4 Rf4+ 70. Ke3 Rf6 71. Kd4 (71. Rxf3 Rxf3+ 72. Kxf3 Kc5 and wins.) 71... c5+ 72. Kc4 Rf4+ 73. Kb5 a4 74. Ka5 Kd5 75. Kb5 Kd4 76. Rf1 f2 77. Kxa4 Ke3+ 78. Kb5 c4 79. a4 Ke2 0-1