[Event "2nd Pan-American Congress, Hollywood"] [Site "Hollywood, CA USA"] [Date "1954.07.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Louis Persinger"] [Black "George R McMahon"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C01"] [Annotator "Stockfish 16"] [PlyCount "65"] [EventDate "1954.??.??"] {C01: French: Exchange Variation} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 {The Exchange Variation is a simple, clearcut way of meeting the French in which white makes no attempt to gain an advante.} exd5 4. Bd3 {The more lively 4.c4 leads to positions resembling the QGA.} Nf6 5. Nf3 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. c3 Nc6 (7... c6 8. Bf4 {Draw agreed. Mukhametov,E (2515)-Makarov,M (2520) Kazan 1995}) 8. Qc2 (8. Re1 Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. Nbd2 Re8 11. Nf1 Qd7 12. Ng3 Bg6 13. Bxg6 hxg6 14. Bg5 Bf8 15. Qd3 a6 16. Rxe8 Rxe8 17. Re1 Rxe1+ 18. Nxe1 {Draw agreed. Matikozian,A (2450)-Yegiazarian,A (2521) Burbank 2003}) 8... h6 9. h3 Bd6 10. Be3 Be6 11. Nbd2 Qd7 12. Nh4 {Instead of this risky move white should have played 12.Rfe1} Ne7 (12... Bxh3 13. Nf5 (13. gxh3 Qxh3 14. Nhf3 Ng4 15. Rfe1 Bh2+ {leaves black with a decisive advantage.}) 13... Bg4 14. Rfe1 Rae8 {and black has won a P.}) 13. f4 Bxh3 {It's somewhat odd, but now this move is jusr plain bad because white is in a position to repulse black's attack and so leave himself with a slight material advantage, plus even with the Qs off the board, a strong attack.} 14. gxh3 Qxh3 15. Ndf3 Ng4 (15... Qg4+ {Black is in no position to avoid exchanging Qs.} 16. Qg2 Qe6 17. Ne5 Bxe5 18. dxe5 Nh5 19. Rae1 Rae8 20. Be2 Ng6 21. Nxg6 fxg6 22. Bg4 Qe7 23. Bxh5 gxh5 24. f5 Kh7 25. Qg6+ Kh8 26. Qxh5 {whits has a winning attack.}) 16. Qg2 Qxg2+ $16 17. Nxg2 Nxe3 18. Nxe3 Bxf4 {In this unbalanced material situation, in Shootouts white scored 3-0 at lower plaies, but only two draws at 15 and 17 plies.} 19. Ng2 Bd6 20. Rae1 g5 {Correct was 20...Rae8.The text move leads to a loosening of his K-side and white is no able to make inroads into black's position.} 21. Ne5 Rad8 22. Rf6 Kg7 23. Ref1 Bxe5 {Forced because white has piled up his pieces to attack f7.} 24. dxe5 Rde8 (24... Ng8 {was a somewhat better defense. After} 25. R6f2 f6 {black is still in the game.}) 25. Ne3 Ng8 26. Nf5+ Kh8 27. Nxh6 { And now the game is practically over.} Nxh6 (27... Nxf6 {is not as good...} 28. exf6 Re3 29. Bf5 c5 30. Kf2 Rfe8 31. Nxf7+ Kg8 32. Nxg5 Re2+ 33. Kg3 R2e3+ 34. Kg4 Re2 35. Rh1 R8e3 36. f7+ Kg7 37. Rh7+ Kf8 38. Rh8+) 28. Rxh6+ Kg7 29. Rh7+ Kg8 30. Rf6 {Here Persinger plays some natural looking, but imprecise, moves.} (30. Re1 Re6 31. Bf5 Rb6 32. Rh5 {leaves black helpless, but the win is still going to require some work. For example...} Re8 (32... Rxb2 33. Rxg5+ {[%emt 0: 00:03] mates in}) 33. Re2 Kf8 34. Rh8+ Ke7 35. Rh7 Kf8 {and bow white's winning plan will be to bring his K up the board starting with 36.Kg2}) 30... Rxe5 31. Rfh6 {This dangerous looking move actually gives black new chances! White needs to be patient and get his K into the action with 31.Kg2} Ree8 { [%mdl 8192]} (31... Rfe8 {is a better chance.} 32. Rf6 R8e7 {With Rs doubled on the e-file white has to be careful.} 33. Rh5 c6 34. Kg2 {White is clearly better, but he is still going to have to work for the point.}) 32. Bf5 { Another inaccuracy.} (32. Rh5 Re1+ 33. Kf2 Rfe8 34. Rxg5+ Kf8 35. Rh8+ Ke7 36. Rxe8+ Kxe8 37. Kxe1) 32... Rd8 {[%mdl 8192] The final mistake.} (32... Re1+ 33. Kf2 Rfe8 34. Rh8+ Kg7 {And white can make to headway...} 35. R8h7+ Kg8 (35... Kf8 36. Kg3 R8e3+ 37. Kf2 (37. Kg4 Rg1+ 38. Kh5 Reg3 {Black is winning.}) 37... R1e2+ {draws}) 36. Bd3 {Guarding against a check on e2} R1e3 37. Rh2 R8e5 ( 37... Rxd3 38. Rh8+) 38. R7h3 Rxh3 39. Rxh3 {and it's going to be difficult for white to prove the win.}) 33. Rh5 {Black resigned} 1-0