[Event "Pueto Madryn, Argentina"]
[Site "Bournemouth"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Miles, Anthony"]
[Black "Ljubojevic, Ljubomir"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A30"]
[Annotator "Martin"]
[PlyCount "109"]
[EventDate "2012.04.20"]
1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. d4 Bf5 7. O-O Ndb4 8.
Be3 $146 Be4 9. d5 Bxd5 10. Nc3 e6 11. Rc1 Nxa2 12. Nxa2 Bxa2 13. Qa4 Bd5 14.
Bxc5 Bxc5 15. Rxc5 Qb6 16. Rb5 Qa6 17. Qxa6 bxa6 18. Rc5 O-O 19. Rfc1 Nb4 20.
Rc7 Rfd8 21. Ne5 f6 22. Nc6 Nxc6 23. Bxd5 Nd4 {The test diagram position has
been reached. White is a pawn down but the extra Black pawn is almost
irrelevant as it is a doubled and weak a-pawn. With pawns on both side of the
board the White bishop is the more dominant minor piece and White also has a
rook on the 7th rank so White should be better. However, Black is threatening
a big fork on 2 and White's bishop is also attacked. Therefore Option C is
correct as this is the only move that keeps the bishop on the board and
protects e2.} 24. Bc4 $1 {Maintaining control of the 7th rank and better piece
activity. England's top grandmaster now plays the endgame precisely and wins
the game by creating threats on both sides of the board.} ({Option A} 24. Bf3 {
aiming for a rook ending where his strong rook is better than Black's extra
a-pawn. However,after} Nxf3+ 25. exf3 e5 {White cannot arrange the doubling of
rooks on the 7th rank. e.g.} 26. Re7 (26. R1c6 a5 27. Ra6 Rdc8 {and no matter
how White exchanges rooks and wins a pawn (on a7 or a5) Black has sufficient
activity with the remaining rook (please see Principle 7 in https://www.
dorsetchess.co.uk/bulletin-no-74-rook-endings/ e.g.} 28. Rcxa7 Rxa7 29. Rxa7
Rb8 $11) 26... Rac8 $1 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Rxa7 Rb8 $11) ({Option B} 24. e3 {
aiming for a better rook ending but after} Ne2+ (24... Rxd5 {looks ok too e.g.}
25. exd4 Rxd4 26. Re7 e5 27. Rcc7 Rg4 {White has manag ed to double rooks on
the 7th rank but Black is defending the g-pawn and is 2 pawns up. White can
hold the balance but obtain nothing more.} 28. f3 Rg5 29. Kg2 h5 30. Rxa7 Rxa7
31. Rxa7 e4 {This looks simplest.} 32. Rxa6 exf3+ 33. Kxf3 Rb5 34. Ra2 $11) 25.
Kf1 Nxc1 26. Bxa8 Rxa8 27. Rxc1 Rb8 {and if anyone is better, it is Black.}) ({
Option D} 24. Bxa8 {aiming for a R+B v R+N ending but after} Nxe2+ 25. Kg2 Nxc1
26. Bb7 {This is the only try} Nd3 27. Bxa6 Nxb2 28. Rxa7 e5 {Black is a pawn
up and is better but with the White rook on the 7th rank a draw is the most
likely result.}) 24... Rd6 (24... Rdc8 {walks into} 25. Rxc8+ Rxc8 26. Bxe6+
Nxe6 27. Rxc8+) 25. Kg2 {There is no urgency.} Kf8 (25... Nb5 {could be
considered to protect the a6 pawn but after} 26. Bxb5 axb5 27. Rb7 Rd5 28. Rcc7
Rg5 29. h4 Rg6 30. Rxb5 {White has restored material equality whilst
maintaining better activity for his rooks. Black will struggle to hold the
game as his a-pawn is likely to drop.}) 26. Rd1 Rb8 27. b3 Rbd8 28. Rxa7 {
Material equality has been restored but White's pieces are more active.} Nb5
29. Rxd6 Rxd6 30. Rb7 Nc3 {Although lots of rook endgames are drawn, any
endgame where White has an extra b-pawn looks good for White.} 31. Kf3 h6 32.
g4 {This is clever. Miles is looking to fix Black's kingside pawns so they
become later targets.} Nd5 33. h4 Nc3 {Black feels he can only tread water and
watch Miles improve his position.} 34. h5 {Part one of Miles' plan has been
completed.} Nd5 35. Bd3 Ne7 {Perhaps to prevent Bg6.} 36. Kg3 (36. Ra7 Nc6 37.
Rxa6 Nd4+ 38. Ke3 Rxa6 39. Bxa6 Nxb3 40. Bc4 Nc5 41. Kd4 {offers good winning
chances although with pawns on the same side and a rook's pawn of the wrong
colour it is not clear if this is winning.}) 36... Nd5 {Perhaps the knight
should remain on e7.} 37. f3 a5 38. Bg6 {This looks very threatening now there
is no knight on e7.} Rb6 {Perhaps the losing move but Miles had put his
opponent under so much pressure.} 39. Rf7+ Kg8 40. Ra7 Kf8 41. e4 $1 {To force
the Black knight to an inferior square.} Nb4 42. e5 $1 {This is brilliant!} Nd5
({If} 42... fxe5 43. Rf7+ Kg8 44. Re7 Rb8 {forced.} 45. Rxe6 {and we now see
the point of 42.e5. Black's e-pawn is lost.}) 43. Ra8+ Ke7 44. Rg8 fxe5 45. g5
$1 {Expertly played by Miles creating an unstoppable passed h-pawn. He is now
completely winning.} hxg5 46. Rxg7+ Kf8 (46... Kd6 47. h6 Rb8 48. h7 Nf6 49.
Rb7 $1 Rh8 50. Rf7 Nd7 51. Be4 Nc5 52. Kg4 $18 Nxe4 53. fxe4 $18 {There is no
stopping the stopping of White's king marching up the board.}) 47. h6 Ne7 48.
Rf7+ Ke8 49. Bh5 Kd7 50. h7 Rb8 51. Kg4 Kd6 52. Kxg5 Nf5 53. Bg6 Nd4 54. Be4
Nxb3 55. Rb7 1-0