[Event "USCF Correspondence"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Addison, J."]
[Black "McDonald, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A45"]
[WhiteElo "2125"]
[BlackElo "1945"]
[Annotator "Jim Addison w/ Fritz 6"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]

{Many players lose their focus over exchanging Queens.  Some run to trade,
believing this may help them get safely to an endgame, even if they ruin their
position in the process.  Others are afraid to trade, because the Queen is the
only attacking piece they feel confident about.    When Seigbert Tarrasch
introduced the Tarrasch Defense to the Queen's Gambit, many skoffed because
Black often accepts an isolated QP, a weakness in the endgame.  Tarrasch
answered, "Between the opening and the ending, the gods have placed the
middlegame."  Of course, an isolated QP is often an advantage in the
middlegame.      One should exchange Queens, or avoid the exchange, based on
the given position.  Is it good for you, or bad?  Don't think the Ladies'
disappearance means the middlegame is over, or even that sacrifices are out of
the question.  The following is a correspondence game against a strong "A"
player:} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 {
The Trompowsky Attack was a favorite of mine for several years} Ne4 3. Bh4 d5 {
An older line of defense; more common are} (3... g5 {or}) (3... c5) 4. f3 Nd6
5. Nc3 c5 6. e4 $1 {TN - a new move I introduced here.  The usual move was} (6.
dxc5 Nf5 7. Bf2 d4 8. Ne4 {and Black will have some counterplay.}) 6... dxe4 {
Now the game is similar to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, in this case good for
White because Black's pieces are not well placed for that opening.} ({
The alternative was} 6... cxd4 7. Nxd5 Qa5+ 8. Kf2 e5 ({If Black tries} 8...
Qc5 9. b4 $1 Qc6 10. Bb5 $1 {and White wins the Q with a Knight fork.}) 9. b4
$1 Nxe4+ 10. fxe4 Bxb4 11. Qh5 Bd6 12. Bc4 O-O 13. Nf3 {
and White has material AND the attack, winning easily.}) 7. dxc5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ {
Black was probably counting on the exchange to relieve his game, which is more
cramped than in the old 6 dxc5 line.  White exchanges with gain of tempo,
though, as Nimzowitsch taught, and retains attacking chances.} Kxd8 9. O-O-O+
Nd7 $6 (9... Bd7 {
was somewhat better because c8 is freed for the King, making him a bit safer.})
10. Bg5 $1 exf3 (10... e3 {, slowing down White's development, was more prudent
}) 11. Nxf3 f6 {Black has problems already.  Neither B can move, between his
two Ns there is only one safe move - to the rim at h6, and his Rs can only
take a meaningless side-step.} 12. Nd5 $3 {
A stunning piece sacrifice after trading Qs.} (12. g4 {
was my original idea when I played 10 Bg5:} Nh6 ({or} 12... fxg5 13. gxf5 {
and White is already winning, for example} g4 14. Ne5 {with a massacre.}) 13.
Bxh6 gxh6 14. Nd4 e5 15. Ne6+ Ke7 16. Bc4 {
with a beautiful position for White, but Nd5 is even better.}) 12... Rb8 {
Moving out of one potential N fork and daring White to leave his B en prise
for another move.} ({If} 12... fxg5 13. Nxg5 {
with threats of Nf7 or Nge6 and Ndc7}) 13. Bb5 $1 {Taking the challenge and
continuing to develop aggressively while Black is hog-tied.} fxg5 {
At this point, he may as well accept the sacrifice.} 14. Nxg5 e6 {
Black has to get his pieces out somehow} 15. Nxe6+ Ke8 16. Rde1 Kf7 {
The only move, but it merely postpones the end.} (16... Be7 17. Nxg7+ Nxg7 18.
Rxe7+ {and wins}) (16... Ne7 17. Ng5 h6 18. Nc7+ Kd8 19. Nge6# {
would have been a pretty finish.}) 17. Nd8+ Kg6 ({Or} 17... Kg8 18. Bc4 $18 {
with a deadly double check to follow.}) 18. Nf4+ Kg5 ({Not} 18... Kh6 $4 19.
Nf7#) ({Mate also follows on} 18... Kf6 19. Re6+ Kg5 20. Nf7+ Kxf4 (20... Kh4
21. Ng6+ $1 hxg6 22. Re4+ Kh5 23. Be2#) (20... Kg4 21. Be2+ Kh4 (21... Kxf4 22.
Rf1#) 22. Ng6+ hxg6 23. Re4#) 21. Rf1+ Kg4 22. Be2+ Kh4 23. Rf4# {Notice that
in all these lines, Black's pieces are all merely spectators as his King flees
for his life.}) 19. Nf7+ Kg4 ({If Black tries} 19... Kxf4 20. Rhf1+ Kg4 21.
Be2+ Kh4 22. Rf4#) ({or} 19... Kf6 20. Nxh8 $18 {
wins a Rook while the attack continues.}) 20. Rhf1 {Black resigns, as his King
is surrounded by the entire White army - you can work out the mates for
yourself.    The whole attack began with the exchange of Qs.} 1-0

[Event "Virginia State Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Addison, J.."]
[Black "Rufty, Alan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D80"]
[WhiteElo "2130"]
[BlackElo "2240"]
[Annotator "Jim Addison w/Fritz 6"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]

{Continuing with the theme of Queenless middlegames, here I faced one of
Virginia's leading masters, Alan Rufty.  Black gets into some difficulty in
the opening, and seeks relief by inviting the trade.  Notice how the exchange
not only doesn't slow White's attack down, but actually speeds it up:} 1. d4
Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 {The Smyslov Variation is more typically reached
by 4 Nf3 Bg7 5 Bg5, but it is not a major attempt at advantage, just a way to
avoid the main lines.} Ne4 5. Bh4 c6 $6 (5... Nxc3 6. bxc3 {and Black is okay.}
) 6. e3 Nd7 (6... Qa5 {is more in the spirit of the line.}) 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. Qb3
Nxc3 9. bxc3 Qa5 10. Nf3 Bg7 11. Bg3 {
Black was already threatening to play ...e5 with strong counterplay.} O-O 12.
Rc1 $5 Nb8 $5 ({Better was} 12... Nb6 {with the smallest of edges for White.})
13. Be2 Nc6 14. O-O e6 ({
The best reaction to White's plan to play c3-c4 would be} 14... Qd8 {
but this is a difficult move to see and play with the Q-side still undeveloped.
}) 15. c4 dxc4 16. Rxc4 Qd5 {Black seeks to exchange Qs to reduce the material
on the board and gain time to complete his development.} 17. Rc5 (17. Qc2 {
is also strong, but I like my play after the trade.}) 17... Qxb3 18. axb3 Bd7
19. Rfc1 a6 {Black doesn't wish to allow Bb5, increasing the pressure.  ...a6
does have one drawback:  it weakens the b6 square.  How can White take
advantage?} 20. Nd2 $1 {The N heads for c4, from where it will attack the weak
points at b6 and d6, putting great stress on the Black position.} Bf6 (20...
Bh6 {was better, threatening sac on d4 for some counterplay, but White would
retain a decided advantage by simply moving out of the pin with} 21. Rd1) 21.
Bd6 Rfd8 $6 (21... Rfc8 {was preferable, leaving d8 open for} 22. Nc4 Bd8 {
, covering the b6 square, but after} 23. Bf3 a5 24. Bf4 {
, White's N will target d6 or e5 instead.  Note that} b6 {
is not a "shot" here, after} 25. Nxb6 Bxb6 26. Bxc6 Bxc5 27. Bxa8 Bb4 28. Rxc8+
Bxc8 29. f3 {when White is a solid P ahead in the ending.}) 22. Nc4 {Only the f
ourth move since the exchange of Queens, and it's all over but the shouting!}
Bxd4 {There is no longer any defense to the threatened Nb6, since if} (22... b5
23. Nb6 Ra7 24. Rxc6) 23. exd4 Nxd4 24. Bd1 $1 {White consolidates his
position, preventing Black from picking up a third P for his piece by ...Nxb3.}
Bb5 25. Nb6 Rxd6 26. Nxa8 Bc6 27. Nb6 f6 28. Nc4 Rd7 29. Ne3 e5 {Black is now
in time trouble, and it takes him a while to notice he is now down a Rook for
2 Ps.} 30. b4 Kf7 31. Kf1 Ke6 32. Ke1 f5 33. f3 e4 34. fxe4 Bxe4 35. Rc7 f4 36.
Bg4+ Nf5 37. Nxf5 gxf5 38. Rxd7 fxg4 39. Rd4 Ke5 40. Rxe4+ Kxe4 41. Rc7 {
NOW he notices!  (Time control was made)    The remarkable aspect of this game
is how swiftly Black's position falls apart after he gets his wish for the
exchange of Qs.} 1-0

[Event "95 Golden Knights Final"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Addison, J."]
[Black "Vanya, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D15"]
[WhiteElo "2160"]
[BlackElo "2305"]
[Annotator "Jim Addison w/Fritz 6"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventType "corr"]

{We've been looking at some "Queenless middlegames," positions where the Qs
have been traded off, but which still have the characteristics of a middlegame
as opposed to an ending.    In this game, played in the Golden Knights (US
Open) Finals against a strong established master, I sacrifice a piece in the
process of allowing a Q exchange:} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5.
e4 b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. a4 e6 8. Ng5 Be7 9. h4 h6 10. Nge4 b4 11. Qg4 {I had come
with this piece gambit some months before, and never had the opportunity to
try it out, so I couldn't resist the temptation.} ({The usual move is} 11. Nb1
{with} Ba6 12. Nbd2 c3 13. Nc4 {to follow, with an unclear position.}) 11...
bxc3 12. Qxg7 Kd7 13. bxc3 Qg8 $6 {This liquidates the K-side, and the
exchange of a pair of Rooks is appealing to the defense when it is already a
piece up, but 13...Qf8 was more prudent.   White will later be able to make
use of the h-file.} 14. Bxh6 Qxg7 15. Bxg7 Rxh4 16. Rxh4 Bxh4 17. Kd2 {
So, after sacrificing a piece, I immediately trade off Qs AND Rs . . . but
it's okay because it's still the middlegame - it's not the pieces that come
off the board that are important, but the ones which stayon!} Be7 18. Bxc4 Nb6
19. Bb3 Bb7 20. Rh1 {As Black struggles to untangle his pieces from their
little Queenside corner, White attacks from the other side.   20.Rb1; 20.a5
were reasonable alternatives, but the move selected allows White to outflank
Black's superior forces - as Wee Willie Keeler advised, "Hit 'em where they
ain't!"} (20. Rb1 {
was also good, but Black must have been expecting that and 21. a5}) 20... Na6 {
Black hurries to complete his development, but misses his chance to free
himself with ...c5!} (20... c5 21. Nxc5+ Bxc5 22. dxc5 Nd5 (22... Nc8 23. Bf6
Bxg2 24. Rh7 Kc6 25. Rxf7 Bd5 26. c4 Be4 27. a5 $1 $18) 23. Bc4 Nc6 24. Rh7 $44
) 21. Rh7 Nd5 ({Again, Black should play} 21... c5 22. Nf6+ Bxf6 ({If instead} 
22... Kc6 23. a5 Nc8 24. d5+ $5 Kb5 25. dxe6 fxe6 26. Bxe6 {
is a fascinating line.}) 23. Bxf6 Rf8 24. Bg7 Rg8 {
when his pieces begin to play.}) 22. Bh6 Ke8 {
But now ...c5 would come too late:} (22... c5 23. Rxf7 cxd4 24. cxd4 Nac7 25.
Bg5 Rf8 26. Nc5+ Kc8 27. Rxf8+ Bxf8 28. Nxb7 Kxb7 29. g4 $16) ({Also,} 22...
Rg8 23. Rxf7 Kd8 ({Not} 23... Rxg2 24. Nd6 {/\ Bf8, winning outright.}) 24. Bg7
Ke8 25. Nd6+ Bxd6 26. Rxb7 Bb8 27. Bc4 Ndc7 28. Bf6 {
and White's Rook on the 7th and Bishop pair are too strong.}) 23. c4 (23. Bg5
$1 {was even stronger, but I hated to part with the Bishop at that moment.})
23... Ndb4 (23... Nb6 {would lead to play similar to the game after} 24. c5 Nd5
25. Nd6+ Bxd6 ({Not} 25... Kd7 $2 26. Nxb7 Rb8 27. Bxd5 cxd5 28. Nd6 $18) 26.
cxd6 $18) (23... Bb4+ 24. Kd3 Ne7 25. c5 Nf5 26. Bg5 $18) 24. c5 Nd5 25. Nd6+
Bxd6 ({or} 25... Kd7 26. Rxf7) 26. cxd6 Nab4 {Notice that Black's pieces can't
really do anything:  they can't effectively defend the key points, they can't
threaten White.} ({Also} 26... Rc8 27. g4 {wins easily}) ({Or} 26... c5 27. a5
Bc6 28. Ba4 $1 Rc8 29. Rh8+ Kd7 30. Rxc8 Bxa4 (30... Kxc8 31. Bxc6 cxd4 32.
Bxd5 exd5 $18) 31. Ra8 $18) 27. f4 a5 (27... c5 28. f5 Kd7 29. a5 {
and White is just target shooting.}) 28. f5 $1 exf5 29. e6 {White threatens
mate on h8, exf7+ and Queening, and if ...fxe6, simply 30 d7+! ends Black's
suffering, so he resigns.    Here again, all of White's play comes AFTER the
trade of Queens and pair of Rooks.  The game never reached an "endgame"
situation.} 1-0

[Event "Correspondence"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Addison, J.."]
[Black "Millett, Pete"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C12"]
[Annotator "Jim Addison"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]

{To close out the series on Queenless middlegames, here is one more
correspondence contest.  Black is an "A" player who succumbs to the temptation
to exchange Queens early against a higher-rated opponent.  As we have seen
before in this series, such a policy doesn't always succeed.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5
d5 3. Nc3 (3. Nf3 {would lead to the Torre Attack, a normal continuation but
one which Black probably aimed for with ...d5.}) 3... e6 4. e4 Bb4 {
By transposition, the French MacCutcheon.} 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Ne4 8.
Qg4 g6 9. Bd3 Nxd2 10. Kxd2 c5 11. h4 Nc6 12. h5 {
An idea of Seirawan's to weaken Black's K-side.} Qg5+ $6 {A known error -
while Black would welcome the exchange of Queens, in this position it doesn't
relieve his problems.  In fact, he immediately finds himself in even deeper
trouble.} 13. Qxg5 hxg5 14. g4 cxd4 15. cxd4 gxh5 ({Not} 15... Nxd4 $2 16. hxg6
Rg8 (16... Rxh1 $4 17. g7 $18) 17. gxf7+ Kxf7 18. Ke3 Nc6 19. Nf3 $16 {
White has the better Bishop and a lead in development, and his Rooks have
choices for aggressive deployment:  they could double on the h-file or one
could occupy the b-file, further complicating Black's development.}) 16. Rxh5
Rxh5 17. gxh5 f5 $6 (17... Nxd4 $142 {, which would work better now as opposed
to on move 15 because White's g-pawn has moved, freeing the f5 square so the N
could head for the K-side.} {Play might proceed with} 18. h6 Kf8 $1 19. c3 Nf5
20. Bxf5 exf5 21. Nh3 $44 g4 $1 22. Ng5 Be6 23. Nh7+ Kg8 24. Nf6+ Kh8 ({or} 
24... Kf8 25. Rh1 Ke7 26. h7 Rh8 27. Rh5 $1 $18) 25. Rh1 f4 26. Rh5 Rg8 $8 (
26... Rc8 27. Rg5 $18) 27. Nxg8 Kxg8 28. h7+ Kh8 29. a3 $16 {A long series,
but the forcing nature of the lines and the reduced material make calculating
them easier.  White ends up with the Exchange for a Pawn, but Black has little
hope for counterplay and will soon be reduced to moving his Bishop back and
forth.}) 18. exf6 Kf7 19. Nf3 g4 20. Ne5+ Kxf6 (20... Nxe5 $2 21. dxe5 $18) 21.
Nxg4+ Kg5 22. h6 $1 {
Now the threat to promote the RP severely limits Black's choices.} e5 {
There was no chance remaining - if Black tries} (22... Bd7 23. h7 Rh8 ({
But of course not} 23... Kxg4 $4 24. Rg1+ Kf3 25. Rg8 $18) 24. Rg1 $1 {
and wins with the threats of discovered check, N forks, R skewers, and P
promotion!} {if for example} Kf4 ({or} 24... Kh4 25. Ne5) 25. Nf6) 23. Nxe5
Kxh6 24. Rg1 $1 {Often we must trade one advantage for another in order to win.
Here, White lets go of his advanced passer to trap the Black King against the
edge of the board.  Notice how the g-file functions like the 7th rank might,
cutting off the h-file as if it were the back rank.} Nxd4 (24... Nxe5 25. dxe5
Bd7 26. f4 $18 {giving White connected passers is no better, of course.}) 25.
Nf7+ Kh5 26. Ke3 Be6 {Instead, retreating the N runs into mate threats -} (
26... Nc6 27. Kf4 {mating.}) 27. Bg6+ Kh4 28. Kxd4 Rg8 29. Rh1+ {forcing the
King into a fork, ending the game.  Notice that Black was only finally able to
develop his Q-side at the very end, when it was too late.} 1-0

