Buggy-Samb game 3, 15-8-2001

N.Samb - Buggy 1-1
1.34-29 19-23 2.40-34 14-19 3.45-40 10-14 4.50-45 5-10 5.29-24 20x29 6.33x24 19x30 7.34x25 13-19 8.39-33 15-20 9.44-39 8-13 10.40-34 2-8 11.32-28 23x32 12.37x28 17-22 13.28x17 11x22

diagram 1

In this last game of the first set, Samb only needed a draw. This could be an explanation for the cautious way he plays. For Samb this is not natural, and this shows during the game. He lets Buggy take the initiative with 14... 16-21 and 15... 21-27, but doesn't find any acceptable counterplay against this attack. Looking back, it might have been wiser to go for the more solid 14.31-27 22x31 15.36x27.

14.41-37 16-21 15.31-26 21-27 16.46-41 10-15 17.34-30 19-23 18.37-31 6-11 19.41-37 13-19

diagram 2

In this position Samb comes to the conclusion that his strategy isn't successful and plays the somewhat disappointing 20.37-32. The following exchange ensures black a small but longterm advantage. Instead of 20... 9-13 it was also possible to react with 11-16?! 21.32x21 16x27, because the combination 22.33-28 22x44 23.31x11 44-50 24.11-6 50-28 is better for black. However, after 22.42-37 and 23.37-32 black would have been forced to retreat with 22-28 anyway.

20.37-32 9-13 21.32x21 22-28 22.33x22 18x16 23.38-32 20-24 24.32-27 12-18 25.39-33 4-9

diagram 3

Black has still a slight advantage, but it's not at all sufficient to win the game. The next move from Samb 26.43-38(?) looks a bit suspicious. It's far more natural to develop with 26.42-38, since the piece on 43 can be useful for the defence of white's right wing. Could it be that Samb hoped for 7-12? 27.27-21! 16x27 28.31x22 18x27 29.25-20 14x34 30.33-29 24x33 31.38x16? It seems unlikely, because it's virtually impossible for a computer to misjudge such a development. In the game Buggy immediately profits from white's 26.43-38 by putting white's right wing under pressure with 14-20.

26.43-38 14-20 27.25x14 9x20 28.49-44 7-12 29.30-25 12-17 30.25x14 19x10

diagram 4

Buggy threatens with the combination 24-30 32.35x24 15-20 33.24x4 13-19 34.4x22 17x50, and thus Samb is forced to make a move with the piece on 44. In the next phase of the game Buggy plays exceptionally well. Samb has to watch patiently how his right wing is furhter undermined.

31.44-40 10-14 32.40-34 17-22 33.34-30 13-19 34.38-32 11-17 35.42-38 14-20 36.30-25 8-12 37.25x14 19x10 38.47-42 15-20 39.45-40 10-15 40.40-34 24-29 41.33x24 20x40 42.35x44 15-20 43.48-43

diagram 5

Now a very complicated position has emerged that might take days of analysis to fully comprehend. The black position is superior, and the question is how to keep the advantage. In the game Buggy chooses to occupy the center with 43... 22-28 and 44... 17-22. This almost leads to a victory, but Samb manages to find a narrow escape. An alternative plan for black would have been to wait with 20-24 44.43-39, but the first analyses reveal that this wasn't any better. For example, 3-9(?) 45.39-33! 24-30 46.33-29 23x34 47.32-28 22x33 48.38x40 16-21!? 49.27x16 18-23. Apparently white is in trouble, but: 50.40-35! 30-34 51.16-11 17x6 52.44-39 34x43 53.42-38 43x32 54.31-27 32x21 55.26x8 and not black but white wins.

22-28 44.42-37 17-22 45.43-39 20-25 46.44-40 25-30 47.40-34 30-35 48.27-21 16x27 49.32x21 3-8 50.21-16 12-17

diagram 6

The 50 moves are completed, and so Samb can take his time to look for an escape. At this moment the computer was still very optimistic about the chances for black, but that was probably because the sacrifice that Samb makes on the 58th move was outside its horizon. With the anti positional move 51.38-32 white prepares the exchange 52.32-27, 53.37-32. Since that would lead to an easy draw, Buggy has no choice but to play 52... 17-21.

51.38-32 8-13 52.32-27 17-21 53.26x17 22x11 54.16x7 1x12

diagram 7

It still looks dangerous for white, because after 55.31-26 13-19 56.37-31 19-24 57.34-30 24-29 58.27-21 35x24 59.21-17 12x21 60.26x17 29-33 black will win, since 61.39-34? is prevented by 18-22! This was shown by Samb immediately after the game. But it takes more than that to beat a grandmaster, because with a (necessary) sacrifice on the 58th move Samb finds a convincing way to draw. Bad luck for Buggy, but nevertheless he can look back on a magnificently played game.

55.27-21 12-17 56.21x12 18x7 57.31-27 13-19 58.27-22 28x17 59.39-33 19-24 60.37-32 35-40 61.34x45 23-29 62.33-28 29-34 63.32-27 34-39 64.27-22 17-21 65.22-18 39-43 66.18-13 43-48 67.13-9 21-27 68.9-3 48-26 69.3-25 7-11 70.25-48 11-17 71.45-40 24-29 72.40-35 29-34