A sad finish for Jonathan Rowson

By Kristianus Liem

JAKARTA (JP): Following his 4-2 victory over GM Keith Arkell, Scottish IM Jonathan Rowson shifted up a gear for his encounter against London GM Julian Hodgson in a six-game FIDE rated match, which took place at the Carlton Park Hotel in Roterham, South Yorkshire, England, March 1997.

The anonymously donated prize fund was a generous US$3,500 to the winner and $1,500 to the loser, or, $2,500 each if the match ended in a tie.

Hodgson won the toss and, like Keith Arkell, elected to take Black in the first game, and lost. Striking back immediately with a smooth victory in the next game, there then followed three drawn games, two of which Rowson missed chances to win cleanly.

The match was only decided on the last day, in the final, sixth game. Once more, Rowson had victory in his grasp when Hodgson made a tactical draw offer.

Jonathan thought about the position, correctly refused the draw and proceeded to blunder in time-trouble. Nevertheless, the 2,5-3,5 result, and the combative spirit of the Scottish teenager, impressed everyone who followed the match.

Here is the final game.

White: GM Julian Hodgson

Black: IM Jonathan Rowson

Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.b3 Nf6! 4.e5 Nd5 5.c4 Nb4 6.Bb2 b6 7.a3 N4c6 8.Nc3 d6 9.exd6 Bxd6

For 9...e5! Black might have the upper hand due to the White's backward d-pawn.

10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 0-0 12.Nf3! Bb7 13.Nb5 Bf4!

This is Jonathan's only satisfactory move but it is an extremely good one. After 13...Be7? 14.Qxd8 Bxd8 (force, because of 15.Nc7, wins the Exchange) 15.Nd6 White already has quite a large advantage.

14.Qc2?!

Too ambitious, but after 14.g3 Ne5! 15.Bxe5 Bxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxh1 17.Qxd8 Rxd8 18.Nc7 Nd7! 19.Nxd7 Rac8! 20.Rd1 Bc6! Black will retain a material advantage.

14...Nd7! 15.Rd1 Qe7 16.Bd3 f5! 17.Qe2

Here Hodgson offered a draw, which Jonathan did not take too long to decline.

17...a6 18.Nbd4 Nxd4! 19.Nxd4 Ne5

Black now stands well as White's King is in extreme peril. The obvious 20.0-0 would lose on the spot to 20...Bxh2+! 21.Kxh2 Qh4+ 22.Kg1 Ng4 when White has to part with his Queen to avert mate on h2.

20.Bb1 Rad8 21.f3! Qh4+ 22.Qf2 Qh6 23.Ke2!

The only move in an extremely difficult position, although he was rather reluctant to leave the King stranded in the center. A consolation for Hodgson was that his opponent's e-pawn was blocking the e-file.

23...Bg5?

Finally Jonathan made an inaccurate move. Perhaps 23...Rd6 followed by doubling on the d-file was a stronger continuation.

24.h4!

Now the fight back begins!

24...Be7 25.Qe3! Qg6

Jonathan should have probably exchanged Queens when after

25...Qxe3+ 26.Kxe3 Bc5 the position is about equal although clearly White is over the worst.

26.Kf2 Bd6 27.Qg5! Qf7?

See diagram. This is a far from obvious mistake but already it is Black who is suddenly the one struggling to maintain the balance.

28.Nxf5!

A neat combination that leaves Hodgson in the strategic ascendancy.

28...exf5 29.Bxe5

This is the point, the Rook on is d8 hanging if Black recaptured on e5.

29...Be7 30.Qf4 Rxd1 31.Rxd1 Bxa3 32.Bd6! Bxd6 33.Rxd6 b5

It is clear that White holds most of the trumps: better pieces and sounder pawn structure. Black's main hope is to draw lies in the reduced amount of pieces and level material.

34.c5?

Wrong move. After the correct 34.Bd3! Black is in serious trouble. Jonathan had intended the highly imaginative 34...Be4!? but after 35.Bf1! (for 35.fxe4?! is not so clear on account of 35...fxe4 36.Qxf7+ Kxf7!! when Black has excellent drawing chances) 35...Qa7+ 36.Qe3 Qxe3+ 37.Kxe3 Bc2 38.Rxa6 Bxb3 39.cxb5 when White's extra queen-side pawn should decide the issue.

34...a5! 35.Qd4?

Wrong again. The White Queen is much better placed on f4.

35...Bc8! 36.Bc2 f4 37.Qd5 Qxd5 38.Rxd5 Bb7 39.Rd7 Rf7??

With only one move to go to the time control Jonathan finally cracks under the pressure. If he had played the original move that he had intended -- 39...Bc6! -- then after 40.Rc7 Rd8!, he would have had excellent chances to hold out for the draw.

40.Rd8+!

Black resigned, as 40...Rf8 loses to 41.Bxh7+! Kf7 42.Rd7+ and Black losing the Bishop. A sad finish for Jonathan after he had been so close to outright victory, but it can only be a matter of time before he becomes strongest player ever. 1-0