GM Nikolic takes Dutch title
By Kristianus Liem
JAKARTA (JP): Grandmaster Predrag Nikolic of Sarajevo now lives in the Netherlands, and GM Jan Timman squared off for a four-game match to settle the Dutch championship on Oct. 20.
The match, played at a time control of 40 moves in one hour and one hour for the rest, followed the round-robin tournament held in June in which the two GMs tied for first place with a score of 7.5 over 11 rounds.
The match was pretty close with game three being the only decisive game. Indeed at one stage it looked like Timman might win the game, but later lost in time trouble. The match was in Rotterdam at the headquarters of the sponsor, Broekhuis Training.
Below is the decisive game of the match. Playing the Leningrad Dutch, Nikolic was unable to solve opening problems, but got lucky with a desperado attack in Timman's time trouble.
White: GM Jan Timman
Black: GM Predrag Nikolic
Dutch Leningrad Defense
1.Nf3 f5 2.d4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.c3!? Bg7 5.Qb3 e6?! 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.Nbd2 d6 11.e4 f4?
This move looks better than it actually is. In these middle game positions, it is important that the g7-bishop keep a role in the game. So 11...Qf7! 12.Rae1 g5! was necessary. It keeps the center tense and the king-side dynamic. White now gets a strategic stranglehold on the position.
12.Rae1 Qf7 13.e5 d5 14.Qc2?
According to GM Yasser Seirawan, the text is wasting tempo for absolutely no reason. White is close to winning with two different but straightforward plans. After 14.Kh1! b6 15.Rg1 planning Bg2-f1-d3, a flood of White pieces go king-side. The other line, 14.gxf4! Qxf4 15.Re3 Ne7 16.Ne1 Nf5 17.Nd3 Qg5 18.f4 Qe7 (for 18...Qxg2+ 19.Kxg2 Nxe3+ 20.Kg3 Nxf1+ 21.Nxf1 is good for White). Then 19.Ref3 gives White space and initiative; he will chomp his way through the king-side with Bg2-h3xf5 and play on the g-file.
14...Bd7 15.Kh1 Ne7 16.Rg1 g5 17.g4 Qg6 18.Qd1
Better is 18.Qxg6 Nxg6 19.Bf1 followed by Bg2-f1-d3 and an eventual h2-h4, White is winning.
18...Bb5 19.Bf1 Bxf1 20.Rexf1 b6 21.h4 c5 22.Re1 Rac8 23.Kg2
With 23.hxg5 hxg5 24.Kg2 cxd4 25.cxd4!? Rc2 26.Rh1 Rxb2 27.Rh5, White has a promising attack.
23...cxd4 24.Nxd4 f3+ 25.Kh3!
An excellent move, as White's king is now extremely comfortable. The f3-pawn isn't going anywhere.
25...Rf4 26.h5 Qf7 27.N2xf3 Rf8 28.Rg3 Re4 29.Qb1!
See diagram.
29...Nf5 30.gxf5
White is short of victory after 30.Rxe4 dxe4 31.Qxe4 Nxg3 32.Kxg3 Qf4+ 33.Qxf4 Rxf4 34.Nxe6 as 34...Re4! holds.
30...exf5 31.Kg2 f4 32.e6?
Timman has one shortcoming that has plagued him throughout his career. He loves to win beautifully instead of prosaically and is mesmerized by complications. Why this sharp move when 32.Nxg5 hxg5 33.Rxg5 f3+ 34.Kg1 leaves White two pawns with an easy win?
32...Qxh5 33.e7!? Re8 34.Rh1??
Time trouble rears its ugly head and Timman utterly spoils his position. With 34.Rxe4 dxe4 35.Qxe4 fxg3 36.fxg3 White still has the advantage.
34...Qg6
White's debacle is complete. Suddenly his pieces are embarrassingly misplaced.
35.Rg4 R8xe7 36.Qd1 Bxd4 37.cxd4 Qf5 38.Rhh4 Rg7! 39.Nxg5 hxg5 0-1
White lost on time, but his position was also losing.