Miniature Game played in Bali Jeff-RCA tourney

By Kristianus Liem

JAKARTA (JP): When we hear that a grandmaster has been crushed in 19 moves, we want to play through the game as soon as possible. We want to know what happened: was it the effect of a shatteringly innovative opening; were things decided by an unexpected and brilliant Queen sacrifice; or was it perhaps a clever Knight maneuver which perplexed the opponent?

A miniature played by not very strong players may be highly instructive, but it is unlikely to possess artistic qualities because the players' mistakes are either too serious or too naive.

Of course, even in a brief skirmish between a grandmaster can in the end discern an inaccurate move, an erroneous combination or an unfortunate maneuver. But this mistake is not so obvious and its rebuttal not so simple, and therefore grandmaster miniatures represent worthy works of chess art.

In this game, Grandmaster Edhi Handoko surrendered in only 19 moves to National Master Hamdani Rudin in the sixth round of the Bali Jeff-RCA Grandmaster Tournament at Wisma Catur Frederick Sumanti, Tanah Abang, Jakarta, from June 21 to July 6, 1997.

Look below to see what happened in that game.

White: GM Edhi Handoko

Black: NM Hamdani Rudin

Scotch Opening

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5

This is a characteristic move of the Mieses Variation. White aims to establish a space advantage and rapid mobilization of its pieces. Black's problem piece is its Queen's Bishop, which is often blocked out of the game on a6 by a White pawn on c4. It is difficult for Black to organize the freeing move... d5, so usually its counter chances rest on the vulnerability of the advanced White e-pawn. If this pawn is supported by f4 this leaves numerous holes behind the extended pawn which Black may well be able to exploit.

6...Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4

The mainline of Mieses Variation.

8...Nb6

Other variation is 8...Ga6, pinning the White c-pawn and preparing to castle queenside.

9.Nc3

This move is not dangerous for Black. Kasparov favorite's move here was 9.Nd2, which he used is his famous winning game in the 1990 World Chess Championship, as follows: 9...Qe6 10.b3 a5 11.Bb2 Bb4 12.a3 Bxd2+ 13.Qxd2 d5?! 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.Rc1 0-0 16.Rxc7 Qg6 17.f3 Bf5 18.g4! Bb1 19.Bb5 Rac8 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 21.0-0 h5 22.h3?! White got clear advantage based on his extra pawn, two active Bishops and the probability of creating a passed pawn on the queenside. Kasparov won that game in 107 moves.

9...a5!

Black immediately advances his a-pawn to meet White's intended 10.b3 with ...a4, disrupting his pawn structure. Another two moves have been played here, 9...Qe6 10.Qe4 Bb4 11.Bd2 a5?! 12.f4?! Judit Polgar-Jeroen Piket, Aruba 1995; or 9...g6!? 10.Ne4 Qe6 11.Nf6+ Kd8 12.Bd2 Ba6 13.b3 d5! John van der Wiel-Gildardo Garcia, Wijk aan Zee 1996.

10.Qe4 g6

Black can also try to win the c-pawn by 10...Ba6 11.Bd2 Qe6 12.b3 a4 13.Nxa4 Nxa4 14.bxa4 Bd6 with a balanced position.

11.Be3 Bg7 12.c5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Qxd5 Rb8

If 14...c6 15.Qd2 Bxe5 16.0-0-0 0-0 17.Bd4 White a little better.

15.Bd4 0-0 16.f4

See diagram. White can keep his extra pawn, but the problem is its lack of development.

16...d6!

With this breakthrough in the center, Black tried to use its advantage in development.

17.0-0-0 dxe5 18.Bxe5 Be6!

Now Black can take back his pawn.

19.Qd4?

Blunder in a bad position! If 19.Qc6 Bxe5 20.fxe5 Bxa2 21.Bb5 Qxe5 22.Rhe1 Qf4+ or; 19.Qd2 Bxe5 20.fxe5 Qxc5+ 21.Qc2 Qxc2+ 22.Kxc2 Bxa2 23.Rd7 Rfe8 in both variations White is winning.

19...f6

White resigned here because he would loose his Bishop without compensation. 0-1