Naestved, Denmark (not very close to Copenhagen; somewhat close to the beach village of Karrasboekminde) was a real hoot in 1988. I went over there with IM (soon to be GM) Michael Wilder. Participating in this strong swiss were legends GM Larsen, GM Sax, GM Ljuobjevic, GM Jansa, IM (soon to be GM) Ferdinand Hellers, and a host of others such as Danish solid guy (future GM) Lars Bo Hansen and another Hansen, Soren Bech Hansen. Don’t confuse this FM player (b. 1967) with GM Sune Berg Hansen (b. 1971; drainyou on ICC) who happens to also be S.B. Hansen!
Here is a game versus S.B. Hansen the Lesser.
Mark Ginsburg vs Soren Bech Hansen
Naestved Open, 1988
Gruenfeld Defense, Exchange Variation
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1
This variation, a favorite of GM Khalifman, was a real newcomer to me. I never played it before or after! It makes a lot of sense, though, to get the rook off the sensitive a1-h8 diagonal.
8… O-O 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ Black adopts the recommended approach and trades queens to reduce white’s potential initiative.
11. Qd2 Of course, 11. Bd2 Qxa2 is a highly topical gambit idea that has seen many high-level tests through the years.
11…Qxd2+ 12. Bxd2 e6 13. O-O b6
14. d5 The only way for white to do anything at all is to try to make a passed pawn and expand it. At least the position is not completely dead and black still has to be accurate.
14…exd5 15. exd5 Bb7 16. d6 Rd8 17. Bf4 Nd7 18. Rfc1
We reach a critical position. Fortunately for me, black blunders badly now.
18… Nc5?? 19. Rxc5! Of course! White is simply winning at this point and need only exercise a little caution to wrap up the win.
19…Bxf3 20. Bxf3 bxc5 21. Bxa8 Rxa8 22. Rb7 Bd4 23. Kf1 Kg7 24. d7 Bf6
Black is really powerless to contest the pawn on d7.
25. Ke2 Bd8 26. Kd3 Kf6 27. Kc4 Ke6 28. Kxc5 f6 29. Kc6 a5 30. Rb8 Rxb8 31. Bxb8 a4 32. Bc7 Ke7 33. Bxd8+ Kxd8 34. Kd6 a3 35. Ke6
1-0
If only my other games in Naestved went that smoothly. Watch this space for more struggles from this event vs IM Armas (Romania), L.B Hansen, and others.
IM Mark Ginsburg Presents A Personal Chess History 