The Midwest Masters in Chicago, IL, was always a romping good time. I tangled against the likes of Marc Lonoff, Michael Wilder, and Jay Whitehead at this august event.
Mark Ginsburg vs Andrew Karklins
Midwest Masters, Chicago, 1989
Queen’s Indian/Nimzo Hybrid
Andrew Karklins is always a tough competitor. I’ve had good luck against him over the years, 3-0 lifetime, although his zany opening ideas have paid off versus other players.
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. c4 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. Bg5 Bb4 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 Ne4
A very popular opening position has been reached – the basic QID/Nimzo Hybrid. White in the past didn’t show any advantage but then a gambit idea became popular…
9. Nd2!? I am the first to try a zany idea! This pawn-sac is well motivated.
9…Nxc3 Naturally 9…Bxc3?! 10. bxc3 Nxc3? 11. Qc2 is unplayable.
10. bxc3 Bxc3 Black has the strange 10…Bf8 here, with the idea of Bg7, but white must be better after that tempo losing maneuver. I won a game as black in that line, but it’s definitely dubious.
11. Rc1 Bxd2+?! To be seriously considered was 11…Ba5!?, retaining this piece.
12. Qxd2 d6 13. h4 Nd7 14. c5 bxc5 15. dxc5 Nxc5 16. Qb2 O-O The obvious 17. Rxc5? backfires. I will leave it as an exercise to the reader, but white will suffer with his king in the middle.
17. hxg5! White retains a plus in all lines now.
17… Be4 18. gxh6 f6 19. f3 Bh7 20. Bc4 Kh8 21. Bh4 e5 22. e4 Rg8 There’s not much chance of 23. Bxg8?? Nd3+ happening, but strange things sometimes occur in chess.
23. Kf1 Now the king in the middle doesn’t bother white at all, because black’s king formation has been seriously compromised.
23…Rg6 24. Bf2 Qf8 25. Be3 Rb8 26. Qc3 Bg8 27. h7 Bxc4+ 28. Qxc4 Rb2 29. Rh2 Rb8 30. g4 Qe7 31. Bxc5 dxc5 32. Qxc5 Qxc5 33. Rxc5 Rb1+ 34. Kg2 Rg7 35. Rh6 Rb6 36. Kg3 Ra6
37. Kh4 This is a nightmare position for black. He is structurally worse, rook trades only help white, and the pawn on h7 reduces black to complete helplessness.
37…Rb6 38. Ra5 a6 39. Rc5 Rd6 40. a4 Rb6 41. a5 Rd6 42. Kg3 Rf7 43. Rh1 Rdd7
44. Rc6 Rd6 45. Rxd6 cxd6 46. Rh6 At this stage, black could have safely resigned but Karklins fought on practically to the last pawn.
46…Rf8 47. Kh4 Rd8 48. Rxf6 Kxh7 49. g5 Kg7 50. Kg4 d5 51. exd5 Rxd5 52. Rxa6 Rd4+ 53. Kh5 Rd3 54. Ra7+ Kf8 55. g6 Rd1 56. Rf7+ Kg8 57. a6 Ra1 58. a7 Ra6 59. Rb7 1-0
IM Mark Ginsburg Presents A Personal Chess History 