Endgame Lab A Master of the Endgame
GM Gedeon Barcza (1911-1986) By GM Pal Benko
1911 was a good year for grandmaster
births. Besides Sammy Reshevsky, Mikhail Botvinnik and Andor Lilienthal, the strong Hungarian GM Gedeon Barcza also entered this world. Champion of Hungary eight times and a member of his country’s Olympic team (among other international successes), he was a math- ematics professor who later became editor of the Hungarian chess magazine. As a teacher he left his mark on multiple gen- erations. Endgame students will find his games valuable for study since he was, first of all, an endgame specialist.
Barcza Opening (A11) GM Gedeon Barcza GM Vasily Smyslov Moscow Ol, 1956
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Bf5 (?) This opening used by GM Barcza (and
named after him) often transfers into other systems. The bishop excursion is one of these transpositions, but it is safer to prepare for it with … c6 first.
4. c4 c6 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Qb3 Qc8 7. Nc3 e6 8. d3 Nc6 9. Bf4 Be7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Rac1 Qd7 12. e4!
With a significant development advan-
tage, White is correct in opening lines to secure an endgame edge.
12. ... dxe4 13. dxe4 Nxe4 14. Nxe4 Bxe4 15. Ne5 Nxe5 16. Bxe4 Nc6 17. Rfd1 Qc8 18. Qa4 Rd8 19. Rxd8+ Qxd8 20. Bxc6 bxc6 21. Qxc6 h6 22. Be5 Bg5 23. Rc4 Qd1+ 24. Kg2 Rd8 25. Qf3! Qxf3+ 26. Kxf3 Bf6(?)
Trading for White’s strong bishop but
weakening his own pawn-structure. Instead 26. ... Rd5 followed by … a7-a5 was more advisable.
27. Bxf6 gxf6 (see diagram top of next column) 28. Ke3! Black’s difficulty will mainly be due to
48 Chess Life — February 2012
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After 27. ... gxf6
the queenside pawn minority, but two other factors demonstrate the inferiority of the black position: Black is unable to create a passed pawn on the kingside because of his doubled pawns, and the king is confined to his feeble h-pawn.
28. ... Rd5 29. b4! Kg7 30. a4 e5 30. ... a5 31. Rc5!
31. b5 Rd1
In case of 31. ... Rd7, 32. a5 followed by b4-b5-b6 and Rb4 wins.
32. Rc7 a6 33. bxa6 Rd4 34. a7 Rxa4 35. Kd3 f5 36. Kc3 Kf6 37. Kb3 Ra1 38. Kb4 Kg5 39. Kb5 Kh5
In time trouble Black realized only after touching the king that 39. ... Kg4 is los- ing after 40. Rc4+ followed by 41. Ra4.
40. Kb6, Black resigned. Barcza played very accurately.
Mutual Passed Pawns GM Paul Keres GM Gedeon Barcza Tallin, 1957
(see diagram top of next column) 57. ... Rd6
Black plays carefully. Either 57. ... Kd3 or 57. ... c5 58. Rh8 Rb6 look forceful. 58. Ke2 Kf4
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Black to play Also good was 58. ... f4 59. Rc5 f3+ then
after 60. Ke1 Ke3 61. Re5+ Kf4 62. Rc5 Kg3 63. Rf5 Rd3 etc.
59. Rh8 Kg4 60. Rh7 Re6+ 61. Kd3 If 61. Kf2 Re4! followed by 62. ... Rc4
wins. 61. ... f4 62. h5 Kf3 63. h6 c5 64. Rh8 After 64. c4 b4 65. Rh8 b3 66. h7 Re7
wins.
64. ... Rd6+ 65. Kc2 c4 66. Kb2 Re6 67. Ka3 Ke3 68. Kb4 f3 69. h7 Re7 70. Kxb5 f2 71. Rf8 Rxh7 72. Re8+ Kd3 73. Rf8 Rh5+ 74. Kb4 Ke3 75. Re8+ Kf4, White resigned.
Whenever GM Barcza found himself a
pawn up, he usually managed to win even theoretically drawn positions.
King Misstep Gedeon Barcza Petar Trifunović Budapest, 1948
(see diagram top of next column) The position is drawn but transferring
theory into practice does not always go smoothly.
1. Ke4 Kg3
Either 1. ... Rh8 or 1. ... Rg5 were still playable. This is a draw, but converting theory into practice does not always go smoothly.
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