World Championship Match 2017, Game 3

[Ingo_Zachos]

First blood was spilled in game three: Michele Borghetti lost the game from the bad side of a weak opening. Now Sergio Scarpetta needs to confirm his lead by holding the weak side of the same opening.


[Event "WCM 2017 - round-1 - game-3"]
[Year "2017"]
[Red "BORGHETTI Michele"]
[White "SCARPETTA Sergio"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. 11-16 21-17 2. 7-11 17-14 3. 10x17 22x13 4. 11-15 23-19 5. 16x23 26x10 6. 6x15 13x6 7. 1x10 25-22 8. 12-16 29-25 9. 8-11 25-21 10. 4-8 21-17 11. 8-12 30-25 12. 16-20 25-21 13. 3-7 17-13 14. 2-6 24-19 15. 15x24 28x19 16. 11-15 32-28 17. 15x24 28x19 18. 10-14 22-17 19. 14-18 19-15 20. 12-16 17-14 {White Wins} 0-1

Score: GM Scarpetta 1, GM Borghetti 0, Drawn 2, 37 games to go.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

I decided to copy my comments here from "Tournament" topic which would be more appropriate.

First blood was spilled in game three: Michele Borghetti lost the game from the bad side of a weak opening. Now Sergio Scarpetta needs to confirm his lead by holding the weak side of the same opening.


[Event "WCM 2017 - round-1 - game-3"]
[Year "2017"]
[Red "BORGHETTI Michele"]
[White "SCARPETTA Sergio"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. 11-16 21-17 2. 7-11 17-14 3. 10x17 22x13 4. 11-15 23-19 5. 16x23 26x10 6. 6x15 13x6 7. 1x10 25-22 8. 12-16 29-25 9. 8-11 25-21 10. 4-8 21-17 11. 8-12 30-25 12. 16-20 25-21 13. 3-7 17-13 14. 2-6 24-19 15. 15x24 28x19 16. 11-15 32-28 17. 15x24 28x19 18. 10-14 22-17 19. 14-18 19-15 20. 12-16 17-14 {White Wins} 0-1

Score: GM Scarpetta 1, GM Borghetti 0, Drawn 2, 37 games to go.

Perhaps everyone noticed about bad 3-7?? However number of missing moves in this game was more than just 1.

Here is critical position before red move 11. 8-12?

#1. Red to move and draw.


Miki played 8-12? here (5-9 or 2-6 is OK) and I claim this as losing move. Here is winning path for white after 8-12: 24-20*, 5-9, 17-13, 2-6, 27-23, 9-14, 28-24, 3-7, 24-19**, 15x24, 22-18, 14-17, 18-14, 10-15, 14-9, 6-10, 9-6 and we reach this position on diagram #2 which I clam as white man down win.

#2. Red to move, white wins


Going back to position on diagram #1. After 8-12? Sergio didn't play winning 24-20? but instead 30-25, 16-20 (correct), 25-21. And we reached position on diagram #3 where Miki made a last error and played losing 3-7? Instead, 5-9 (again!) 11-16, or 12-16 should be OK. After 3-7? Sergio played it right to the end of game and scored very important win in the first day of match.

#3. Red to move and draw.


Here is another way to play for red from diagram #3 which is still losing:

3-7?, 17-13, 10-14 (vary from game), 13-9*, 7-10, 24-19*. 15x24, 28x19, 11-16, 27-23, 20-24, 21-17*, 14x21, 32-27, 5x14, 27x11, White Wins