Was there a win for my opponent ?

[Ingo_Zachos]

The following game that I played very recently at the IYT ladder somehow puzzled me, as I felt during the game that I was in a loss, but I can't find a real winning plan for my opponent, and he also had the feeling that he had a decisive advantage, but maybe it was only a deceptive advantage ?

Black: MarkPharaoh
Black Ingo Zachos
Result "1/2-1/2"

[Event "Casual Game"]
[Site "http://www.itsyourturn.com"]
[Date "2006.08.18"]
[Round "*"]
[White "MarkPharaoh"]
[Black "Ingo Zachos"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Ply "83"]

1. 11-15 23-19 2. 8-11 22-17 3. 11-16 24-20 4. 15-24
20-11 5. 7-16 27-20-11 6. 3-7 28-24 7. 7-16 24-20 8. 16-19
25-22 9. 9-14 17-13

I wanted to avoid published play, but my database now tells it's very weak...

10. 4-8 22-17 11. 8-11 26-23

New, but the published 11.- 29-25 is bad after 12.19-24, so I had to prevent the piece from advancing by trading it immediately...

12. 19-26 30-23 13. 11-15 29-25 14. 15-18 31-27 15. 2-7 23-19

Beginning with this move I found most of my moves by eliminating the losing moves, and finding the least worse move...
but I was lucky to escape with a draw. Maybe you can find a winning procedure for my opponent ?

16. 7-11 32-28 17. 11-15 27-24 18. 18-23 20-16 19. 23-27
16-11 20. 27-31 11-7 21. 5-9 7-2 22. 31-27 24-20 23. 15-24
28-19 24. 27-24 19-15 25. 10-19 17-10 26. 6-15 13-6
27. 1-10 2-7 28. 10-14 7-10 29. 14-18 10-14 30. 18-23
25-22 31. 23-26 14-18 32. 26-30 18-11 33. 19-23 22-18
34. 30-26 11-15 35. 26-22 18-14 36. 23-27 14-10 37. 27-31
10-7 38. 31-27 7-2 39. 27-23 2-7 40. 23-19 15-10 41. 24-28
10-14 42. 28-24 1/2-1/2


Help, comments and critique wanted!

Greetinx from good old Europe,

Ingo Zachos

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Ingo, don't play 28-24 after 3-7. Play 25-22 x 22-18 - Anderson Defense, which is in great favor or Ron King and myself.

See MK-26 in SIXTH (Pg. 84-86) for details.

Alex

[mday]

Glasgow, after a few hundred years of study, isn't worth going into "new play" - especially in a mail-play style game where programs and/or books are most likely being used.

[Ingo_Zachos]

...

[Ed Gilbert]

Hi Ingo,

Maybe you can find a winning procedure for my opponent ?

There is no win, the game is a draw from start to finish (according to kingsrow/10pc).

-- Ed

[Ingo_Zachos]

Thk you all for your contributions.

Now I know that this ending has been played at least twice before.
Hallett-Oldbury, 20. match game 1991, until 30. 18-23 where Hallett tried 30. 19-23, but it also ended drawn, and Lowder-Martin, US nationals 1958, in which 28. ... 7-11 was tried, also with a drawn outcome.

After Ed looked over it with his programs I am now convinced, that it was a drawn ending, although White must play close to the abyss.

Also Glasgow is far from being dead, as most published play is indeed copied from a few groundbreaking works and the wrong verdicts of the past sometimes prevails surprisingly long.

For instance, I found out that the Anderson Defense has indeed the best statistic in master games against the Glasgow, so it is underestimated by nearly all sources, it seems...

If only I knew ....

Greetinx from very hot Dortmund, Germany

Ingo Zachos