Gert Jan Timmerman vs Mikhail Markovich Umansky - WebChess Gambit Match, games 1 & 2 2005.07.10

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Gert Jan Timmerman vs Mikhail Markovich Umansky
WebChess Gambit Match, games 1 & 2 ICCF round - 2005.07.10
King’s Gambit Accepted 0-1

[Event "WebChess Gambit Match, games 1 & 2"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2005.07.10"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "-"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Gert Jan Timmerman"]
[Black "Mikhail Markovich Umansky"]
[ECO "C33"]
[WhiteElo "2706"]
[BlackElo "2670"]
[PlyCount "84"]

1.e4 { This is the only decisive game of the Gambit Match
between former world champions of correspondence chess,
Mikhail Umansky and Gert Jan Timmerman. Six daring openings
were tested and the match was finished after nearly 2 and a
half years. Notes by Jan van Reek. } e5 2.f4 {Can we regard
the King's Gambit as 'The Royal Opening', or a premature
weakening of the kingside? Important lines are 2...Bc5
(Classical Defence) and 2...d5 (Falkbeer Counter-Gambit).}
exf4 {Obligated moves bring the King's Gambit Accepted} 3.Bc4
{Timmerman avoids the pawn avalanche of the Knight's Gambit. I
agree with him, because the line 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 d6!
6. Nxg4 Be7 is sunny for Black.} 3... Nf6 {3... Qh4+!? 4. Kf1
was often played in the nineteenth century, but this variation
is less suitable for correspondence chess at top level.} 4.Nc3
Bb4 {4... c6! gives a positional edge in the Bishop's Gambit,
Spielmann-Bogoljubow, Karlsbad 1923. Umansky wants tactics!}
5.Nf3 O-O 6. Nd5 {!? Usual is the quiet 6.O-O Paulsen -
Kolisch, ninth match game London 1861.} 6... Nxd5 7.exd5 Re8+
8.Kf2 {Timmerman has followed De Riviere - Morphy, eleventh
match game, Paris 1863. White plans to further develop his
centre pawns and hopes to regain the gambit pawn on f4.}
8... b5 {! Umansky sacrifices a pawn for a quick development
of the queenside.} 9.Bxb5 c6 10.Bc4 cxd5 11.Bxd5 Nc6 12.d4
{White avoids 12.c3 Ba6! 13.cxb4 Bd3! 14. Bxf7+ Kf8!} 12...Ba6
13.c4 Rc8 14.a3 {14.Bxf4 Ne7 15.Bg5 Bxc4 16.Bxc4 Rxc4 17.Qb3
d5 18.Rac1 Rxc1 19.Rxc1 leads to equality by exchanges.}
14...Bd6 15.b3 Bb8 16.Bxc6 {? I found 16.Qd3 very strong
during the game, but 16...Qf6 17.Be4 Ne7! 18.Qc2 g6 is okay
for Black.} 16... Rxc6 17. d5 Qb6+ 18. Qd4 Rg6 19. Bd2 Rxg2+
{!! Suddenly, a lightning strikes: the quasi-sacrifice opens
the white defence.} 20.Kxg2 Re2+ 21.Kf1 Qxd4 22.Nxd4 Rxd2
23.Nf3 {23.Re1 Kf8 24.Re4 f5 25.Nxf5 Rd1+ 26. Re1 (26. Kg2
f3+) 26... Rxd5! wins for black.} 23...Rb2 24.Re1 Kf8 25.Nd4
Rd2 {The rook on the second rank restrains the white pieces.}
26.Nb5 {26.Nf3 Rd3 27.Kg2 Rxb3 28.Rb1 Rxb1 29.Rxb1 Bd6 30.Rc1
Bc5! exchanges rooks but brings another restriction.}
26...Bxb5 27.cxb5 g5 28.Rg1 f6 29.Rg2 Rxd5 30.a4 f3 31.Rc2 Kf7
32.h3 h5 33.Rc4 f5 34.Rcc1 Rd2 35.Rcd1 Rh2 36.Rxd7+ Kf6
37.Ree7 g4 38.Rf7+ Ke5 39.hxg4 hxg4 40.Rh7 Rb2 41.Rhe7+ Kf4
42. Rd4+ Kg3 {The feared avalanche of pawns has struck at the
end.} 0-1

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Updated: 11 December, 2021
Created: 11 December, 2021