Langeweg (IM) v Ivkov (GM) Wijk aan Zee 1972
Q:
In this game White (an IM) has just won a pawn by playing 10.N x c6 winning a pawn in a Catalan opening which has gone badly for Black (a GM!). There appears to be no compensation for the Pawn for Black here. I wonder why Black (a GM) did not resign here. Instead the game carried on until move 93 before Black resigned (two Pawns down in a K +Rook +2P vs K + Rook ending) when the Pawn was about to queen!
A:
Nowadays Ba6 is considered as better instaed of Bb7 in this opening. Yes, it should be won theoretically, but well - there may be some small compensation for Black, like the hanging pawn on d4 and c4 is not so secure too, and he tried to use open files and heavy pieces against them. And the advantage convertion isn't that easy for White, and took many moves, and looks like White played technically well, and without a chances for opponent. Well, of course it is hard to play or hope for a win on a high level as Black there, but practical chances for a draw there still are, and he hoped that for example he will oppose that extra pawn with his activity or will get some theoretical ending with extra pawn not sufficient to be converted, like a Rook ending where extra pawns not always mean guaranteed win, or exchange of all pawns of opponent that there was no queening possible etc with the same objective. Advantage convertion in such technical positions is not always that easy including on a high level, that's why Black kept up playing there. Even the final position with the 2 side Pawns in the Rook ending is known to have some technical problems to be overcame to be converted for a win and has some well-known traps on this path, including stalemate ideas, even in case when seems that a lot of work is already done and the King of weaker side is driven to a corner. By the way, interesting example to be practiced against an engine and I can recommend to try it.
Q:
In this game White (an IM) has just won a pawn by playing 10.N x c6 winning a pawn in a Catalan opening which has gone badly for Black (a GM!). There appears to be no compensation for the Pawn for Black here. I wonder why Black (a GM) did not resign here. Instead the game carried on until move 93 before Black resigned (two Pawns down in a K +Rook +2P vs K + Rook ending) when the Pawn was about to queen!
A:
Nowadays Ba6 is considered as better instaed of Bb7 in this opening. Yes, it should be won theoretically, but well - there may be some small compensation for Black, like the hanging pawn on d4 and c4 is not so secure too, and he tried to use open files and heavy pieces against them. And the advantage convertion isn't that easy for White, and took many moves, and looks like White played technically well, and without a chances for opponent. Well, of course it is hard to play or hope for a win on a high level as Black there, but practical chances for a draw there still are, and he hoped that for example he will oppose that extra pawn with his activity or will get some theoretical ending with extra pawn not sufficient to be converted, like a Rook ending where extra pawns not always mean guaranteed win, or exchange of all pawns of opponent that there was no queening possible etc with the same objective. Advantage convertion in such technical positions is not always that easy including on a high level, that's why Black kept up playing there. Even the final position with the 2 side Pawns in the Rook ending is known to have some technical problems to be overcame to be converted for a win and has some well-known traps on this path, including stalemate ideas, even in case when seems that a lot of work is already done and the King of weaker side is driven to a corner. By the way, interesting example to be practiced against an engine and I can recommend to try it.
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