Golden Triangle Open, 1974.
White: Col. Sicherman
Old Indian Defense
Black: F. Foreman
1. d4 Nf6; 2. c4 d6; 3. Nc3.
Preparing the natural e2-e4.
3...Bf5; 4. f3?!.
Safer and sharper is 4. g3.
4...Nbd7; 5. e4 Bg6; 6. Qb3?
Consistent and complaisant. Black will equalize.
6...Qc8; 7. Be3 e5; 8. de?
This only helps Black free his game. After 8. d5 White has reasonable chances.
8...N:e5!?
Black blitzed his moves until now. His King Bishop is to enter the game gradually, while his other pieces take aggressive posts.
9. Nge2!? Nfd7!
Black only loses time with 9...Nd3+.
10. Nf4 Be7.
Black's pieces are poised for an attack that I now play into the teeth of.
11. Nfd5 Bh4+! 12. g3 N:f3+.
It was obvious to everybody but me that Black gets plenty of compensation for the piece.
13. Kf2 Nde5! 14. gh.
More spirited is 14. Be2 first.
14...c6! 15. Nf4 Qg4.
16. Bh3 Q:h4+; 17. Ke2.
17...Nd4+?
Still blitzing. He should increase the pressure with 17...Bh5! Now I simplify.
18. B:d4 Q:f4; 19. B:e5 Bh5+; 20. Kd3 Qf3+; 21. Kc2.
I still have a piece for three pawns. Now 21...Qf2+ should be good for a draw.
21...de?
Opening an attacking file, regaining one piece, and expecting to regain the other with an easy win, since my Bishop on h3 has nowhere to run (22. Bf1? Q:h1).
22. Bd7+!
But Black's uncastled King has nowhere to run too! This shot turns the battle.
22...Ke7!
The best try. After 22...K:d7; 23. Q:b7+ Black loses his King or his Queen on the open files.
23. Qb4+.
Sharper is 23. Rhd1 at once. Now Black has the option of 23...c5.
23...Kd8.
A dead end. But after 23...c5; 24. Q:c5+ K:d7; 25. Rad1+ Black must choose between losing material with 25...Q:d1+; 26. Nd1 and losing face with 25...Ke8; 26. Nd5!
24. Q:b7 Qf2+; 25. Kb3 Qb6+.
I overlooked this resource, but it doesn't save Black.
26. Q:b6+; ab; 27. B:c6.
I am a piece ahead and need fear only a kingside pawn storm.
27...Rc8; 28. Bb5 f6; 29. Rhg1 g5; 30. Nd5 Rf8; 31. N:b6 Rc7; 32. a4.
The rest is technique.
32...Bf3; 33. Nd5 Rb7; 34. Nc3 g4; 35. a5 h5; 36. a6 Ra7; 37. Bc6 Kc7? 38. Nb5+ K:c6; 39. N:a7+ Kb6; 40. Nb5 Kc5; 41. Nc3 Rb8+; 42. Kc2 K:c4; 43. a7 Ra8; 44. Ra5 B:e4+; 45. N:e4 f5; 46. Nd6+ Kd4; 47. Rd1+ Ke3; 48. R:e5+ Kf2; 49. R:f5+ Kg2; 50. Rd2+ Kg1; 51. Ra5 Rf8; 52. Ra1+ Rf1; 53. a8Q h4; 54. Qg2#.
And the moral is: Beware of Indians—especially Old ones!