Rizal Ahmad Kamal beat IM Jimmy Liew !

Rizal Ahmad Kamal vs IM Jimmy Liew

photo from gilachess.com

Rizal Ahmad Kamal is a regular guest in local chess scene. He is an experience chess player and one of my best friend. Renown for his opening knowledge, Rizal is our team (Nusa Mahkota) main reference for opening theory. We have played together for Nusa Mahkota Chess Club for about ten years.

Recently at MERDEKA Team Standard event held on September 2007, Rizal produced an upset in round 4 by defeating IM Jimmy Liew.

Below are the game with annotation from Rizal Ahmad Kamal .

White:Rizal A Kamal (2022)
Black: IM Jimmy Liew (2309)
[C18] French Winawer
Merdeka Standard (4), 2007
[Annotated by: Rizal,A Kamal]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Bd3
[8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 dxc3 12.Qd3] 8...cxd4 9.Ne2 Nbc6 10.cxd4 h5 11.Qh4 b6 12.Rb1N
[12.0–0 Ng6 is the theory]
12...a5!? 13.Nc3?
[13.0–0]
13...Nxe5! 14.dxe5
[14.Nb5 Nxd3+ 15.cxd3 Qc6 16.Bf4 was my calculation, and it may be better]
14...Qxc3+ 15.Kd1 Bd7 16.Re1 Rc8 17.Rxb6 Ng6 18.Bxg6 fxg6 19.Re2 Rc4

20.Bb2!! Rxh4!
[20...Qxb2? 21.Rxb2 Rxh4 22.Rb8+ Ke7 23.Rxh8 Rxh2 24.g3±]
21.Bxc3 0–0 22.h3 Ra4 23.Bb2 Rc8 24.Rd2 Rac4 25.c3 Ba4+ 26.Ke1 g5 27.Rd4 Rxd4 28.cxd4 g4 29.hxg4 hxg4 30.g3 Rc2 31.Kf1 Kf7!

32.Rb7+?
A mistake based on a miscalculation [32.Ke1 and black cannot progress as 32...Kg6?? 33.Rxe6+ Kf5 34.Rb6 Ke4 35.Rb8 Kd3 36.Kf1 Kd2 37.Kg2 Rc7=] 32...Kg6 33.Ke1 Kf5 34.Rf7+ Ke4 35.Rb7
[35.Rf4+ This is the point which I had calculated as checkmate before making 32.Rb7? 35...Kd3 36.Rxg4 Rxb2 37.Kf1 Bd1 38.Rf4 (38.Rxg7 Bf3) 38...Be2+ 39.Kg2 Rb3–+]
35...Kf3 36.Rf7+ Kg2 37.Rb7 Rxf2 38.Bc3 Ra2 39.Bxa5 Rxa3 40.Rxg7 Kxg3 41.Bb4

At this point it seemed that, Jimmy is going to win after all. I just wanted to avoid any unpleasant discovered attack on my Bishop. I thought to myself; why not just attack the Rook although it is very unlikely an IM will make such a mistake. Suddenly Jimmy reached his hand on his King but then pull it back. I began to get nervous and focused my view direction only towards the kingside. Then only Jimmy Liew decided to play on by..
41...Kf4??
I could not believe this. A blunder by Jimmy Liew. And captured his Rook quickly

42.Bxa3
and the great IM Jimmy Liew promptly resigned 1–0