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Oldrich Duras vs Erich Cohn
Karlsbad 1911  ·  Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Duras Variation (C77)  ·  1-0


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sac: 44.Rxh7+ PGN: download | view Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Mar-24-04   akiba82: 32. Rc3 Rc3 33. Qc3 dc3 34. Rd5 c2-+
Jun-05-04   chessfected: Probably one of Duras' most brilliant concluding combinations!
Jun-05-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: While we have many problems involving forks and pins,here is a rare one involving the skewer.

The skewer is the gibbous moon or tactics. People write about the full moon,crescent moon,and half moon-but almost never on the gibbous phase.

Jun-05-04   Jatayu: the first move wasn't too hard to figure out (in the context of knowing it as a puzzle, anyway), but 47.rxg5+ is one that would be difficult for me to foresee in a live game, especially 4 moves in advance. Would many readers of this site have found this sequence in a live game? from move 44?
Jun-05-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Annie K.: Great game! :D

With White playing in the shadow of mate in 1 (...Qg2#), he has no choice but to keep checking, so IMO moves 44-46 would have played out much the same, even if White hadn't actually foreseen that very elegant 47.Rxg5+ from move 44 (but he probably did). :) He might have tried 47.Qc5+ instead, but that would only have resulted in chasing the black king around the f pawn and ending up in the same place.

Jun-05-04   DtO: <Jatayu> I completely agree. I actually couldn't solve this puzzle, but, because it is a puzzle, I saw 44.rxh7+. Since I'm not very good at chess anyways, if I were playing this game, I would probably have attempted to defend against mate at move 44. =(
Jun-05-04   Andrew Chapman: <Would many readers of this site have found this sequence in a live game? from move 44?> I thought I saw 47 g4+ Kf4 48 Qxf6+ Ke3 49 Qxg5+ which looked winning, but I missed 48.. Kg3. However White still wins in that variation according to Junior7.
Jun-05-04   ruylopez900: Congrats to me :D I found Rxh7 and figured out the skewer. I didn't solve for this line, but I'm still happy :)
Jun-05-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: Another variation of Duras skewer theme is this: 47.Qd7+ Ke5 48.Rxg5+. Its side variation goes 47...Nf6 48.Qd5#.

I reckon Duras chose the other order of moves to explicitly create the artistic affect of the twin (echo) skewers; one digonal and one vertical. It may seem strange to play with easthetic considerations in mind in a practical game, but Duras was also a master of composition of studies and problems.

It takes two inspired players to create a great game: E Cohn played the game in a great form.

Jun-05-04   HailM0rphy: I seen the first 3 moves but not rxg5..I forced the king into the midle of board then gave up :( The pawns form a wall preventing the king from coming to save his lady..wich I probably shoulda took into account. I'm sure Crafty could find a forced mate in here somewhere..not just Q skewer.
Jun-06-04   2ndNature: Actually, I saw 47.Gxg5 but only for that reason that Knigth g5 was the only piece that was protecting from 48.Qd7+. I thought 47...fxg5 48. Qd7+ and failed to notice 47...Kxg5 (ouch...). When playing back that move on the board, I was terrified - unexpected happened. Ok, back to the puzzle and eventually I got it rigth...

I will award myself a beer for this occasion today ;)

Jun-06-04   illusha: 44.rxh7 kxh7
45.qe7 kg6
46.rg8 kf5
47.pg4 kf4
48.qb4 ke5
49.re8 kd5
50.qc4 kd6
51.qd4 kc7
52.re7 kc6
53.qxf6 kb5
54.rb7 ka5
55.qb6 1-0
Jun-06-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical: <Illusha> Your line does not appear to work as given:

44.Rxh7+ Kxh7 45.Qe7+ Kg6 46.Rg8+ Kf5 <47.g4+> Kf4 48.Qb4+ <Kxf3>! and White does not seem to have anything better than a draw.

However, after <44.Rxh7+ Kxh7 45.Qe7+ Kg6 46.Rg8+ Kf5 47.g4+ Kf4 <48.Qxf6+> wins using a succession of Q and R checks, e.g. 48...Kg3 49.Qe5+ Kxf3 50.Rf8+ Kxg4 51.Qf5+ Kh4 52.Rh8+ Kg3 53.Qxg5+ Qg4 54.Qe3+ Qf3 55.Rg8+ Kh4 56.Qxf3.

Jun-06-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: LOL. Here is a relevant quote I just found: <Is it better to take the queen or give a mate? It is better to take the queen, of course! After that, the mate is easy. (IM Kagan)>
Jul-22-05   Montreal1666: If you read Cohn'n bio, this game fits him very well!!
Jan-20-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  nasmichael: I think this showing generates in me a love of the game I wish everyone could be exposed to and appreciate. This game should be dusted off and shown right after the instructions printed in chess games -- or at least considered. Print it on the back of the box!
Apr-14-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  InspiredByMorphy: The exchange seems worth the two passed pawns in the middle game. I don't know what the best move for black is after 33.Qe2, but 33. ...d3 is plain bad. For instance 33. ...Qc5 preventing the threat of 34.Rxc3 would be a good start. Black's plan should simply be to reinforce those passed pawns!
Jan-18-09   WhiteRook48: ...and the king gets skewered either way.
Jan-20-09   Banoboy: "This is a great game. Reinfeld and Chernev points out that black had an amazing draw with 43 ... fxg5 44 Qxe6 Qxe6 45 Rc6 Ra1+ etc. Paul"

Reinfeld later pointed out that even after 43...fxg5, White could play 44.Rc2 and if 44...Qxg3+ 45.Kf1 Qh3+ 46.Ke2 and "White's QNP should win for him."

Feb-10-09   Banoboy: However, on playing it out myself, after 43...fxg5, White could play 44.Rc2 and if 44...Qxg3+ 45.Kf1 Qh3+ 46.Ke2 Nf4+ 47.Kd2 Qg2+ 48.Kc1 Qf1+ 49.Kd2 Qg2+ etc. is still a draw.
Feb-10-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Faster was <47.Qc5+! Ke6 48.Qc8+ Ke5 49.Re8+> etc
Feb-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  sleepyirv: <whiteshark> 49...Ne6 and I don't know how it would be any faster or even if it's a win for White.
Feb-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: <sleepyirv: <49...Ne6>> 50.Qc5#.

Ne6 is pinned by Re8.


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Feb-24-09   WhiteRook48: fascinating game.
Apr-17-09   WhiteRook48: how to win with no rooks
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