chessgames.com

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

explore this opening
find similar games 11 more Duras/E Cohn games
sac: 44.Rxh7+ PGN: download | view Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: If Java is not installed or isn't working, a small red "X" usually appears where the game should be. Most Java problems can be resolved by downloading and (re)installing Java from www.java.com.

PGN Viewer:  What is this?
For help with this chess viewer, please see the Pgn4web Quickstart Guide.

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 5 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Apr-13-12  Oxspawn: <kevin86> Your <gibbous moon> stuck me in the eye with its cusp.
Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: I saw RxP/h7+ almost instantly ... many minutes later, (OVER 8!) I finally saw RxN/g5+!
Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: (White to move.)


click for larger view

Take on b6?

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  sevenseaman: <FSR> About the box, I tend to agree with your interpretation. If it is to denote the only legal move, it wouldn't need to be denoted at all.

Spot on with the problem solving. I'll look for something more worthwhile.

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: A great escape! White will win the queen on a skewer next move.
Apr-13-12  stst: Main line got to start with
44.RxP+ KxR
45.Qe7+ Kg6
46.Rg8+ Kf5
47.g4+
Then
IF (A)....Kf4
48.QxP+ Kg3
49.Qd6+ Kh4
50.Rh8+ Nh7
51.RxN+ Kg5
52.Qe5+ Kg6
53.Qg7#
IF (B)....Qxg4
48.fxg4+ Kxg4
49.Qe4+ Kg3
50.Qe1+ Kg4
etc
so long WQ does not fall into the trap of being forked by Black N+, White should prevail.
Apr-13-12  stst: < Lack of patience is my major affliction...> ....
9 virtues of Caissa:
1.Imagination
2.Addiction
3.Concentration
4.Mental
5.Patience
6.Tenacity
7.Peaceful
8.Fearless
9.Drill
Apr-13-12  BOSTER: The pinned knight on g5, unprotected black queen on the same "h" file with the king created good conditions for easy combo.

So,44.Rxh7 + Kxh7 (forced)
45.Qe7+ Kg6
46.Rg8+ Kf5
47.Rxg5 if fxg5 48.Qd7 with win
if Kxg5 48.Qg7+ and white win.

Even Duras was a great tactician he didn't see a nice combo in the position on the next diagram with white to play.


click for larger view

You can try.

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  hedgeh0g: This one was easy to calculate, since the entire continuation is more or less forced.
Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  carn7898: This is how I thought the game should go.
What am I missing?

1.Rxh7+Kxh7 2.Qe7+Kg6 3.Rg8+Kf5 4.Qd7+Ne6 5.Qd5#

Apr-13-12  dragon player: Materially speaking, white is winnning, but black is threathening to mate in one. The solution is propably a sequence of checks. I see only one good move:

44.Rxh7+ Kxh7

(44...Kg6 45.Qd3+)

45.Qd3+ Kg7

This move is essential, since you can'tallow the king to escape to f5. (45...Kh6 46.Rh8+)

46.Qd7+ Kg6

(46...Kh6 47.Rh8+)

47.Rg8+ Kh6/5
48.Rh8+

Winning the queen.

Time to check.

----------

Hmmm, I had a quite different variation. Lets check
Rybka.

What a shame. After 46.Qd7+, black can play 46...Qxd7. How stupid.

4/5

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  carn7898: Here's another line that appears to work that differs from the text.

1.Rxh7+Kxh7 2.Qe7+Kg6 3.Rg8+g4+Kf4 5.Qf6+Kg3 6.Qe5+Ne6 7.Qd5#

I still feel that there are defenses that I am overlooking.

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <Jim Bartle> You meant <43>...Nxg5. Not 44.hxg5 (different move, different player on move). I wasn't just being a smart aleck (as usual); I really didn't know what you meant. All I see after that move is 44.Qxe6+ Qxe6 45.Rc6 Ral+ and Black draws by perpetual.
Apr-13-12  Jim Bartle: No, I had it wrong. My defense is I was standing my ground.

Just to make sure I have it right (now), after hxg5+ by white, what if black takes with the pawn instead of the knight?

I got the same result as you did, queen takes the knight, black queen has to take the white queen, Rc6 pins the black queen, but black has the perpetual with the rook going between a1 and a2.

I do think black was still thinking aggressively, only of winning (he had a mate in one waiting), so didn't want to concede to the draw.

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gilmoy: My childhood writers (Reinfeld, Chernev et al.) labeled this game as <"hammer and tongs all the way">. Decades later, I remember the players, that blurb, snippets of their commentary ("a critical phase centered around the passed pawns" -- "White takes terrible risks because he fears a draw"), and the gist of the combo: both rooks for a Q skewer.

The perils of the <non-forcing mate> (by Black): White keeps checking, and strikes first.

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  scormus: That was some game, slightly sorry to see such positive play by B go unrewarded. But Duras was quite special.

Not difficult to see 44 Rxh7+, but the trick was to see that 3 moves later Rxg5+ is a killer.

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  JG27Pyth: Chernev and Reinfeld in "The Fireside Book of Chess:" If you could only take the score from one chess game to a desert island, this might well be the game." It won a brilliancy prize at Karlsbad 1911 (another went to Teichman the tournament's ultimate winner... a huge round robin of the world's strongest players except for the two giants -- Lasker and Capablanca) -- But the Mammoth book of chess spurns this game. Times and tastes change I guess. I just played this over for my kids and they loved it. Chess world take note: My 6 year old son found 29...Rxd5, no hesitation.
Apr-13-12  BOSTER: <AJ> <I saw RxP/h7+ almost instantly>.

When you see 44.Rxh7+, you can't play it before you can find out the result of this sacr.

Your <almost instantly> has no real meaning.

<scormus> <Not difficult to see 44.Rxh7+, but the trick was to see that 3 moves later Rxg5 is a killer>.

Apr-13-12  mikmik777: White to play: 44.?
Duras vs E Cohn
"Difficult"

White is ahead in material. Black threatens mate in one 44. ...Qg2.

White's next move should always gain a "tempo" to prevent mate.

Candidate moves: 44.Rxh7+ or 44.Qxg5

44.Rxh7+ Kxh7 45.Qe7+ Kg6 (45.Rc7+ Kh6) 46.Rg8+ Kf5 (46. ...Kh6 Rh8+) 47.Rxg5 Kxg5 (47. ...fxg5 48.Qd5 skewering Black's king and queen)

48.Qg7+

Black loses his queen with 48. ...Kh5 49.Qh7+ or 48. ...Kf5 49.Qd7+..

Time to check..

Got everything right..:)

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Patriot: White is up a pawn and the exchange.

Black threatens 44...Qg2#

The threat of mate in one simplifies matters--white is in 'desperation mode'. 44.Rxh7+ looks like the only move.

44.Rxh7+ Kxh7 45.Qe7+

A) 45...Kh6 46.Qxf6+ and this game is over.

B) 45...Kg6 46.Rg8+

B.1) 46...Kf5 47.Rxg5+ Kxg5 (47...fxg5 48.Qd7+ skewers the queen) 48.Qg7+ Kh5 (48...Kf5 49.Qd7+ ) 49.Qh7+ Kg5 50.Qxh3

B.2) 46...Kh5 47.Rh8+ Kg6 48.Rxh3+

Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Patriot: Perhaps my 'desperation mode' comment isn't exactly correct. Whether it works or not, 44.Rc2 is a potential defense. If that fails, then 'desperation mode' looks about right!
Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <Jim Bartle> Unless I am missing something, you are right: 43...hxg5! (instead of 43...Nxg5?, as in the game), after which both sides <must> play 44.Qxe6+ Qxe6 45.Rc6 Ral+ and Black draws by perpetual. Or, in Informant-speak, 43...hxg5!only move 44.Qxe6+!only move Qxe6only move 45.Rc6only move Ra1+! = (Actually, Black might still be able to hold a draw with something other than 45...Ra1+, but since he's a pawn down it would be stupid not to force it immediately.)
Apr-13-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: <carn7898> After 44.Rxh7+ Kxh7 45.Qe7+ Kg6 46.Rg8+ Kf5 47.Qd7+


click for larger view

Black doesn't have to play 47...Ne6 48.Qd5#; since his knight protects his queen, he can play 47...Ke5 instead.

White still wins that position. In fact, it's probably technically better than Duras' continuation; my old Bozo 0.5 computer proclaims 48.Qc7+ to be mate in 10. But at this point, I'm pretty sure Duras just wanted to be sure he got out of this game alive and not bother with trying to calculate something like that.

Apr-13-12  njchess: Move 44 seemed pretty obvious given Black's mate in one. The rook sac to bag the queen was a nice touch. Easy puzzle for a Friday.
Apr-14-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <Phony Benoni: ... Black doesn't have to play 47...Ne6 48.Qd5#; since his knight protects his queen, he can play 47...Ke5 instead.>

No need to bother trying to work out mate in 10. Just 48.Rxg5+ fxg5 49.Qxh3 is easy.

Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 5)
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 5 ·  Later Kibitzing>
NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community!
If you already have an account, you should login now.
Please observe our posting guidelines:
  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts.
  3. No personal attacks against other users.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
Blow the Whistle See something which violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform an administrator.


NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific game and nothing else. If you want to discuss chess in general, or this site, you might try the Kibitzer's Café.
Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
Spot an error? Please submit a correction slip and help us eliminate database mistakes!
This game is type: CLASSICAL (Disagree? Please submit a correction slip.)

Featured in the Following Game Collections [what is this?]
44.? (April 13, 2012)
from Friday Puzzles, 2011-2013 by Phony Benoni
White wins after 43...Nxg5 - Saturday
from Chess puzzles by 2ndNature
partij 13
from hans bouwmeesters 100 briljante partijen by i.abderrahim
Las Mil y Una Partidas (1001 Chess Games)
by K9Empress
A brilliant concluding combination...
from Collections in Idleness 7 by Trigonometrist
Cornwallis' favorite games
by Cornwallis
Pounamu Knight's favorite games
by Pounamu Knight
salvage to mate
from n30's favorite games by n30
Nice defence & counterattack by Duras
from Beginning of the 20th century by Calar
Karlsbad 1911
by suenteus po 147
Kryptops' favorite games
by Kryptops
44.? (Friday, April 13)
from Puzzle of the Day 2012 by Phony Benoni
Duras capture of queen
from top8's favorite games by top8
Seeing into the future of a skewer. 9 moves White avoids mate.
from Brilliant! by nasmichael
44. Rxh7+!!
from Best chess moves ever played by MorphyMatt
bengalcat47's favorite games4
by bengalcat47
jsastre48's favorite games
by jsastre48
White to play after 43...Nxg5
from Chessgames.com's Daily Puzzles (#2) by Minor Piece Activity
Brilliantly anticipated combination turns the tables
from Morten's favorite games 2 by Morten
44.? (June 5, 2004)
from Saturday Puzzles, 2004-2010 by Phony Benoni
plus 18 more collections (not shown)


home | about | login | logout | F.A.Q. | your profile | preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | new kibitzing | chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Little ChessPartner | privacy notice | contact us
Copyright 2001-2013, Chessgames Services LLC
Web design & database development by 20/20 Technologies