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Henri Grob vs Aron Nimzowitsch
Zuerich (1934), Zuerich SUI, rd 1, Jul-14
Alekhine Defense: Normal Variation (B03)  ·  1/2-1/2

8
7
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5
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1
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h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1/2-1/2

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
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Kibitzer's Corner
Oct-03-04  suenteus po 147: No comments on this game? It's incredible! Everyone raise your hand if you saw the drawing move for black after 57.gxh4. I know I sure didn't! According to Larry Evans's analysis it is black's only drawing move. Nimzowitsch's endgame prowess here is amazing to behold.
Oct-03-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: So what's wrong with 58.♔xc5?
Oct-03-04  percyblakeney: Then g5, I think.
Oct-03-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <percyblakeney> That's right! I see it now - king out of the square and all that. Ta very much.
Feb-18-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  OBIT: Actually, 57...Kd6 also reaches a drawn position, although the Q + a-pawn vs Q ending after 58. f4 Kc6 59. b4 cxb4 60. Kxb4 Kb6 61. a5+ Kc6 62. Kc4 Kd6 63. Kd4 Ke6 64. Kc5 Kf5 65. Kb6 Kxf4 66. Kxa6 g5 67. hxg5 h4 68. g6 h3 69. g7 h2 70. g8Q h1Q is quite tricky. After 71. Qc4+, for example, the only moves to hold the draw are the less than intuitive 71...Ke3 and 71...Kg3 - moving the king to the 5th rank (to keep the king from getting cut off, it would seem), gives White a won ending. I'm not saying this win is easy, and don't ask me how it's done, but it does demonstrate that White still has many practical chances to win this game.

So, given all that, Nimzowitsch was very wise to sidestep this mess by 57...Kd7!, which draws without much of a fuss. The position is a very nice example of how getting the opposition can simplify your life.

Feb-18-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  ray keene: its pretty obvious in this game that nimzo went to incredible lengths to play for a win in a position that was slightly worse for him-white meanwhile was playing ruthlessly for the half point-then at the end nimzo realised he had to start playing for the draw himself before it really became too late-and he achieved it very neatly-tho at most stages of the game "offers draw" wd have achieved the same result with much less effort. what a fighter!
Feb-18-06  Jim Bartle: You mean to say white was grobeling for the draw?
Feb-18-06  blingice: I think White botched this endgame. He was up on position at the start, and he should've maintained it (difficult to do against Nimzowitsch), but after move 54. ♔xc4, White has a connected double pawn group against split pawns going on one side, and on the other it is three connected pawns against a double stacked pawn and another connected pawn. It felt to me that Grob should've won, so I'll put it through Chessmaster later.
Feb-18-06  jackmandoo: <nected pawn. It felt to> Maybe you should get your grammer on jigga, because this sentence is whacked!

Feb-18-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  ray keene: <jb> excellent pun-wish i had thought of it the first time round
Feb-19-06  Jim Bartle: ray keene: well, my brain is not cluttered up with all that chess knowledge, so there's plenty of space for puns. Now if you'd like to make a trade even up...
May-30-09  WhiteRook48: the final position is funny
May-29-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  M Psaila: Is this Nimzowitsch's last recorded game?
Jun-04-14  RookFile: I had a different impression in playing over this game. White played generally quite well, with a style similar to one that Capa would have used. If he was just a little bit stronger, this would have been 1-0.
Jun-04-14  rune ohlsson: Isn´t White winning after 55. b4 ?
Oct-31-17  andrea volponi: 55 b4! cxb4 -Kxb4 Kc6 -Ka5 Kb7 -g3 Ka7 -Kb4 Kb6 -a5+ Kc6 -Kc4 Kd6 -Kd4 Kc6 -Ke5 Kb5 -Kf6 Kxa5 -Kxg5 Kb6 -Kxg6 a5 -f4 a4 -f5 a3 -f6 a2 -f7 a1=Q -f8=Q Kb5 -Kxh5! 1-0
Oct-31-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <andrea volponi: 55 b4! cxb4 -Kxb4 Kc6 -Ka5 Kb7 -g3 Ka7 -Kb4 Kb6 -a5+ Kc6 -Kc4 Kd6 -Kd4 Kc6 -Ke5 Kb5 -Kf6 Kxa5 -Kxg5 Kb6 -Kxg6 a5 -f4 a4 -f5 a3 -f6 a2 -f7 a1=Q -f8=Q Kb5 -Kxh5! 1-0>

Nice line -- looks like White can't be prevented from getting to a Q ending with two connected passed pawns.

Sep-02-21  doash: 54,,, h5??

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