Igor Bondarevsky vs David Bronstein (1945) "Scotch on the Rocks"

Igor Bondarevsky vs David Bronstein
"Scotch on the Rocks" (game of the day Mar-01-07)
Ch URS (1/2 final) 1945 · Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation. Accepted (C47) · 0-1

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Mar-01-07		rbelous: Why not 22...axb3?

Mar-01-07		al wazir: Good question. After 22...axb3 23. Be4 Qxe4, black is a piece up. (If 23...Bd5, then 24. Qxb3 holds.)

Mar-01-07		TrueFiendish: Something must be amiss.

Mar-01-07		unluckythirtyfive: This was definitely an exciting game.

Mar-01-07		RandomVisitor: It seems that both sides could have improved - do these suggestions hold up on deeper inspection? 22...axb3 (mentioned above) 23.Be4 bxc2 24.Qxa8 Qxa8 25.Bxa8 cxd1Q+ 26.Rxd1 Rxa8 27.Nb3 Rxa2 28.Nxc5 Ra1+ (-3.84) Depth: 19 27...Qxa2 28.Qxc3 Nxd5 29.Bxd5 Qxd5 30.Rd1 Qg2 31.h4 a3 32.Kb1 Rfb8 33.Ka1 a2 34.Qb3 (-3.96) Depth: 19 31...Rxd5 32.Qxd5 cxd5 33.e7 Qb2+ 34.Kd1 Qb1+ 35.Ke2 Qb5+ 36.Kf3 Qe8 37.Re3 f6 38.Ke2 (-4.73) Depth: 21 41.Rxh7 Qf2+ 42.Kg4 Qxc2 43.Qxc6 Qf5+ 44.Kf3 Qd3+ 45.Kg4 Qf5+ = (0.00) Depth: 20

Mar-01-07		Peligroso Patzer: <rbelous: Why not 22...axb3?> <al wazir: Good question. After 22...axb3 23. Be4 Qxe4, black is a piece up. (If 23...Bd5, then 24. Qxb3 holds.)> It appears that 22. … axb3 would have been much stronger than Bronstein’s 22. … c4. I checked this assessment with Fritz, which came up with the following main line: 22...axb3 23.Be4 bxc2 24.Qxa8 Qxa8 25.Bxa8 cxd1Q+ 26.Rxd1 Rxa8 –+]. Fritz also found several other serious errors in this titanic but flawed struggle. For example, Bronstein let Bondarevsky back in the game with 31. … fxe6? In lieu of 31. … Rxd5 ; and 34. … e5 would have been stronger than 34. … Qd6?. After that error, the position was essentially equal until Bondarevsky blundered badly with 41. Qd3??. I wonder if Bondarevsky failed to realize that the first time control had been reached (at move 40, I assume) and was still under the influence of time pressure when he played his 41st move.

Mar-01-07		thegoodanarchist: and at the end, material is equal

Mar-01-07		Themofro: Flawed but fascinating game, Bronstein's whole combination is outstanding.

Mar-01-07		fm avari viraf: The battle for the czardom. Most thrilling & exciting game which I enjoyed having Real "Scotch on the Rocks" [ Johnie Walker ] & remembered Bronstein & myself sipping together in a Pub at Hastings, 1997.

Mar-02-07		kevin86: A strange game! White fights for the long diagonal while black stages an attack on the king. Both players get their punches-but after white gained what he fought for,he had no fight left in him!

Mar-02-07		Nezhmetdinov: am I just being dumb here? Why not 19...c4?

Mar-03-07		paul1959: I think that 18.h3 is a typo (the move does not make much sense anyway) and that 18.b3 was the moved played. This seems to answer all questions above. There is no en passant and Black cannot play 19..c4

Mar-03-07		nescio: <paul1959: I think that 18.h3 is a typo and that 18.b3 was the moved played> In that case 38...Rh2 will be 38...Rxh2, but you may very well be right. Time to consult some other sources.

Mar-03-07		RandomVisitor: If 18.b3 was played: Bondarevsky Igor - Bronstein David [C47] Ch URS (1/2 final) Moscow (Russia) (5), 1945 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp ] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 last book move 7.Qd4 -0.18/18 Qe7 -0.18/17 8.f3 -0.18/16 d5= -0.09/17 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 8...Bc5 9.Qd3= -0.18/16 ] 9.Bd2= -0.23/16 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 9.Bg5 Bc5 10.Bxf6 Bxd4 11.Bxe7= -0.09/17 ] 9...0–0 -0.23/17 10.0–0–0 -0.23/17 c5 -0.22/19 11.Qf2 -0.18/16 d4 -0.22/17 12.Nb1 -0.24/15 Bxd2+ -0.25/15 13.Nxd2 -0.27/15 Nd7= -0.15/16 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 13...a5 14.Qh4 Ba6 15.Bxa6 Rxa6 16.a3 a4 17.Qf4 Rb8 18.Nc4 Re8 19.Qf5 g6³ -0.27/15 ] 14.f4= -0.20/16 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 14.Qg3 Nb6 15.h4 h6 16.Nc4 Nxc4 17.Bxc4 Rb8 18.Rd3 Rb4 19.Bd5 Bb7 20.Bxb7 Rxb7= -0.15/16 ] 14...Rb8 -0.17/15 15.Qf3³ -0.30/16 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 15.Bd3 Nb6 16.Qg3 Bd7 17.Rhe1 h5 18.e5 Nd5 19.Ne4 Bg4 20.Be2 Bxe2= -0.17/15 ] 15...Nb6 -0.34/14 16.Qa3 -0.33/14 Qf6= -0.19/15 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 16...Bd7 17.Bd3 Na4 18.Nc4 Rb7 19.Rde1 Rfb8 20.b3 Nc3 21.Ne5 Be6³ -0.33/14 ] 17.g3= -0.25/16 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 17.Bd3 Qc6 18.Nb3 Na4 19.Na5 Qd7 20.Nc4 Qb5 21.f5 Qc6 22.b3 Nc3= -0.19/15 ] 17...Qc6 -0.26/16 18.b3³ -0.39/16 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 18.Re1 Be6 19.Nf3 f6 20.Qa6 Qa4 21.Qxa4 Nxa4 22.b3 Nc3³ -0.26/16 ] 18...a5 -0.54/17 19.Bd3µ -0.72/18 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 19.Qxa5 Bd7 20.a4 Ra8 21.Qb5 Qd6 22.e5 Qd5 23.Bc4 Bxb5 24.Bxd5 Nxd5 25.axb5 Ne3³ -0.54/17 ] 19...a4 -0.69/16 20.e5 -0.74/18 Be6 -0.73/17 21.Rhe1 -0.82/16 Ra8³ -0.52/18 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 21...axb3 22.cxb3 h6 23.Be4 Bd5 24.Bc2 Ra8 25.Qb2 Rfb8 26.Qa1 Ra3 27.Nb1 Ra6 28.Nd2µ -0.82/16 ] 22.b4µ -0.79/19 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 22.Be4 Nd5 23.b4 cxb4 24.Qd3 Rfb8 25.f5 b3 26.axb3 Qc5 27.Nf3 Rxb3 28.Qxd4 Qa3+³ -0.52/18 ] 22...c4³ -0.35/20 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 22...cxb4 23.Qxb4 Nd5 24.Qxd4 Nc3 25.Ne4 Nxd1 26.Rxd1 Rfd8 27.Qc5 Qxc5 28.Nxc5 Bxa2µ -0.79/19 ] 23.Be4 -0.37/20 Bd5 -0.37/18 24.Qf3µ -0.89/18 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 24.Bxd5 Nxd5 25.Ne4 Qb6 26.Nc5 d3 27.c3 Qh6 28.Qb2 a3 29.Qd2 Qc6 30.e6 Qb5³ -0.37/18 ] 24...c3 -0.89/17 25.Nb1–+ -1.72/20 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 25.Bxh7+ Kxh7 26.Ne4 Qg6 27.Rxd4 Bxa2 28.Qxc3 Bd5 29.Qd3 Bxe4 30.Qxe4 Rfd8 31.Qxg6+ Kxg6µ -0.89/17 ] 25...Qc4 -1.66/19 26.Nxc3 -2.07/19 dxc3 -2.16/20 27.Rxd5?–+ -4.04/17 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 27.Bxd5 Qxb4 28.Rd3 Rad8 29.Qe4 Nxd5 30.Qxb4 Nxb4 31.Rxd8 Rxd8 32.Re4 Nd5 33.a3–+ -2.16/20 ] 27...Nxd5?µ -1.17/21 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 27...Qxa2 28.Qxc3 Nxd5 29.Bxd5 Qxd5 30.Rd1 Qb7–+ -4.04/17 ] 28.Bxd5 -1.12/22 Qxb4 -1.19/20 29.Bxa8 -1.31/20 Rd8 -1.59/22 30.Bd5 -1.56/19 c6 -1.59/19 31.e6??–+ -4.73/22 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 31.Qe4 Qb2+ 32.Kd1 Qxa2 33.Ke2 cxd5 34.Qd3 d4 35.Kf3 a3 36.f5 Qd5+ 37.Kf4 h5–+ -1.59/19 ] 31...fxe6?µ -1.02/20 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 31...Rxd5 32.Qxd5 cxd5 33.e7 Qb2+ 34.Kd1 Qb1+ 35.Ke2 Qb5+ 36.Kd1 Qe8 37.Re3 f6 38.a3–+ -4.73/22 ] 32.Qe4 -1.12/18 Qa3+³ -0.67/20 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 32...Qb2+ 33.Kd1 Rxd5+ 34.Ke2 Rd2+ 35.Kf1 Qb5+ 36.Re2 Rxe2 37.Qxe2 Qb1+ 38.Qe1 Qxa2 39.Qxc3µ -1.12/18 ] 33.Kd1 -0.72/19 Rxd5+ -0.60/18 34.Ke2 -0.75/18 Qd6³ -0.39/19 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 34...Rd2+ 35.Kf1 Qd6 36.Re2 a3 37.Qe5 Qxe5 38.fxe5 Kf7 39.Rxd2 cxd2µ -0.75/18 ] 35.Kf3 -0.39/18 Kf7= 0.00/19 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 35...Rd2 36.Re3 Qd5 37.Qxd5 cxd5 38.Re2 Rd1 39.Rxe6 d4 40.Rc6 Rd2³ -0.39/18 ] 36.Qxa4³ -0.63/20 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 36.Qxh7 Rb5 37.g4 Qd2 38.Qe4 Qd5 39.Re3 Rb2 40.Rxc3 Qd1 0.00/19 ]

Mar-03-07		RandomVisitor: 36...Rd2 -0.65/19 37.Qe4 -0.58/18 g6= 0.00/20 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 37...Qd5 38.Qxd5 exd5 39.Re2 Rd1 40.Re5 Rc1 41.Re2 d4 42.f5 Rd1 43.a4 c5 44.a5³ -0.58/18 ] 38.Re3³ -0.49/20 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 38.Re2 Rd4 39.Qe5 Qd5+ 40.Kf2 Qxe5 41.Rxe5 Rd2+ 42.Re2 Rd4 43.Re3 Rd2+ 44.Re2 Rd4= 0.00/20 ] 38...Rxh2 -0.48/20 39.Rd3–+ -1.48/22 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 39.Re2 Rh1³ -0.48/20 ] 39...Qc5 -1.49/21 40.Rd7+ -1.48/24 Kf8 -1.55/22 41.Qd3??–+ -7.32/20 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 41.Qe5 Rf2+ 42.Kg4 Qxe5 43.fxe5 Rxc2 44.Rxh7 Rxa2–+ -1.55/22 ] 41...Rd2 -7.32/21 42.Rd8+ -7.32/25 Kg7 -7.32/21 43.Rd7+ -7.32/21 Kf6 -7.32/21 44.g4?–+ -14.19/21 [Rybka 2.2n2 mp : 44.Qxd2 cxd2 45.Ke2 Qxc2 46.Rxd2 Qb1 47.Rd3 Qxa2+ 48.Rd2 Qa1 49.Rd3 Qb1 50.Rc3 Qe4+–+ -7.32/21 ] 44...Qf2+ -12.01/5 0–1

Mar-04-07		nescio: Found it in the NIC database. <paul1959> is quite right: 18.b3 instead of 18.h3. [Event "Moscow ch-URS sf"] [Site ""] [Date "1945.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Bondarevsky, Igor Zakharovich"] [Black "Bronstein, David Ionovich"] [Result "0-1"] [NIC "SO 3.9"] [ECO "C47"] [PlyCount "90"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Qd4 Qe7 8. f3 d5 9. Bd2 O-O 10. O-O-O c5 11. Qf2 d4 12. Nb1 Bxd2 13. Nxd2 Nd7 14. f4 Rb8 15. Qf3 Nb6 16. Qa3 Qf6 17. g3 Qc6 18. b3 a5 19. Bd3 a4 20. e5 Be6 21. Rhe1 Ra8 22. b4 c4 23. Be4 Bd5 24. Qf3 c3 25. Nb1 Qc4 26. Nxc3 dxc3 27. Rxd5 Nxd5 28. Bxd5 Qxb4 29. Bxa8 Rd8 30. Bd5 c6 31. e6 fxe6 32. Qe4 Qa3 33. Kd1 Rxd5 34. Ke2 Qd6 35. Kf3 Kf7 36. Re3 g6 37. Qxa4 Rd2 38. Qe4 Rxh2 39. Rd3 Qc5 40. Rd7 Kf8 41. Qd3 Rd2 42. Rd8 Kg7 43. Rd7 Kf6 44. g4 Qf2 45. Ke4 Re2 0-1

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