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Boris Spassky vs David Bronstein
URS-ch 1960  ·  King's Gambit: Accepted. Modern Defense (C36)  ·  1-0


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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 8 OF 8 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Jun-29-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: <Random Visitor>
I owe you an apology, I never finsihed my analysis of some of your wonderful ideas on this game.

I have just finished a fairly big re-do of my page (http://www.geocities.com/lifemaster...) on this game, it should be posted shortly.

Jul-22-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: <Random Visitor> <Perhaps Black could play 13...f5 and get an even game.>

13...f5 is a good suggestion. I agree, after 13...f5, Black has equal chances.

In your next post, you give the variation 15.Qxe2 Nf8 16.Rad1 c6 17.Ne5 f6, and then the move 18.Nc4?.

I had reviewed this variation in my post of 01/21/07. After 15.Qxe2! Nf8 16.Rad1 c6 17.Ne5 f6, Fritz found the winning move 18.Qh5!.

In this variation, after the move 18.Qh5!, what defense or continuation do you propose for Black?

I have yet to find an adequate defense for Black, if White would have played the move 15.Qxe2!.

May-20-08   Trigonometrist: In Russian this game is known as "The Blue Bird"...
May-20-08   Petrosianic: <In Russian this game is known as "The Blue Bird"...>

Why is that?

May-23-08   gambitking: Wow... amazing, spectacular tactics. It's this type of game that makes me want to keep playing the KG again and again.

The Gambit King

Aug-10-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  RandomVisitor: 1: Boris Spassky - David Bronstein, URS-ch 1960


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Analysis by Rybka 3 :

<15.Qxe2> Nf8 16.Rad1 Bg4 17.Qf2 Bf6 18.Nxf6+ Qxf6 19.Qg3 Bxf3 20.Rxf3 Qc6 21.b4 ± (0.91) Depth: 21 02:19:53 508961kN

<15.Qxe2>
± (1.11) Depth: 22 05:04:57 1086867kN

Aug-10-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  RandomVisitor: <15.Qxe2> Nf8 16.Rad1 Bg4 17.Bb3 Ne6 18.h3 Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Rf8 20.Qg4 Kh8 21.Bxe6 fxe6 22.Rxf8+ Bxf8 23.Qxe6 Qe8 24.Qxe8 Rxe8 25.Nc3 g5 26.Kf2 Kg7 27.b4 Kg6 28.a3 Bg7 29.Nb5 c6 ± (1.17) Depth: 22 08:38:52 1920749kN
Aug-18-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: <RandomVisitor> Thanks for the interesting Rybka 3 analysis. After a deeper search, Fritz agreed in the variation 15.Qxe2 Nf8 16.Rad1, that 16...Bg4 is a better defensive try than 16...c6.

Fritz indicated White has a considerable edge in this variation after either 17.Qf2, 17.h3, or 17.Bb3. However, it is difficult to determine if these positions are definitely winning for White.

Considering the first possibility 17.Qf2, Fritz gave the following evaluation: (1.25) (22 ply) 17.Qf2 Bf6 18.Nxf6+ Qxf6 19.Qg3.

At this point Fritz indicated: (1.29) (25 ply) 19...Bxf3 20.Rxf3 Qc6 21.b4 Re7 22.Bb3 Nh7; (1.46) (24 ply) 23.h4 Qe4 24.Rf4 Qe2 25.Rdf1 Rf8 26.Kh2. In the final position, White appears to have winning chances, but additional analysis is needed.

At move 19, Black could also try: (1.29) (25 ply) 19...Bh5 20.Ne5 Qg5 21.Qxg5 hxg5 22.g4 Rxe5 23.dxe5 Bxg4 24.Rd4 Bh3 25.Rf3 Be6. In this variation, White has good winning chances after either 26.Be4 or 26.Ra3.

Does Rybka 3 indicate if these are winning variations for White?

I am also having Fritz do additional analysis of the moves 17.h3 and 17.Bb3.

Aug-25-08   CharlesSullivan: John Emms, in "The World's Greatest Chess Games," says the "critical line is" 15...Bxd6! [of course, 15...exf1=Q+ 16.Rxf1 Bxd6! it will lead to the same line] 16.Qh7+ Kf8 17.cxd6 exf1=Q+ 18.Rxf1 cxd6 19.Qh8+ Ke7 20.Re1+ Ne5 21.Qxg7 Rg8 22.Qxh6 Qb6 23.Kh1 Be6 24.dxe5 when 24...d5 "leads to quite an unclear position." However, very strong is 24...Qf2!


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and White's position is at least as precarious as Black's, so White should force the perpetual-check draw with 25.exd6+ Kxd6 26.Qf4+ Ke7 27.Qc7+ Ke8 28.Ba4+ Kf8 29.Qd6+ Kg7 30.Qe5+ Kh7 31.Qh5+ Kg7 32.Qe5+ etc.


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Aug-26-08   CharlesSullivan: <Pawn and Two & RandomVisitor> Regarding the line 15.Qxe2 Nf8 16.Rad1 Bg4, both Rybka [2.3.2a] and Zappa [Mexico II] agree that 17.h3 is best -- now 17...Bh5 18.g4 Bg6 19.Ne5 gives White the much easier game. For example, 19...Nh7 20.Qc4 Ng5 21.d6+ Kh7 22.Rd5 Nxe4 23.Bxe4 Re6 24.d7 c6 25.Rd2 Rf6 26.Rfd1


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Such a complicated position gives Black practical chances to hold, but objectively, White is winning.

Aug-26-08   CharlesSullivan: After 15.Qxe2, Zappa Mexico II, after a very long think, rates 15...Ng8 [see analysis above] and 15...a5 about equal. After 15.Qxe2 a5 16.Rad1 Rf8 17.Qd3 f5 18.Nc3 Nb8, <Rybka> prefers 19.Qc4+ Kh7 20.Rfe1 Ra6 21.Re2 Bf6 22.d5 Bd7 23.Rde1 g6 24.Bd3 Kg7 25.Nd4


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<Zappa> prefers 19.Bb3+ Kh7 20.Rfe1 Bf6 21.Nd5


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Each position strongly favors White.

Aug-27-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: <CharlesSullivan & RandomVisitor> In the variation 15.Qxe2 Nf8 16.Rad1 Bg4, I provided Fritz's analysis of 17.Qf2 on 08/18/08.

Fritz indicated White has an even greater advantage in this line after 17.h3 (1.43) (24 ply) 17...Bh5, and now: (1.56) (24 ply) 18.Qc4 (18.g4 Bg6 19.Ne5 is also very favorable for White) Bh4 19.Ne5 Re6 20.g4 Bg6 21.Nxg6 Nxg6 22.d5 Re8 23.d6 Ne5.

At this point, Fritz indicated White will win material: (1.66) (21 ply 24.Qc3 cxd6 25.Nxd6 Qc7 26.Rd5 Bf6 27.Qd2 Qe7 28.Nxe8 Rxe8. In the final position after 28...Rxe8, Fritz showed White's advantage continuing to increase, indicating strong winning chances for White.

I will have Fritz next review the variation: 15.Qxe2 Nf8 16.Rad1 Bg4 17.Bb3.

Aug-30-08   CharlesSullivan: <Pawn and Two> Just a quick note... Since our analyses usually closely agree, I was surprised that Fritz found (after 15.Qxe2 Nf8 16.Rad1 Bg4 17.h3 Bh5) 18.Qc4 to be the best move, so I rechecked with a quad-core Q6000 running at 2.4Ghz under 64-bit Vista. Lo and behold! Rybka 2.3.2a (iteration 24, 4 hrs 38 min, +1.12) and Zappa Mexico II (iteration 23, 6 hrs 54 min, +1.29) finally agree that 18.Qc4 is best, and both give the same PV through 24.Qc3. I tip my hat to the master!
Sep-02-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: <CharlesSullivan> Thank you for your input. It is very interesting to compare the analysis by our different programs.

In the variation 15.Qxe2 Nf8 16.Rad1 Bg4, we have reviewed 17.Qf2 & 17.h3.

Fritz indicates White can also play 17.Bb3 with considerable advantage: (1.64) (22 ply) 17.Bb3 Ne6 18.h3 Bxf3 (1.29) (25 ply) 19.Qxf3 Rf8 20.Qg4 Kh8 (1.44) (23 ply) 21.Ng3 a5 22.Nh5 Bg5 23.h4 g6 24.Bxe6 Be3+ 25.Kh2 gxh5 26.Qxh5 fxe6.

At this point, Fritz shows White having strong winning chances: (1.58) (26 ply) 27.Qe5+ Kh7 28.Qe4+ Rf5 29.Rxf5 exf5 30.Qxf5+ Kg7 31.Qe5+ Kg8 32.Qg3+ Kh8 33.Qxe3 Qxh4+ 34.Kg1 (1.56) (22 ply) 34...Qg5 35.Qxg5 hxg5 36.d5, or (1.91) (22 ply) 34...Qh5.

In conclusion, based on Fritz analysis, the variation 15.Qxe2 Nf8 16.Rad1 Bg4 provides White with good winning chances after either 17.h3 or 17.Bb3.

Dec-20-08   WhiteRook48: exf1Q+? does that really help?
Feb-06-09   Kinghunt: What's the idea behind 15... Nf8? And where's the win after 15... exf1Q 16. Rxf1 Bxd6 17. Qh7+ Kf8? It looks like black can secure his position by giving back some of the material. After, say, 18. Qh8+ Ke7 19. Re1+ Ne5 20. cxd6+ Qxd6 21. Qxg7 Kd8 22. dxe5 Qc5+ 23. Kh1 Qxc2, black has a significant material advantage with a reasonably secure position, and white needs to settle for a draw by perpetual check. Is there something I'm missing?


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Position after 23. Qxc2, white to move.

Feb-18-09   mateusz766: Hello everyone. Can you explain to me why Bronstein refrained from 22...Kh8? I really can't see the winning line, but it's possible I'm blind today. Thanks in advance.
Feb-18-09   nescio: <mateusz766> In http://www.geocities.com/lifemaster... <LIFE Master AJ> gives 22...Kh8 23.Qe4 g6 24.Qd5 and a few other lines. I haven't checked his analysis, I'll leave that to you.
Feb-18-09   simondt: <mateusz766: Hello everyone. Can you explain to me why Bronstein refrained from 22...Kh8? I really can't see the winning line, but it's possible I'm blind today. Thanks in advance>

As far as I can tell, 22...Kh8 would be met by

23.Bc2, followed by 24.Rxf8+ and 25.Qh7++

The only way that I can see for Black to avoid this would be

23.Bc2 g5 to allow the queen to defend h7. But then

24.Rxf8 and if black captures with rook or queen then

25.Ng6+ winning the queen.

I hope this is right and I haven't missed something!

Feb-18-09   laskereshevsky: Soeey <simondt> but your line doesnt work because theQ is in f4... to play your plane its required instead to start from e4
Feb-18-09   simondt: Oh yeah you're right, I'm sorry I didn't read the post properly, I thought you were talking about Kh8 after Qe4+.

My mistake.

Mar-28-09   lazerus: how has this not been game of the day yet?
Aug-13-09   WhiteRook48: brilliancy!!
Aug-13-09   Damianx: mateus knight f7+ knight takes H6
Aug-13-09   Damianx: sorry its Kf7 but not H6
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