chessgames.com

Ratmir Kholmov vs David Bronstein
"I Smell a Rat" (game of the day Dec-30-12)
USSR Championship 1964/65 (1965)  ·  Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. Main Line (B99)  ·  1-0
To move:
Last move:

Click Here to play Guess-the-Move
Given 35 times; par: 35 [what's this?]

explore this opening
find similar games 17 more Bronstein/Kholmov games
sac: 22.Rg3 PGN: download | view Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: Help with kibitzing features can be found on our Kibtizing Help Page.

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

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Nov-30-02  ughaibu: As has been recently mentioned elsewhere, Kholmov was a very strong player.
Nov-30-02  Vilkacis: The combination started by 18. Nc6 and 19. e5 is very deep and very deadly.
Nov-30-02  Kulla Tierchen: 19...Nxe5 appears to be black's best hope.
Nov-30-02  ughaibu: After 20 Ne4 how would black continue?
Nov-30-02  Vilkacis: How about 20...Nd7 21. Rxd6 exf5
Nov-30-02  ughaibu: 22 Rd7
Nov-30-02  pawntificator: 19...Bxe5 looks good too. Why on earth did black play ...Bg5+, that seems like a waste
Nov-30-02  ughaibu: If 19. ..Be5 then 20.f6, Bf6 21.Bd3
Nov-30-02  pawntificator: I guess that explains Bg5+...

19. ...Bxe5 20 f6 Bf6 21 Bd3 Bg5+ 22. Rxg5 f6 (f5? i'm not sure)

Nov-30-02  ughaibu: It would need to be f5, if f6 then Bh7.
Nov-30-02  PVS: <How about 20...Nd7 21. Rxd6 exf5>

22. Rxf6 Rg8 23. Rxg8+ Kxg8 24.Rxf5 Nf8 25. Nf6+ Kh8 26. Re5.

Nov-30-02  ughaibu: PVS. Just Rd7 is good enough I think. It attacks both the queen and the bishop and if white gets the bishop how can black defend h7?
Dec-01-02  PVS: You may be right, I have lost the thread.
Dec-02-02
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 19...Bxe5 20.f6 Bf6 21.Bd3 Bg5+ 22.Rxg5 f6 23.Bxh7! fxg5 24.Be4+ Kg8 25.Rg1! Ra7 26.Nd5! Qg7 27.Rxg5 Qxg5+ 28.Qxg5+ Rg7 29.Nf6+ Kf7 30.Qh4! Ne7 31.Nh7 Rfg8 32.Qf6+ Ke8 33.Qf4 Rf7 34.Nf6+ Kf8 35.Qh6+ Rgg7 36.Bh7! a5 37.Nh5 with advantage of white. Of course, there can be some improvements in this line for black but his position is difficult especially if he has to find right moves in game on the board.:-)
Dec-04-02  drukenknight: Interestingly enuf; Kholmov mentions both Kulla's try and pawntiff/ugi/HC line.

On the pawntiff/ugi line Kholmov goes with 22..f5 23 R(1)g1 Ra7 24 Ne2 Ne5 25 Nf4 and threat of N-R5 and R-N7 compels blacks resignation.

I'd go with Kullas suggestion: 19..Nxe5

But then Kholmov says 20 Ne4 Nd7 21 Rxd3 exf5 22 Rxf6 Rg8 23 RxR KxR and white mates on the 27th move.

Id go with

19..Nxe5 20 Ne4 Ng6

Dec-04-02  ughaibu: Drukenknight: Ng6 looks like a good move. Where did you get Kholmov's comments?
Dec-04-02  drukenknight: Larry Evan's Modern Chess Brilliancies.

I criticize Evan's a lot. Maybe more than he deserves. This book is a real treasure 101 of the greatest games from about 1958 to 1969. A little too much fawning over Fischer but still a really good book w/ fairly high level of annotations.

The SPassky/SUetin game in there. It sort of resembles this in a way, no? So is Fischer/Gligorich (K indian). So is Smyslov/Liberson, fresh comments on that one by the way. So is Littlewood/Botwinnik another one we've kicked around.

Dec-04-02
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 19...Nxe5 20.Ne4 Ng6 21.Nxf6 Qxf6 22.fxg6 Qg7 23.Qxg7+ Kxg7 24.gxh7+ Kh8 (24...Kxh7?? 25.Rd4 and 26.Rh4#) 25.Rxd6 a5 26.Bd3 with advantage of white.
Dec-04-02  ughaibu: How about fg6 instead of Qg7?
Dec-05-02
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 19...Nxe5 20.Ne4 Ng6 21.Nxf6 Qxf6 22.fxg6 fxg6 23.Bg2 threatening 24.Bxa8 or 24.Rgf1.
Dec-05-02  ughaibu: Looks convincing.
Dec-21-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  notyetagm: I love 26 d7!, a <Novotny interference> move, simultaneously closing the line of the Ra7 to h7 and the line of the Bc8 to e6. One of those lines will still be closed no matter how Black takes the d7 pawn and that closed line will make it 1-0.
Aug-27-05  abcpokerboy: I always figured that Mikhail Tal, after seeing this game, probably greatly admired the move 18.Nc6!! and was probably envious he didn't get a chance to make this great sacrifice.
May-13-08  yxcvbnm: wow i now looked at the game 3 or 4 times and i still feel like having no idea what was going on there. seems like quite a lot of k´s moves are way too deep for my tiny little brain :-)
May-14-08  arsen387: I found this game with annotation in Chessmaster's database. According to it, black's decisive mistake was 14..b4. Also whites could have won quicker with 25.d7! and now if Bxd7 then Rxd7 finishes off quickly (notice that black Q is tied to the defence of R on f8 and can't recapture). This is really a fascinating game. Bravo Kholmov!
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·  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?]
Cool Moves by Kholmov
by Resignation Trap
sac: 18 Nc6; Nowotny: 26 d7
from chess strategems iii - under construction by gauer
18.Nc6!!
from Beautiful moves!! by Palma Vest
Bronstein
by akatombo
hedgeh0g's favorite games
by hedgeh0g
66 Major League
from Herkus' favorite games by Herkus
bengalcat47's favorite games3
by bengalcat47
kutuzov's favorite games
by kutuzov
#7-Kiev 1964-65 (52/292)
from World's Greatest Chess Games by DanBoyle
Chess Highlights of the 20th Century (2/3)
by 50movesaheadofyou
The World's Greatest Chess Games- 100 Games
by 50movesaheadofyou
JohnO.O's favorite games part 3
by JohnO.O
getting a feel for the openings (B)
by fourier
Sicilian Study
by GPawn
Game 52
from The World's Greatest Chess Games by AndreaCoda
Ratmir Kholmov (1924-2006)
from Player of the day: notable game IV by nikolaas
modern chess brilliancies
by northernsoul
Kholmov Brilliancy
from morfishine's favorite games by morfishine
The Main Line: 6. Bg5
from The Najdorf Sicilian by nkvd
World's Greatest Chess Games- Nunn Emms Burgess
by Rookpawn
plus 21 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