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| Jun-11-11 | | Ferro: BLACK IS BLACK |
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Jun-11-11
 | | Once: i want my baby back |
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| Jun-11-11 | | LIFE Master AJ: To understand today's game - we must first understand the basic mating patterns. (I got it quickly - but I probably remembered the game, it was a prominent game that year, both in many chess magazines and "The Informant.") Here is our starting position.
click for larger view
wKh1,Qe2,Nc3,Bb2,g2,Ra1,d1,Pa4,b3,e5,h3,h4/bKg8,-
Qf4,Nf6,Bb7,c5,Rc8,d8,Pa6,b6,e6,g7
After the following moves: 25...Nh5; 26.Qxh5 Qg3;
We reach this position.
click for larger view Black threatens THREE different mates in one!
Please note that two of these I consider to be "Basic mating patterns." One is the WK trapped in the corner, his LSB pinned on the long diagonal, and a "heavy" on h3: 
click for larger view(It does not matter if it is a BQ or BR on the h3-square. We could have reached this position if White - from the second diagram - had played 27.RxR/d8+, Rxd8; 28.Rg1, QxP/h3#. Please note that I have removed a lot of the pieces - I want your mind on the basic pattern itself ... and not the other "clutter" ... ) The other (basic mating pattern) would be if White, (at almost any point after ...Qg3); plays BxB/b7 ... (Black responds with QxP/h3#.). 
click for larger viewPlease note that (here) I have removed almost all the pieces that are not essential to the mate. I think once you understand the patterns - this is what I strongly emphasize when I teach chess - then the combination is much easier to grasp then you might first think. This is all I have time for now, its 08:53 AM (CDST), [as I was actually first writing this]; and I have to grab a bite to eat, get a shower, and "hit the road." I already started some light annotations of this game ... but I did not have time to finish and post them. (Maybe later this evening.) |
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Jun-11-11
 | | sevenseaman: Ftacnik means trouble; and not merely confined to decoding the sound his name makes. See how desperately hard Vishy had to work to extricate himself. Anand vs Ftacnik, 1993 |
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| Jun-11-11 | | ConstantImprovement: I. Idea
The basic idea is a check mate involving Qh3:.
II. Try 1
First try is 25. ... Qg3, but White has
26. Bb7:
(26. Nd5? Nd5: and piece is lost, since 27. Bd5:? Qh3:+ 28. Qh2 Bd5:#) 26. ... Qh3+ 27. Qh2, which is leading nowhere.
III. Improvement: Try 2
As is often the case in such situations, another piece has to be brought into the action, adding another angle of attack, which then might be enough to break through. Ideally, this new piece enters with a threat that has to be parried immediately. Therefore: 25. ... Nh5.
The threat is Ng3+, winning the Queen. This move most probably is an improvement of the position if White cannot simply take it. Bringing more pieces closer to the enemy king is the best way to increase one's attacking chances. What are White's possible answers?
1. Moving the Queen away
The only viable squares are c2 and e1. 26. Qc2 Ng3+ 27. Kh2 Nf1++ 28. Kh1 Qh2# is mate and 26. Qe1 can only prevent this outcome by 27. Qg3:, losing. 2. Guarding the square
26. Ne4 Be4: and either way 27. ... Ng3+ next.
3. Counterattack
26. Nd5 with the idea 26. ... Ng3+ 27. Kh2 Ne2+? 28. Nf4: and either 28. ... Nf4: 29. Bb7: or 28. ... Bg2: 29. Nf4, in both variations with a winning position for White. But in the above variation, 26. ... Ng3+ 27. Kh2 Nf1++ 28. Kh1 Qh2# seals the deal. 4. Taking the knight
It seems White has no choice but this, albeit now our aforementined Qg3-maneuver works out just nicely: 26. Qh5: Qg3 and amazingly it's over.
a) 27. Qg4 Bg2:#
b) 27. Ne4 Be4: is the same.
c) 27. Bb7: Qh3:#.
d) 27. Nd5 is the best defense.
27. ... Rd5:!
(27. ... d5:? allows 28. Qg4 with a protracted fight; 27. ... Bd5:? 28. Rd5: Rd5: 29. Qg4 [29. Bd5:? Qh3:#]
and Black may still fight for a draw with the two bishops). 27. ... Rd5: threatens a powerful discovered attack on the g2-bishop. What can White do?
aa) 28. Qg4 fails due to 28. ... Rd1+ 29. Rd1: Bg2:#. bb) 28. Bd5: Bd5:#
cc) And finally 28. Rf3 (28. Re1 Qe1:+ with mate on g1) is refuted by 28. ... Rd1! (equally 28. Rg1 Rd1) and nothing prevents either 29. ... Qg2: #, 29. ... Bg2:# or 29. ... Qh3:#. Examples:
29. Qg4 Bg2:#
29. Rd1: Qg2:#
29. Qd1: Qg2:#
29. Bd5: Qh3:#.
Conclusion:
The mainline of the puzzle (best attack, most stubborn defense) is 25. ... Nh5 26. Qh5: Qg3 27. Nd5 Rd5: 28. Rf3 Rd1, with one of the three mates given above to follow. |
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Jun-11-11
 | | kevin86: Black's decoy sac by the knight sets up a battery along the long diagonal. |
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| Jun-11-11 | | ConstantImprovement: Well, well. I have overlooked that 28. ... Rd1? allows 29. Qf7+ with a perpetual. I cannot say if I had seen 28. ... Qg2:+ 29. Kg2: Rd2++ 30. Kg3 Rg2+ 31. Kf4 Rf8+ 32. Qf5 Rf5:#. But giving the clear impression that this was the right way, the chance is there. Once you have the idea of the Queen sacrifice, the double discovered check is rather obvious, Kg3 is forced and Rg2+ is easy. Then one only had to see that the King has no more flight squares on e4 and e3 due to the two bishos, which is feasible once you get that far. I have to admit, a very beautiful puzzle and a truely great game. |
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Jun-11-11
 | | Jimfromprovidence: I saw the first move, but missed the mainline follow-up 26 Qxh5 Qg3, etc. I tried 25...Nh3 26 Rd3?!, below instead, to try to stop 27...Ng3+.
click for larger view
But, after 26...Rxd3 27 Qxd3 black plays 27...Ng3+ anyway.
click for larger view
If 28 Kh2, then 28...Nf1++, with mate to follow. If 28 Qxg3, then 28...Qxg3 with mate to follow. |
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Jun-11-11
| | Jimfromprovidence: As a footnote, 28 Rf1 at first looks like a throwaway move, but it is actually very sinister. 
click for larger viewIt threatens 29 Qf7+, winning the bishop and also the queen-trapping move 29 Rf3. So, if black got spooked by 29 Qf7+ and played 28...Rd7?, instead, then white has 29 Rf3, losing a lot less material. 
click for larger view 28 Rf1 adds more luster to this beautiful game. |
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| Jun-11-11 | | bachbeet: I thought of the first move (Nh5) but didn't really see the rest. A really nice continuation. |
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Jun-11-11
 | | morfishine: <sevenseaman> Anand vs Ftacnik,1993 was a beaut. Thanks for showing that game. Worth looking over to see if Black can improve Todays game did conjur up memories of Rotlewi vs Rubinstein as <Phony Benoni> pointed out |
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Jun-11-11
 | | scormus: <Jim ... 28 Rf1 ... spooked by Qf7+ ...> good point. B needed to see the line right through with crystal clarity when he played Nh5. A nice example of the complementarity of 2 apparently contradictory sayings Look before you leap
He who hesitates is lost. |
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Jun-11-11
| | sevenseaman: <morfishine> <Todays game did conjur up memories of Rotlewi vs Rubinstein as <Phony Benoni> pointed out> Yes a very pertinent game to POTD today. Looking up this game inspires one to be alert to unusual mating combinations. <Phoney Benoni> has an excellent associative memory and comes up with a relevant reference most days. |
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| Jun-11-11 | | VincentL: I somehow lost my post as I was uploading it here, and had to re-boot. I started Qxh4 and followed with Nh5. The result was.... not a lot. As in one or two other puzzles this week, move order is important. Lét´s read through the other posts to see if the game line was optimal. |
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| Jun-11-11 | | consul: <scormus: <Jim ... 28 Rf1 ... spooked by Qf7+ ...>
good point. B needed to see the line right through with crystal clarity when he played Nh5.>
I agree, and that's the second subtlety i missed today. |
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| Jun-11-11 | | BOSTER: In the opening of this game white was fighting for control d5 square.
Such brilliant shots like d5 in the center and h4 on the flank, playing by black ,with penetration black queen in the white camp were able to destroy any defense.
This is the position after 22...Qxf4 with white to play.
click for larger view
Here Polugaevsky lost the game strategically, opening the diagonal for Bb7 playing 23.dxe6 and then 24.e5, blocking his bishop b2.
I guess, keeping the control d5 white could hold the game. |
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| Jun-11-11 | | azi: I wonder if Ftacnik is pronounced with other linguistic challenges in
various languages...probably it does. Language structures being assembeled based on morpheme differences may explain the difficulty with unfamilar sound bits. A grand game. I saw the elements gathering up like a storm - the e5 push, the night sac, the weak g3 square, the pinning pair of bishops and the freedom of the black queen - all spelled out a searing attack. My trouble is seeing the elements played in the proper order leading to checkmate. Only 1 combination opens the lock |
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Jun-11-11
 | | FSR: I got the solution, but that was because I remembered the game. I had cited it my Wikipedia article "First-move advantage in chess". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-... A glorious game. I wonder what someone like Tarrasch would have said about Black winning such a brilliancy with a "passive" opening like the Hedgehog. |
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| Jun-11-11 | | stst: V Diff - might be Belmont!!
Yeah, first sight thought it's W to move, name Polugaevsky inviting, NOT!
It's Bk to move, try to develop into some seq. with fireworks ...
25.... Bxg2+ (to release the N)
26.Qxg2 Nh5 (N escapes & also threatens g3 fork)
27.Ne4 Rf8 (W Ne4 to try getting rid of the B@c5 at the same time protecting g3)
28.Rf1 Qe3 (only optimal place for Q)
29.Re1 Qxe4 (begin some peculiar from normal.)
30.Rxe4 Rxf1+
31.Qxf1 Ng3+ (forks, that's why Q sac in 28.)
32.Kh2 Nxf1+
33.Kh1 Ng2+
34.Kh2/g2 Nxe4 and Bk is overwhelming in material and position.
Sure other paths are feasible, just want to dump it out prior to Belmont!! |
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Jun-11-11
| | Once: <FSR> You wrote that article? Seriously impressive. |
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| Jun-11-11 | | stst: Yeah, was also pondering the first choice of 25...Nh5, just didn't drill through the analysis...
Good "Ftacnik" -- "Tac-neek" ~ Technique!! |
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| Jun-11-11 | | azi: I think that white weakened his castled position without sufficient compensation, as black's castled position is not a mine field of weak squares. White pursued a pawn advancing attack on the kingside, without targets and sufficiently developed piece deployment. And black controls the major diagonals, slicing through the white king's positiion. White has little to say about his position while black has great dynamic advantage. White is asleep at the wheel meanwhile black is deploying his sharpshooters and artillary on the weaknesses and unorganized play throughout the white camp. It is an inspired yet logical game by black. Even his rooks were more actively placed as was his queen. |
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| Jun-11-11 | | KingV93: Very Difficult. Indeed. To my eyes anyway...
Beautiful combination. Didn't see it, went with  xh4, too deep for me but electrifying to watch it unfold when I was checking. Great sac, This is the stuff I Love in Chess! |
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Jun-11-11
| | sevenseaman: Thanks <FSR>. Your wikipedia article analysing this Polugaevsky vs Ftacnik game is comprehensive and lucid. It cleared a sediment of cobwebs that were still clouding the mind. I am amazed how well this game lends itself to analysis of some basic mating patterns. It also pushes up my esteem for GM Ftacnik who got the better of GM Polugaevsky, no lightweight on his own. Ftacnik pushes Anand really hard in this game, Anand vs Ftacnik, 1993. So this awkward-looking variant of the 'English symmetrical' is called the Hedgehog defence, hm. Do the Black Ns always tend to favor/perish on the 'h' file? |
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| Jun-11-11 | | wals: Rybka 4 x 64
Looking good, 19...d5, =0.15.
20.cxd5, -0.91. Best, exd5, -=0.30.
Penalty, 0.61.
23.dxe6, -1.33. Best, Qf3, -0.91.
Penalty, 0.42.
24.e5, -16.40. Best, Rxd8, -1.18.
Penalty, 15.42.
25.Kh1, -16.40. There is no better move.
27.Nd5, -#7.
28.Rf1, -#5.
29.Kxg2, -#4.
29...Rd2, -#3, and White resigned..
TOTAL Penalty up to move 24.
White, 16.45. Black, 0. Which
approximates White's shortfall
at move 25. |
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buttons, but it's much easier to simply use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.