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Efim Geller vs Boris Spassky
Spassky - Geller Candidates Quarterfinal (1968), Sukhumi URS, rd 5, Apr-11
French Defense: Winawer. Positional Variation (C19)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Mar-09-15  zydeco: Geller thought for a long time after 15....Qb7. His second Sakharov started wandering around the tournament room saying "I can't understand Yefim Petrovich. Surely you can't waste your time like that and in such a simple position too."

What's worse, Geller missed 16....Rfd8 in reply to 16.Qd3. The match book suggests 16.Ng5 or 16.Ra3 instead.

If 18.Qxd8 Rxd8 19.Rxd8 Nc6 white's rook has to leave the eighth rank or concede a draw with 20.Re8 Qd7 21.Ra8 Qb7.

Geller thought he had a chance for an attack with 31.Kh2 followed by pushing the g-pawn.

Mar-09-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Sakharov's quote calls to mind the description of Geller's play by Korchnoi a few years on, in which Korchnoi noted that Geller was quite a good attacker but calculated variations poorly, wasting a lot of time.
Jun-17-17  edubueno: No aparece la menor ventaja en la posición blanca.
Apr-25-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  woldsmandriffield: Spassky's then trainer Igor Bondarevsky played the French Defence.

A tense game. The position after 15..Qb7 doesn't look simple at all and Geller's 16 Qd3 was certainly pragmatic given the match situation.

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