Bent Larsen vs Borislav Ivkov (1967) Supersymmetry Theory

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Bent Larsen vs Borislav Ivkov
"Supersymmetry Theory" (game of the day Jul-09-2016)
Palma de Mallorca (1967), Palma ESP, rd 13, Dec-12
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation. Full Symmetry Line (A38) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 9 times; par: 65 [what's this?]

explore this opening	find similar games	33 more Larsen/Ivkov games
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Jun-05-04		crafty: 13...♗f5 14. ♖b3 ♖b6 15. ♘e5 ♕c8 16. ♕d2 ♕e6 17. ♘xc6 = (eval 0.29; depth 14 ply; 1000M nodes)

Jun-05-04		vonKrolock: Larsen quotes a Stein-Filip game from Moscow '67, in which almost the same position ocurred (black Pawn in d6 instead of d7)and "now Filip broke the simmetry" <...> "Ivkov is almost forced to accept the position Filip rejected" - from 'Larsen's Selected Games 1948-69'

Jun-05-04		vonKrolock: PS: after 12.d4, off course

Jun-05-04		kevin86: Symmatry almost always favors white,because he moves first. Two exceptions-when black is on the move,due to a tempo loss by white. The second is in a zugzwang position.

Jun-06-04		drukenknight: how does it follow that symmetry favors white simply because he moves first? He moves first in all the games, he doesnt win all games. Dont you need a more cogent explanation?

Jun-08-04		kevin86: I said that it favors white,not necessarily that he has a won game. Note that white has a definite advantage over black in win/loss/tie averages. To favor white means that he has the advantage,even if it is very small one. It is not always a case of "Black and white" (Capitalization and pun intended)

Feb-06-05		aw1988: What a hurricane!

Oct-26-07		sfm: The opening position is symmetrical and in White's favor. That Black should get _further_ disadvantage by keeping the position symmetrical need not be the truth, but it will often be. As things "open up" and pieces become more active the importance of striking first becomes higher. Brain teaser: What is the shortest possible fully symmetrical game where the last move is White mating Black?

Dec-11-08		peristilo: Every decent player knows that symmetry favors white since he is always one move ahead. It doesnt mean white wins always in symmetrcal positions.

Dec-11-08		ughaibu: Sfm: Five moves? e4, d4, Bg5, dxe5, Qxd8.

Mar-15-11		ForeverYoung: Dazzling finish by the mighty Larsen starting with Bxg6+!! winning a pawn and Rc5 getting all of his pieces into the attack.

Jul-09-16		WannaBe: Would 40...Bf7 be any better? Or would that just delay the inevitable?

Jul-09-16		al wazir: Why didn't black play 38...Qxd5 ?

Jul-09-16		erixn: @al wazir: Because the Bg7 is pinned

Jul-09-16		alexmagnus: <Brain teaser: What is the shortest possible fully symmetrical game where the last move is White mating Black?> Four moves, with multiple variants. A more complicated question is the shortest symmetrical game in which white mates black without making objectively bad moves (the most popular four-mover involves a "blundered" queen by white - 1. d4 d5 2. Qd3 Qd6 3. Qh3 Qh6 4. Qxc8#).

Jul-09-16		morfishine: This was fun. Interesting <38...Rxe6> doesn't help

Jul-09-16		clement41: Fireworks!

Jul-10-16		thegoodanarchist: White ends the game with a zwischenzug. Already 41.Bxf7 puts White on top but Larsen was not satisfied with having the upper hand and deals a death blow to Ivkov with 41.Rg5+ I have said it before - the zwischenzug it really what separates the very greats of all time from the average GM, and at this period in time Larsen was probably the 5th best player in the world.

Aug-18-17		wwall: Perhaps 27...Nc4 is the losing move. Black can try 27...Kg8 28.Nf4 Rh6 and hold. 29.Nxg6 doesn't work after 29...fxg6 30.Bxg6+ Kg8 31.Ne6 Rg6 Instead of 29...Kg8, if 29...fxg6, then 30.Nxg6 Qf7 31.Nxh8 Kxh8 32.Qh4+ Kg8 33.Rxc4 dxc4 34.Qd8+ Kh7 35.Qxb6 Bf3 36.g4 Bxg4 37.Ra7 Qf5 38.Qb7 and White should win. If 30...fxg6, then 31.Nxg6 Qe8 32.Nxh8 Nxe5 33.Qf5 Kxh8 34.Ra7 Instead of 31...Bf8, perhaps better is 31...Qf8 32.Qxf8+ Bxf8 33.Bf5 Rh6 White did not like 32.Ncd3 Bb7 33.Qc5 d4, threatening 34...Rh1 mate. After 32...d4, no good is 33.exd4 Nf3+ 34.Kg2 Nxd4+ 35.Kg1 Nf3+ and perpetual check No good is 33...Rxh5 34.Nxh5 Bxe4 (or 34...Nf3+ 35.Kg2 Bxe4 36.Qg4+ Ng5+ 37.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 38.Qxe4 Nxe4 39.Rc8) 35.Nxe4 Nf3+ 36.Kg2 Qxe4 37.Qa8 Nh4+ 38.Kf1 and White is winning If 37...Rb7 instead of 37...Be8, Black loses after 38.Rxb7 Bxb7 39.Bg6+ Qxg6 (39...Nxg6 40.Rxg5 or 39...Kh6 40.Qh3+ and mate the next move) 40.Nxg6 Nxg6 (40....Bc8 41.Rxc8 Rxc8 42.Nxe5) 41.Rh5+ Bh6 42.Qf7 mate

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