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Vasily Smyslov vs Anatoli Karpov
9, Leningrad URS ch 1971  ·  Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense. Pillsbury Variation (D41)  ·  1-0


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Kibitzer's Corner
Nov-26-03   humblespirit: power of an isolated pawn.
Jan-21-05   Everett: Instead of 10...Nf6, 10...Bf6 should be played, keeping the well posted knight blockading the square, playing g6 when needed (to prevent any Greek gifts) and expand on the Q-side with a6 and b5 or b6 if a4 from white.
Dec-11-05   chesscrazy: White missed 14.d5! because if 14...exd5, then 15.Bg5 (threatening 16.Bxf6 and 17.Qxh7 mate)15...g6 (to stop the queen from crashing into h7)16.Rxe7! Qxe7 17.Nxd5 winning material.
Jan-28-07   morphyvsfischer: Ah, the perfect example of the power of an IQP, as well as Tarrasch's viewpoint that an IQP is always favorable for the possesor. In this game, 18...exd5 looks necessary, although black is worse positionally. 19...Qh5 20 d5! leads to a very interesting position, with black annihilated on either the Qside or the Kside e.g. 20...exd5 21 Qxb6 Qxh6 22 Qxb7 or 20...Bc5 21 Qf4 exd5 22 Rxe8+ Rxe8 23 g4! Qh3 24 Ng5.
Apr-20-08   mcgee: >>White missed 14.d5! because if 14...exd5, then 15.Bg5 (threatening 16.Bxf6 and 17.Qxh7 mate)15...g6 (to stop the queen from crashing into h7)16.Rxe7! Qxe7 17.Nxd5 winning material.<<

after 17...Nxd5 18 Bxe7 Ncxe7 Black has rook and knight for queen and his pieces aren't placed that badly - the d5 knight could swing to f4 if White tries to finish it off quickly, for example. IMHO Smyslov's continuation is more telling as the pressure of the K-side attack is not released...

Aug-13-08   Woody Wood Pusher: If 14 d5 black can just play 14...Nb8, 15. dxe6, Qxd3 16. Bxd3, Bxf3 (+0.1 eval Mastaer Chess 32 bit 20 MHz) so it kind of wastes his positional pressure for very little IMO.

18...exd5 19 b4, b5 20 Bb3, Qd7 21 Rc1 seems favourable for black (-0.5 eval MC)

18...Qxd5 seems slightly worse (-0.3) but still OK for black.

19...Bd6 seems better then 20...Ne7 if there is time, looking for a d5 jump. I might even trade Rook for Bishop to secure Knight d5 but once Be7 moves, that pawn rolls!

MC gives 19...Qa5 as -0.2

20...Qd7 is also possible but 20...Qh5 changes the MC eval to favourable for white +1.4 (and climbing with think time!) so this seems to be the main mistake.

I am sure Karpov learned a lot form this loss though, especially since he grew into the King of IP positions!

Aug-13-08   Spree K: <<If 14 d5 black can just play 14...Nb8, 15. dxe6, Qxd3 16. Bxd3, Bxf3 (+0.1 eval Mastaer Chess 32 bit 20 MHz) so it kind of wastes his positional pressure for very little IMO.>>

Personally I'd take the bishop pair and an extra (although doubled on an open file) pawn over positional pressure although Smyslov obviously finished the game brilliantly, Black could have defended better. It seems as though throughout your post you give a lot of credit to computer evaluations. Did you actually look at these lines yourself or just give us the evaluations and lines directly from the computer?

Aug-13-08   Woody Wood Pusher: I looked at a number of the lines suggested by the computer and only posted the most interesting or the ones I thought were correct from a human point of view as well. I was interested in finding the 'turning point' of the computer's analysis, it does seem to be 20...Qh5 after which white takes a definite and dangerous initiative.
Aug-14-08   drukenknight: what is wrong w/ 21...b5?
Aug-14-08   Woody Wood Pusher: 21...b5?? 22. dxc6 and black goes a knight down for a pawn
Aug-15-08   drukenknight: oh hell, I thought the B was on a4, gee let me set this up again, sorry..
Aug-15-08   drukenknight: woody instead of your 19..Bd6 would not 19...R(e)d8 be better?
Aug-15-08   Woody Wood Pusher: 19...Red8 also seems OK, but 19...Bd6 has the plus of allowing the knight to go to e7 and potentially d5, blocking the pawn for good. The computer likes 19...Qa5

I think Karpov's choice is probably consistent with his style, he isn't Petrosian and doesn't just want to lock the position up but seems to be trying to initiate play against the IP. Unfortunately his plan fails to the tactics which keep it rolling.

Aug-16-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Red October: hard lesson for Karpov by Smyslov.... impressive
Aug-16-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Maybe <12...Ba6> to obstruct a further 13.Qd3 development.


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Aug-16-08   Woody Wood Pusher: 12...Ba6 is interesting, I can see ur idea but after 13. Qd2, Rc8 14 b4! black loses an important tempo because he must move knight or bishop because of 15 b5
Aug-16-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: <Woody Wood Pusher: <12...Ba6 is interesting, I can see ur idea but after 13. Qd2, Rc8 14 b4! black loses an important tempo because he must move knight or bishop because of 15 b5>>

After <12...Ba6 13.Qd2 Rc8 14.b4!>

you may react against the 15.b5 with <14...Bc4>

or ignore it while creating further counterplay on the c-file with <14...Qc7!>, e.g. <15.Bb2 Bc4 16.Rac1 Rfd8>


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In both cases no tempo loss at any rate. :D

Aug-16-08   Woody Wood Pusher: Well IMO if 14...Qc7 white can play 15. b5, Nd8 16 Bb2 and then the bishop has to retreat to 16...Bb7 or 16...Bc8 which in my book is a loss of tempo.

14...Bc4 and the bishop will get kicked around a few moves later once white plays Bb2 or Bg5 and Rc1, IMO setting up too many tactical threats involving Nd5 and ideas like Bxh7 +

Aug-16-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: <Woody Wood Pusher: <Well IMO if 14...Qc7 white can play 15. b5, Nd8 16 Bb2 and then the bishop has to retreat to 16...Bb7 or 16...Bc8 which in my book is a loss of tempo.>>

Right, but what is about <15...Na5 16.bxa6 Qxc3> ?


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No retreat so far...

Aug-16-08   Woody Wood Pusher: 16 Bb2 was my line, 16 bxa6 is clearly inferior, you might as well post a line beginning 16. Rxe6 and say black is better lol.
Aug-16-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: <Woody Wood Pusher: <16 Bb2 was my line,...>>

<16.bxa6> is clearly better, you might as well post a line beginning <16.Bb2> and say white is better. Whoops, actually you did it. lol.

Well, <16...Nc4> and Black wins a piece.


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:D

Aug-16-08   Woody Wood Pusher: I like the way black rook and queen have magically appeared on c-file without using any tempo....if black plays like that then losing a piece is the last of white's worries LMAO
Sep-20-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  notyetagm: White to play: 28 ?


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28 Qd8xBf8+! <clearance for d7-d8>


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28 ... Qh6xQf8 29 d7-d8=Q 1-0


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28 Qd8xBf8+! is a great example of the <CLEARANCE> theme, vacating the d8-promotion square with <GAIN OF TIME (CHECK)> so that the d8-square is then available for the White d7-passer and 29 d7-d8=Q, winning B for P.

Nov-03-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  KingG: <Woody Wood Pusher> <If 14 d5 black can just play 14...Nb8, 15. dxe6, Qxd3 16. Bxd3, Bxf3 (+0.1 eval Mastaer Chess 32 bit 20 MHz) so it kind of wastes his positional pressure for very little IMO.> What about 14.d5 Nb8 15.Ng5 ? Now Black must sacrifice the exchange for a pawn with 15...Rxc3, but after 16.Qxc3 Bxd5 17.Bf4, I doubt Black has enough compensation.


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May-23-09   randomsac: Once again, the vacant spot where a fianchettoed bishop is supposed to be is not covered. White got his bishop to pin down black's piece, and black had to spend so much time warding off any direct attack on his king that white had a chance to promote the pawn. Stupid pawn holes!

a real life chess murder mystery
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