| Jul-15-03 |
| drukenknight: Here is a classic endgame. You might want to test your theories of the isolated pawn in this setting which looks very equal.
The game was adjourned when white sealed his 47th move. The position is about as equal as you can get. Both sides have 5 connected pawns but Black has a passed pawn and white has an isolated pawn. Eventually the isolated pawn is used to get white's R more active, more or less gaining tempo. at the adjournment, Korchnoi and company had analyzed up to blacks 49th when he seemed to go awry. Keene believes that 49...Rg1 is the correct continuation followed by 50 a6 bxa6 51 Re6!? a5 52 Rxc6 Rg3+ w/ no clear win. I would think in that line 52...b4+ may be better.
winning the h pawn by the check on g3 is probably not the way to go. |
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| Jul-16-03 |
| aulero: Are we sure that Korchnoi played 18. fc1?
I don't see any combination or compensation after either 18... xb4 or 19...xb4 or 20...xb4. In my opinion Korchnoi played 18.fb1. |
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| Jul-16-03 |
| JGD: Yes, 18. Rfb1 was the move actually played in this game. I have seen it before since it was an inportant moment for Korchnoi in the '78 match. |
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| Jul-17-03 |
| drunknight II: definite confirmation on that move 18 Rfb1, according to Keenes book. This was one of at least 5 very good end games that came out of this match. This was game 31 which evened the match at 5 wins apiece, but Korch. finally lost game 32 and the match. He had come back from being down 5-2. if you like studying end games this one is a classic to study at move 47. There are several ways it can go, in one case, both sides get 2 passed and connected pawns. In another, the pawns get broken and one player gets a passed pawn on the K side. Either way, it should hold for a draw. |
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| Jul-18-03 |
| drukenknight: Also in the later stages of this end game, it looks like 63...a4 is a problem. swapping rooks will not work 63...Rb4+ 64 Kxa5 RxR 65 pxR+ and black will lose the endgame. But 63....Re5 maybe better, pinning the passed pawn is a recurring motiff in R vs R endgames that is used to draw |
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| Mar-27-04 |
| morphyvsfischer: 57 ... Rc4! saves the game for Black |
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| May-15-04 |
| mtatewaki: Korchnoi was a great master of endgame, in this match he outplayed Karpov couple of times in endings which looked drawish... |
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| May-15-04 |
| Malacha: In Korchnoi's book "Practical Rook Endings" he says that this game held the most complicated ending he had ever seen.He gives an indepth analysis of the game from move 47.f5 til the end.He advices that anyone that does not have at least a master title should not try at all to understand this game in full.But goes on to say that by studying the game anyone should be able to learn some useful methods of play.I have studied this game over and over again.If anyone would like to discuss it indepth,I'd like to have your input. |
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| May-15-04 |
| Jim Bartle: What was the match score when this game was played? |
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| May-15-04 |
| Malacha: <Jim Bartel> Before this game,Karpov lead 5-4 with 21 draws.By winning this game Korchnoi achieved tieing the match by winning 3 and drawing 1 in the last 4 games. |
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| Dec-03-04 |
| offramp: Karpov is good at R+p endings but he was totally outclassed in this one. |
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| Feb-01-05 |
| GreenDayGuy: I agree. To me, it looked like white came back from behind to win with two extra pawns. Great play Korchnoi! |
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| Feb-24-06 |
| McCool: That's a nice Viktory against Karpov. |
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| Mar-09-06 |
| n30: this might be a bit blunt ;), but i hate pawn end games. My "feeling" always tells me the wrong moves. Watching this game I am puzzled by almost every move from move 45 to the end... |
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| May-03-06 |
| offramp: On the 29th April 2006 on the Euston Road I shook hands with The Hand That Shook The World! |
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| Sep-01-06 |
| KOCCMOHAYT: viktor korchnoi is the most unlucky man in chess ever. never been a champion, only given a chance at the age of 47. shame to the world of chess! |
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| Dec-02-06 |
| 4daluvofchess: <KOCCMOHAYT:>
...right |
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Mar-28-07
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| Marmot PFL: I will have to read Korchnoi's notes on the game, as I have access to his book. I don't like playing positions like black's here, as when you just have to sit & wait it's too easy to go wrong. |
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| Mar-29-07 |
| elLocoEvans: Nice endgame play by Korchnoi. I doubt this pic is from the same date of the game, but that is Karpov sit and waiting...
http://www.chesspro.ru/_images/mate... |
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May-25-07
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| Pragmatist: I'll just add to Malacha's comments that in his book,"Practical Chess Endings", Korchnoi summarizes the position after move 46: "As a consequence of White's space advantage, his king is more active than the opponent's, and his a- and c-pawns are imbued with a 'dynamic force': if one of them should become a passed pawn, it will be hard to stop. Therefore White's plan must be to carry out a breakthrough by d4-d5 and a5-a6, creating a passed pawn, and then to penetrate with his rook onto the 6th or 7th rank. Unfortunately, White has no other plans - he cannot exchange rooks, because of the protected passed pawn at b5. White's position has one more drawback: his pawns are so far advanced, that in the event of the invasion by the black rook into his position, his king will have difficulty in finding a shelter against the checks. The conclusion: White's advantage is not sufficient to win the game. In my analysis of this position, I deliberately examine all its nooks and crannies, sometimes drawing attention to illogical continuations. The intention is to show the reader, and to give him an impression, of what are the most complicated methods in a rook ending..."
Korchnoi then goes on to analyze the endgame for 20 pages with 27 diagrams! So Korchnoi felt this endgame should be a draw.
I highly recommend his book to the advanced player. |
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Apr-10-08
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| Knight13: <morphyvsfischer: 57 ... Rc4! saves the game for Black > 58. c6 and I think White is slightly better, but yes it saves black! |
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| Apr-13-08 |
| beatgiant: <morphyvsfischer>,<Knight13>
<57...Rc4!>
Looks like your idea is to follow with ...Rc3 and ...b3, generating counterplay with the advanced b-pawn. And White's idea is the same as in the game, marauding with the advanced c-pawn and active king and rook. The outcome depends on a race between these two plans.How did you judge that 57...Rc4 <58. c6 and I think White is slightly better>? Do you have a line in mind? I haven't found any way for White to get an advantage here. |
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| Apr-14-08 |
| beatgiant: I was surprised by Knight13's suggested 57...Rc4 <58. c6>, since Black answers 58...Rc3 and White will lose time moving away his attacked rook. In that case, I think Black has some winning chances by pushing the queenside pawns. What I expected was 57...Rc4 <58. Rg3>, and then 58...Rc3 59. Rg8+ Kd7 60. Rg7+ Ke8 61. Rb7. To me, this looks drawish. White threatens perpetual check with Rb8+/Rb7+, and if Black opens an escape for his king with 61...h5, then 62. Kxa6. On the other hand, it looks too risky for White to play for a win in that position, again because of Black's dangerous queenside passers. Again, I'd be very interested in seeing the analysis by the others. |
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| Feb-25-09 |
| M.D. Wilson: Korchnoi's style is hard to nail down, but which historical player does he have most in common with stylistically. I think, that at his best, Korchnoi had all the elements of Lasker, coupled with a killer instinct; in a sense, though, Korchnoi has always played by his own rules. |
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| Nov-09-09 |
| remolino: Unbelievable endgame play.
49.Kc3 is an implicit sacrifize of both the a and h pawns to penetrate with the king and promote the c pawn! White combines so many ideas. This is an endgame Capablanca and Rubinstein together would be proud of. |
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