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Ossip Bernstein vs Miguel Najdorf
Montevideo 1954  ·  Old Indian Defense: Normal Variation (A55)  ·  1-0


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sac: 21.Nd5 PGN: download | view Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-08-02   morphynoman3: An splendid game by Bernstein. Its really a swan song.
Mar-25-03
Premium Chessgames Member
  Green Bishop: If 25...Bxd4 26. Re7,Qf5 27. Bxd4,Qxc2 28. Bxg7+,Kh7 29. Bxf8+,Kg6 30. Bf7+,Kf6 31. Bg7+,Kxg7 (Kf5 32. Re5++) 32. Bb3+ with an easy win.

This game is a masterpiece. Bernstein was 72 years old! (Najdorf was 44).

Mar-25-03   kostich in time: Reinfeld includes this game in his book, Great Brilliancy Prize Games of the Chess Masters.According to reinfeld, a newspaper called Bernstein "the grandfather of chess" Reinfelds comment was Bernsteins play was anything but gradfatherly.Its a great demonstration of the power of a bishop battery..
Feb-25-04   Whitehat1963: Great show of calculation.
Apr-01-04   capanegra: 29.Re8!! must have shocked Don Miguel. Terrible power of those “Jans”! Had the legendary David lived to see this game, he would have envied Bernstein.
May-12-04   nikolaas: Montevideo 1954, Najdorf protesting: "That guy (Bernstein) is much too old to participate in such a tournament!" Bernstein beated him... San sebastian I don't know when, Bernstein protesting: "That guy (Capablanca) is much too young to participate in such a tournament!" Capablanca beated him...
Nov-24-04   aw1988: San Sebastian 1911.
Feb-01-05   fgh: <nikolaas>: actually, there is also a similar story about San Sebastian 1911.

Before the tournament has began, Capablanca was very lucky about being here, because Nimzowitsch complained that such a weak player as Capablanca should not have been invited. Capablanca not only beated Nimzowitsch in the first round, but also won the tournament.

;-))))

May-07-05   OverDjinn: Two days ago I used this game to teach a student how to analyze the board for tactics. Remarkably good play from the white side of the board but, from the black side, we are presented with an interesting type of plan failure. Najdorf, with moves like 15…f5?! Is really playing dangerous and exciting ideas at a time before the full force of the center was known for attack and defense purposes. Indian players today would be aware that a kingside pawn assault in this and similar positions almost always fails even to a positional treatment by white, thanks to his lordship in the center, but Nadjdorf, not having our databases was really on the cusp of strategy taking risks, I think. It seems obvious to me at least that most modern players would have thrown in 15…b6, develop the bishop and stop white’s queenside from cramping his game but what about 17…Bf6? A weak move, considering black’s incredible queenside deficiencies could be alleviated with a trade of the e6 knight, via 17…Ng5! 18. Nxg5 Bxg5 and the white queen’s bishop has room to breathe, the rooks to be connected, etc. How would modern experts/masters handle this idea? Anyway, 21. Nd5! Was really startling.
Nov-29-05   blingice: A lot of sacrifices...
Feb-13-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: I had seen some of Bernsteins losses to Capablana. I had no idea he was still playing during the 1950s. This is really a nice game. I'm assuming 34 Re8+ works as well; it even has the advantage of attacking the rook when the pawn goes to d7.
Sep-01-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: Bernstein was about 72 years old when he played this. To beat a world class player such as Najdorf at that age, wow!
Nov-24-09   newzild: This won the brilliancy prize, if I recall correctly. Maybe it should be a game of the day?
Nov-24-09   newzild: I guess we'd need a pun "(something) killed the 'video star"?
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