We probably need to find some original sources to be sure, but it's looking like the pretty version given here might be just analysis.>

<Phony Benoni> Nezh's autobiography also gives a different score, making three, as has already been pointed out by another kibbutzer.

I find it a bit shoddy on the part of CG.com to publish the "prettiest score" which is almost certainly not what actually happened. I really doubt Lilienthal "didn't see the mate coming" or decided to "let Nezh make the pretty moves" just for the sake of it.

I think the administrators care more about making a "cute pun" and posting the "sexiest game score" than they do about actual chess history. I find this appalling, and I expect better from this administration. A great deal better.

Also, that's almost certainly a myth that Nezh did his analysis "from memory."

It's possible this myth gained ground because of a misreading or misunderstanding of two passages from Nezh's autobiography:

<"Before the next All-Union Category I Championship I was hospitalized for a long time. I took along a book of Kubbel's endgame studies and solved them without a board in my spare time.">

And this:

<"Unfortunately I was unable to keep even one game played between 1936 and 1946.">

This was due to personal upheaval in his life, including World War II. Nezh does not post any analysis of games played during this period, indicating that he liked to have an actual game score in front of him before printing any analysis.

<Nezhmetdinov's Best Games of Chess> Rashid Nezhmetdinov
Caissa edtions, 2000
pp. 10-11

It strikes me that which game score to publish is among the most important kind of decision.

I'd like to believe that some actual research is involved in that process- I see no evidence that is the case here.

I doubt the administrators have read any of the kibbutzes on this page.

I'm going to email them and find out for myself.

It won't do, my dear <PB>, the published game score on this page is bollocks and I want an accounting for it.

I've got Pishkin's book and Nezhmetdinov's own autobiography open, in front of me, right now, which is how I know the game score here is bollocks.

[Event "URS-ch sf"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Date "1951.??.??"]
[Round "17"]
[White "Lilienthal, Andor"]
[Black "Nezhmetdinov, Rashid"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E67"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[EventDate "1951.??.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "19"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1998.11.10"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. g3 exd4 6. Nxd4 g6 7. Bg2 Bg7 8.O-O O-O 9. b3 Nc5 10. b4 Ne6 11. Nb3 Nd7 12. Bb2 Ne5 13. Na5 Nd4 14. Na4 c5 15.a3 Bg4 16. Bxd4 cxd4 17. h3 Be6 18. c5 b5 19. cxb6 axb6 20. Bxa8 Qxa8 21. Nxb6 Qa6 22. Na4 Bxh3 23. Rc1 d3 24. exd3 Qa8 25. f3 Ng4 0-1

17.h3 was played by Nezh.

Besides, we have access to resources that the admins might not. I think we need to see:

1) the full score from the Pishkin book (I can get this at home later if nobody wants to bother);

2) the full score from the Nezhmetidinov book;

The whole score (It is all I have; Jessica has the Nezh book) in the Pishkin book is as follows:

" 17.h3...After a long think, Lilienthal believed his opponent and refused to take the b7 pawn. Let's examine what his decision means-was it a fatal hesitation or prudence? Observe:

A. 17.Bxb7 Re8! [Nezh gives the following variation in his analysis: 17...h5 but this is hardly correct: 18.Bxa8 Qxa8 19.f3 Bh3 20.Rf2 d3 21.e4 Nxf3+ 22.Qxf3 Bxa1 23.Nb3 Be5 24.Qxd3. The attack wasn't a success; the move 17...h5 derives no benefit for black] 18.Bxa8 [18.f3 does not strengthen the position: 18...Bh3 19.Bxa8 Qxa8! 20.Rf2 d3 21.Ra2 Bh6! 22.f4 Ng4 23.exd3 Nxf2 24.Rxf2 Bxg7 25.Nb3 Re3! with the most dangerous threat of Qe8]"

after some more variation, Pishkin writes: "So, we can conclude that Lilienthal made the wrong decision by not taking on b7. It would have been better to play 17.Nxb7 with equal chances. Now, the initiative is in Black's hands."

Until proven otherwise, I assume Pishkin's score is correct, and if I understood correctly, it agrees with Nezhs' book. Maybe Jessica can confirm this.

1) The score given on this page appears to be analysis, either by Nezhmetdinov or based on his work.

2) We have three other versions of the game:

a) An alternate score given by chessgames.com: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/dupe...

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g3 g6 6.Bg2 Bg7 7.O-O O-O 8.b3 exd4 9.Nxd4 Nc5 10.b4 Ne6 11.Nb3 Nd7 12.Bb2 Ne5 13.Na5 Nd4 14.a3 c5 15.Na4 Bg4 16.Bxd4 cxd4 17.h3 Be6 18.c5 b5 19.cxb6 axb6 20.Bxa8 Qxa8 21.Nxb6 Qa6 22.Na4 d3 23.exd3 Bxh3 24.Rc1 Qa8 25.f3 Ng4 26.Nc4 Bd4+ 27.Kh1 Qd5 28.Rc2 Bxf1 0-1

b) Another 28-move version given by Pishkin, possibly based on Nezhmetdinov's own version:

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g3 exd4 6.Nxd4 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 9.b3 Nc5 10. b4 Ne6 11.Nb3 Nd7 12. Bb2 Ne5 13.Na5 Nd4 14. Na4 c5 15.a3 Bg4 16.Bxd4 cxd4 17.h3 Be6 18.c5 b5 19.cxb6 axb6 20.Bxa8 Qxa8 21.Nxb6 Qa6 22.Na4 Bxh3 23.Rc1 d3 24.exd3 Qa8 25.f3 Ng4 26.Nc4 Bd4+ 27.Kh1 Qd5 28.Rc2 Bxf1 0-1

c) A version found by <Chessdreamer> and <Albertfan> in various online databases:

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g3 exd4 6.Nxd4 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 9.b3 Nc5 10.b4 Ne6 11.Nb3 Nd7 12.Bb2 Ne5 13.Na5 Nd4 14.Na4 c5 15.a3 Bg4 16.Bxd4 cxd4 17.h3 Be6 18.c5 b5 19.cxb6 axb6 20.Bxa8 Qxa8 21.Nxb6 Qa6 22.Na4 Bxh3 23.Rc1 d3 24.exd3 Qa8 25.f3 Ng4 0-1

The differences among these are three transpositions and the length of the game. First, did White resign after move 25 or move 28? Here's the position after 25...Ng4:

click for larger view

Over-the-board, I don't know if this is resignable. There are a lot of possibilities for White, and Black's advantage is not at all obvious. By contrast, the position after move 28 is definitely lost.

For the transpositions, the chessgames.com alternate score differs from all the others. On sheer numbers the "others" are probably correct, but let's take a brief look anyway. I'll give the chessgames.com alternate score move order first.

1) after <5.g3>:

click for larger view

5...g6 6.Bg2 Bg7 7.O-O O-O 8.b3 exd4 9.Nxd4 <vs.> 5...exd4 6.Nxd4 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 9.b3

2) after <13...Nd4>

click for larger view

14.a3 c5 15.Na4 <vs.> 14.Na4 c5 15.a3.

3) after <22.Na4>

click for larger view

22...d3 23.exd3 Bxh3 24.Rc1 <vs.> 22...Bxh3 23.Rc1 d3 24.exd3

None of these transpositions really seem to matter much. I think that 5...exd4 is probably more likely than 5...g6, simply because I've found that actual games tend to have unusual rather than "standard" move-orders in an attempt to transpose favorably. It would take some close analysis to find differences between the other two lines.

I will visit this page in the next few days, to see if there are any developments.

with gratitude,

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g3 exd4 6.Nxd4 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 9.b3 Nc5 10. b4 Ne6 11.Nb3 Nd7 12. Bb2 Ne5 13.Na5 Nd4 14. Na4 c5 15.a3 Bg4 16.Bxd4 cxd4 17.h3 Be6 18.c5 b5 19.cxb6 axb6 20.Bxa8 Qxa8 21.Nxb6 Qa6 22.Na4 Bxh3 23.Rc1 d3 24.exd3 Qa8 25.f3 Ng4 26.Nc4 Bd4+ 27.Kh1 Qd5 28.Rc2 Bxf1 White Resigns. 0-1

I think that <Rashid Nehzmetdinov> should be credited with being most likely to have the correct score for this game- since he freaking played it, and annotated it himself in his own autobiography.