Alex Sherzer vs Julio Kaplan (1988) Pawn of the Dead

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Alex Sherzer vs Julio Kaplan
"Pawn of the Dead" (game of the day Jul-30-2007)
16th World Open (1988), Philadelphia, PA USA
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation. Keres Attack (B81) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 3 times; par: 70 [what's this?]

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Jul-30-07		Alphalegacy: zugzwang!

Jul-30-07		chessgames.com: Just to avoid misunderstandings, please note that Alex Sherzer is alive and well, the pun is just a play on the title of a cult-classic horror movie and otherwise bears no special significance.

Jul-30-07		Timothy Glenn Forney: Chess strategy in action.Great Game!

Jul-30-07		BAG: I think they mean Shawn of the Dead, but I dont think that pawn in this game is a zombie

Jul-30-07		AliMatok: thats DAWN OF THE DEAD Movie

Jul-30-07		BAG: Too many zombie movies

Jul-30-07		RandomVisitor: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.g4 Nc6 7.g5 Nd7 8.Be3 Be7 9.h4 0–0 10.Qd2 a6 11.0–0–0 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 b5 13.Kb1 Qa5 last book move 14.h5 0.35/15 Bb7± 1.09 14...b4 15.Ne2 Nc5 16.Bh3 Qb5 17.Ng3 Rd8 18.h6 e5 19.Qd2 Bxh3 20.Rxh3 g6 0.35 15.h6 1.17/19 e5 1.17/18 16.Qd2 1.17/16 g6 1.17/18 17.Nd5 1.17/21 Qd8 1.15/17 18.Nxe7+ 1.13/16 Qxe7 1.19/18 19.Bg2² 0.61 19.f3 Rfd8 20.Qxd6 Qxd6 21.Rxd6 Nf8 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.Bh3 Ne6 24.Bg4 Kf8 25.Kc1 Ke7 1.19 19...Nc5 0.58/17 20.Qxd6² 0.35 20.Rh4 Rfd8 21.Qa5 Rac8 22.a3 Na4 23.Rd2 Qc7 24.Qb4 Qc4 25.Bf3 Qxb4 26.axb4 Rc4 0.58 20...Qxd6 0.35/23 21.Rxd6 0.24/17 Nxe4 0.37/22 22.Bxe4 0.25/17 Bxe4 0.38/22 23.Rhd1 0.37/21 Rfc8² 0.50 23...Rac8 24.R1d2 Rc6 25.Rxc6 Bxc6 26.Bc5 Re8 27.b3 e4 28.Kb2 Re5 29.Rd8+ Re8 30.Rd1 0.37 24.R1d2 0.48/19 Kf8 0.50/19 25.f4= 0.15 25.b4 Bf5 26.Bc5 Kg8 27.f3 e4 28.fxe4 Bxe4 29.Kb2 Bf5 30.Rb6 Re8 31.a3 Re6 0.50 25...exf4² 0.35 25...Rc4 26.fxe5 Rac8 27.Rxa6 Bxc2+ 28.Ka1 b4 29.Ra5 Rh4 30.Rg2 Rh3 31.Bb6 Be4 32.Rg1 0.15 26.Bxf4 0.35/18 Rc4² 0.62 26...Rc6 27.R6d4 Re6 28.b3 Bc6 29.Rd6 Rc8 30.Rxe6 fxe6 31.Kb2 Bd5 32.Bd6+ Ke8 33.Rf2 0.35 27.Be5 0.56/16 Re8± 0.87 27...Rcc8 28.Re2 Bf5 29.b3 Kg8 30.Kb2 Re8 31.Rb6 Bg4 32.Re1 Re6 33.Rxe6 Bxe6 34.Rd1 0.56 28.Bg7+ 0.87/24 Kg8 0.87/22 29.b3 0.87/22 Rc6 0.87/24 30.Kb2 0.87/22 Rxd6 0.88/23 31.Rxd6 0.90/20 Ra8 1.15/23 32.Bf6 0.96/23 Kf8 0.96/22 33.c4 0.96/23 bxc4 0.96/22 34.bxc4 0.96/20 Ke8 1.85 34...a5 35.Kc3 0.96 35.Kc3± 0.96 35.Ka3 Rc8 36.Kb4 Bc6 37.a4 a5+ 38.Kxa5 Bd7 39.c5 Rxc5+ 40.Kb6 Rc8 41.a5 Rb8+ 1.85 35...Bf5 2.27 35...a5 36.Rd2 Bf5 37.c5 Rc8 38.Kd4 Be6 39.Rb2 a4 40.Rb4 Bxa2 41.Rxa4 Be6 42.Ra7 0.96 36.c5 2.27/25 Bd7 2.27/25 37.Kd4 1.99/20 a5? 4.65 37...Rc8 38.Rxa6 Bc6 39.Ra7 Bg2 40.Kc4 Bf3 41.Re7+ Kf8 42.a4 Ra8 43.Kb4 Rb8+ 44.Kc3 1.99 38.c6 4.56/23 Be6? #16 38...Bxc6 39.Rxc6 Kd7 40.Kc5 a4 41.Rd6+ Kc7 42.Rd2 Ra5+ 43.Kb4 Rf5 44.Kxa4 Rf4+ 45.Kb5 4.56 39.c7 #16/20 Bd7 #15/21 40.Kc5 #11/9 a4 #8/7 41.Kb6 #8/6 Rc8 #7/5 42.Kb7 #6/4 1–0

Jul-30-07		John Galt: It would seem to this patzer that 29.Rd8 would be a quick win

Jul-30-07		John Galt: On further analysis - NEVERMIND!

Jul-30-07		Peligroso Patzer: I have trouble seeing how the pun fits today's Game of the Day. The game that the pun "Pawn of the Dead" recalled to my mind was the following: Ljubojevic vs Miles, 1980 In the position (from the above-linked game) after 25. ♘f3, Black's position appears to be "dead", but the e5-pawn (which began the game on f7) is about to perform heroics that (together with a little help from a timely Queen sacrifice) completely turn the tables on poor Ljubomir Ljubojevic. As far as the aptness of the pun "pawn of the dead" is concerned, it is also very sadly the case that the great Tony Miles is no longer with us, having succumbed to heart failure in 2001.

Jul-30-07		kevin86: Zugzwang on black. He only wishes he was a zombie and didn't have to move. Is there anything deader than the pawn on h7? If the game went on another hundred moves,he might reach as far as the third rank!

Jul-30-07		mworld: <John Galt: It would seem to this patzer that 29.Rd8 would be a quick win> this is the move im still struggling to look at it too.

Jul-30-07		RandomVisitor: On 29.Rd8 there is Bxc2+ 30.Ka1 (Rxc2 Rxd8) Rc8 and if 31.Rxe8+ Rxe8 32.Rxc2 Re1+ leads to mate

Jul-30-07		fm avari viraf: When a "Keres Attack" is played lots of pyro techniques is expected. But here, nothing of the sort & just a boring routine manouvering that landed Black in zugswang which gives a sigh of relief.

Jul-30-07		RandomVisitor: 19.f3 wins a pawn...

Jul-30-07		mworld: < RandomVisitor: On 29.Rd8 there is Bxc2+ 30.Ka1 (Rxc2 Rxd8) Rc8 and if 31.Rxe8+ Rxe8 32.Rxc2 Re1+ leads to mate > Thanks for explaining that one to me - for some reason 30....Rc8 was eluding me. appreciate it.

Jul-30-07		Andrew Chapman: Is Black's mistake to allow 18.Nxe7+? With the holes on the dark squares around his king, wouldn't it have been better to retreat the bishop or take off the knight on move 17?

Jul-30-07		crafty: 29. ♖d8 ♗xc2+ 30. ♔a1 ♖c8 31. ♖xc8 ♖xc8 32. b3 ♗e4 = (eval -0.24; depth 17 ply; 250M nodes)

Nov-09-16		clement41: Amazing zugzwang. Zugzwang happening in an actual game AND with at least two pieces + pawns each is a rarity!

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