Nigel Short vs Jonathan Speelman (1988)

Nigel Short vs Jonathan Speelman
London 46/165 1988 · Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack (B09) · 0-1

To move:

Last move:

explore this opening	find similar games	35 more Short/Speelman games
sac: 23...Bxf6	PGN: download \| view	Help: general \| java-troubleshooting

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Apr-22-05		Takya Kotov: I was actually present in the Barbican Centre in London in 1988 where this game was being played. It caused quite a stir at the time, both in the analysis room upstairs and around the world. It was quite a well known game. Funny how it does not seem worthy of comment now.

Apr-22-05		aw1988: <Takya Kotov> Indeed; if I recall correctly, didn't they state at the time that 22. fxe6 wins?

Nov-06-05		aw1988: Yasser Seirawan annotates, so I'm revisiting this game. 22. f6? is a blunder. I was not actually at the place where it was played, but I heard that afterward one grandmaster stated "fxe6!!, and White has good chances". This is garbage, of course. Perhaps a case of chess blindness...

Jun-14-08		hedgeh0g: How is 22. f6 a blunder? I don't see anything better for White.

Jun-14-08		whiteshark: <hedgeh0g: How is 22. f6 a blunder? I don't see anything better for White.> Exactly! The final blunder is not until 32.dxe4, whereas <32.Rxe4!> would have prevented black from playing 32...Qe3. Furthermore <31.Qe2> (instead of 31.Nc1) looks like a strong alternative here.

Jun-17-08		kingscrusher: This was a brilliant game. I video annotated it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj_6...

Jun-17-08		luzhin: The strange thing is that Speelman admitted at the time that he had missed 22.f6 altogether! In that sense he was lucky; but of course he is a great fighter-- or was then.

Mar-06-11		Caissas Clown: Takya - hello. I was there,too - the London Central Chess Club assisted the match organisers. I was struck by seeing Jon after this win , casually walking out with a hessian bag over his shoulder. Fine player , lovely chap. How nice that in our world,the "heroes" are not drug-addicted groupie magnets !

Mar-07-11		perfidious: Speelman annotates this game in his best games collection; an interesting struggle. The book is well worth it, if it can still be found.

Feb-20-12		Tigranny: What was 17.Bg1 for?

Feb-20-12		Shams: <What was 17.Bg1 for?> Nigel had recently watched "Beckett" and didn't want his Bishop straying too far from the King.

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