| Jun-28-17 | | ughaibu: This is my favourite Krogius game from the 25th Soviet championship. In a difficult position Krogius either loses or sacrifices a pawn, but he has counter-play. Taimanov then sacrifices both exchanges, and things dance on the edge for a while until it turns out that white is over committed. |
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Jun-28-17
 | | ChessHigherCat: wouldn't say Krogius sacrificed the pawn with 21. Qxc5 because he really had no other choice: if dxc5 d6! loses a piece and similarly if Nxc5 fxe dxe d6! |
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| Jun-28-17 | | ughaibu: Sure, but he didn't have to get into that position. So if it was a sacrifice, the decision was made before Kg7. |
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Jun-28-17
| | ChessHigherCat: Black played Kg7 because he was worried about g5? It seems impossible that the whole crazy end game was planned out by either side. |
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Jun-28-17
| | ChessHigherCat: 39...Kf7??? 40. Be6+ Ke7 (if Kf8 41. Qa8+ Rb8 Qxb8+) 41. Qxg7+ |
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| Jun-28-17 | | ughaibu: Instead of Kg7, couldn't he have played b6? If so, I don't yet think we can discount the possibility that the loss of a pawn was intentional. |
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Jun-28-17
| | ChessHigherCat: I was thinking that I definitely would have played b6 instead of Kg7 but then I saw that g5 was a problem because the rooks aren't connected. |
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| Jun-28-17 | | ughaibu: Do you mean g4? In reply, why not capture on f4 then play the knight to e5? |
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Jun-28-17
| | ChessHigherCat: Right, I meant 19. g4, sorry, so there's no pawn on f4 yet. If 19…Kg7 20. gxh5 Rxh5 21. Rxh5 gxh5 and now 22. f4 with a discovered attack on the h pawn and Bxh5 would be strong in combination with Qxc4 (although the bishop on d2 is perfectly placed to control the future Knight on e5, depending on the variation) |
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| Jun-29-17 | | ughaibu: Okay, but we were considering the merits of b6 as an alternative to Kg7 for black at move 19, and that's after white played f4. |
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Jun-29-17
| | ChessHigherCat: Okay, I see. So 19. f4 and the question is why not play 19...b3 20. g4 exf4? The main options for white are 21. hxg5 or Qxc4. If 21. Qxc4 and Ne5, then 22. b5 axb5 (if ...Qa4 23. Kd2 -- if Qxa3 I think the Q gets trapped with Ra1 and Rhb1 -- with the idea of doubling on the f file) 23. Nxb5. |
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| Jun-29-17 | | ughaibu: 19...b6, 20.g4 exf4, 21.Qxf4 Ne5, 22.b5 a5 or 21.gxh5 Ne5. In both cases it's not clear to me that black is worse off than in the game. So kg7 does not look to me to have been forced. |
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Jun-29-17
| | ChessHigherCat: I don't know, it's so complex it's a question for Stockfish. There are lots of complications with the h file. Interesting position anyway, thanks for posting the game. |
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| Jun-29-17 | | ughaibu: And thank you for discussing it with me. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 28...Rb8