Dragoljub Velimirovic vs Istvan Csom (1974) A f8 Worse than Death

Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players ·

Kibitzing

Dragoljub Velimirovic vs Istvan Csom
"A f8 Worse than Death" (game of the day May-19-2010)
Amsterdam IBM (1974), Amsterdam NED, rd 3, Jul-18
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B90) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 23 times; par: 31 [what's this?]

explore this opening	find similar games	6 more Velimirovic/Csom games
sac: 23.Qxe8+	PGN: download \| view \| print	Help: general \| java-troubleshooting

TIP: If you register a free account you will be able to create game collections and add games and notes to them. For more information on game collections, see our Help Page.

For help with this chess viewer, please see the Olga Chess Viewer Quickstart Guide.

PREMIUM MEMBERS CAN REQUEST COMPUTER ANALYSIS [more info]

A COMPUTER ANNOTATED SCORE OF THIS GAME IS AVAILABLE. [CLICK HERE]

< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 5 OF 5 · Later Kibitzing>
Apr-05-12		belgradegambit: Its funny. It took me a while to solve this puzzle despite the fact I was the one who submitted this game 2 years ago!

Apr-05-12		LoveThatJoker: <sevenseaman> 22. Bxf7+! Rxf7 23. Qe8+ Rf8 24. Qe6+ Kh8 25. Rxd4 h6 26. d7 Qc7 <27. Qxf6!> is the way I would play it. LTJ

Apr-05-12		chessgames.com: <jacc123456: What is wrong with the board? It doesnt show up.> It seems that there is a new round of updates going around for certain browsers that is causing some people problems. If you cannot see the chessboard above, we recommend the following: 1. First visit http://www.java.com/ and install their package. They will figure out the right one to use for your machine. It fixes this problem 9 times out of 10. 2. Failing that, you can always switch your viewing preferences to the one called "pgn4web" which works on cell phones, iPads, etc. It's virtually guaranteed to work.

Apr-05-12		kevin86: A good one-the ironic pin at the end is the capper. The rook can leave and it can't stay!

Apr-05-12		sevenseaman: <LoveThatJoker> <27. Qxf6> looks ok; may be shorter route to the win.

Apr-05-12		cyclon: I'll come up today with the 'hypothesis' 22. Bxf7+ Rxf7 ( -Kh8? 23. Bxe8 Rxe8 24. d7 ) 23. Qxe8+ Nxe8 ( if -Rf8, then simply 24. Qe6+ followed by, for example, 25. g4 - White is exchange up with a bind, not bad ) 24. Rxe8+ Rf8 25. d7 A-N-D this is the idea behind the 'hypothesis' - if 25. -Qh4/d6/c7 to prevent d-pawn from Queening, then White moves 26. Rf1 winning. Or, if 25. -Qh5 comes 26. Rde1 Qh4/g5 ( -Qd5 27. Rxf8+ Kxf8 28. Re8+ wins ) 27. Rf1 and again Black is lost. Yet, if ( after 25. d7 ) 25. -Qb8, then 26. Rde1 and Black is actually out of moves ( 26. -Kf7 27. Rf1+, or for example 26. -Qd8 27. Rxd8 Rxd8 28. Re8+, cufflinks.

Apr-05-12		chrisowen: I father guest in 22nd gobstopper ha lovely on exodus see bb3 thee in framing little, boy of trick it jelly in zen for bxf7+ rxf7 23.qxe8+ nxe8 24.rxe8+ rf8 25.pd7 look it rid a crest loot for queen potential leg in call it sherbet flop at check queenh2 hugs tiff any light of day for one stim at e7q fashion near it port in d6 er vis handy it bed in far go rce8 here angels filling 24.rxe8+ in seems it dolly up resentful queen cant stop in d7 low and behold ive an idea train down queen unable re has bro 25...qb8? 26.rde1! white see retain e8 rook up wins even though in queen you pilfer d7 in friendly giant it angle for jacky it qd6 sign off niced a 26.rf1 - aprfta - a pet rook flooks... total airbrooks,

Apr-05-12		M.Hassan: "Medium" White to play 22.? White is a pawn down. I have tried this line: 22.Qxf7+ Rxf7 23.d7 Nxd7 24.Rxe8+ Nf8 And realized that this line does not work and tried other line taking the f7 pawn with Bishop: 22.Bxf7+ Rxf7 23.Qxe8+ Nxe8 24.Rxe8+ Rf8 25.d7 Qb8 26.Rde1 Qd8 <if 26....Rxe8 27.Rxe8+ Qxe8 28.dxe8=Q#> 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Re8+ Kf7 29.Re8 And White wins

Apr-05-12		scormus: <CG .... Java> Now I understand why a Java pop-up appeared today, prompting me to install a new version. I'm relieved I didn't get caught out this time.

Apr-05-12		David2009: Velimirovic vs Csom, 1974 White 22? I missed it completely analysing five or six lines for White all of which lost including the tempting false trail 22.Qxf7+ Rxf7 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.d7 Qb8 25.Rxd4? ("better" 25.dxe8=Q Qxe8 Rf1 but the ending is also hopeless) Nd6! and the game line: "(22.Bxf7+ Rxf7 23.Qxe8+ Nxe8 24.Rxe8+ Rf8 25.d7 (threat d8=Q) Qc7 26.Rxd4 and wins the ending - WAIT - 25...Qd6! wins for Black." - missing white's final move. Brilliant pun and brilliant final move! Congratulations to all solvers who solved it from the puzzle diagram. The position after Black's 25...Qd6 click for larger view would make a good Monday puzzle (White to play and win).

Apr-05-12		Patriot: Black is up a pawn. Black threatens 22...Rxe7. 22.Bxf7+ Rxf7 23.Qxe8+ Nxe8 24.Rxe8+ Rf8 25.d7 Qd6 and this doesn't seem to work. 22.Qxf7+ Rxf7 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.d7 A) 24...Qd6 25.dxe8=Q+ Qf8 26.Qxf8+ Kxf8 27.Bxf7 Kxf7 B) 24...Qb8 25.Rxd4 Qd8 Hmm...this doesn't look right either! 22.Qxf7+ Rxf7 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.Re1 Qxd6 ... This one has me stumped. Let's try again: 22.Qxf7+ Rxf7 23.d7 A) 23...Nxd7 24.Rxe8# B) 23...Rxe1 24.Rxe1 Qb8 This just doesn't work. 22.Qxf7+ Rxf7 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.d7 Qb8 25.Rxd4 Qd8 26.dxe8=Q+ Qxe8 27.Rf4 looks interesting and white may have a shot at winning. That's all the time I'm spending on this.

Apr-05-12		Patriot: Ok, I missed 26.Rf1 in my first line.

Apr-05-12		TheBish: Velimirovic vs Csom, 1974 White to play (22.?) "Medium", White is down a pawn. After first trying 22. Bxf7+ (and coming up short), I started looking at 22. Qxf7+ Rxf7 23. Rxe8+ Nxe8 24. d7, but Black defends with 24...Qb8 and the best White can do now is 25. dxe8+ Qxe8 26. Rf1 Kf8 27. Rxf7+ Qxf7 28. Bxf7 Kxf7 and Black wins the K+P endgame, a pawn up. I went back to the drawing board today (too tired to see it last night), and saw what I had missed earlier. 22. Bxf7+!! Rxf7 23. Qxe8+! Nxe8 24. Rxe8+ Rf8 25. d7 Qd6 26. Rf1! This is what I had missed. One way or another, White will queen the pawn or checkmate, e.g. 27...Qxd7 28. Rexf8# or 27...g6 28. Rxf8+ followed soon by queening. If instead 23...Rf8 24. Qe6+ Kg8 25. d7 and it's just a matter of time until the exchange and pawn one square from touchdown will spell the end for Black.

Apr-05-12		Whitehat1963: I knew I'd seen this one before, and yet, I still got it wrong.

Apr-06-12		agb2002: White has a bishop for a knight and a pawn. Black threatens 22... Rxe7. The advanced passed pawn suggests 22.Bxf7+ to weaken the eighth rank: A) 22... Rxf7 23.Qxe8+ Nxe8 (23... Rf8 24.d7 Qb8 25.Qe6+ followed by Rxd4 looks winning) 24.Rxe8+ Rf8 25.d7 A.1) 25... Qc7(d6) 26.Rf1 + -. A.2) 25... Qb8 26.Rde1 Kf7 27.R1e7+ followed by 28.Rxb8 Rxb8 29.Re8 wins. B) 22... Kh8 23.Bxe8 Rxe8 24.Qxe8+ Nxe8 25.Rxe8#.

Apr-09-12		JoergWalter: on the importance of memorization in chess and the approach of "pro's": <Apr-11-05 LIFE Master AJ: This game looks familiar somehow ...... Aug-18-09 LIFE Master AJ: I finally figured out WHY it looked familiar. I had already annotated it. Apr-05-12 LIFE Master AJ: I only had to think a couple of minutes (maybe a lot less) and then I saw the whole combo ...>

Apr-22-12		qqdos: <(B89) not (B86)> The opening of this game is a bog standard Velimirovic Attack - see Akopian 1996 (B89) Monograph, p.90. For an actual similar game cf. Kengis vs Kozul, Moscow Olympiad 1994.

Nov-25-15		ToTheDeath: Outstanding combination!

Aug-04-16		TrollKing: He had to have seen 26 Rf1! when he sac'd the bishop on move 22. Great move!

Aug-04-16		Sally Simpson: Hi TrollKing, click for larger view He also had to see that the cunning desperate move 25...Qb8 failed to 26.Rde1 (the only move that wins. If 26.Rf1 Rxe8 0-1).

Sep-06-16		clement41: Awesome tactical combo in the end involving promotion

Mar-02-18		CheckMateEndsTheGame: The pin at the end is incredible

Mar-02-18		ChessHigherCat: Beautiful game but 21...Qxh2 was Csom dum move.

Oct-26-24		Albion 1959: This game features in The Batsford Chess Yearbook 1975. It looks at some of their "selected games" from 1974. This one appears on page 55. Black had a difficult, but tenable position until move 20 Qxh2?? (greedy pawn grab) threw it all away. Though the book never commented on this move. 20. Rfe8 was a better move, though white still has the advantage. From 22. Bxf7+ onwards, Velimirovic shows his tactical prowess and powers his way to victory with tactics. This was a good instructive example of themes such as the back rank mate, bishop sacrifice on f7 and using the passed pawn, in a way that was not too deep and that even a lower-rated club player like myself can easily understand !!

Oct-26-24		vonKrolock: <20...Qxh2> click for larger view The beauty of the combination that follows now consists mainly in the fact that White's moves are, every time (and almost always) the only path that leads to victory. It's what one would consider a 'Study-like beauty'... <25...Qd6> Or 25...Qb8 26.Rde1!! <After 25...Qd6> click for larger view *26.Rf1!!

Jump to page # (enter # from 1 to 5)
search thread:
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 5 OF 5 · Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
Nothing in violation of United States law.
No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
No trolling.
The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.

NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific game only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

This game is type: CLASSICAL. Please report incorrect or missing information by submitting a correction slip to help us improve the quality of our content.