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Lubomir Kavalek vs John Grefe
US Championship (1973), El Paso, TX USA, rd 10, Sep-21
Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense. Main Line (D42)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-17-13  jerseybob: Time pressure, not position
Jan-18-13  dougiejfresh: Black seems lost anyway. What happens after 41. Bg6 Kf6 42. Bh5, threatening Qg6#?

Black cannot defend g6. Seems 42...Kg5 is forced, but 43. Qg6 still wins (43...Kf4 44. g3#; 43...Kh4 44. Re4+ wins the queen).

What am I missing?

Jan-18-13  jerseybob: Let me amend my statement: Time pressure AND position! Good catch.
Jan-18-13  Peter Nemenyi: According to the tournament book by Lombardy and Daniels, Grefe's aggressive scheme of 12...Kh8 and then g5-g4 was a novelty at the time. It was also--this is just implied--highly unwise in a tenth-round game as Black, when a draw would almost have assured Grefe undisputed first place. He still tied with Kavalek for the US Championship; there was no mechanism for a playoff, or for making Kavalek sole winner because of the head-to-head result.

Lombardy and Daniels think that 28...Rg6 was "absolutely necessary" and would probably have led to a draw after 29. h5 Rg5.

Nov-23-13  jerseybob: Peter Nemenyi: I've no idea where Grefe got the idea for his attack, but to me it has a Fischer-like feel; attacking with the g-pawn is something Bobby often did. And despite the tournament book's disapproval of playing to win, if there was a draw to be had on move 28, it was justified, wasn't it?
Dec-25-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Grefe's play in the opening was very provocative. But according to Houdini 3, he was actually better in the latter half of that game. Unfortunately, his 34th and 35th moves (very likely made in time pressure) were mistakes. Had Grefe played 34...Rd8!, he would still have been slightly better according to Houdini.
Dec-26-13  jerseybob: FSR: I like the look of 34..Rd8! Thanks for that, and belated Merry Christmas.
Dec-26-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Thanks, <jerseybob>. A belatedly Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year, to you too.
Feb-20-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: Grefe played actively and got into trouble. I don't see Fischer playing that kind of attack so much. But it is the kind of thing he might prepare if he felt it was justified. The game to me has more or a Tal feel about it. Grefe played like Tal who sometimes missed out but here, Grefe-Tal played imaginatively.
Mar-15-24  nezhmet: The Lombardy and Daniels book came to the wrong conclusion because 28...gxh3 was fine. Black is better after an astounding followup:

28...gxh3 29.Qxh3 Rd4!! (the h6 attack does not matter!) 30.Rxd4 Qxd4 31.Qxh6+ Kg8 32.Be2 Qf4 and black is well on top.

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