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Johann Jacob Loewenthal vs Hugh Alexander Kennedy
London 1853  ·  Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation. Main Line (B00)  ·  0-1
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Kibitzer's Corner
Oct-22-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Kennedy finds an interesting route to immortality: he lets Loewenthal play good moves! The tale begins here:


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<28...?>

Any boring and uninspired player, interested only in winning, would just play 28...Qxd3+ 29.Rxd3 Bf5, and White can just about resign (though he probably wouldn't in 1853). But Kennedy couldn't resist <28...Rxa2>.

Admittedly, this looks extremely powerful: 29.Qxf5 Bxf5+, followed eventually by ...Rc2+ and ...Ra1#. But Loewenthal had a beautiful counter in <29.Re8+>.

Now, 29...Rxe8 allows White to escape the worst by 30.Qxf5 Bxf5+ 31.Kxa2. 29....Nf8 loses to 30.Ne7+ Kh8 31.Rxf8+! Rxf8 32.Nxf5, as the mate on the a-file is gone. And, of course, 29...Bxe8 just loses the queen.

But that didn't stop Kennedy, as the game continued <29...Bxe8! 30.Qxf5 Ra1+ 31.Kd2 R8a2+ 32.Kd3 Rxd1+ 33.Ke3.>


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Now, Kennedy could have clinched immortality with 33...Rxd5! 34.Qxd5 Re2+ 35.Kxe2 Nf4+ 36.Kd2 Nxd5 37.Ne5 Nf6!, stopping the pawn.

But once again, he eschewed this line in favor of <33...c4>, which seemed to give White a chance. Admittedly, he's probably still losing after 34.bxc4 bxc4 35.Nb4, but Loewenthal again couldn't resist the lure of a good move like <34.d7>.

And Kennedy flashed back into brilliant mode: <34...Bxd7 35.Qxd7 Rd3+ 36.Ke4 Re2+ 37.Kf5 Rxd5+>, with the fork coming on e7 if the rook is taken.

The Moral of the Story? If you see a good move, SIT ON YOUR HANDS! There might be a worse one!

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