Amos Pokorny vs Karel Hromadka (1926) "Famous Amos"

Amos Pokorny vs Karel Hromadka
"Famous Amos" (game of the day Jan-21-06)
Tournament 1926 · Slav Defense: Suchting Variation (D15) · 1-0

[Event "Tournament "]
[Site "Trentschin-Teplitz"]
[Date "1926.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Amos Pokorny"]
[Black "Karel Hromadka"]
[ECO "D15"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "84"]

1.d4 {Notes translated from Deutsche Schachzeitung, Dec 1926}
Nf6 2.Nf3 c6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 Qb6 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Qxb3 7.axb3
{White's pawn structure is offset by the open a-file.} 7...Bd7
8.Bf4 Na6 9.e3 Nb4 10.Kd1 Ne4 {Development with e6 was
preferable.} 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12. Nd2 Nd5 {Black may have feared
that after 12...Bc6, 13.Bg3 followed by 14.Nc4, his Q Bishop
would be compromised by Ne5 or Na5. Consequently he tries to
isolate the White Bishop and hopes to generate counterplay
with the pawn sac.} 13.Nxe4 Nxf4 14.exf4 O-O-O {threatens
15...Bc6, 15...Bf5 and 15...Bg4+ followed by the pawn capture
on d4} 15.Kd2 {! 15.Rxa7 Kb8 followed by 16...Bc6} 15...Kb8
16.Ke3 e6 17.Ng5 Be8 18.Bc4 g6 {To prevent f5, eliminating
White's doubled pawn.} 19.Rhd1 {Had White suspected the
complexities to follow, he might have played h4 after which
his position is secure} 19...h6 20.Nf3 Bg7 {! With the
uncomfortable threat of Bc6.} 21.g3 g5 22.fxg5 hxg5 23.Nxg5
Bh6 24.h4 {An unexpected move, but after f4, Black takes the
Knight and picks off the rook pawn.} 24...f6 {better to first
force White's Queen Bishop to retreat with 24...b5} 25.f4 fxg5
26.hxg5 Bg7 27.Bxe6 Rh2 28. f5 {28.g4 or d5 were preferable as
the white King now gets into trouble.} 28...Bh5 {! Threatening
mayhem with Re2+.} 29.f6 Re2+ 30.Kf4 Rxe6 31.Rh1 Rd4+ 32.Kf5
Bg4+ 33.Kg6 {the King is a fighting piece!} 33...Bf8 {Black
has a couple of extra Bishops. However, the white King is
extremely powerful working with its pair of advance passed
pawns. Black must play very precisely.} 34.Rh8 Re8 {Black
wants to answer Kf7 and g6 with Rdd8 followed by Be6 mate, but
he would have been better advised to play 34...Rd8
immediately. 35.Ra4 could then be answered with 35...Bd1 and
35.Kf7 answered with 35...Red6; 36.g6? R6d7 followed by mate;
36.Rxf8? R6d7+ followed by Rxf8} 35.Ra4 {!} Rxa4 36.bxa4 Rc8
{36...Be6 seems to salvage a draw, eg: 37.f7 Rc8 38.Kf6 Bb3
(not 38...Bg7+ 39.Kxg7 Rxh8 40.g6!! [not 40. Kxh8 Bxf7 41.Kh7
Bb3 42. g6 Bc2 43.Kh6 Bxa4 44.g7 Bb3 with a draw] and Black
must give up his pieces for the two advance pawns with the
remaining g-pawn winning for White) 39. Rxf8! Rxf8 40.g6 Rc8
41.Ke7 (if 41.g7? Rc6+ wins) Rc7+ etc } 37.Rxf8 {!} Rf8 {Black
has a Rook and a Bishop for three pawns!} 38.Kg7 Rd8 {? Rc8
was the last chance for a draw - Black is now lost} 39.f7 a5
40.g6 {! 40.f8=Q Rxf8 41.Kxf8 Bd1 42. g6 Bxa4 43.g7 Bb3
44.g8=Q Bxg8 followed by b5 draws} 40...Bh5 {if the Rook was
on c8, the Bishop could move to b3 via d1 with the Rook giving
protected checks} 41.Kh6 Rh8+ 42.Kg5 {! Black must lose Rook
and Bishop for the two advanced pawns leaving a simple pawn
ending for White to win. A remarkable and highly interesting
game notwithstanding the mistakes.} 1-0

To move:

Last move:

Annotations by NN. [55 more games annotated by NN]

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Jan-21-06		An Englishman: Good Evening: Who actually wrote the annotations?

Jan-21-06		Confuse: famous amos makes good cookies. as for chess well very interesting : )

Jan-21-06		Ludamad: Awesome game, thats why I play my games out, especially if i have a 6th rank passed pawn

Jan-21-06		Devilz: The power of the passed pawns!

Jan-21-06		dakgootje: Brilliant game Maybe something for Game Collection: Passed Pawns

Jan-21-06		itz2000: great game but why (38)<? Rc8 was the last chance for a draw - Black is now lost> ?? I don't get what's the diffrence between Rc8 and Rd8 Can someone explains it please? thanks.

Jan-21-06		EmperorAtahualpa: Strange, <itz2000>, I don't see any difference either. Anyone?

Jan-21-06		EmperorAtahualpa: A very fine pick for this GOTD, White played courageously!

Jan-21-06		Bobwhoosta: <itz2000> The note to move 40 clarifies with "If the rook was on c8 the bishop could move to b3 through d1 with the rook giving protected checks". However, after (with rook on c8) 40...Bd1 41. f8=Q Rxf8 42. Kxf8 Bb3, white pushes the g-pawn and it looks like the same king and pawn as before after black sacs the bishop for the second pawn.

Jan-21-06		ReikiMaster: <Bobwhoosta> after 40...Bd1 41.f8=Q there are no checks whether black Rook is on d8 or c8. In either case it is pinned between Kb8 and Qf8.

Jan-21-06		twinlark: <Bobwhoosta> and <itz2000>,<Emperor Atahualpa> and <ReikiMaster> In <Bobwhoosta>'s line, Black would play 42. Bxa4 before returning to Bb3 with a draw. If the Rook was on c8, then 40.f7 Rc7 first (and not Bd1) 41.Kf8 Rc8+ 42.Ke7 Rc7+ draws. This protected check would not be possible with the Rook on d8. If 41. Kg8 (41.g6 Bd1 followed by Bb3) then Be6 42.g6 Bb3 43. (43.g7?? Rc8+ wins) draws. In this line if 41.g6 then 41...Bd1 draws after eventually moving to Bb3.

Jan-21-06		twinlark: It's a fascinatng ending. There's always just one tempo in it, and that seemingly removed pawn on a4 is pivotal.

Jan-21-06		stuck: <twinlark> <If the Rook was on c8, then 40.f7 Rc7> I am a little confused by the variations. f7 occurred on move 39, not move 40. If the rook was on c8, then after 39. f7 we have click for larger view If we then continue your line (- 1 in the move notation ) 39. f7 c7 40. g6 d1 then white plays 41. h6 and black has no time for 41. ... b3 because of the promotion threat 42. f8 + If 41. ... c8 to stop the promotion, then 42. g7 and the f pawn will queen protected

Jan-21-06		kevin86: White sacs both bishops and later,the exchange for three passed pawns!! A poor deal-think again!! Eventually the pawns will eat up the pieces back and leave white with an elementary pawn win! White had to dodge some bullets,but he came out with the best ending.

Jan-21-06		kevin86: An alternate pun,especially if black wins the rematch:Hroma therapy ---or does it stink?

Jan-21-06		mr. nice guy: It doesn't stink it's just a little po-korny.

Jan-21-06		twinlark: <stuck> My mistake. Taken from your diagrammed position, Black plays 39...a5 followed by either 40. Rxf8 or 40.Bd1 depending on White's response.

Feb-10-06		MorphyMatt: This looks a lot like Polugaevsky vs E Torre, 1981

Sep-20-09		WhiteRook48: the extra bishop and rook fails

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