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Gedeon Barcza vs Pal Rethy
Hungarian Championship (1953), Budapest HUN, rd 17, Dec-19
English Opening: King's English. Two Knights' Variation Fianchetto Line (A22)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-21-11  David2009: G Barcza vs P Rethy, 1953 Here's the start of this NN vs P ending with Black to play (87...?)


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This is clearly drawn if Black heads for the safety of the h8 corner ... he does just that and loses all the same. So what went wrong?

All credit to the very ingenious and resourceful play by White (starting by winkling Black out of the h8 safe corner). White succcessfully makes something out of nothing and won just in time under the 50-move rule by forcing a Pawn move.

At move 102 we reach with Black to play


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Black wrongly chose Ke6 heading for e7 and e8 but allowing White to edge him nearer the fatal a8 corner. A much easier defence is to alternate between the two safe corners (a2/b1 and h8) in which Black cannot be mated. Black starts 102...Ke4. Now 103. Nc6+ Kf5 repeats, which leaves 103.Nbd4 Kd3 104.Kf6 Kd2 105.Ke5 Kd3 106.Kd5 Kd2 107.Kc4 Kc1 108.Kb3 Kd2 109.Ka2 Kc1 110.Ka1 Kd1 and as soon as White finally drives Black away from d1/d2 Black can head back to the safety of h8.

Instead Black played with fire and got burnt, starting 102...Ke6 and heading for the illusory safety of e8. The game was still drawn but the defence is difficult. White found natural moves to reach with Black to play


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117...Kb7? was a fatal mistake since Kd7 gained the opposition and White was able to force Black in the lethal a8 corner by preventing Black's King from reaching a4. Instead either Kb8 (keeping the opposition) or Kd8 draws. There are still pitfalls for the defence in both these lines. The key to the defence is to head for a4. With the BK on a4 there is no forced mate with any configuration of the White pieces and with either side to move.

Jan-28-13  Old King Cole: A two-knights mate, a la the Troitski line (holding a pawn and coraling the king), but it is hard still to see how White wins, when the promoting pawn gives check.
Jan-28-13  Tullius: If you play it right, the promoting pawn will not give check: 137. Nc8 c2 138.Nc6 c1=Q 139.Nb6#.
Jan-28-13  Old King Cole: Right, thanks.
Jan-28-13  Old King Cole: Still amazing how a king and knight can force the opposing king into the corner.
Sep-14-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  louispaulsen88888888: If you can find it, I recommend Dos Caballos en Combate by Dr. LaFora. It is a comprehensive book on this type of ending. It is hard to find and in Spanish descriptive notation. So if you can't make heads or tails out of "C3AR", it's not going to be easy!!

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