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Igor Kurnosov vs Veselin Topalov
World Rapid Championship (2012) (rapid), Astana KAZ, rd 10, Jul-07
Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian. General (B30)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jul-20-12  sevenseaman: Thanks <Shams> The two control systems seem like being in a perpetual state of flux but I get the drift.
Jul-20-12  Oxspawn: I 'saw' bg3 and the power of the two rooms on the first rank but after 40. Bg3
41. Rxg3 I played h4xg3 and could not see any useful continuation after the king took the pawn. So I saw bits of the puzzle and failed to put them together. There is a lesson here about continuing to pursue a long-term plan rather than a short term panic.
Jul-20-12  Oxspawn: rooms = rooks (we are having building work done)
Jul-20-12  gambler: Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday? So what's the scoop here.

at first glance, Bg3+ looks very strong, winning a rook for a bishop, because after the exchange, Re3+ wins the pawn back.

However, the position would still be very unclear, because white is 2 pawns up for being down the exchange. Either I find a good continuation from here, or there is something else going on here...

Jul-20-12  gambler: OK, I think I got it!

After Bg3+ and Rxg3 Ree1 threatens mate in 1!

The only way out is saccing the rook on g6 but this ultimately only delays the inevitable.

Fairly easy for a Friday puzzle, imho.

Jul-20-12  CHESSTTCAMPS: White is up N+2Ps for a bishop, but black's powerful grip on g3 seals the white king in a tomb, while white's threats against the black king take too long. White does have a threat of Nxe2 that compels immediate action.

40... Bg3+ 41.Rxg3 Ree1! forces mate:

A) 42.Rd8+ Kh7 43.Rh8+ Kxh8 and 44...Rh1# follows.

B) 42.Rxg6+ fxg6 43.Rd8+ (f7+ Kxf7 also runs white out of checks quickly) Kh7 44.Rd7+ Kh6 45.Nf5+ (45.g3/g4 Ra2+ and mate next) gxf5 46.Rh7+ Kxh7 47.g3/g4 (otherwise 47... Rh1#) Ra2#

Jul-20-12  Memethecat: The trick here is to not greedily grab the R (as I might do OTB), but instead use it as part of the tomb for its own K.

40...Bg3+ 41.Rxg3 Ree1. Now Rh1# is threatened & all white can do is throw what it can at the black K.

42.Rd8+ Kh7 leads nowhere, so...

42.Rxg6+ fxg6 43.f7+ Kxf7 (43.Rd8+ Kh7 44.Rd7+ Kh6 45.Nf5+ gxf5 again leads nowhere) 44.Rd7+/Rf5+ Ke8 & white can only lose his remaining R to a spite check.

Also g4, trying to create an escape square doesn't work because of Ra2#

Jul-20-12  Patriot: White threatens Nxe2.

40...Bg3+ 41.Rxg3 Ree1 42.Rxg6+ fxg6 43.Rd8+ Kh7 44.g4 Ra2+ and mates.

Jul-20-12  Patriot: Maybe 43...Kf7 is better. Still in my line, 44.Rd7+ is also better.
Jul-20-12  raul555: This is an easy puzzle for friday.
Jul-20-12  James D Flynn: White is 2 pawns up and the Black R on e2 is under attack, however White’s K has no escape squares Candidates 40…….Rxg2+,Rf2, Bg3+
40…….Rxg2+ 41.Kxg2 Ra2+ 42.Kg1 Bg3 43.Rxg3 hxg3 44.Nf3 and Black cannot pick up the h3 pawn , he remains a piece down and the White pawns on c3 and b4 will march forward to queen. 40…….Rf2 41.Rxf2 Bxf2 42.Ne2 and the N protects both the square g3 and the pawn on c3. The N can be proted by the White R either from d2 or e5 White the b pawn starts its forward march. 40…….Bg3+ 41.Rxg3 Ree1 and mate on h1 next cannot be averted.
Jul-20-12  goodevans: <Raul555: This is an easy puzzle for friday.>

Agreed.

5/5 so far this week and yet to be properly tested.

Dare say the weekend will be extra difficult to compensate!

Jul-20-12  Eisenheim: a bit obvious for today -
Jul-20-12  sfm: <al wazir: Not that hard. So why didn't Topalov play 39...Bg3+ ?> A natural questions, eh? Wonder if you and I can really be the only ones getting this thought. <rilkefan: Looks like Ne7+ is a bit of a threat - e.g. 40.Rxg3 Ree1 41.Ne7+ Kh7 42.Rh5+ gh 43.Rg7+ and if ...Kh6 black gets mated.> Pretty indeed - but maybe Black simply plays 41.-,Kh8 and it is over.
Jul-20-12  sfm: <sfm: ...and it is over.> I meant, a draw :-) If Topalov saw it (and probably he did) this is why he did not play 39.-,Bg3+ He must have been delighted to see 40.Nd4??, only chance is 40.Ne7+
Jul-20-12  Castleinthesky: Fairly easy for a Friday, as there was only one forced combination.
Jul-20-12  SuperPatzer77: Black to move and win - see diagram below:


click for larger view

40...♗g3+!, 41. ♖xg3 ▢ ♖ee1! (big ouch), 42. ♖xg6+ fxg6, 43. f7+ ♔h7!, 44. f8=♘+ ♔g8!, 45. g4 ▢ ♖a2+, 46. ♘c2 ♖xc2+, 47. ♖d2 ♖xd2# 0-1

Simple combination by Veselin Topalov

SuperPatzer77

Jul-20-12  Zatrikion: Looks like a Rook version of smothered mate!
40)..Bg3+
41)Rxg3 Ree1 0-1 and mate cannot be avoided.
White can only delay the immediate threat on Rh1# with: 42)Rxg6+ fxg6
43)g4 Ra2+
44)Ne2 Raxe2#
Jul-20-12  master of defence: Isn´t very difficult, 40...Bg3+ 41.Rxg3 Ree1 threatening Rh1#, and 42. Rxg6+ fxg6 and white doesn´t have suficcient checks in the black king.
Jul-20-12  kevin86: Black mates quickly:

40...♗g3+ 41 ♖xg3 ♖ee1 42 ♖xg6+ fxg3 43 g4 ♖a2+ and mates next

Jul-20-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: Bishop drubbing e1 g3+ kicked one roaming free rook entrance brush in e1 to g3 ar got going for invest i gusting it do banging in g3+ dart a key it rookxg3 then the real deal a re2 us re1 dish of the day spring rookxg6+ little salvation and ok engage.
Jul-20-12  reisanibal: Mate in 8 problem. One variation is as follows:

1...Bg3+ 2. Rxg3 Ree1 3. Rxg6+ fxg6 4. Rd8+ Kh7 5. Rd7+ Kh6 6. Rh7+ Kxh7 7. g4 Ra2+ 8. Ne2 Raxe2#

Jul-20-12  cyclon: "From Bulgaria with Love"? 40. -Bg3+ 41. Rxg3 Ree1 42. Rxg6+ (Rd8+ Kh7) -fxg6 should be C-U-F-F-L-I-N-K-S. (43. g- Ra2X/f7+ Kxf7/Rd8+ Kf7)
Jul-20-12  tivrfoa: interesting that white could draw, but tried to win playing 36. Kg3
Jul-20-12  notyetagm: A tremendous tactical blow by Topalov.
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