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Anatoly Karpov vs Craig Pritchett
Nice Olympiad qual-1 (1974), Nice FRA, rd 1, Jun-07
English Opening: Symmetrical. Anti-Benoni Variation Geller Variation (A33)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)8.Bd2 was played in I Somogyi vs Z Vargyas, 2001 (1-0)8...Qa6 was played in D B Gurevich vs de Firmian, 1989 (0-1) 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.O-O Nxc3 11.bxc3 Be7 12.Be3 Qc7 13.Nd4 ⩲ +0.92 (23 ply)better is 9...O-O 10.O-O Rd8 11.cxd5 exd5 12.a3 Be7 13.Qb3 d4 ⩱ -0.65 (22 ply)= -0.14 (24 ply) after 10.Nce4 Nxe4 11.Bxe4 f5 12.Bg2 O-O 13.a3 Be7 14.b4 e5 better is 12...e5 13.b4 O-O 14.Nb3 Rd8 15.Qc2 g6 16.Bg5 Bf5 17.Qc1 ⩱ -0.57 (19 ply)= 0.00 (21 ply)better is 14.Nb3 Bf5 15.f4 e4 16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.Qxd4 Ng4 18.Qd5 Qc8 = 0.00 (22 ply)better is 14...g6 15.e3 Rd8 16.Nb2 Bf5 17.e4 Bg4 18.f3 Be6 19.Nd3 ⩱ -0.60 (21 ply)= -0.10 (21 ply)better is 17.Bd2 b6 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.Qxe4 Nb8 20.Rac1 f5 21.Qb1 Bb7 = +0.05 (22 ply)better is 17...Na5 18.Nxa5 Bxc5 19.Nb3 Be7 20.Bd2 Be6 21.c5 b6 ⩱ -0.55 (22 ply)= 0.00 (24 ply)better is 18...Na5 19.Bg5 b6 20.Nd3 Nxc4 21.Rac1 b5 22.Qe2 Qd7 = -0.35 (24 ply)= +0.24 (23 ply) 22.Nc5 h6 23.Nb3 Nf3+ 24.Bxf3 Bxf3 25.Nd2 Bh5 26.Qc2 Qc8 = +0.28 (23 ply) 22...Ne2+ 23.Rxe2 Bxe2 24.Nxe5 Rd1+ 25.Kf2 Bxc4 26.Qc2 ⩱ -1.25 (27 ply)= 0.00 (26 ply) 30...b6 31.Na6 f6 32.Nc7 Re7 33.Rc1 Ne5 34.Bxe5 fxe5 = +0.07 (31 ply) ⩲ +1.20 (29 ply)better is 33.Ba5 Bg4 34.e5 Be6 35.Rd1 Nxa5 36.bxa5 Rb8 37.a6 h6 ⩲ +1.46 (27 ply) 33...Be6 34.Ba5 Nb3 35.Rd1 h6 36.Bf1 Ne3 37.Rd6 Nxf1 ⩲ +0.81 (29 ply)+- +2.90 (26 ply) 35...Ne2+ 36.Kh1 Nc3 37.Rdd2 Nd1 38.Rf4 Ne3 39.Bc7 Ng6 +- +2.66 (25 ply)+- +5.25 (25 ply)40...Bd7 41.Bxf3 Nxf3 42.Rxf3 a6 43.Rc3 Bxa4 44.Rc7+ Kg8 +- +6.27 (32 ply)1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35434 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Nov-12-04  WMD: Donaldson and Tangborn's The Unknown Bobby Fischer reproduce a Fischer letter to 'Larry Evans on Chess' which appeared in the January 1975 Chess Life and Review:

'I have another question. I'm sure I'm wrong, but in Karpov-Pritchett, Nice Olympiad 1974, this position was reached.

Pritchett played 22...exf4? and eventually lost. Doesn't 22...Ne2+! bust White? For example 23.Rxe2 Bxe2 24.Qxe2 Qxc4 and if 25.Bf1? Qd4+. Or if 24.Nxe5 Rd1+ (or 24...Bd3! (less effective is 24...Bxc4 25.Be3) 25.Nxd3 Rxd3 and Black's initiative is decisive. Better in this line is 25.Be3 Bxe4, though hopeless for White in the long run) 25.Kf2 Bxc4 26.Qc2 (best) Qb6+! 27.Be3 (or 27.Kf3? Rxe5 Be3 Rxa1! etc.) 27...Rxa1 28.Bxb6 Ra2 29.Qxa2 Bxa2 with a won endgame for Black.

By the time this is published my analysis may have appeared elsewhere under a different name, because I've shown it to a few people. Please show me what I've overlooked.

Regards, Bobby.'

Nov-12-04  sneaky pete: "Well, I was short of time, but that is hardly an excuse for missing 22... Ne2+ 23.Rxe2 Bxe2 24.Qxe2 Qxc4 25.Bf1 .. - what else? 25... Qd4+ and wins. 24.Nxe5 Bxc4 is better but hardly good enough." Pritchett in the tournament book by Keene and Levy, which appeared in 1975, but the copy was submitted to Batsford July 1974, according to the preface. Did Pritchett tap RJF's brainwaves, did someone show the proofs of the book to RJF, or did two great minds make the same discovery independent from each other more or less simultaneously? If internet and cg.com had existed in 1974, which kibitzer would have been the first to post <black should have played 22... Ne2+ winning>?
Nov-12-04  vonKrolock: Pritchett saw the harder to see, the sacrifice 18...d3!!, and missed a simple check that wins the exchange... I believe that he realized his mistake still DURING the game, or immediately afterwards. Fischer's line contains the striking 26...Qb6!!, but the whole thing is already a consequence of a somewhat awkward arrangement of forces displayed by Anatoli Evguenievich (that Queen in b2, for instance...)

Games like this do not encouraged the FISHERMAN to go Manila angle some CARPS in 1975... What a pity!

Mar-08-12  King Death: This variation with 6.g3 was very popular back then but very often Black tried 7...Ne5 instead.

It's too bad that Pritchett missed his chance to take down a top GM, those players usually don't even give you that!

Mar-08-12  Capabal: <WMD: Donaldson and Tangborn's The Unknown Bobby Fischer reproduce a Fischer letter to 'Larry Evans on Chess' which appeared in the January 1975 Chess Life and Review:

'I have another question. I'm sure I'm wrong, but in Karpov-Pritchett, Nice Olympiad 1974, this position was reached.>

There is a book of problems titled Blunders and Briliances by Ian Mullen and Moe Moss where the position appears. It says that after the game Fischer called Pritchett from New York to explain how he could have won from that position and they say that "this to his chagrin, Pritchett had already discovered himself". They line they give is 22...Ne2+ 23.Rxe2 Bxe2 24.Qxe2 Qxc4 25.Bf1 Qd4+

Jul-21-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: Hi,

No phone call I'm afraid.

Craig Pritchett wrote in the ECF Forum on Wednesday, 3rd August 2011.

" Tony Saidy, who visited the Olympiad as a spectator (and who features prominently in the recent doumentary film Bobby Fischer Against the World) delivered the news personally to me that Fischer had shown him my missed win against Karpov about a week or so into the Olympiad."

http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic...

Oct-13-16  ewan14: Fischer was still following chess in 1974
Oct-14-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: I think this is Fischer's main line as given years ago by <WMD>.


click for larger view

22... Ne2+ 23. Rxe2 Bxe2 24. Nxe5

<(24. Qxe2 Qxc4 25. Bf1 Qd4+)>


click for larger view

24... Rd1+

<(24... Bd3 25. Nxd3 <(25. Be3 Bxe4)> 25... Rxd3)>

25. Kf2 Bxc4


click for larger view

<(The threat is 26...Rxe5 27. fxe5 Ng4+ 28. Kf3 Nxe5+ 29. Ke3 Qb6+ 30. Kf4 Qh6+ 31. Kxe5 Qf6# YES! It's a> goodanarchist <mate!)>

26.Qc2 Qb6+ 27. Be3

<(27. Kf3 Rxe5 28. Be3 Rxa1)>


click for larger view

27... Rxa1 28. Bxb6 Ra2 29. Qxa2 Bxa2.


click for larger view

Oct-14-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Perhaps Fischer was interested in this game because he considered Pritchett a future challenger.
Oct-15-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <sneaky pete....If internet and cg.com had existed in 1974, which kibitzer would have been the first to post <black should have played 22... Ne2+ winning>?>

Cannot say for certain, but <someone> would have without doubt, probably concluding that they spotted the win in a nanosecond.

Hail, man, Ah woulda seen thet win in a shake! Ah am great!

Oct-15-16  WorstPlayerEver: Well, I do not know any other opponent of Karpov whom Fischer tried to contact. So Karpov must've been very good ;)
Dec-06-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 22.f4 was too optimistic. But after 22.Nc5 with intention to play Nb3 white seems to be ok.

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