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Viktor Korchnoi vs Henrique Mecking
Korchnoi - Mecking Candidates Quarterfinal (1974), Augusta, GA USA, rd 1, Jan-16
English Opening: King's English. Two Knights' Variation Smyslov System (A22)  ·  1/2-1/2

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)7...a5 was played in N Miezis vs Z Almasi, 2008 (0-1)8.Be3 was played in N Miezis vs A Greet, 2007 (1-0)8...a6 was played in L Rogule vs Rublevsky, 2012 (0-1)better is 9...Be6 10.f3 a6 11.Be3 b5 12.cxb5 axb5 13.Rd1 Qb8 14.b3 = -0.37 (24 ply)= +0.15 (25 ply)better is 20.Qc2 a5 21.f4 exf4 22.gxf4 f6 23.Rde1 Kh8 24.Rd1 Bc6 = -0.08 (22 ply)better is 20...Nb7 21.f4 exf4 22.gxf4 a5 23.Ba3 Nbc5 24.Qc2 Kh8 ⩱ -0.58 (23 ply)better is 21.Rb1 c6 22.Ne3 a5 23.Ba3 Rxb1 24.Rxb1 Qd7 25.Bf1 f5 = -0.05 (22 ply)better is 21...a5 22.Bxa5 Bxd5 23.Qxd5 Nb7 24.Qc6 Nxa5 25.Qxa4 Nb7 ⩱ -0.56 (24 ply)= 0.00 (27 ply)better is 23...Qc7 24.f4 f6 25.f5 Bf7 26.Bf3 Rb7 27.Qd2 Rd8 28.Qc2 = -0.20 (28 ply)better is 24.f4 f6 25.f5 Bf7 26.h4 Qc7 27.Bf3 Rb8 28.Rd2 Red8 = +0.34 (26 ply)= -0.31 (24 ply)better is 29...Qd8 30.Bh3 Bxh3 31.Kxh3 h5 32.Rg2 Rh7 33.Rgd2 Re6 = -0.45 (23 ply)better is 30.h5 gxh5 31.Bh3 Bxh3 32.Kxh3 Nb6 33.Kg2 Ne6 34.Rb1 Nc8 = +0.25 (25 ply)= -0.36 (23 ply) after 30...Rf7 31.f4 exf4 32.Rxf4 Qe7 33.Bg2 Bc8 34.Qd2 Rff8 32...Rf8 33.Bxc5 dxc5 34.Qc1 Rxd1 35.Qxd1 Nc8 36.Qc1 f5 = -0.15 (24 ply) 33.Rh2 f5 34.h5 fxe4 35.fxe4 Rg7 36.hxg6 Rxg6 37.Nf5 Rf8 ⩲ +0.69 (22 ply)better is 33...Kh8 34.Kg1 Rdd8 35.Rfd2 Nc5 36.Bxc5 dxc5 37.Qc1 Kg7 = -0.12 (22 ply)= +0.44 (22 ply) after 34.Rdd2 Nc5 35.f4 exf4 36.gxf4 Kh8 37.Rd4 Re8 38.f5 gxf5 better is 34...gxh5 35.Rh2 d5 36.cxd5 cxd5 37.Rxh5 Nc4 38.Nxc4 = 0.00 (24 ply) ⩲ +0.70 (24 ply)better is 36.Bh3 Bxh3 37.Rxh3 Kh8 38.Kg2 Rdg8 39.Kf2 Rg5 40.Rb1 ⩲ +0.62 (24 ply) 36...d5 37.Rxh5 Nxc4 38.Nxc4 dxc4 39.Rxd8+ Qxd8 40.Rh6 = 0.00 (25 ply) 37.Bh3 Bxh3 38.Rxh3 Nxc3 39.Rc1 Na4 40.Nf5 Rg6 41.Rxh5 ⩲ +1.02 (24 ply)= -0.21 (23 ply) after 37...Rg5 38.Bh3 Bxh3 39.Rxh3 Nbc5 40.Rg1 Qd7 41.Nf5 Rxf5 38.Bh3 Bxc4 39.Nf5 Rg6 40.Qa7 Kh8 41.Rb1 Nbc5 42.Qxa5 = 0.00 (25 ply) 38...Nbc5 39.Nf5 Bxf5 40.exf5 Kh8 41.g4 hxg4 42.fxg4 Ne4 ⩱ -1.31 (24 ply)better is 39.Nf5 Bxf5 40.exf5 Kh8 41.Rg1 Rdg8 42.Bc1 Rb8 43.Qe3 a4 = -0.07 (25 ply) ⩱ -0.57 (23 ply) after 39...f5 40.exf5 Bxf5 41.Nxf5 Qxf5 42.Qh2 Qg6 43.Rg1 Rf8 better is 47.g4 Ne6 48.Rf5 Nbd8 49.Rc1 Qb2 50.Qh4 Qxe2 51.Rxf7 = 0.00 (25 ply) ⩱ -0.71 (26 ply) 53...Rb7 54.Bc3 Rb1 55.a4 Kg8 56.Kh2 Rc1 57.Bd2 Ra1 ∓ -1.52 (24 ply)better is 54.f4 exf4 55.gxf4 Nxf4+ 56.Kh2 Nd3 57.Bxa5 Ra7 58.Rg4 ⩱ -0.75 (21 ply) 54...c5 55.Rh1 a4 56.f4 exf4 57.Rh6 Rg7 58.Rxd6 Rxg3+ ⩱ -1.36 (21 ply)= -0.08 (26 ply)better is 57.Re1 Nxc4 58.Re4 Kg7 59.Bb3 Nxb3 60.axb3 Na3 61.Rxe5 = -0.08 (26 ply) ⩱ -0.62 (27 ply)81.g5+ Kg6 82.Rxh6+ Rxh6 = 0.00 (69 ply)1/2-1/2

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

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-14-08  Ulhumbrus: 13 cb ab 14 Bb2 undoubles the c pawn instead of which Korchnoi allows Mecking to wreck his Queen side pawns by 13 f3 Bc6 14 Nf5 bc 15 bc
Jan-04-12  bobbylee: Then black plays 14. ... Bc6 with good prospects. A c4 advance is met by ... b4 and black should have good play on the queenside against white's pawns plus prospects of play in the center. Black covers e7 against Nf5-e7 xc6, plays the queen to b7. A c4 push by white would also give black chances of occupying d4 by ... Ne6-d4. I play the English as white but I'd be comfortable playing black here.
Jan-05-12  SChesshevsky: It looks like, rightly or wrongly, Korchnoi wanted a Maroczy like hold on the center d4 and didn't mind any weakness on the qside.

Makes sense on the 1st game of the match maybe hoping Mecking would overextend on either wing. But it seems maybe Korchnoi lost patience first and got a little too optimistic with 34.h5

May-06-12  Ulhumbrus: On 13 ab ab 14 Bb3 Bc6 if Black can answer the pawn advance c4 by ...b4 and ...Nc5-e6-d4 this suggests keeping White's c pawn on c3 eg 15 Qc2 Ne6 16 Bc1 with Be3 to follow
Aug-25-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Tabanus: Candidates' Matches 1974 by Botvinnik et al. (Belgrade 1974) p. 60:

Mecking spent almost 90 minutes on his first 9 moves. Korchnoi spent only 8 minutes, but he took 55 minutes on his 10th move. Finally, it was a miracle how Mecking made his next 16 moves in only one or two minutes.

Aug-25-14  Howard: Now, why would Korchnoi have spent almost an hour on his 55th move ?!? Any suggestions ?

It's a bit strange, incidentally, that Korchnoi had so much trouble disposing of Mecking in this match. Granted, Mecking was one of the top 10-15 players in the world in 1974, but someone of Korchnoi's experience and caliber should have had little trouble overcoming him.

Aug-25-14  Howard: This match was played in--of all places--Augusta, GA. Nothing wrong with that city, but it seems odd that it took place in a somewhat out-of-the-way location. Why not Atlanta ?
Aug-25-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Mayhap because Augusta had the winning bid, or alternatively, the site was the one agreed upon by the players over other possibilities?
Aug-25-14  Howard: True, but it still seems a bit odd.
Oct-12-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Was Augusta perhaps having a festival in 1974?

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