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Lev Polugaevsky vs Leonid Stein
USSR Championship (1965), Tallinn URS, rd 11, Dec-09
Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense (A56)  ·  0-1

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)better is 7...Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4 Bg6 10.h4 h5 11.g5 Nfd7 12.Kf1 ⩲ +0.75 (28 ply) ⩲ +1.26 (24 ply)better is 9.O-O h6 10.Be3 b6 11.Qe2 Rb8 12.Rad1 Nc7 13.a3 Nf6 ⩲ +1.32 (24 ply) 9...Nef6 10.O-O Re8 11.Bc2 Nf8 12.b4 b6 13.Ba4 Bd7 ⩲ +0.80 (24 ply) ± +1.60 (20 ply)better is 11.Qc2 Nb6 12.a4 a5 13.g4 Bd7 14.Qd2 f6 15.O-O Rf7 16.Nh2 ⩲ +1.46 (21 ply) ⩲ +0.77 (19 ply)better is 12.Qe2 Kh8 13.O-O-O Ng8 14.Bd2 Bd7 15.b3 a6 16.Kb2 Rb8 ⩲ +1.45 (20 ply) ⩲ +0.72 (23 ply) 14.Bd2 Bd7 15.Qe2 a6 16.b4 Qc8 17.Rb1 Rb8 18.Rc1 f5 ⩲ +1.11 (20 ply)better is 14...f5 15.gxf5 gxf5 16.exf5 Nxf5 17.Nxf5 Bxf5 18.Bxf5 = +0.11 (25 ply)better is 15.b4 f5 16.gxf5 gxf5 17.exf5 Nxf5 18.Bxf5 Bxf5 19.Nxf5 ⩲ +0.78 (18 ply)= +0.25 (20 ply) 16.Nd2 Rb8 17.Rg1 Bd7 18.b4 bxc4 19.Nxc4 cxb4 20.axb4 f5 ⩲ +0.84 (21 ply)better is 16...bxc4 17.bxc4 Rb8 18.Kf1 h5 19.gxh5 Nxh5 20.Nxh5 = +0.04 (23 ply) ⩲ +0.54 (20 ply)better is 18...bxc4 19.bxc4 Nf6 20.Bh6 Ng8 21.Bd2 Nf6 22.Bh6 = 0.00 (29 ply)= +0.50 (22 ply)better is 19...bxc4 20.bxc4 Rxb1 21.Qxb1 Nf6 22.Bh6 Ng8 23.Bd2 Nf6 = +0.14 (24 ply)better is 20.Bd2 Be7 21.Bc3 Qc8 22.Qd2 bxc4 23.bxc4 Rxb1 24.Bxb1 ⩲ +0.64 (18 ply)= 0.00 (21 ply) 21...f5 22.exf5 gxf5 23.gxf5 Ne7 24.Bh6 Qf7 25.Bxg7+ = -0.39 (23 ply)better is 22.Kd1 bxc4 23.Nxc4 f5 24.exf5 gxf5 25.Nxf5 Nxf5 26.gxf5 ⩲ +0.54 (19 ply)better is 22...f5 23.gxf5 bxc4 24.bxc4 gxf5 25.Nxh4 Qxh4 26.exf5 = -0.12 (24 ply) ⩲ +0.51 (23 ply) 25.gxf5 gxf5 26.g4 Nf6 27.gxf5 Bxf5 28.exf5 e4 29.Kd1 = +0.45 (23 ply)= -0.46 (24 ply) after 25...Nf6 26.Bg5 Qe8 27.Qc3 Ba4 28.Bxf6 Rxf6 29.Rb1 fxg4 26...fxg4 27.hxg4 Nf6 28.g5 Ng4 29.Rxb8 Qxb8 30.Nxg4 = -0.38 (29 ply) 27.gxf5 gxf5 28.g4 fxg4 29.hxg4 Qg6 30.Kd2 Bxg4 31.Kc1 = +0.42 (24 ply) ⩱ -0.78 (25 ply)better is 29.Qb3 fxg4 30.Qb6 Nge8 31.h4 Nh5 32.Nf1 Rf7 33.Ke1 Kg8 = 0.00 (27 ply) ⩱ -0.65 (23 ply)better is 30.Qb6 Nge8 31.h4 Nh5 32.Nf1 Rf7 33.Qb8 Qxb8 34.Rxb8 a5 = 0.00 (28 ply) ⩱ -0.66 (23 ply) after 30...Qd8 31.Kd2 Ngh5 32.Nf1 Qe7 33.Kc3 Ne8 34.Qb7 Rf3 31...Qd8 32.Bh6 Ng7 33.Qb6 Qe7 34.Kd2 Nfe8 35.Qxa6 Rf2+ = -0.20 (23 ply) ⩲ +1.40 (28 ply) 33.Qb8 Ng7 34.Bg5 Qxb8 35.Rxb8 Rf7 36.Rb6 Ne8 37.Rxa6 ⩲ +1.43 (28 ply)= +0.07 (27 ply) 35...Nxg3 36.Nxg3 Qxh4 37.Qxd6 Qxg3+ 38.Kd2 Qf2+ 39.Kc1 = 0.00 (28 ply) 36.Qxd6 Qxd3 37.Qxe5+ Nhf6 38.Rb6 Qxe4+ 39.Qxe4 Nxe4 ± +2.10 (27 ply)= 0.00 (32 ply) 37...Qd4+ 38.Ke1 Qc3+ 39.Kf2 Qd4+ = 0.00 (29 ply) 38.Qd8+ Be8 39.Qe7 Qd4+ 40.Ne3 Nxe4+ 41.Kg2 Nef6 42.Rb3 +- +2.75 (28 ply)= 0.00 (29 ply) 41.Ke1 Qc3+ 42.Rd2 Kg7 43.Qxd6 Kf7 44.Bd3 e4 45.Bxe4 = 0.00 (29 ply)-+ -5.63 (25 ply)-+ mate-in-8 after 46.Qxg8+ Kxg8 47.Rb8+ Kg7 48.Rb7+ Kh6 49.Bg2 Ng3+47.Nf1 Qxb2 48.Ne3 Be4 49.Kh2 Nxg2 50.Qb8 Qe2 51.Qb2 -+ mate-in-90-1

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-07-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  IMlday: White doesn't castle at all!
Jun-14-07  RandomVisitor: After 31...Ng8 white has an advantage.

Better might be 31...Qd8 when 32.Qb6 (Bh6 might be best here) Qe7 33.Qxa6? is met by Nf4+! with advantage to black.

31...Kg7 (preventing Bh6) is also good here.

Oct-05-07  Maynard5: This is a complex game. Play proceeds thematically in the blockaded positions arising from the Benoni. Black prepares an eventual break with ... f5, while White lines up his pieces to prevent it (Ng3, Bd3, Qc2). However, White apparently loses the theme of the position with the pointless 20. Nd2, allowing ... Bh4, followed by 22. Nf3, acknowledging that the knight should never have left f3 to begin with. Black blunders with 23. ... bxc4, which enables White to obtain counterplay on the b-file. Instead, with 23. ... f5!, Black would unequivocally gain the advantage. Even so, White is forced to sacrifice a pawn with 25. Nh2 to stop Black's kingside attack. The critical moment comes after 32. ... Rf6. By accepting the sacrifice, White allows Black's minor pieces to support the queen's incursion on the kingside, while his own heavy pieces are too far from the theater of action. Instead, 33. Qb8, forcing the exchange of queens, should hold a draw.
Aug-31-13  parisattack: One of the first games of chess I remember playing over in detail - from a Chess Review magazine, circa 1966.

Beautiful example of the Closed Benoni - and good luck trying to duplicate Stein's play. The couple of times I tried the CB I was wishing for a 9th rank for some of my pieces!

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