Alexander Shabalov vs Keith Arkell (1991)

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Alexander Shabalov vs Keith Arkell
15th Lloyds Bank Masters Open (1991), London ENG, rd 7, Aug-23
Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation. Botvinnik-Carls Defense (B12) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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

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Sep-19-21		Brenin: My choice was not Shabalov's 18 c4, but the very tempting 18 Rxd5 exd5 19 e6, e.g. 19 ... Bxe6 20 Nxe6 fxe6 21 Qxe6+ Kf8 22 Ne5, or 21 ... Kd8 22 Rd1.

Sep-19-21		OhioChessFan: c4 was pretty easy to spot. The followup, not so much.

Sep-19-21		Stanco: <Brenin> I also played 18. Rxd5 😉 18....exd5 19. e6 Bxe6 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Qxe6+ Kf8 22. Ne5! 1:0

Sep-19-21		An Englishman: Good Evening: Also thought that 18.Rxd5 wins. What did we miss?

Sep-19-21		ndg2: Engine doesn't like 5..♕a5+ at all, thinks immediate 5..e6 is necessary. After the game move SF 14 thinks white is already at +1.5.

Sep-19-21		murkia: <An Englishman> According to the engine you missed nothing! Also my choice together with Brenin and Stanco. What good company :-)

Sep-19-21		mel gibson: I saw 18. Rxd5. Stockfish 14 was jumping between 2 different solutions: 18. Rxd5 and 18 c4. Therefore I will give both solutions: 18. Rxd5 (18. Rxd5 (♖d1xd5 e6xd5 e5-e6 f7xe6 ♘f3-d4 ♖a8-a6 ♘d4xb5 ♖a6xd6 ♘b5xd6+ ♔e8-e7 ♘d6xb7 a5xb4 a3xb4 ♖h8-f8+ ♔f2-e3 e6-e5 ♖a1-a7 ♖f8-f4 ♘b7-a5+ ♔e7-d6 c2-c4 d5xc4 ♘c5-e4+ ♔d6-d5 ♘e4-c3+ ♔d5-e6 ♖a7-c7 ♗c8-d7 ♘a5-b7 ♗d7-e8 ♘c3-e4 ♔e6-d5 ♖c7-c5+ ♔d5-e6 ♘b7-d8+ ♔e6-d7 ♘d8-c6 ♖f4-h4 h2-h3 c4-c3 ♘c6xe5+ ♔d7-d8 ♔e3-d4 c3-c2 ♖c5xc2 ♗e8-g6 ♘e5xg6 h7xg6 b4-b5) +6.83/39 627) score for White +6.83 depth 39. 2nd solution: 18. c4 (18. .. Qxc4 (♕b5xc4 ♖a1-c1 ♕c4-a2+ ♔f2-g3 h7-h5 h2-h3 ♖h8-h6 ♔g3-h2 ♕a2-e2 ♘f3-d4 ♕e2-e3 ♘c5-a6 f7-f6 ♘d4xe6 ♕e3xe5+ ♕d6xe5 f6xe5 ♘a6-c7+ ♔e8-e7 ♘c7xd5+ ♔e7xe6 ♘d5-c7+ ♔e6-f5 ♘c7xa8 a5xb4 ♖d1-f1+ ♔f5-g5 ♖c1xc8 b4xa3 ♖c8-e8 ♖h6-c6 ♖e8xe5+ ♔g5-h6 ♖e5-b5 ♖c6-c2 ♖f1-a1 ♖c2-b2 ♖b5-b6+ ♖b2xb6 ♘a8xb6 h5-h4 ♖a1xa3 ♔h6-g6 ♘b6-d5 ♔g6-f5 ♖a3-f3+ ♔f5-e4 ♘d5-e7 b7-b5 ♖f3-f7) -7.38/32 207) score for Black -7.38 depth 32.

Sep-19-21		agb2002: White has a knight for a bishop. White has Rxd5 (to eliminate an important piece and to open the position), c4 (to open the c-file) and Nd4 (aiming at c6). ----- 18.Nd4 is met with 18... Qb6, trading queens (18... Qc4 19.Nc6 Qxc2+ 20.Kg1 Bxc6 21.Qxc6+ Ke7 [only move not to lose the queen] 22.Qxa8 looks winning [the queen also controls g2 in the case of ... Ne3]). ----- 18.c4 Qxc4 19.Rac1 and if 19... Qa2+ 20.Kg1 Qxa3 (20... Ne3 21.Qd8#) 21.Na6 bxa6 (21... Rxa6 22.Rxc8#) 21.Qc6+ looks winning. ----- In the case of 18.Rxd5 exd5 19.e6: A) 19... Bxe6 20.Nxe6 fxe6 21.Qxe6+ Kd8 (21... Kf8 22.Ne5 Qe8 23.Nd7+ winning) 22.Rxd1 looks winning. For example 22... Kc7 23.Rxd5 Qc6 24.Qe5+ Kb6 25.Rd6 wins decisive material. B) 19... fxe6 20.Nxe6 Qd7 (20... Bxe6 transposes to A) 21.Nc7+ Kd8 (21... Kf7 22.Ne5+ wins decisive material) 22.Qxd7+ Bxd7 23.Nxa8, followed by Nb6, wins decisive material. C) 19... f6 20.Ne4 (20.Rd1 Qc6) 20... Qc4 21.Rd1 looks very good for White. For example, 21... axb4 22.Nxb7 Bxb7 23.Qd7+ Kf8 24.Qf7#. D) 19... Qc4 20.exf7+ Kxf7 21.Ng5+ Ke8 (21... Kg8 22.Qd8#) 22.Re1+ Qe4 23.Ncxe4 wins. ----- I'd play 18.Rxd5. It looks strongest to me.

Sep-19-21		agb2002: <mel gibson> According to DroidFish even 18.Nd4 is a solution: after 18... Qb6 it found the interesting 19.Nf5 (19... Qxd6 20.Nxd6+ Ke7 21.c4 Nb6 [21... Nc7 22.Ndxb7] 22.Rab1 > +3.0).

Sep-19-21		Teyss: I'm in the <18.Rxc5 exd5 19.e6> gang. Saw most variations from there on but not in detail as <agb2002> as usual, soo cannot say I really solved it. Still, rather easy for a Sunday. Nice combination. 20...axb4 is not the best move but the position is lost anyhow. 21.Na6 clearing the c column and threatening Nc7+ followed by mate is pretty. Of course 21.Nxe6? fails to Bxe6 (not fxe6?? 22.Rxc8+ Rxc8 23.Qxe6+).

Sep-19-21		mel gibson: < agb2002: <mel gibson> According to DroidFish even 18.Nd4 is a solution: after 18... Qb6 it found the interesting 19.Nf5 (19... Qxd6 20.Nxd6+ Ke7 21.c4 Nb6 [21... Nc7 22.Ndxb7] 22.Rab1 > +3.0).> Thanks - 18.Nd4 ? Stockfish 14 is giving a score of -5.00 for Black so yes that is still a good move.

Sep-19-21		Teyss: <mel gibson> Thanks for posting SF results, it's useful for complex positions, but why do you say "score of -5.00 for Black" instead of +5.00 as engines put it? Apologies if the question is irrelevant, I don't know much about computers.

Sep-19-21		mel gibson: < Teyss: <mel gibson> Thanks for posting SF results, it's useful for complex positions, but why do you say "score of -5.00 for Black" instead of +5.00 as engines put it? Apologies if the question is irrelevant, I don't know much about computers.> That is what my Arena interface shows as a result. You can take it as +5.00 for White or -5.00 for Black.

Sep-19-21		nalinw: A great puzzle - there is also a queen trapping theme. The fact that there are two solutions makes it more interesting ....

Sep-19-21		chrisowen: Epicentre i ooh evicts pc4 faiths goodness evicts its aha its arrives variable its hark fondue its epicentre i evicts ooh evicts fink its knighted its inks gobbed it starry bats evicts bastard its tray ooh its marry its mew chopper hull its hello evicts ooh joules its jacques its glimmer vagrant packed its bretonnian its wobble evicts its whoosh hunky its ask again gamble crude it rescind deffy its cuff good its mecs evicts feels it ah in more chalk badge its budge its hard other ooh huddle hovels etcetera either axiom its jewel flung pc4 within.

Sep-19-21		chrisowen: No hog its v coat be jees it stayin alive no?

Sep-19-21		chrisowen: Nuff it spruced it in up again tiddler picked it a d5 eli calm good no?

Sep-19-21		landshark: I seldom try to pursue Sunday puzzles to a conclusive result - today 18.Rxd5 stood out to me as a really good try, seeing how that N was B's only decent defender. I was going to go into guess-the-move mode after the expected 18.Rxd5 - was surprised by the beautiful play following 18.c4. Not sure I would have taken the time to follow up my line with <Brenin> and <agb> and some of the other class commentators 19.e6! I find I'm actually pretty good at finding first moves in complex puzzles <and> in real games - only to go seriously astray in the follow-up.

Sep-19-21		Pawn Slayer: I went with 18 Rxd5 exd5 19 e6 and I think Black is busted.

Sep-19-21		R4f43l L3 M4550n: In my opinion, Rxd5 with idea of pushing e6 and than Nd4 is very good for White and not 'insane'. Besides, exploits the bad positioned Black Queen. Saying that, the master's solution is beautiful and very hard to find even knowing this is a 'puzzle', truly isane!

Sep-19-21		olinart: As in the game line I thought 19.c4 was the solution, but I then I found 19...Qf4 20. g3 Qe3+ 21. Kg2 axb4 22. Nxb7 Qb6 or ..20. Rd4 Qe3+ 21. Kf1 Qxc1+ at least equalized for black.

Sep-19-21		olinart: I meant 18.c4 Qxc4 19. Rac1 Qf4 of course. The knight pin and ability to get the black Q in play for both attack and defense should equalize.

Sep-19-21		Jimfromprovidence: The line 18 Rxd5 exd5 was easier to understand for me. 19 e6 came after a good while mainly because black has 19...Bxe6, 19...fxe6 or 19...f6 (at the least) as responses. One thing I really like about 19 e6 is that it prevents 19...Qc6, as 20 exf7+, below becomes a forced mate. click for larger view

Sep-19-21		Brenin: <olinart>: I'm afraid that in your line 18 c4 Qxc4 19 Rac1 Qf4 Black loses to 20 Rxd5 (threatening Qd8 mate) exd5 21 Nxb7 (same threat), e.g. 21 ... Bxb7 22 Rc7, with mate on e7.

Sep-19-21		jes47: My first thought was 18 Rd5, and indeed Stockfish agrees that this is the best line. So this is a poor puzzle in that it asks us to find an inferior line. If you show the position after 20 moves, finding the clever 21 Na6 would be a nice two star puzzle.

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