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Mikhail Tal vs Wolfgang Uhlmann
"Trojan Horse" (game of the day Nov-13-2017)
Moscow (1971), Moscow URS, rd 6, Nov-30
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation. Open System Euwe-Keres Line (C07)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-08-08  nolanryan: <hayton3: Well she did have a retarded son that was adopted by some rednecks in Pepsicola, Florida>

lol, brothers

Jan-10-08  rodrigochaves: something little thing interessant that i notice about Tal's tacticals skills. the manouvre Bd2 gaining a tempo over a6 (not moving the threath white bishop) is similar to the manouvre in the game Tal-Smyslov Tal vs Smyslov, 1959

Perhaps this little things keep in the mind of the tactical player and help him in the time to attack.

Jul-01-08  Fast Gun: This game also appears in Cafferty's Tal's 100 Best Games (1973) Quite an achievement to outplay and demolish a specialist on the French like Uhlmann in less than 20 moves !!
Mar-26-09  WhiteRook48: what made it the Trojan horse?
Jun-25-11  wordfunph: game sidelight..

<There is a story which indicates the extent of the problems Tal could set his opponents. During this game, someone went to see a performance of an act of Rossini's opera, The Barber of Seville. Upon his return he found Wolfgang Uhlmann still thinking about the same move.>

- GM James Plaskett (from his book Catastrophe in the Opening)

Sep-30-11  DrMAL: Also presented in DVD Roman's Lab #2 as example of positional sac, 12.Nf5 was indeed a creative move to grab the initiative. Very Tal-like in that the intuitive move 12...exf5 was a big mistake and instead either 12...Qc5 or 12...Qe5 gets a large advantage but it is very difficult to see/do this. The sequence after, including 15.Bd2! is played out perfectly, magical game!
Sep-30-11  DrMAL: Black is paralyzed at end it is instructive to look at how each move loses. Here is eval of top four moves (truncated), interesting to note 19...Nf6 which looks awful is a best option!

Houdini_20_x64: 26/76 1:03:07 31,390,935,879

-4.49 19. ... Nf6 20.Qxh8 Ne4 21.f3 Kb6 22.fxe4 Nxb4 23.exf5 Bxf5 24.Qxg7 Qc5+

-4.51 19. ... Qa4 20.Bd6+ Kb6 21.Qf8 Nge7 22.Qxh8 Nc8 23.Qxg7 Nxd6 24.Rxd6 h5

-5.48 19. ... Nge7 20.Qxh8 Nc8 21.Qxg7 Kb6 22.Rac1 Qe4 23.Bc5+ Ka6 24.Qxh7 b6

-6.43 19. ... Bd5 20.Rxd5 Nge7 21.Bd6+ Kb6 22.Rxb5+ Kxb5 23.Qxb7+ Ka4 24.Rb1 Qc4

Jun-28-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  WCC Editing Project:

Played at the <Alekhine Memorial 1971>.

Tal only managed shared 6th with Spassky, scoring an anemic +4 -2 =11.

This game, however, won the tournament prize for "most brilliant attack."

-"The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal," p.401

Jul-25-16  andrea volponi: 11...h6!=
Aug-12-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  TerryMills: According to Tal, Uhlmann thought about 12..exf5 for 1 hour and 50 minutes. ("The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal," p.401). Is this really true? It sounds incredible.
Aug-12-16  RookFile: About the only move of Uhlmann's I had a problem with was Bb4. Even that has its logic to it. And yet Tal just blows him right off the board.
Feb-24-17  Sourav: I still don't understand why 7...f6 was not played. Can someone please explain?

I know one of the commentators has explained. But, I could not quite follow.

Feb-24-17  ughaibu: After 7...f6, 8.Bf4, how will black unravel his position? He wants f6 for his knight.
Feb-25-17  Sourav: But, if Bf4 is such a good move, then why not make it immediately? Why move the Bishop to g5 first?
Feb-25-17  Sourav: Please ignore the question above. 7. Bf4 is simply met by 7...Nd4.

Also, 7...f6 is better met by 8.Be3 than by 8.Bf4.

Nov-13-17  AlicesKnight: A chee4ring sight on a cold Monday morning, when my throat is a little horse....
Nov-13-17  Ratt Boy: < TheSlid: …Back to the pun - the move 12.Nf5 is literally a Trojan Horse, as the "Horse Gift" allows the main army into the black city.>

Um…literally?

Nov-13-17  Ilkka Salonen: Would 15. ...Qf6 be any better?
Nov-13-17  Isilimela: Even a player as 'well booked' (as Uhlmann undoubtedly was) cannot match intuitive genius! Trojan horse is indeed the perfect description here: 12 Nf5! leaving the opponent fatally mesmerized!
Nov-13-17  Cheapo by the Dozen: The natural try to play on in my quick estimation is ... Bc4, taking that bishop out of the defense so as to get the c6 knight back in, and thus loosening White's grip on the black squares.
Nov-13-17  saturn2: After 19..Bc4 20 Ba5+ NxB 21 Qa5+ eventually followed by a check on d8 looks good to me.
Nov-13-17  kevin86: White rubs away with black's QR.
Nov-13-17  dhotts: A most beautiful gift!...How Tal could find this beguiling move is pure genius.
Jul-06-20  SpiritedReposte: <12. Nf5!> Tal playing such a move against you...good luck.

Playing through I expected 15. Rxe6+ which looks to win as well?

May-24-21  Messiah: Excellent game, very nice!
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