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Aldo Haik vs Spyridon Skembris
"Rhythm of the Knight" (game of the day Sep-08-2024)
Vrnjacka Banja (1981), Vrnjacka Banja YUG, rd 7, Apr-16
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Saemisch Variation. Accelerated (E24)  ·  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 11 (minimum 7s/ply)better is 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nbd2 d5 4.b3 Bd6 5.e3 O-O 6.Bb2 Nbd7 = +0.30 (42 ply)= -0.27 (36 ply)better is 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 O-O 7.e3 h6 8.Bh4 Re8 = +0.22 (37 ply)= -0.43 (37 ply)better is 5...c5 6.Qc2 Nc6 7.Nf3 O-O 8.e3 d6 9.Bd3 h6 10.O-O ⩱ -0.61 (36 ply)= +0.08 (35 ply) after 6.Qc2 c5 7.e4 Nc6 8.Nf3 e5 9.d5 Na5 10.Bd3 O-O 11.Bg5 6...c5 7.e4 Nc6 8.Ne2 O-O 9.Ng3 Na5 10.Bd3 b6 11.Be3 = -0.34 (34 ply) ⩲ +0.72 (35 ply)better is 10.O-O c5 11.a4 h6 12.a5 Nf8 13.Be3 Bd7 14.Qd2 Qc7 ⩲ +0.82 (33 ply)better is 10...c5 11.Rb1 b6 12.O-O h6 13.Be3 Nf8 14.Qd2 Ng6 15.Rbd1 = +0.11 (33 ply) ⩲ +0.83 (33 ply) after 11.Be3 c5 12.Qd2 Qa5 13.a4 h6 14.Ra2 Ng6 15.O-O Bd7 better is 11...c5 12.Bc2 Bd7 13.Rb1 b6 14.f4 cxd4 15.cxd4 Rc8 = +0.44 (33 ply) ⩲ +1.15 (34 ply)better is 13...Bg4 14.Qe1 Nxf4 15.Rxf4 Kh8 16.Qd2 Be6 17.Rb1 b6 ⩲ +0.68 (34 ply) ⩲ +1.22 (32 ply) 14...Kh8 15.Qf3 Ng8 16.Rf1 f6 17.Qh5 g6 18.Qe2 c6 19.Qf2 ⩲ +0.65 (32 ply) 15.Nh5 Nxh5 16.Qxh5 Qe7 17.Raf1 f6 18.R4f3 cxd4 19.cxd4 ± +1.90 (37 ply) 15...Ng4 16.h3 Nh6 17.Raf1 Qg5 18.R1f3 Kh8 19.Qf2 Bd7 ⩲ +0.59 (35 ply)+- +3.75 (37 ply) 17...Kh8 18.e5 dxe5 19.Rh4 Nf8 20.Nxg7 Re7 21.Nh5 Rf7 +- +4.28 (35 ply)+- +10.62 (33 ply)+- mate-in-9 after 20...Kf7 21.Nxh7+ Bf5 22.Rxf5+ Ke8 23.Nf6+ Kf721...Rxe8 22.Rf7 Qg5 23.Qxg5 Ne6 24.Qh6 Ng5 25.Qg7# +- mate-in-41-0

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
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Sep-08-06  EmperorAtahualpa: I saw some elements of this puzzle, and missed some others. First, I was expecting that White would (threaten to) mate on h7, considering the bishop on d3. And second, I got some move orders wrong. I saw Rxf6 and Nxf6 as necessary moves and als Qh6, but I thought Nxf6 would be moved BEFORE Qh6, not after.
Sep-08-06  CannonLad: I think I've missed something here. Can someone let me know why 21. Ne8 is a good move. Doesn't 21...Rxe8 get black out of trouble and a knight for nothing?
Sep-08-06  joebuck: If black plays Rxe8, white can win easily with Rf7 forcing mate in the next move.
Sep-08-06  rookattack: <cannonlad> 21...Rxe8 22.Rf7 and there is forced mate on h7
Sep-08-06  CannonLad: Ah, I missed the Queen going to g7 with nothing to stop it. Thanks guys!
Sep-08-06  franksp: The final move may have been inspired by the game Reti-Bogoljubov New York 1924. In that game a Bishop was the blocking piece.
Sep-08-06  uuft: Oh my God, it's friday? Must have become a GM overnight... Took me about 5 seconds to kick some ass... Tower going down... Is it 9/11 yet? Anyways, gotta love this game!
Sep-08-06  zb2cr: I had the same problem as <dzechiel>. My board vision gave out before I saw the key move that makes the variation work, 21. Ne8.
Sep-08-06  kevin86: The final move is the winner!! Up until then-it was a Tuesday or Wednesday puzzle.

The knight move uncovers a second attack on f8 and blocks its only defender.

There is a slight flaw in <sacracophy>'s one variation. After 21... ♘g6 22 ♕xf8+?? ♘xf8 23 ♖xf8 ♔g7----the rook must take first.

Sep-08-06  fzoozle: The g7 square is attacked by the knight on e8. His line was correct.
Sep-08-06  Marmot PFL: Didn't see this line with 21.Ne8, but picked 16.Nxf6+ followed by Rxf6 and either Qg5 or e5 depending on black's reply. Not as good as the game line but also not bad with two pawns for knight and lasting initiative against the exposed king.
Sep-08-06  kevin86: <fzoozle>you are right,my bad. That nasty knight covers g7.

Please ignore the last paragraph of my previous post.

Sep-08-06  mshah28: This puzzle should really be for white's 21st move. 21. Ne8 is the critical move to the mating attack, and not a very easy one to find! Move 18. Rxf6 is not that hard to see.
Sep-08-06  KOCCMOHAYT: nice indeed
Sep-08-06  YouRang: I'm a bit late for the Friday puzzle today. What a fantastic move with 21. Ne8!! I wouldn't have seen it coming either.

Poor Skembris -- it seems he's been on the losing end of a couple puzzles lately.

Sep-08-06  syracrophy: <kevin86> Check it again. The white knight is on e8 so after 21...Ng6 22.Qf8+! Nxf8 23.Rxf8#
Sep-08-06  Egghead: chessmoron is right -- the combination works only if Black takes the bait. After 18. ... Ne6 White has only a pawn.
Sep-08-06  LivBlockade: Similar to many others - I saw the first few moves but instead of 21. ♘e8! I was planning to try 21. ♘d5, happy that it attacked the Black Knight on f8 and threatened ♕f6+, when the Rook on e7 is pinned to the Queen on d8. Unfortunately, after 21. ♘d5, Black has time to move his Bishop protecting key squares on the back rank such as f8 and d8. If I had the courage to play the first few moves, perhaps (on a good day) by looking at the position before White's 21st I might have found 21.♘e8! at that point.
Sep-09-06  schizoidman: <Ger7ry> If 21...Bf5 22.Qxf8#
Sep-09-06  avidfan: The final position after 21.Nf6-e8! is worthy of a diagram.


click for larger view

Sep-13-06  patzer2: The demolition and clearance move 18. Rxf6!! sets up the neat obstruction 21. Ne8! in the diagram provided above by <avidfan>.
Oct-10-10  sevenseaman: There are many moves that come to mind for the 21st White move. Ne8 is a stroke of genius that precipitates an instant win.
Nov-10-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  master8ch: Since chess is all about mating your opponent, it's very unusual to see a move this surprising when it actually forces mate. The rook sac on move 18 seems to indicate that White saw this amazing finale 4 moves in advance. WOW!
Sep-08-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  Korora: "Rhythm of the Knight". That takes me back to when I was taking karate; that song was one of the ones played to set the rhythm during practice.
Sep-08-24  Amarande: The finale reminds me of the famous Reti game. Interference on the same square too.
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