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Vladimir Akopian vs Sergey Karjakin
"War-End Piece" (game of the day Apr-15-2020)
4th FIDE Grand Prix (2009), Nalchik RUS, rd 6, Apr-21
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. English Attack Anti-English (B90)  ·  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 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)11...Bd7 was played in N Somborski vs K Mielke, 2000 (0-1)14...Qc5 was played in Leko vs Carlsen, 2009 (0-1)better is 21...Bf6 22.Nxf6+ exf6 23.f3 Ke7 24.b3 Qc3 25.Qxc3 Rxc3 = +0.35 (25 ply) ⩲ +0.97 (30 ply)better is 22...Qxc4 23.Qxg5 Bxd5 24.Qxd5 Bf6 25.Qxc4 Rxc4 26.Re2 ⩲ +0.61 (28 ply) ⩲ +1.30 (25 ply) 24...Qd7 25.Qxa6 Kf7 26.f3 Bg7 27.Bf2 Qc6 28.Qxc6 Rxc6 ⩲ +0.77 (27 ply) 25.Nxe7 Kxe7 26.Rxd6 Rc7 27.Qd4 Qa8 28.e5 fxe5 29.Bxe5 ± +2.05 (30 ply) 25...Rd8 26.Nb4 Qa8 27.Qb6 Bg7 28.Nxa6 Qc6 29.Qa5 Rc8 ⩲ +0.79 (25 ply) 26.Nxe7 Kxe7 27.Rxd6 Qxd6 28.Bxd6+ Kxd6 29.Qxa6+ Rc6 ± +1.60 (29 ply) ⩲ +0.63 (26 ply) 29...Bd7 30.Nb4 Qa4 31.Qb7 Ra8 32.Rd1 Qa7 33.Qxa7 Rxa7 ⩲ +0.55 (29 ply) ⩲ +1.36 (28 ply)better is 30...Qd7 31.Qe3 Qf5 32.Re2 Bf8 33.Qd4 Rc8 34.Bf2 Rc5 ⩲ +1.13 (29 ply) ± +1.72 (30 ply)better is 34.Re2 Rh1+ 35.Be1 Qb7 36.Re4 Qc7 37.Kc2 Rg1 38.Rg4 Ke8 +- +2.99 (26 ply) ± +1.86 (27 ply)better is 35.Be1 f5 36.Qxf5+ Bf6 37.Rd1 Rg1 38.Qc2 Qa5 39.Qf2 Rh1 ± +2.45 (27 ply) ± +1.75 (33 ply)better is 36...Qb8 37.Kc1 Qb6 38.Be1 Qg1 39.g4 Qf1 40.a4 f5 ± +1.70 (30 ply)better is 37.Kc1 Qa7 38.Be1 Qc5 39.g4 Qb5 40.Bd2 Bh6 41.Qe4 Qb3 ± +2.20 (29 ply)better is 37...Qb5 38.Kc2 g4 39.Bf4 gxf3 40.gxf3 Qb3+ 41.Kc1 Qa2 ± +1.54 (32 ply) ± +2.16 (33 ply) 41.a4 f5 42.Qc8+ Kf7 43.Qxf5+ Ke8 44.Qe4 Be5 45.Kc2 Qg2+ ± +2.39 (31 ply)better is 41...f5 42.Qxf5+ Ke8 43.Qe4 Be5 44.Kc2 Qg2+ 45.Kb1 Qg1 ⩲ +1.40 (28 ply) ± +1.92 (26 ply) after 42.Kc2 f5 43.gxf5 Be5 44.Bd2 Qg2 45.Qxc4 Qxf3 46.Qc8+ 44.a4 f5 45.gxf5 Bh6 46.Kd1 g4 47.fxg4 Qxd5+ 48.Kc2 Bg5 +- +2.92 (25 ply) ± +1.63 (27 ply) 48...Be5 49.a4 Qg1 50.Qe2 Qh1 51.Bf2 Qxd5+ 52.Kb4 Qb7+ ± +1.99 (25 ply)better is 49.Bd2 Ke8 50.a4 Qh1 51.Bf4 Be5 52.Bxe5 dxe5 53.a5 g3 +- +3.58 (24 ply) 49...Qg1 50.Bg3 Be5 51.Bxe5 Qb6+ 52.Ka2 dxe5 53.Qg3 Qa5 ± +2.12 (24 ply)better is 50.Qb5 Qg1 51.Qb8+ Kd7 52.Qb7+ Kd8 53.Bh4 g3 54.Bxe7+ +- +5.87 (25 ply)+- +3.11 (24 ply)better is 51.Bh4 Qc5 52.Ka4 Bf6 53.Bxf6 exf6 54.Qe4 g3 55.Qe6 Kc7 +- +3.82 (24 ply)+- +7.17 (28 ply) after 51...Qc5 52.Qxc5 dxc5 53.Bf2 Kc7 54.Bxc5 Kb7 55.Bxe7 g3 +- mate-in-19 after 69.Kb7 Qc5 70.Ka6 Qxd5 71.Qb5+ Qxb5+ 72.Kxb571...e6 72.Qf8 Qxb2+ 73.Nb6+ Qxb6+ 74.Kxb6 exf5 75.Qf7+ +- mate-in-61-0

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
Apr-21-09  Bears092: how about 17. Bxe5 followed by 18. Bxb5

is there anything in that?

Apr-21-09  Dr. Funkenstein: Wow, great underpromotion at the end that somehow both stops the threatened perpetual check and threatens mate at the same time
Apr-21-09  braimondi: Very nice pawn promotion ;)
Apr-21-09  luzhin: In fact Akopian could have immediately played the winning king march (followed by the underpromotion) by playing 54.a7 etc. But who can blame him for using Q checks to spend more time to consider the position? Karjakin's 22...bxc4 looked very odd: after that his position was totally rigid.
Apr-21-09  luzhin: Bears092: Unfortunately after 17.Bxe5 Bxe5 18.Bxb5 axb5 19.Qxa8 Qxa8 20.Nc7+ Kd7 21.Nxa8 Kc6 Black will capture the wandering Knight and his two extra Bishops are much better than White's extra Rook.
Apr-21-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  JointheArmy: Nice underpromotion that forces Karjakin to resign.
Apr-21-09  Augalv: Commentary at: http://karjakin.blogspot.com/
Apr-22-09  arsen387: <The representative of the older generation (who had also been a young star someday) gave a perfect lesson to the young and brilliant opponent. Maybe Karjakin simply underestimated Akopian and decided to play against him beyond the acceptable risk. Perhaps judging Sergey’s novelty 16…b5 by a single game is irresponsible, especially considering that ‘Karjakin-made’ opening ideas are usually of the highest quality. However, Akopian used simple and logical means to parry Black’s threats, and obtained a lasting advantage. Vladimir converted this advantage in a classic way. The excellent 31.Qc7! deserves special attention. In the endgame White sacrificed a bishop (51.Qb5!) and advanced his passed a-pawn. Here began the most interesting part! Usually players always queen their pawns without giving a proper thought to underpromotion. However, in this case the automatic 71.a8Q? only led to a perpetual check. By promoting his pawn to the knight, Akopian defended his king and created irresistible threats to the opponent’s monarch! An excellent victory!> GM Shipov, http://nalchik2009.fide.com/round-6...

really very beautiful win by Akopian, the best of the tournament so far, at least for me

Apr-22-09  Alphastar: 78. a8=N is excellent.
Apr-24-09  syracrophy: The ♘ underpromotion at his best


click for larger view

<MATE IN THREE>

1.a8=♘!


click for larger view

<MATE IN THREE>

<1.a8=♕? fails to 1...♘c5+ 2.♔a7 ♘b7!. Another resource is missing...>

1.a8=♘!

May-12-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Mateo: <luzhin: In fact Akopian could have immediately played the winning king march (followed by the underpromotion) by playing 54.a7 etc. But who can blame him for using Q checks to spend more time to consider the position? Karjakin's 22...bxc4 looked very odd: after that his position was totally rigid.> The other move was 22...Qxc4. However, after 23.Qxg5 Bxd5 24.Qxd5, White won a pawn too. As a matter of fact, it should be noticed that the natural move 21...Nc4 loses a pawn.
Apr-15-20  jith1207: Nice pun, great match and a beautiful game to play through.
Apr-15-20  goodevans: <syracrophy> I struggled with your 2nd diagram for some time before coming to the conclusion it should say <MATE IN 4>. Is that right?
Apr-15-20  morfishine: You know, this was a very good game, thanks!
Apr-15-20  pmukerji: 27...Rb8 captures the white knight, no?
Apr-15-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  harpendenwoodpusher: If 27...Rb8 then 28 Qxc4 threatening an unusual mate via Qg8 and Qg6. Neat!
Apr-15-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  harpendenwoodpusher: Oh no not so straightforward as Qg6 is not mate as the rook will have moved. Sorry should have checked this.
Apr-15-20  WorstPlayerEver: Black takes the Knight at d5 and gets in a difficult position, in this game from the same tournament happens the same, but now Karjakin has White:

Karjakin vs Aronian, 2009

Apr-15-20  RandomVisitor: After 16...b5 there is 17.f4


click for larger view

Stockfish_20041408_x64_modern:

<54/71 38:14 +0.65 17.f4 gxf4 18.Bxf4> Be6 19.Qg3 Ng6 20.Bh5 Rg8 21.Kb1 Nxf4 22.Nxf4 0-0-0 23.Nxe6 fxe6 24.Bf7 Be5 25.Bxe6+ Kb8 26.Qf2 Rg6 27.Bg4 Rf6 28.Qd2 Rdf8 29.Bf3 Rc8 30.c3 Qc5 31.Rhf1 Rcf8 32.Rfe1 Rf4 33.Rh1 Qc7 34.Qe2 Kb7 35.Qc2 Qc4 36.Rd3 Rc8

Apr-15-20  pmukerji: Interesting line <harpendenwoodpusher>. In analyzing I see that even though it fails, it only fails if black takes the knight with his queen. If he takes with his rook then white gets his minor piece back OR force a perpetual. Either way white's queen gets stuck in la-la land giving black solid tempo!
Apr-15-20  Kay Sadeeya: Even before I saw the game, I chuckled at that pun. Very clever. And it works perfectly with the under-promoting knight,

Good one thank you.

Apr-20-20  Ironmanth: Fantastic game! Thanks, chessgames. Had not seen this before. A true treasure.

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