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Vladimir Bagirov vs Boris Spassky
USSR Championship 1961b (1961), Baku URS, rd 18, Dec-13
Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Modern Steinitz Defense (C73)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-05-04  ruylopez900: Nice endgame technique by Spassky. It seems like it's quite hard to do a ♗+♘ ending, but once you get the king against the edge of the board its simple!
Aug-20-04  Dick Brain: It was particularly simple here because Spassky by playing ...Nb3, ...Bb1, and ...Nd4 demonstrated that he was familiar with the technique.
Jan-17-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  ketchuplover: Forgive my ignorance but how does one win this ending? thanks :)
Jan-17-05  WMD: With a great deal of patience. If memory serves, the defender's king must be driven into a corner of the same colour as the bishop.

The technique can be practised against a computer.

Dec-21-05  Shams: play would continue:
73.Ka5 Kb4 and now:

i) 74.Ka4 Nb5 followed by ...Bc2, etc. or,
ii) 74.Kb6 Nb5 75. Kc6 Bf5 76.Kb7 Bd7

and white has the lock on the c-file. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this basic mate.

Dec-22-05  ameekmalhotra345: <shams>
73...Kb4 is illegal bcause white king is on a5
Dec-22-05  ameekmalhotra345: shams,do you mean 73...kc4?
Dec-22-05  Shams: thanks-- yes, 73...Kc4
Mar-30-07  gambitfan: A superb ending with knight + bishop
Mar-30-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: A great endgame by Spassky!

<43.Kf3> Now it looks like White is doing just fine: ...43...Nh2 44.Kg2 Ng4 43.Kf3... repeats the position, while ...43...Bxf5 44.exf5 Nh6 45.Ke4... leaves Black tied up.

<43...d5!> A masterful tactical strike; its point is ...44.Kxf4 dxe4 45.Ne3 Kf6 (the pin is now permanent) 46.Ba7 Ba3 47.Bb6 Bc1 48.b4 Bxe3 49.Bxe3 Bxf5+ 50.Kh4 Bd7 ... and Black wins.

Mar-30-07  gambitfan: A superb ending with ♘+ ♗
Dec-20-08  WhiteRook48: You have to get the White K to a8.
Feb-09-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Alex Schindler: honestly, while the technique is not that hard to learn pretty well, the 50-move limit in tournaments means a single error can really set you back. And under time constraints embarrassing draws can happen...
Jun-20-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli:


click for larger view

43...d5! Brilliant. (See Gypsy's post.)

Aug-03-19  gambitfan: Endgame BN|K theoretically 36 moves for mating the King
Aug-14-19  gambitfan: 1) mated-in-17 (46 ply) 73.♔a5 ♗e4 74.♔a4 ♗d5 75.♔a3 ♘b5+ 76.♔a4 ♔c4 77.♔a5 ♗e4 78.♔b6 ♔b4 79.♔a6 ♘d4 80.♔b6 ♘e6 81.♔a6 ♗c6 82.♔b6 ♗b5 83.♔a7 ♔a5 84.♔b7 ♗d7 85.♔a7 ♘c5 86.♔b8 ♔b6 87.♔a8 ♗e6 88.♔b8 ♘a6+ 89.♔a8 ♗d5#
Aug-21-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  woldsmandriffield: Spassky's technique moves 65 to 72 is excellent.

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