Jan-08-17
 | | KEG: A true up and down story. Tchigorin outplays Blackburne and gets a won game, ruins his position with an unsound piece sacrifice, and then uses his tactical prowess to salvage a seemingly hopeless ending by walking into a mating net and then miraculously salvaging a draw with a surprise Rook sacrifice. A game with a little bit of everything. Undaunted by his problems in earlier games, Tchigorin once again assayed his 2. Qe2 variation against the French Defense. Blackburne tried a new approach to combat this line (2... b6), and then made a bizarre recapture (12...exN instead of the seemingly obvious 12...BxN) giving Tchigorin an opportunity to begin what should probably have been a victorious march of his g-pawn with 13. g4, 14. g5, and 15. g6. Blackurne only made things worse for himself with 15...h6 (15...hxg6 was a sad necessity), and Tchigorin had a clear win beginning with 16. h4. Instead of this, however, Tchigorin played the superficially attractive 16. Ng5. Blackburne, of course, could not have played 16...hxN (17. Qh5+ Nh6 18. fxg5 would have been murder), but after 16...BxN 17. fxB played the move the Tournament Book says Tchigorin overlooked, 17...f4, leaving the following position: 
click for larger viewHere, Tchigorin played 18. gxh6, sacrificing his Bishop on e3 (instead of the prosaic but winning 18. Bd2). With this one move, Tchigorin turned a won game into a lost one. Soon enough, Blackburne forced the exchange of Queens and although Tchigorin had two passed pawns on the King-side, the extra piece was too much, and a win for Blackburne seemed inevitable. But never underestimate Tchigorin in a game with tactical possibilities. It is here that his genius always shined. Blackburne made heavy weather of the ending. His 36...c5, 38...a4, and 40...Re3 missed faster and better ways to win, but he nonetheless still had the game in hand after Tchigorin's 41. Rf2: 
click for larger view41...Nd4 would have been crushing here, but Blackburne got cute with 41...a3+, and Tchigorin then saved the game with a bit of tactical magic.. He played 42. Kxa3, springing a trap for Blackburne that worked like a charm when the English veteran took the bait with 42...Rxd3+ (42...Nd4 was the only winning chance remaining). Tchgorin then played the move Blackburne probably thought was impossible: 43. Ka4! After the following 43...Nd4 44. Rg2! Rc3, it appeared that Blackburn had walked into a mating net. But after 45. g7 Rxc4+ 46. Ka3 Rb4, Blackburne, though within a move of mating Tchigorin, suddenly faced a devastating Rook sacrifice in the following position: 
click for larger viewIf Blackburne had reckoned on 47. g7(Q) Nc2 mate, he got a rude shock when Tchigorin instead played 47. Rg6+ !. Since 47...Kh7 would have led to mate in one, Blackburne had to play 47...Kxh5. Tchigorin then sacrificed his Rook with 48. Rg5+ !!. Since Blackburne obviously couldn't accept the sacrifice (48...KxR 49. g8(Q)+), the game came to a sudden and incredible conclusion. Blackburne must have needed another drink after this turn of events. |
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