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Mikhail Botvinnik vs Georgiy Stepanov (Schneideman)
Leningrad Championship (1930/31), Leningrad URS
Semi-Slav Defense: General (D43)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 16 times; par: 54 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 5 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: OK, Black didn't resign ... but he was still quite lost.

Its actually a bloody shame Black did not throw in the towel, this would have been a sterling miniature ... ... ...

Jan-12-12  TheoNov: <LTJ> I agree, in the line we were examining, after 32.Qxa6, 32...Bc5? is not the best, nor is any move. Black is completely lost, and can only make a few threatening gestures. I was only speculating why Botvinnik chose as he did, and I imagine he could calculate out the won ending and didn't want to tempt fate in our line.

<You return to your room and even with the computer you by no means immediately get to the bottom of it. <LTJ: I'm currently not using engines for analysis> It’s a very good thing when a chess player can maintain that curiosity.--V.Anand>

Excellent! I must admit, I always back up my analysis with an engine; otherwise, it's just too unreliable for my liking, plus I'm impatient. But I like Anand's observation on how elusive "the truth" can be.

Jan-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  benveniste: I got this one, but I have to wonder about 18. f5!?. If black responds, 18. ... ♖xd4 I don't see how white plans to proceed.

I assume Botvinnik played saw the "puzzle" a move earlier and played f5 as a low-risk trap and was awarded appropriately.

Jan-12-12  kevin86: After answering the first three days in a breeze,I missed this easy one because I looked to the wrong sac.I saw a bishop move to c7-ironically,the last move of the game. Then I looked at c6 for a knight move,but sadly not c4.
Jan-12-12  Whitehat1963: Never came close to seeing this one. Is it really only Thursday?
Jan-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  doubledrooks: 19. Bxf7+ Rxf7 20. Nc4 wins her majesty.
Jan-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: <<<ATTENTION>>>

Would like to remind everyone that Caissar Award is being held in my forum. And today, we are voting on <Most Constructive> and <Funniest Kibitzer>.

You can see the list of nominees and vote by clickin' on the Wabbit Avatar.

Jan-12-12  Marmot PFL: Found it to be one of the easier Thursdays, maybe because there have been a few queen traps lately.
Jan-12-12  BOSTER: For me this puzzle was decided by Y.Seirawan in "Winning Chess Tactics".

Sometimes the ideas in chess are connected by invisible thread.

And only "f7" could tell you how many hot battles have been seen here by sacr. Bxf7.

This is another ex.


click for larger view

Jan-12-12  brianhughes: It is interesting that 18. ... exf5? appears to be a one-move blunder, because 18. ... Rxd4 is very even.
Jan-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: F7 looks in it is having apparent in g6 leave key spur tied

Down in my thin line goes 19.Ng6 lost black rfe8 20.Bxf7+ Kxf7

21.Ne5+ Kf8 22.Nc4! or every cold again knight wing queen I

Got transfixed in thinking g6 but chess blindness grey grey

Grey over bxf7 Id eon hole nc4 but did'nt get it. A6 serve to put nb4 queen in trappable culpa?

B5 is now it was immaculate ar good call ha nc4 gone see lark goofball I net it seems ye st rush in borrowed wheeled time a knight back!

Jan-12-12  gregkoch: <LIFE Master AJ: OK, Black didn't resign ... but he was still quite lost. Its actually a bloody shame Black did not throw in the towel, this would have been a sterling miniature>

There are so many times that I come across tactical puzzles such as these. We spot a nice combination that secures a decisive advantage and the problem is at an end, on to the next.

Over the board, however, I have very rarely come across an opponent who will just resign (or agree to a draw, when appropriate) when I play a combination such as this. In particular, I remember one game from 2005 in which I won my opponent's queen in a similar fashion. The position was quite different, of course, and ultimately I was unable to find ways inroads for my Queen to make her true strength felt and we agreed a draw.

In this game, I am more impressed with Botvinnik's:


click for larger view

<30.Bxc5!> With this move, the future world champion shows great vision and chess understanding; he is returning some material in order to squash any counterplay and secure his victory. If only we all could win our won games so handily.

Jan-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: << <gregkoch> < <30.Bxc5!> With this move, the future world champion shows great vision and chess understanding;> he is returning some material in order to squash any counterplay and secure his victory. If only we all could win our won games so handily. <<<>>> >>

Agreed. When I was young - and had not studied the game much - I had a relatively low opinion of Botvinnik. However, I am now 53, and every time I see ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE WIN!!! ... by this great player ... well, let's say my appreciation of the high level of Botvinnik's play only continues to improve, and my appreciation of his play is also continuing to grow.

Jan-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: Game Collection: Games that SHOULD have been "shorties" ...

A new game collection, it started with this game ...

Jan-12-12  kasparvez: Life Master AJ, here are two for your collection:
Fischer vs Reshevsky, 1958
Saemisch vs Capablanca, 1929
Jan-12-12  LoveThatJoker: <TheoNov> Can't blame Black for trying - there are times when all of us who have experienced the shorter end of the stick, in the course of a game, keep on playing in the hope that a miracle will happen and we'll be able to save or win the game!

We've all been through that. I'm still thinking that Botvinnik was short of time, man. That's why he went for a clearer situation on the board, so as to, as you said, avoid any nasty surprises from all those pieces being on there.

LTJ

Jan-12-12  Rosbach: As others I looked at something like 19. Bxf7 Rxf7 20. Nxf7 Kxf7 21. e5... However, I don't think 21 Qc4+ would work well because it opens for Black's knight to go to Nc2 and later Ne3 with a fork at the queen and rook. White would therefore later have to move the back to e2 or play Rfc1 to prevent Nc2. e5, though, would still have been an okay move after winning the queen. For example 22. e5 Nh7. 23. h4 (to keep Black's knight at h7).
Jan-13-12  morfishine: <Nemesistic> You commented <This just seems so simple once you've seen the solution...I thought it was hard!> I can't add much to <sevenseaman>'s clear response other than I struggled with it in much the same fashion. Perhaps the tendency is to go straight for the King and so we focus in that direction; meanwhile we have "blocked-out", so to speak, a different portion of the board which may hold the secret.

Too often, I've attacked the King when I should've pressured the Queen, and vice-versa. What I try to do now is first, pressure the King; failing in that, attack the Queen; if we still haven't found a solution, see if we can win a piece. This way we don't put on "blinders" and we examine all possibilities.

Thats how I eventually found the solution, after 20-minutes, or so.

Jul-29-13  notyetagm: Botvinnik vs G Stepanov, 1930

Game Collection: SQUARE CLEARANCE: GETTING THE HELL OUT OF THE WA Y

Jul-30-13  notyetagm: Botvinnik vs G Stepanov, 1930

Game Collection: TIYDIIIS - THAT IS YOUR DEFENDER! IT INTERPOSES! 18 ... e6xf5?? removes defender that interposes/shields f7-sq

Jul-30-13  notyetagm: Botvinnik vs G Stepanov, 1930

Game Collection: VOLUNTARY REMOVAL OF THE GUARD 18 ... e6xf5?? removes defender that interposes/shields f7-sq

Jul-30-13  notyetagm: Botvinnik vs G Stepanov, 1930

Game Collection: SQUARE CLEARANCE: GETTING THE HELL OUT OF THE WA 19 Bc4xf7+! vacates c4-sq for 20 Ne5-c4!, trapping the a5-queen

Jul-30-13  notyetagm: Botvinnik vs G Stepanov, 1930

Game Collection: SELF-BLOCKS: CAN'T CAPTURE YOUR OWN PIMP 15 ... Ra8-d8?! dangerously takes away d8-flight from a5-queen

Jul-30-13  notyetagm: Botvinnik vs G Stepanov, 1930

Game Collection: TRAPPED PIECES! TRAPPED PIECES! TRAPPED PIECES! 19 Bc4xf7+!,20 Ne5-c4 traps Black a5-queen on the edge of board

Apr-29-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: What a bizarre little tactic!
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