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Robert Huebner vs Vlastimil Hort
Biel (1987), Biel SUI, Jul-??
Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack. Main Line (B03)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-03-09  goodevans: <johnlspouge: ...

(1) 17.axb4 Qa4 (threatening 18…Qa1# or 18…Qa1+ 19…Qxb2#)

18.Qc3 [Bd3 Qa1+ 19.Bb1 Qxb1#]>

Pretty though this mate is, as I pointed out in my earlier post, after 18 Bd3 white can meet 18 ... Qa1+ with 19 Kc2. Better is 18 Bd3 Nxc4.

Jan-03-09  johnlspouge: < <goodevans> wrote: <johnlspouge: ...

(1) 17.axb4 Qa4 (threatening 18…Qa1# or 18…Qa1+ 19…Qxb2#)

18.Qc3 [Bd3 Qa1+ 19.Bb1 Qxb1#]>

Pretty though this mate is, as I pointed out in my earlier post, after 18 Bd3 white can meet 18 ... Qa1+ with 19 Kc2. Better is 18 Bd3 Nxc4. >

Hi, <goodevans>. Thanks for correcting me.

Jan-03-09  xrt999: Should white decline the pawn after 35...b5?
Jan-03-09  patzer2: For the Saturday Jan 3, 2009 puzzle solution, Black plays 16...Nb4! to infiltrate, capture a Bishop and decisively weaken White's grip on the dark squares.

The capture of a pawn after 23...Qxa3 appears to be sufficient for a lasting and near decisive advantage.

Jan-03-09  tallinn: <Jimfromprovidence: 19. Bf2> Interesting: the computer needs a little bit help here. I had to force him into 19. ... Nxd4 (when I played Nc2 I really was longing for that pawn - it is so important for white) and immediately he recognized a sure win for black:

a) Bxd4 Rxd4 Qxd4 Bxc5 gets really nasty and wild: Qc3 Bxa3+ Kd2 Rd8+ Nd4 Qxg2 (if black can play Qf2 now it is game over - Nd4 can't be defended as the king cannot move) Qf3 Rxd4+ Kc3 Qxf3 Bxf3

b) Nxd4 Qxc5+ Bc4 Nxc4 bxc Qxa3+ Qb2 Qa4 (c4 cannot be defended: Qc3 Bb4) Kd2 (to avoid Ba3, anything else is worse, e.g. Nc2 Qxc4 (Ba3 threat again) Kb1 Bxh4 ) Ba3 (we want white to leave Nd4 alone) Qa1 c5 or Ra1 Bxb2 Rxa4 Bxd4

Jan-03-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Jimfromprovidence: <tallinn> <Interesting: the computer needs a little bit help here. I had to force him into 19. ... Nxd4 (when I played Nc2 I really was longing for that pawn - it is so important for white) and immediately he recognized a sure win for black:>

Thanks! You figured it out, for sure.

(These weekend puzzles can be maddening).

Jan-03-09  agb2002: The light squares around the white king are momentarily weak and Black should try to take advantage of this before White plays h5 or Bd3. The obvious 16... Na5 seems to be too slow: 17.Qc3 Qa4 18.Nd2 and if 18... Bb4 then 19.axb4 (19.Qxb4 Qc2#) Qa1+ 20.Nb1 Qxb1+ 21.Kd2 threatens Rxb1 and bxa5. Therefore, 16... Nb4:

A) 17.axb4 Qa4

A.1) 18.Qc3 Bxb4 19.b3 Qa5 20.Qb2 Ba3 winning.

A.2) 18.Bd3 Nxc4

A.2.a) 19.Bxc4 Qa1#

A.2.b) 19.Qf(e)2 Qa1+ and mate next move.

A.2.c) 19.Qc3 Qa1+ 20.Kc2 Nxe3+ 21.Kd2 Nxd1 22.Rxd1 Qa4 with decisive advantage.

A.2.d) 19.Qc2 Qxc2+ 20.Bxc2 Nxe3 21.Bxg6 (21.Rd2 Nxc2) Nxd1 22.Bxf7 Nf2 23.Bxe6+ Kb8 24.Rf1 Nd3+ followed by 25... Nxb4 and Black should win the endgame.

B) 17.Rdg1 Qa4 and White will lose material.

C) 17.b3 Nc2

C.1) 18.b4 Nxb4 19.axb4 Qa4

C.1.a) 20.Qb2 Bxb4 threatening Ba3.

C.1.b) 20.Qc3 Bxb4 wins.

C.1.c) 20.Bd3 Nxc4, similar to A.2).

C.2) 18.Bd3 Nxc4 (18... Nxe3 19.Qxe3 Bxa3+ 20.Kc2 and White may use the ‘a’ column to attack)

C.2.a) 19.Bxc4 Bxa3+ 20.Kb1 Nxe3+ 21.Ka2 Nxc4 (21... Nxd1 22.Kxa3) 22.bxc4 Qa4 with a winning attack.

C.2.b) 19.bxc4 Bxa3+ 20.Kb1 (20.Kxc2 Qa4+ 21.Kb1 –21.Kc3 Qb4+ 22.Kc2 Qb2#- 21... Qb3+ 22.Ka1 Bb4 winning.

That’s all I can do today.

Jan-03-09  agb2002: <dzechiel: ... For the last 15 minutes I have been typing up a wonderful victory for black that starts with 16...Na5. Just as I was about to post my "brilliant" analysis, I noticed that white could simply play 17 Qxa5.> I didn't even notice Qxa5 until I read your post. Time to have dinner...
Jan-03-09  wals: Robert Huebner - Vlastimil Hort, Biel 44/133 (Hort,V) 1987

Analysis by Rybka 3 1-cpu 32-bit:Time 55 min

1. (-0.82): 16...Nb4 17.b3[] Nc2[] 18.Bd3 Bxa3+ 19.Kb1[] Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Nxe3 21.Qxe3 a5 22.Ne4 Bb4 23.Rhf1 h6 24.Nc5 Qc6 25.Nd3 Ba3 26.Qf2 a4 27.d5

2. (-0.38): 16...h6 17.Bf4 Bh7 18.Nh5 Rhg8 19.Rhf1 Be4 20.Be3 f5 21.Rh1 Kb8 22.Qe1 a6 23.Qd2 Na4 24.Ng3

(, 04.01.2009)

Jan-03-09  Kasputin: Hi <Jimfromprovidence> I posted a reply to your query from Friday's puzzle. I thought you might be interested. Cheers!
Jan-03-09  spreadsanity: Tomorrow:

1. ?

White to Play

See game for solution.

Jan-03-09  zenpharaohs: wals: "Robert Huebner - Vlastimil Hort, Biel 44/133 (Hort,V) 1987

Analysis by Rybka 3 1-cpu 32-bit:Time 55 min

1. (-0.82): 16...Nb4 17.b3[] Nc2[] 18.Bd3 Bxa3+ 19.Kb1[] Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Nxe3 21.Qxe3 a5 22.Ne4 Bb4 23.Rhf1 h6 24.Nc5 Qc6 25.Nd3 Ba3 26.Qf2 a4 27.d5

2. (-0.38): 16...h6 17.Bf4 Bh7 18.Nh5 Rhg8 19.Rhf1 Be4 20.Be3 f5 21.Rh1 Kb8 22.Qe1 a6 23.Qd2 Na4"

I have run Rybka 3 64 bit with two CPUs for quite a bit longer than 55 minutes, and I get the same picture, but with only a slightly different value. There is no big win here, the correct play in this problem leads to a minor improvement which by no means guarantees a win. Without very precise play, either player can easily drop this game, and with it, the win, if there is one, is very far in the distance.

Jan-03-09  psmith: These puzzles are about finding the best move, and in this case the best move is a rather surprising one, even if it does only win a pawn with best play. (And I did find it, in this case.)

Not all of these puzzles are "to play and win." Some of the puzzles have a solution that is a drawing move in a seemingly lost position.

Jan-04-09  zenpharaohs: psmith: "in this case the best move is a rather surprising one, even if it does only win a pawn with best play."

Rybka 3 values the position after

15 ... Bg6

as -0.27

at a depth of 18 ply and after 16 h4

as -0.87

at a depth of 18 ply, based on Black playing 16 ... Nb4.

So what you get for Nb4 is an increase in value for Black of about six tenths of a pawn, not a whole pawn.

With correct play, as far as I have been able to see by playing through using engines (mostly Rybka 3), White gets most of that advantage back, ending up many moves later with deep evaluations like -0.64.

Jan-04-09  TheBish: Huebner vs Hort, Black to play (16...?), level Difficult (3.5 stars).

The first thing I noticed about this position, is that White's king position is seriously compromised (weakened) due to the advance of both a- and c-pawns, as well as the powerful Black bishop on g6 preventing a possible retreat to the corner. If only there were a way to get a knight on b3 (or a2), or the queen to a1! White's 16th move was h2-h4, but maybe he should have played 16. Bd3!

Putting the above info together, looking for a way to activate the queen as well as threaten with the knights (trying to get to b3 or a2), the only move I really considered (since 16...Na5?? just hangs a knight) was 16...Nb4! The main line continues 17. axb4 Qa4 (threatening not only Qa1#, but also Bxb4, trapping the queen) and now:

A) 18. Bd3 Nxc4! (forking queen and bishop, and 19. Bxc4?? fails to Qa1#) 19. Qc3 (or Qc2, but 19. Qe2?? Qa1+ 20. Kc2 Qxb2 is mate, as is 20. Bb1 Qxb1) Nxe3 and Black will net two pawns, as the pawn on b4 will fall;

B) 18. Qc3? Bxb4 19. b3 Qa5! 20. Qb2 Ba3 wins the queen (for two pieces).

Maybe White's best continuation is 17. b3 Nc2 18. c5 Nd5 - or even 18...Qc6!?, as 19. cxb6? Nxe3+ 20. Kb2 Nxd1+ wins an exchange. Either way, White's pawns are seriously weakened, and Black should win the endgame (if it goes that long). Time to see the game! (Better late than never.)

Jan-04-09  DwayneMeller: 19Kc2 Qa4+20Kc1 is a repeat & 20Kb1 Nxc4 is basically the same except now the king and pawn are on the same file. Which prevented an a1 check in the future so yes 18...Nxc4 is better but all those other mates are great and justify the 16...Nb4 sac
Jan-04-09  DwayneMeller: 19Kc2 Qa4+20Kc1 is a repeat & 20Kb1 Nxc4 is basically the same except now the king and pawn are on the same file 20 b3 though maybe shouldn't be allowed so 18...Nxc4 is better but the other lines are 100%...I had done that analysis quickly at 3am so forgive that inaccuracy.
Jul-22-09  whiteshark: Surely <16...Nb4!> was like a bolt from the blue.
Jul-22-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: 16...Nb4! Stunning!
Mar-21-16  Eduardo Bermudez: 16...Nb4 the creativity comes to the chessboard !
Mar-21-16  cunctatorg: I am very fond of this 9... Bg4!? variation of this Alekhine's defense variation!

Imho GM Vlastimil Hort is a comparatively dull player but this variation gets the best (out) of him!! A remarkable victory against such a GM as Robert Huebner by an Alekhine defense's specialist.

Aug-23-16  Straclonoor: To <cunctatorg> - totally disagree with you. Hort was very strong player in 60-80s. Nice game. Interesting opening and 4-rook endgame as well.
Aug-23-16  cunctatorg: I don't believe that GM Vlastimil Hort is a "dull" player with respect to me!!... Therefore you have any right to disagree with me; had I said that ridiculous statement, you would had only the right to laugh at me!!...

I said that he was a comparatively dull player, dull with respect to Robert Huebner, Jan Timman, Bent Larsen, Lajos Portisch, Tony Miles or Dragoljub Velimirovic, not to mention Spassky etc. I also said: "dull", not weak; Hort was more successful regarding FIDE competitions than Velimirovic or even Miles!... By the way I consider GM Knaak much more interesting than GM Hort despite the fact that Vlastimil Hort was much more successful than Rainer Knaak, was more successful even beyond comparison...

By the way I fell in love with that variation of the four-pawns variation of the Alekhine Defense more than two decades ago and I still love it!!

Jan-12-19  bubuli55: “Vlast to the Past”
Sep-07-23  exolsen: Here I am years later, coming back to this page for the exact purpose of seeing if anybody had talked about 16...Nb4!?, and am humbled and delighted at the wonderful discussion. My own topic of inquiry is weakening the queenside castled position, and make no mistake, I am only a wood-pusher and a patzer, but I would suggest that an earlier key move is 10...Bb4! prompting the a2-a3 move that serves as a hook for the enterprise.
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