| Aug-10-03 | | morphynoman2: As many of Janowski's not very known games, this is a masterwork. A win in 64 moves, after a queen sacrifice in the 13th move. Very impressive. |
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| Aug-10-03 | | Calli: 13.Bg5? just loses material. Its not a Queen sac when you get two bishops and a rook for the Q. |
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| Aug-16-03 | | ChessPraxis: It's an interesting study in how to consolidate and win when you have this kind of material imbalance. |
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| Aug-16-03 | | Calli: White is down after his 13.Bg5 blunder. Everybody seems to think this is a Janowski queen "sac". Its is white struggling with "material imbalance" , not black. Secondly, Janowski's 23...f5? probably blows the win. White, however, fails to push the a-pawn. For instance, 29.a4 R4e6 30.a5 Bc5 31.Qc4 may actually win for white! I don't see why Wolf can't play 32.bxc5 either. |
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Jul-19-09
 | | Pawn and Two: Wolf had a very good position at his 12th move, and could have continued with advantage by playing: (.94) (20 ply) 12.Qb4 Rb8 13.Qa5 0-0 14.Nc3 Re8 15.Be3, or (.91) (20 ply) 12.Qb3 Rb8 13.Be3 Ba8 14.Qa3 Qc8 15.Nbd2. Instead, he played the interesting, but very unsound 12.Bg5?? Bxg5 13.Nxe5. 
click for larger viewI believe Wolf overlooked that 13...Nxe5! entirely refuted his idea. After 13...Nxe5!, White can win the Queen with check, but he paid too high a price. |
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Jul-19-09
| | Pawn and Two: As this interesting game continued, it was Janowski's turn to err. White's 15.Qf1 looks unusual, but computer analysis indicates it was best. After 15.Qe2 0-0, White's weakness on d2, makes the development of his pieces very difficult. At move 21, Janowski's (-1.15) (21 ply) 21...Bg4 22.Nf3 Rd4 23.Re1 was strong, but better was: (-1.58) (21 ply) 21...Ne7 22.Nb3 Bb6 23.Qc4 Bg4 24.Re1 Nd5 25.Qxa6 Ne3+, or (-1.29) (21 ply) 21...Bf5 22.Rd1 Rd4 23.Qh5 Bxe4+. In this last variation, Black is clearly winning if: 21...Bf5 22.Rd1 Rd4 23.Qxa6? Rexe4 24.Qa5 Rd5! 25.Nxe4 Bxe4. At move 23, Janowski gave away his entire advantage with 23...f5? 24.Qxa6 Bxf3+ 25.Kxf3 fxe4+ 26.Kg4. Correct was 23... Rdxe4 24.Qxe4 Rxe4 25.Rxe4, (-1.42) (21 ply) 25...Ne7 26.Ne5 Bf5 27.Ra4 Bc8 28.Nd3 Bb6, and Black has the advantage and can continue to play for the win. At move 26, Janowski could have maintained an equal position with: (.00) (20 ply) 26...Re6 27.c3 h5+ 28.Kxh5 Rd5+ 29.Kg4 Ne7 30.Qa4 Rg6+ 31.Kh3 Rh6+ 32.Kg4 Rd2 33.Rxe4 Rg6+ 34.kh3 Rh6+. Instead, he erred with: (.51) (20 ply) 26...e3? 27.c3 Rde4 28.Kf3, and now for the first time since move twelve, it is White who has the advantage! |
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Jul-19-09
| | Pawn and Two: The position after 28.Kf3 was very interesting:
click for larger viewFritz indicates White has an advantage, but a closer review of one long variation, indicates Black still had a saving move: 28...e2! 29.a4 Re3+ 30.Kg2 Bd6 31.Qxc6 Bxf4! 32.a5 Kf8 33.a6 Ne5 34.Qxe8+ Kxe8 35.a7 Nd3 36.a8Q+, and this final position is equal! 
click for larger viewA fascinating variation, and one that would have made this game widely known had it been played. Instead of the correct 28...e2!, Janowski played 28...Bb6??. Wolf now had a chance to win this game with: (2.25) (21 ply) 28...Bb6?? 29.a4! Kf8 30.a5 Ra4 31.b4 Ra2 32.Re2 Ra3 33.Qc4 Ba7 34.Qxc6 Ne7 35.Qxc7, (3.41) (24 ply) 35...Bb8 36.Qd7 Rxc3 37.Rxe3 Rc7 38.Qd3 Ba7 39.Re2 h6, (4.53) (20 ply) 40.b5 Bc5 41.b6 Rcc8, (6.19) (20 ply) 42.Qb5 Bg1 43.a6 Red8 44.b7 Rb8 45.Qe5 Ng8 46.Rc2 Nf6 47.Qxb8, and White is clearly winning. A huge missed opportunity for Wolf, after several weak moves by Janowski. |
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May-05-19
 | | KEG: Going into this 14th (next-to-last) round game, Janowski and Wolf each had even records. Even 5th place was out of reach, but 6th was a possibility. As a result of a miscalculation, Wolf lost Rook and two minor pieces for a Queen. Theoretically, Janowski had a won game. But this form of material imbalance, and both sides erred before Janowski finally prevailed. IN fairness to the players, this sort of situation is arises infrequently, and-even with computer assistance--I often had trouble figuring out what was happening. Wrestling with the problems posed in this game can therefore be instructive It certainly was for me. 1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0 d6
A deferred version of the Steinitz Defense to the Ruy Lopez. It is quite playable. Wolf's line against this variation on his 6th and 7th moves is about as good as any. 6. BxN+ bxB
7. d4
click for larger viewWhite is slightly better here. He is better developed and Black's pawn structure is questionable. But Black has the two Bishops, always a key feature in the hands of Janowski. 7... Nd7
Unduly cramping. 7...Nxe4 is more usual and better. 7...Be7 and 7...exd4 are good alternatives. The text (7...Nd7) was first played at Hastings 1895 by Teichmann against Marco. 8. Qe2
Developing the b1 Knight with 8. Nc3, 8. Nbd2, or 8. Na3 was better. In the game at Hastings 1895, Marco played 8. dxe5. 8... Be7
The simple 8...exd4 was best. 8...a5 was a good alternative. 9. Rd1
Failing to exploit his chance to saddle Janowski with doubled c-pawns with 9. dxe5. 9... Bf6!
Well played. Jawnoski addresses the peril to his pawn structure and developed his game. Chances were now approximately equal. 10. dxe5
One move too late to mess up Janowski's pawns. But... 10... dxe5
Voluntarily messing up his own pawn formation. 10...Nxe5 or 10...Bxe5 were much better. Janowski's Queen-side pawns were not a wreck: 
click for larger viewThis looks bad for Janowski (Black). But keep an eye on his two isolated c-pawns. Both were destined to have a miraculous survival throughout this long game, and each one was to play a key role in Janowski's eventual victory. 11. Qc4
A good way to harass Janowski's weak c-pawns. 11. Nbd2 and 11. a4 were other good choices. In any case, Wolf had much the better prospects at this point. 11... Bb7
Given Black's problems, 11...0-0 (sacrificing a pawn) was a real possibility. As Pawn and Two has correctly pointed out on this site, Wolf had a "very good" position before his 12th move.
His suggested 11. Qb4 is good, and 12. Be3; 12. Nbd2; 12. b3; and 12. a4 were also good alternatives. 12. Bg5?
"??"--Tournament Book.
"Just loses material" (Calli on this site). As Pawn and Two speculates, Wolf probably overlooked 13. NxN in his calculations: 12... BxB
13. Nxe5 NxN
14. RxQ+ RxR
click for larger viewWith Rook and two Bishops for a Queen and a Pawn, Janowski should theoretically have been able to win from this position. But this is easier in theory (and with computer assistance) than in practice, and both the players and the commentators in the Tournament Book found this situation extremely difficult. Definitely not a sure win playing in a tournament. |
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May-05-19
| | KEG: Post II
In my discussion of the next phase of the game (i.e., moves 15 through 32), I have been strongly guided by the excellent analysis on this site by Calli and Pawn and Two (who has confirmed his comments with lengthy computer runs). 15. Qf1
The text, which threatens 16. f4, is best. As Pawn and Two notes, 15. Qf1 "looks unusual" but it has been sustains by Pawn and Two's computer analysis. As Pawn and Two also notes, 15. Qe2 is inferior because of 15...0-0. 15... Be7
15...Bf6 was perhaps a better way to meet the threat of 16. f4. 16. Qe2 Bc5
Janowski loved his Bishops, but he might have tried 16...0-0 immediately. 16...Bg5 was also a viable option. 
click for larger view17. Kf1
Janowski with his two Bishops poised to sweep the board was enough to strike terror in nearly any player. But here there were no immediate threats, and Wolf should have completed his development with 17. Nd2 or 17. Nc3, or else prevented Black from playing Bg4 with 17. h3. 17... 0-0
17...Bc8 bringing his other Bishop into the game was another good option. 18. f4
click for larger viewWolf was likely lost even before this weakening pawn thrust, but now he appears to have committed an immediately fatal overreaching. Janowski now had a win with 18...f5! Thus, if then 19. fxN fxe4+ 20. Ke1 Bf2+ 21. QxB (if 21. Kf1 Bd4+ is murder) Rd1+ ! 22. Ke2 RxQ+ 23. KxR(f2) Rc1 with an easily won endgame. But Janowski missed this win and played:
18... Ng6
This did not completely blow the win, but Wolf now had some chances. 19. g3 Rfe8
20. Nd2
20. Nc3 was a much better way to develop the Knight. 20... Bc8
20...Ne7 bringing the Knight into the fray via c8 was stronger. 21. Kg2
click for larger view21... Bg4
"!"--(Tournament Book).
As Pawn and Two has carefully demonstrated, while the text was strong, 21...Ne7 and 21...Bf5 were better. See Pawn and Two's posts for a full explanation of the power of 21...Ne7 and 21...Bf5. (But note that--as Pawn and Two recognizes--after 21...Bf5 22. Qxa6 would be a mistake. Even so, with the better 22. Qh5 Wolf would still probably lose after 22...Bxe4+ 22. Nf3 Rd4
22...h5 was much better.
23. Re1
click for larger viewDespite his miscue on moves 18 and 21, Janowski still almost certainly had a won game. But from here, as I will discuss in my next post o the game, Janowski erred and by move 28 it was Wolf who had a won game. |
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May-08-19
| | KEG: Post III
23... f5?
Calli: "Janowski's 23...f5? probably blew the win." Pawn and Two: "At move 23 Janowski gave away his entire advantage with 23...f5..." Pawn and Two recommends 23...Rdxe4. That indeed was sufficient to maintain Janowski's winning advantage 23...Rdxc4 and 23...h5 also win for Black. 24. Qxa6
Not 24. e5?? Rxf4!
24... BxN+
Neither this nor 24...Rdxe4 win for Black. Wolf at this stage was very much back in the game. 25. KxB
click for larger view25... fxe4+
26. Kg4 e3
Pawn and Two: "Janowski could have maintained an equal practice with 26...Re6. Pawn and Two's comment is correct as far as it goes. But the text likewise maintains equal chances for Janowski. 26...Kf8 and 26...Bd6 also would have maintained the balance for Janowski. 27. c3 Rde4
"Preventing 28. Qxc6" (Tournament Book) [i.e., if now 28. Qxc6 Ne5+]. 28. Kf3
click for larger view28... Bb6?
As Pawn and Two has correctly noted on this site, 28...e2! was best and would save the game for Janowski; i.e., 28...e2! 29. a4 (29. Qxc6 or 29. Kg2 also lead to equality) Re3+ (29...Bd6 also holds the game for Black) 30. Kg2 (or 30. Kf2) Bd6 31. Qxc6 (or 31. a5) Bxf4 (or 31...Kf8) 32. a5 Kf8 33. a6 Ne5 34. QxR+ !! KxQ 35. a7 Nd3 (or 35...Kf7) 36. a8(Q)+ This is indeed a "fascinating variation" to quote Pawn and Two. 29. Re2?
As Calli points out on this site, 29. a4 wins for White after Janowski's blunder: e.g., 29. a4 Kf8 (other moves also lose for Black) 30. a5 Ra4 (nothing else is better) 31. b4 Ra2 (31...e2 also loses after 32. Qc4) 32. Re2 Ra3 33. Qc4 Ba7 (33...Ne7 34. axB also loses) 34. Qxc6 Ne7 35. Qxc7 Bb8 36. Qd7 Rxc3 37. Rxe3 Rc7 38. Qd3 Ba7 (38...Rcc8 is perhaps "better," but also hopeless) 39. Re2 h6 (39...Rc1 also loses) 40. b5 Bc5 (40...Bg1 is probably a better try, but also insufficient) 41. b6 Rcc8 (41...Rb7 is no better) 42. Qb5 Bg1 43. a6 Red8 (43...Ra8 also loses) 44. b7 and wins. 
click for larger view29... R4e6?
Wolf's last move handed Janowski a lifeline to save the game: 29...h5! But... 30. b4?
30. a4 (with b4 and a5 to follow) should win for White. 30... c5?
30...Ne7 would have yielded approximately equal chances for Wolf, i.e., 31. a4 Nd5 32. a5 Nxc3 33. Re1 Nd5 34. axb6 cxb6. After the text, Janowski was in potential trouble once again: 
click for larger view31. Qc4?
31. a4! gives White better chances.
31... Kh8
31...cxb4 was also good enough for equality.
click for larger viewAt this point, the game was very much in the balance, and both sides had chances. From here, however, Wolf fell apart and was quickly dead lost. |
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May-08-19
| | KEG: Post IV
32. b5?
Calli: "I don't see why Wolf can't play 32. bxc5." I have no good answer to Calli's question. 32. bxc5 retains equality for Wolf. 32. a4 may be better still. The text, however, is the first step by Wolf towards his eventual defeat. 32... Nf8
33. Qd5?
After this, Wolf was probably lost. 33. Qa4, or perhaps 33. Qb3, would have given Wolf a chance of holding the game. 33... R6e7
click for larger view34. g4?
This wild attempt at a King-side attack created new weaknesses in Wolf's position and essentially handed the game (which may already have been lost for Wolf) to Janowski. 34. Qc4, 34. Qd1, and perhaps 34. Kg2 were better choices. 34... Ng6!
Janowski took immediate advantage, and never let Wolf back in the game from this point (although the game lasted another 30 moves!). 35. f5?
Doubling down on his mistaken plan initiated with 34. f4. 35. c4, or maybe 35. Qc6, were the best option available to Wolf at this point. 
click for larger view35... Ne5+
While there is nothing wrong with this move, a cuter idea is 35...Rd7 (since 36. QxR runs into a 36...Ne5+ Knight fork). 36. Kg3 c4
37. a4
This only hastens his defeat, but Wolf was lost anyway. 37... Rd7
While the text is good enough, 37...c6 might have shortened proceedings. 38. Qe4
This move should also have hastened his demise. 38. Qh1 is a better chance to hold on. Given the difficulties in winning a game with this type of material imbalance, Wolf should have thrown every obstacle in Janowski's path. 38... Rd2
39. Re1
39. Rg2 or 39. Qg2 were better ways to create problems for Janowski. 39... Rd3
39...Bc5 (followed by Bd6) was a faster route to victory. Perhaps Janowski was enjoying his won position too much to deliver the final blow. Lasker once said that Janowski enjoyed won positions so much he often could not bear to part from them. 40. Re2
click for larger view40... Rxc3
40...Rd2 also wins.
41. g5
Seeking to bring the game to a crisis. Theoretically, 41. a5 Bxa5 42. Rxe3 offered the best chance of continued resistance. 41... Rd3
42. a5 Bc5
42...Bxa4 also wins, and would have eliminated any Queen-side pawn schemes Wolf may have had up his sleeve. After 42. Bc5, the position was:
click for larger viewThe game looks over here, but--as I will discuss in my next post on this game-- further sloppy play by Janowski (or efforts to prolong Wolf's suffering) caused the game to be extended for another 22 moves. In fairness to Janowski, however, Wolf's sets of advanced pawns on both wings look scary. Perhaps I am thus being unfair, and in over the board play Black may not realize that the game is won for him, |
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May-08-19
| | KEG: Post V
43. h4?
To have any chance of sustained resistance, Wolf had to try 43. f6 or 43. b6. After the text, the rest should have been easy for Janowski: 
click for larger viewWith 43...Rd2, Janowski could have closed out the game, e.g., 44. Rg2 c3 45. f6 (or 45. b6 cxb6 46. Kh3 bxa5 [46. axb6 Bd6 47. Kh3 c2] 47. h5 c2) gxf6 46. b6 cxb6 47. axb6 c2. Instead, Janowski dragged out the game with:
43... c3
44. Kh3?
f6 or b6 were again offered the only possible chances. After the text (44. Kh3) the position was: 
click for larger viewBlack to play and win:
44... c2?
"!"--(Tournament Book)
The Tournament Book notwithstanding, the text yet again gave Wolf a chance to hang on. 44...Rd2 or 44...Rd4 were crushing. But even after the text, Janowski's win was not seriously in doubt. 45. Rxc2 e2+
45...Rd4 would also win.
46. Kg2
click for larger viewJanowski's dorking around notwithstanding, the win was still easy: 46... Re3!
47. Rxe2 RxQ
48. RxR
click for larger viewWolf was now down two minor pieces for two pawns. But with Janowski apparently having too much fun to play to close out the game, and with threatening pawn masses on both sides of the board, Wolf chose to play on. 48... Bd6
48...g6 or 48...Kg8 were more decisive.
49. Rd4
49. a6 or 49. Ra4 were the best way to try to exploit what chances White has here. 49... Nf7
49...Rb8 would bring Wolf's Queen-side demonstration to an end. 50. Kf3
The sloppiness continued. Having decided to play on, it is hard to believe that Wolf did not play either 50. a6 or 50. b6. 50... g6?
Zooks. Why on Earth did Janowski allow Wolf to play 51. f6. 51. f6
51. fxg6 was another try. The way Janowski was playing, hope sprang eternal. 51... Kg8
Winning the slow way. 51...Ne5+ was the fast track to finishing off the game. 52. a6
click for larger viewThanks to Janowski's dithering, the game was still at least superficially exciting. And, with Janowski still declining to pull the plug, the struggle continued until Janowski finally seemed to get serious about clinching the win beginning on move 55. |
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May-08-19
| | KEG: Post VI
52... Rb8
52...Bc5 and 52...Ne5+ would both have won with more celerity. 53. Ra4 Kf8
Once again there were faster ways; i.e., 53...Bc5 or 53...h6. 54. Ke4
54. Kg4 would offer a tad more resistance.
54... Ke8
54...Bc5 was again the best way to forestall White's a and b pawns. 55. a7
Having played 54. Ke4, he might as well have tried 55. Kd4, though Janowski should still have been able to win, e.g., 55. Kd4 Rxb5 56. a7 Bc5+ 57. Kc4 Nd6+ (this resource keeps Black's win intact) 58. Kc3 Bxa7 59. RxB Rc5+ leaving Janowski a solid piece ahead. The text (55. a7), though it looked promising for White, in fact allows Black to win quickly, the position now being: 
click for larger view55... Ra8
56. Kd5
56. Kd4 was slightly better, but at this stage it hardly mattered. 56... Kd7
Enough was enough. Janowski now got serious about finishing off Wolf. 57. Ra6 Nd8
58. Ra2 c6+
59. Kc4 cxb5+
60. Kxb5 Nc6
61. Kb6
click for larger view61... Rxa7!
The simplest.
62. Rd2
He could not afford to win a piece by 62. RxR KxR 63. KxN since Janowski would then have an easy win on the King-side with his Bishop and two pawns against Wolf's three pawns. 62... Ra4
63. f7
Too late for tactical tricks.
63... Rb4+
64. Ka6 Kc7
click for larger viewMate in two!
0-1
Only 65. Rb2 avoids mate in one, but that allows mate on the next move 65...RxR 66. f8(Q) Rb6 mate. |
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May-10-19
 | | fredthebear: <KEG> Another well-done post! |
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May-11-19
| | KEG: <fredthe bear> Thank you. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 13...Nxe5