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Vladimir Akopian vs Garry Kasparov
11th ECC final (1995), Ljubljana SLO, rd 2, Dec-01
Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation. Modern Defense (D78)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-14-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: <Alanxa1: I was going off of 26... Rf8 27. Qe6+ which I believe wins.>

After 25. Nxf7 Kxf7 26. Bg4 Rf8 27. Qf6+ Kg7, Black is threatening Qxf2+. If 28. Qxe7+, then 28...Rf7.

May-14-11  Marmot PFL: In positions like this the first thing to look at is a sac on f7. To follow it up with quiet rook move though is rare - and against Kasparov? The lines are really not that hard, once you get down to analysis, but there are several ex. Nxf7 Kxf7 Re1 (direct attacks fail so this rook is needed) Qf5 (Qxc4 Qxe7+ Kg8 Re6 Qd3 Be4 , or Re8 Qe6+ and Bd5, and also Rd7 Bg4) Qxe7+ Kg8 Bg4 Qf8 and black survives to bad rook ending.
May-14-11  KingV93: Just instinct today led me to the correct answer. Don't have time to work out all the responses on a busy Saturday but happy to have seen ♘xf7 even if I was just winging it!
May-14-11  Ghuzultyy: In my opinion, today's puzzle was easier than yesterday's.
May-14-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  scormus: <Ghuzultyy:> yes, I thought so too, yesterday defeated me completely. In fact I wonder if CG properly worked it out yesterday.

And well done with your excellent analyses of these 2 tough puzzles. You are obviously a very strong player

May-14-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  agb2002: White has a bishop and a knight for a rook and two pawns.

Black threatens 25... hxg5 and 25... Qxc4.

The defenseless black castle invites to play 25.Nxf7 Kxf7 (25... Rd2 26.Nxh6+ Kh7 27.Ng4 + - with several threats 28.Qxe7+, 28.Be4, 28.h4, etc.) 26.Bd5+

A) 26... Kf8 27.Qh8#.

B) 26... Ke8 27.Be6 + -.

C) 26... e6 27.Bxe6+

C.1) 27... Kf8 28.Qf6+ Ke8 29.Qf7#.

C.2) 27... Ke7(8) 28.Bd5+ (or 28.Bf5+ and 29.Bxc2) 28... Kd7 (28... Kf8 29.Qf6+) 29.Qe6+ Kc7 30.Qc6+ Kb8 31.Qb7#.

D) 26... Rxd5 27.cxd5 (27.Qxd5+ Kf8 28.Re1 Qf5)

D.1) 27... Re8 28.Re1 (threatens 29.d6) 28... Qd3 29.Re3

D.1.a) 29... Qb5 30.Rf3+ Kg8 31.Qe6+ Kh8 (31... Kg7 32.Rf7+ Kh8 33.Qxg6 + -) 32.Qxg6 + -.

D.1.b) 29... Qc2 30.d6 e6 31.d7 Rd8 32.Qxe6+ + -.

D.2) 27... Qf5 28.Re1 Qxe5 29.Rxe5 Kf6 30.f4 b5 and Black looks much better.

Instead of 26.Bd5+ perhaps it would be preferable to preserve the bishop and incorporate the rook into attack with 26.Re1:

A) 26... Re8 27.Bd5+ e6 (27... Kf8 28.Qh8#) 28.Bxe6+ Ke7 (28... Rxe6 29.Qxe6+ and 30.Qxc8) 29.Qg7+ Kd6(8) 30.Qd7#.

B) 26... Rd7 27.Qe6+ Ke8 28.Qg8#.

C) 26... Qxc4 27.Qxe7+ Kg8 28.Re6 Qd3 29.Be4 + -.

D) 26... Qf5+ 27.Qxe7+ Kg8 28.Bg4 Qf8 (28... Re8 29.Qxe8+ Rxe8 30.Rxe8+) 29.Be6+ Kh8 30.Bxc8 Rxc8 (30... Qxe7 31.Rxe7 Rxc8 32.Rxa7 +/ -) 31.Qxa7 +/ -.

May-14-11  dzechiel: White to move (25?). White has a knight and a bishop for a rook and two pawns. "Very Difficult."

Candidate moves I'm considering include:

- 25 Nxf7
- 25 Ne6
- 25 Qxe7
- 25 Bd5
- 25 Re1

I think it's likely

25 Nxf7

This seems to be the most forcing. Very tempting is 25 Ne6, threatening mate and the rook on d8, but black can respond with 25...f6 attacking the queen and giving him time to save the rook. After

25...Kxf7

white can try either

- 26 Bd5+, or
- 26 Re1

I like the check, because it's more forcing, but black can slow things down with 26...Rxd5.

I wish I had more time to devote to this today, but I don't.

I will likely be "mailing it in" for the next week (and then not at all while on vacation).

Time for me to check.

May-14-11  sevenseaman: Puzzle or a torment? First White move is bizarre and there are 15 possible replies by Black but he gets mated on the move.

From The Baltimore Dispatch, 1859.


click for larger view

--w

If you wish to sleep peacefully, do not try it.

May-14-11  stst: Difficulty lies in Bk's response.
No quick combination for W, but 25.Nxf7 is an obvious fork (also releasing it from being captured by the h Pawn,) question is should Bk's K takes. (A) IF 25...Kxf7
26.Bd5+ Ke8 (if 26....e6, 27.Qxe6+ and it'll be a very miserable situation.) 27.Be6 and mate next on Qh8.
(B) IF 25...Rd7
26.Bd5 guarding the N and next Nxh6 dis+. R at a1 can also join the attack later with Re1. In this case, Bk does not have any good move.
May-14-11  Ghuzultyy: Thanks <scormus>, but I think; unlike real chess, puzzles are mostly not about chess IQ or knowledge. It is 80% about spending enough time on it.

<sevenseaman>;
Luckily, I had seen that puzzle before and I will sleep peacefully. Great puzzle. Good luck to everyone.

May-14-11  Marmot PFL: <Puzzle or a torment? First White move is bizarre and there are 15 possible replies by Black but he gets mated on the move.>

I would never get that. Generally its useful to make moves that limit opponent's replies, checks or captures, but these are not usually problem solutions.

May-14-11  cyclon: 25.Nxf7 (I even looked at Ne6, but I don't know) -Rd2 ( -Kxf7 26.Re1 Qf5 27.Qxe7+ Kg8 28.Bg4, or [26.Re1] -Qxc4 27.Qxe7+ Kg8 28.Re6 looks a bit dangerous for Black. Interesting is 25. -Rf8 26.Qh8+ Kxf7 27.Qh7+ Ke8 28.Re1 Rc7 29.Re2, but 26.Nxh6+ is dubious)) 26.Qh8+ Kxf7 27.Bd5+ e6 ( -Rxd5 28.Qh7+ is better than Qxc8) 28.Qxc8 exd5 (clearly -Rxf2? 29.Qxe6+) 29.Qd7+ Kf6 30.Qd6+ seems drawish like the other lines. Is there a winning line for White from the puzzle position?
May-14-11  cyclon: After 25.Ne6 I pondered -f6.
May-14-11  WhiteRook48: I don't know, I tried 25 Bd5
May-15-11  patzer2: For the Saturday May 14 puzzle, Akopian forced a quick draw with the demolition sham sacrifice 25. Ne6!

However, he passed up a winning chance to force it to a favorable Queen, Rook and Pawn middle game with the demolition sham sacrifice 25. Nxf7!! Kxf7 26. Re1! (26. Bg4!? appears to fizzle out to a much slimmer winning chance after 26...Rf8! ).

The Akopian analysis given in <tamar>'s note for the 25. Nxf7!! Kxf7 26. Re1! variation is worthy of study. If nothing else it's a good example of how to play a Queen, Rook and Pawn middle game. There may be improvements here, but it is clear Black will struggle to try and secure the draw and all the winning chances belong to White.

May-15-11  psmith: <sevenseaman> I think the solution to your puzzle is 1. Kh4.

1. Kh4 (threatens Qg5#)
1... Rg8 2. Qf6#
1... Nf7 2. Qf6#
1... e5 2. Ne3#
1... e3 2. Bc2#
1... most moves 2. Qg5#

May-15-11  sevenseaman: <psmith> The solution is the weird looking 1. Ba2. If you do not do this one possible Black response is not taken care of. (You know which one).

Good shot, but try and work out all the 15 possible replies. These include movements of all three pawns, among others.

May-16-11  wetherulerz: @psmith: Kh4 faces knight g6 check , Kg3 Nh8.....answer is Ba2 which is a waiting move forcing mate in the next step.

1) d4 Bxe6#
2) e3 Bb1#
3) e5 Ne3#
4) Rf7 Qh5#
5) Rf6 Qxf6#
6) bishop move in e8-a4 diagonal Qh5#
(4 moves)
7) Bf7 Qf6#
8) Bg6 Qf4#
9) Bh5 Qxh5#
10) Rg8 Qf6#
11) Nf7 Qf6#
12) Ng6 Qh5#

so Ba2 is a move which allows black pieces to hover in a worthless position blockiing the bishop or rook and facilitating mate. 7)

May-16-11  psmith: Ah yes, I missed Ng6+. Late at night! Thanks, guys. At least you know I didn't use a computer...
May-16-11  wetherulerz:


click for larger view

white to play and win!!

May-17-11  psmith: <wetherulez>
1. Nh6+ Qxh6 2. Rxf8+ Kxf8 3. Qd8#.

Yes?

May-19-11  wetherulerz: <psmith> perfect !! :)
May-22-11  Antiochus: <Phony Benoni>
Thank You.
I have made big mistakes in my analysis of the game Akopian vs Kasparov, 1995 . First. I should have noticed that the white queen in the line 5 was in the air. Second.I should have seen that the white king in g2 was out of its natural square. I could have stopped to analyse 25 Be4 if I had seen the black queen together with black rook in d-file making a team. ...
May-22-11  Antiochus: <Phony Benoni>
My blindness open space to a reflexion_
I have attribute my hasty moves to the blitz practice, but this a questionable reason. I will change my method of analysis and look the underprotected pieces later.Before even combinations, I will see the position of my king.

Thank You again.

Jun-10-11  erniecohen: <Once: <erniecohen> But of course. A website that offers free chess games, instruction and analysis and they have the audacity, the nerve, the bare-faced cheek to accidentally write "Nxf7" as "Nxf7+" Not cool. Crummy. Awful.
>

You misunderstand me. The "not cool" part is not the missing "+", but the choosing as POTD a position where the best move is not decisive.

The whole point of POTD is that the reader is supposed to not just guess, but analyze the move to a decisive outcome (or to a surprising equalization, in draw problems). The effect of presenting POTDs where the best line is not decisive is that readers lose trust that there *is* a decisive move, and simply stop bothering to analyze thoroughly.

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