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Boris Spassky vs Paul Keres
Spassky - Keres Candidates Quarterfinal (1965), Riga URS, rd 5, Apr-14
Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Chigorin Defense (C97)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Dec-03-02  PVS: The second of three games in honor of Player of the Day Boris Spassky. This is from a Candidates match.
Dec-03-02  PVS: 23. b4 gives the bishop another diagonal as well as stalemating the black knight.
Dec-03-02  pawntificator: 23...Nxe4 is not possible why?
Dec-03-02  Kulla Tierchen: This looks like a good one to ask Fritz.
Dec-03-02  ughaibu: I think after 24. Be4, Re4 25. Bg7, Kg7 26. Nd5 white's position would be worth more than a pawn.
Dec-03-02  pawntificator: But surely 23...Nxe4 24. Bxe4, Rxe4 25. Bxg7, Kxg7 26. Nd5 Qe8 27 Qb2+ Qe5 leaves black better than the position after the 27th text move
Dec-03-02  drukenknight: is it possible that white could have tossed in Nf5 as sort of in between move there:

23...Nxe4 24. Bxe4, Rxe4 25. Nf5

Dec-03-02  ughaibu: Pawntificator: 27. Re4, Qe4 28. Re1 after the queen moves black cant block at e5 and because of the check on e7 it looks like the king will have to go out to h6.
Dec-04-02  pawntificator: That would indeed be bleak for black
Dec-22-14  Ulhumbrus: 31...Qe7 neglects the N on d8 and keeps Black's king's rook cut off from the c file. After this 21 Bxg7 begins the plan of Qc3, Qc7, Qb6, Qxa6 and Qxb5 gobbling up Black's two queen side pawns
Jul-11-15  jerseybob: <ughaibu: I think after 24. Be4, Re4 25. Bg7, Kg7 26. Nd5 white's position would be worth more than a pawn> 26.Qd5!
Jul-11-15  ughaibu: Can't black just pull the rook back to e7, in that case?
Jul-11-15  jerseybob: ughaibu: Believe it or not, I actually worked this out years ago and I've obviously forgotten my analysis. Maybe it's 26.Ng4
Oct-25-16  DrGridlock: <It is true> that 23 b4 creates some "mobility" problems for black's b7 knight. There are a couple ways for black to attempt to solve these.

<It is true> that 23 ... Qe7 is a bad solution to these problems, particularly when followed up with 24 ... Qe8.

<<It is not true>> that 23 ... Nxe4 is a solution to these problems. The position after 24 Bxe4 Rxe4 25 Bxg7 Kxg7 26 Nd5 (not 26 Qd5 as after 26 ... Qe7 black becomes quite dominant on the e-file) is very strong for White:

Boris Spassky - Paul Keres


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There are a couple continuations for black, but none stop white's basic theme that the black king is exposed on g7 and open to checks from white's queen while white manuvers and strengthens his position. One example line is 26 ... Re5 27 f4 Re6 28 Qd4+ Kg8 29 Qa7 and now black's b7 knight is a "dead duck."

Boris Spassky - Paul Keres


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29 ... Qd7? 30 Rxe6 fxe6 31 Nf6+ and Uh-oh there goes black's queen!

Black's best solution to his b7 knight problem is to play d5 at move 23. After 24 exd5 Nd6:

Boris Spassky - Paul Keres


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For the cost of black's d-pawn black's knight rejoins the game. White has an edge, but computers value that at less than the pawn that black has sacrificed (computer eval of .57 edge for white).

Carry on, Paul Keres. You're down a pawn in your candidates match against Boris Spassky, but the game is not yet decided!

Sep-24-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: After 23...Nxe4 one possible continuation is 24.Bxe4 Rxe4 25.Bxg7 Kxg7 26.Nd5 Re5 27.f4 Rxe1+ 28.Rxe1 Rc4 29.Re7 Qc8 30.Qb2+ Kg8 31.Qf6 and the game is over.
Oct-14-19  Ulhumbrus: If on 22...Nb7 23 b4 puts the N out of play one alternative is 22...Nc6
Dec-25-19  edubueno: 23...Nxe4 24. Bxe4 Rxe4 25. Bxg7 Kxg7 26. Nd5 Qe8 27. Rxe4 Qxe4 28. Re1 Rc2: 28 Ne3!!!

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