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Viktor Korchnoi vs Miguel Najdorf
"Russian tanks" (game of the day Jul-09-2021)
Hoogovens (1971), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 4, Jan-15
Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense. Exchange Variation (D41)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 19 times; par: 65 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-06-03  Tigran Petrosian: The combinative motif in this game is called the pawn-dash, I believe.
Jul-08-03
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: Very interesting line is 31...Rxe6 32.Rxe6 Qxe6 33.Qxe6 Nxe6 34.f5 Nf8 35.h5 h6 (35...g6 36.h6 gxf5 37.g3 and white wins as black King cannot move and black Knight is unable to inhibit white f-Pawn and defend b-pawn at once) 36.g4 b4 37.Kf2 Nd7 38.Ke3 g6 39.f6! g5 (39...gxh5 40.gxh5 Kh7 41.Kf4 with next 42.Kf5 and white King invades into black position via e6 or e5 with a decisive effect.) 40.Kd4 Kh7 41.Kd5 Nxf6+ 42.Ke6 Kg7 43.f8=Q+ Kxf8 44.Kxf6 and white wins.
Jul-10-07  zev22407: Korchnoi had to see the point of his sacrifice back in the 23 move!
Mar-26-09  WeakSquare: Actually, Najdorf missed a perpetual at move 38. Instead of 38...Qf4+?, he should have played ...Qd3+, and if 39.Kf2 Ng4+, or if 39.Ke1 Qe3+ == with perpetual check.

Korchnoi played a wrong move at 36.Qc8+. He had an easy win with 36.Qc5! and just pushing the pawns.

Mar-26-09  WeakSquare: This is what Korchnoi had to see when sacrificing his bishop:

31...Rxe6 32.Rxe6 Qxe6 33.Qxe6 Nxe6 34.f5 Nf8 35.h5 g6 39.h6


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and White King picks up the b-pawn while Black Knight is stuck at f8.

Mar-26-09  AnalyzeThis: Fischer showed later in this opening that 8...Nc6 is more precise.
Mar-27-09  WeakSquare: <AnalyzeThis> Gary gives Fischer's b5 an ?!.

Black seems to have good results with it, though. Anyway, it's not played much anymore.

Sep-23-18  piltdown man: More infantry than tanks.
Sep-23-18  Ironmanth: Great game!
Sep-23-18  cunctatorg: Agreed; Russian infantry!!
Sep-27-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: This is not only a very interesting game; it is very educational, too. A lot of chess theory is involved in this game.
Jun-17-20  ewan14: Korchnoi brilliance !!!
Jun-30-21  Brenin: Slightly unfortunate pun: "to tank" is to fail completely, often at great financial cost. (I've no idea why.)
Jun-30-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: 'To tank' is also used in reference to a long think, and is certainly a propos come to Korchnoi's tendencies.
Jun-30-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: Exciting game, although I'm a lot surprised Najdorf missed 38...Qd3+
Jun-30-21  goodevans: <OhioChessFan: [...] I'm a lot surprised Najdorf missed 38...Qd3+>

I am. It's the obvious move if you're looking for perpetual. Just three responses to consider, all of which repeat very quickly.

Was he intending 39...Qxc1? Did he overlook 40.f8=N+ Kg8 41.Ng6+ Kh7 42.Qh8#? I find that difficult to believe too.

Jun-30-21  Brenin: Thanks, <perfidious>, I don't recall coming across that usage. Another meaning of "to tank", inappropriate in this context, is to lose a game deliberately.
Jun-30-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: I think this is an opportune moment to mention that the Brits invented the tank.
Jun-30-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: It's my experience that when looking for a perpetual, you want your Queen to check as near the opposing King as possible.
Jun-30-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Brenin>, that is indeed the most common usage of the phrase here in the States and one which comes up in sports every now and again when a team is trying to secure a prime draft choice.
Jun-30-21  Andrew Chapman: <I'm a lot surprised Najdorf missed 38...Qd3+>

Time trouble?

Jun-30-21  goodevans: <Andrew Chapman: [...] Time trouble?>

People do odd things in time trouble so you can't rule that out, but wouldn't any decent player in that situation (and these are very decent players) just repeat moves to get past the time control? And isn't 38...Qd3+ the obvious way to do that (as per <OCF>'s last post)?

Which brings me back to my previous notion that maybe he thought he could win White's R. Not sure whether that's any more or less plausible than any other explanation.

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