Alexander Kotov vs Wolfgang Unzicker (1952) Worried Zick

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Alexander Kotov vs Wolfgang Unzicker
"Worried Zick" (game of the day Mar-27-2011)
Stockholm Interzonal (1952), Stockholm SWE, rd 7, Sep-25
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Line (E40) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 30 times; par: 44 [what's this?]

explore this opening	find similar games	2 more Kotov/Unzicker games
sac: 27.Nxg7	PGN: download \| view \| print	Help: general \| java-troubleshooting

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 4 OF 4 · Later Kibitzing>
Mar-27-11		WhiteRook48: 30 e6 is a nice winner

Mar-28-11		kevin86: A sentence:Doctor,will I be any UNZICKER if I take my pills?

Mar-28-11		tpstar: Let's have some fun, this beat is zick I wanna take a ride on your dizco ztick

Aug-25-22		nummerzwei: < SimonWebbsTiger: Kotov included this game in his book "Grandmaster at Work"; the ever great Jimmy Adams translated a 1962 Russian book for publishers American Chess Promotions, 1990. Kotov didn't think much of 16...h6 and suggested 16...c4, giving 17. Qc2 b5 18. e4 g6 19. e5 Nd7 20. f4 f5. He explained: Black should not allow the opening of the a1-h8 diagonal and must actively meet e4-e5/f2-f4> The same comment appears in the book <The Art of the Middle Game> (1964) by Keres and Kotov. The suggested line doesn't work, though: After 20...f5, click for larger view the 'standard' 21.exf6 Qxf6 22.f5 in the vein of Botvinnik vs Capablanca, 1938 doesn't lead to a great deal. But can't White sacrifice on f5? Indeed, Black is blown away by 21.Nxf5!! gxf5 22.Qxf5, e.g. 22...Kh8 23.Bc1 Rg8 24.Qh3 Qe7 25.f5 click for larger view with an overwhelming position. It is more sensible to play 15...c4 immediately, when White can't even retreat to c2.

Mar-29-23		Brenin: 27 Nxg7 Kxg7 28 Bxh6+ Kg8 29 Rg4+ Rg6 seemed obvious, 30 e6 slightly less so. This game has been kibitzed in great detail in 2007 and 2011, so I wonder whether there is anything fresh to say about it.

Mar-29-23		Honey Blend: 27. ♗xh6 gxh6 28. ♘xh6 also looks like a promising solution.

Mar-29-23		Mayankk: I wanted to play 27 Nxg7 Kxg7 28 Bxh6+ Kh8 ( 28 ... Rxh6 29 Qxh6+ loses instantly while 28 ... Kg8 29 Rg4+ seemed worse) 29 Rxf7 Rxf7 30 Qxf7 Qg8 31 Bg7+ Qxg7 32 Qxe6. Black's moves seem mostly forced so far. White should win the endgame now with a R + 3P (2 passed) advantage versus 2N. And its likely it can cement its advantage further before reaching the endgame, since Black King is so naked.

Mar-29-23		waddayaplay: I saw Nxg7 but then wasn't sure what to do after ...Rg6, eventually decided that 28.Bxh6 at least wins another pawn, even if black might be able to get both the Bishop and Knight for a rook. So I guess I failed. I didn't even see it to e6.

Mar-29-23		jrredfield: I have a habit lately of choosing the second best move. I was torn between 27 Nxg7 and 27 Bxh6 and decided on the latter, as it was easier for me to see a forceful continuation from there. This is another POTD with several winning moves for White: 27 Rg4 and 27 Bf4 appear somewhat strong as well. I think with 23 ... Qd5, Black would have stayed close, still a bit of a challenge to at least try for a draw but better than 23 ... Nf8.

Mar-29-23		al wazir: <Honey Blend: 27. ♗xh6 gxh6 28. ♘xh6 also looks like a promising solution.> Yeah, I went with 27. Bxh6 gxh6 28. Nxh6 Rxh6 29. Qxh6 Qg8 (29...f6 30. Rxf6 Rg7 31. Qf4 Qg8 32. Rf8) 30. Qf6+ Qg7 31. Qd8+.

Mar-29-23		Allderdice83: I saw as far as 29 ... Rg6 but totally missed 30. e6! I didn't see any way for White to continue (30. Rxg6+ fxg6 31. Qxg6+ Kh8 goes nowhere, White probably does not have enough for the sacrificed piece -- not to win, anyway.)

Mar-29-23		King.Arthur.Brazil: This week my chess isn't in line. On potd, I saw the move: 27. Nxg7, where the capture is not good: 27...Kxg7 28. Bxh6+ Kg8 29. Bg5 f6 30. Bxf6 Rxf6 31. Rxf6 Nxf6 32. Qh8+ Kf7 33. Qxd8... and the King becomes happy.If Black doesn't take the offer, 28. Bxh6 Qg8... Black position is bad but I didn't find a mate combination. Other possibility is 27. Nxh6 gxh6 28. Bxh6, where the threat of 29. Bg5 or Bf8, seems much more interesting.

Mar-29-23		Mayankk: Is 30 e6 absolutely necessary for a White win ? The simple 30 Rxg6+ fxg6 31 Qxg6+ Kh8 32 Qe4 still seems very imposing for White. White has four passed pawns for a Knight, the h7 Knight is little more than a pawn to safeguard a naked King from White's heavy pieces, Black Queen or Rook have to safeguard the 8th rank against backrank tactics etc. To my layman eyes, I will be happy to liquidate by 30 Rxg6+ and then enjoy Black trying to defend a very tough position.

Mar-29-23		takebackok: This game looks/feels like it might have been played in 1852!

Mar-29-23		Refused: two candidates which look equally convincing to me. 27.Bxh6 gxh6 28.Nxh6 the knight will remove itself from the h-file at the next move and white just continues to hammer down on the poor king. 27.Nxg7 Kxg7 28.Bxh6+ Kg8 29.Rg4+ Rg6 30.e6 is the alternative. I'd probably go with the Nxg7 line as that line looks more straight forward to me. I have little doubt that 27.Bxh6 is also winning.

Mar-29-23		murkia: <brenin>"This game has been kibitzed in great detail in 2007 and 2011, so I wonder whether there is anything fresh to say about it." No engine analysis then. The CG Engine prefers Bxh6 over Nxg7 by almost 2 pawns. Not nearly as interesting as the old kibitzing though!

Mar-29-23		mel gibson: I wasn't sure - I saw 3 possibilities: 27. Nxg7 27. Bxh6 27. Nxh6 Stockfish 15 follows the text line and says: 27. Nxg7 (27. Nxg7 (Nf5xg7 Re6-g6 Ng7-f5 Nc4xe5 Bc1-f4 Ne5-f3+ Qh5xf3 Rc7-c2 Rh4-g4 Rc2-c3 Qf3xc3 Rg6xg4 Nf5xh6 Rg4-g7 Nh6-f5 Rg7-g8 d4-d5+ f7-f6 d5-d6 Qd8-c8 Qc3-d3 Qc8-b7 Bf4-g3 ) +12.36/34 363) score for White +12.36 depth 34 then forcing SF to play my 2nd choice: 27. Bxh6 (27. Bxh6 gxh6 (g7xh6 Nf5xh6 Re6-e7 Nh6-f5 Qd8-g8 Rh4-g4 Qg8-f8 Nf5xe7 Rc7xe7 Rf1-f6 Nc4-e3 Rg4-h4 Qf8-g7 Qh5-f3 Kh8-g8 Rf6-h6 Nh7-f8 Qf3xe3 Re7-e6 Rh6xe6 f7xe6 Qe3-h3 Kg8-f7 Rh4-g4 Qg7-h7 Qh3-f3+ ) -10.16/39 200) score for Black -10.16 depth 39 then forcing SF to play my 3rd choice: 27. Nxh6 (27. Nxh6 gxh6 (g7xh6 Bc1xh6 Qd8-g8 Rf1-f5 a7-a6 Bh6-g5 f7-f6 Rf5xf6 Rc7-g7 Rf6xe6 Rg7xg5 Re6-e8 Rg5xh5 Re8xg8+ Kh8xg8 Rh4xh5 Kg8-g7 Rh5-h3 ) -5.66/33 118) score for Black -5.66 depth 33.

Mar-29-23		stacase: <jrredfield: ... I was torn between 27 Nxg7 and 27 Bxh6> Same here, but I chose 27 Nxg7 (-: But just look at all the power White has amassed and aimed at the NE corner of the board. Looks like D-Day. Every one of White's major pieces are on the job, not to mention that e7 Pawn.

Mar-29-23		saturn2: I thought black can defend better after 28...Kh8 instead of going into a check Rg4 followed by e6.

Mar-29-23		agb2002: White has a bishop for a knight. The queen and rook x-ray the black king. This suggests Bxh6 and Nxg7. In the case of 27.Nxg7: A) 27... Kxg7 28.Bxh6+ A.1) 28... Kg8 29.Rg4+ Kh8 (29... Rg6 30.Rxg6+ fxg6 31.Qxg6+ Kh8 32.Qg7#) 30.Bg7+ Kg8 31.Bf6+ wins. A.2) 28... Kh8 29.Bg5 f6 30.Rxf6 Qe8 31.Rxe6 Qxe6 32.Bf6+ Kg8 33.Qg6+ Kf8 34.Rxh7 Rxh7 35.Qxh7 + - [B+3P vs n] (35... Nxa3 36.d5 Qf7 [36... Qxd5 37.Qg7+ Ke8 38.Qe7#] 37.Qh8+ Qg8 39.Be7+ Kf7 40.Qxg8+ Kxg8 41.Bxa3). A.3) 28... Rxh6 29.Qxh6+ Kg8 30.Rg4+ wins decisive material. B) 27... Rg6 28.Nf5 looks winning. C) 27... Qxh4 28.Qxh4 Kxg7 29.Qd8 + - [Q+B+P vs r+2n]. ----- In the case of 27.Bxh6: A) 27... gxh6 28.Nxh6 A.1) 28... f5 29.Nf7+ Rxf7 30.Qf7 Qg8 31.Rxh7+ Qxh7 32.Qxe6 wins decisive material. A.2) 28... Rxh6 29.Qxh6 Qg8 30.Qf6+ Qg7 31.Qd8+ Qg8 32.Qxc7 wins decisive material. B) 27... g6 28.Bg7+ Kg8 29.Qxh7#. C) 27... Rxh6 28.Nxh6 gxh6 29.Qxh6 transposes to A.2. ----- I'd play 27.Bxh6.

Mar-29-23		agb2002: I forgot the rook on c7 momentarily in my line A.2.

Mar-29-23		chrisowen: I'd grab mystery it is wink jack q it is hunt z v Nxg7 acrid mid dud axiom jock again ask I Nxg7 ebb

Mar-29-23		chrisowen: Winced g7 :)

Mar-29-23		johnnydeep: Inspiration struck and I chose the game move in short order. Engine analysis said I did good: 1) +7.55 (21 ply) 27.Nxg7 Rg6 28.Nf5 Qg8 29.g3 Rg5 30.Qxh6 Rg6 31.Qh5 b5 32.Nh6 Qg7 33.Qf3 f5 34.Nxf5 Qf8 35.Qe4 Qe8 36.Nh6 Nxe5 37.dxe5 Rxc1 38.Rxc1

Mar-29-23		King.Arthur.Brazil: Dear <johnnydeep> I'm not your computer, however, let me show something: after your line < 27.Nxg7 Rg6 28.Nf5 Qg8 29.g3 Rg5 30.Qxh6 Rg6>. White has a better move 31. Qf4 For example, in case of 'your' 31...b5 32. Nh6 Qg7 33. Nxf7+ Kg8 34. e6 Re7 35. Qb8+ (Qf8 36. Nh6+ ) Nf8 36. Bh6 and Black resigns.

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