Grigory Levenfish vs Vladimir Alatortsev (1948)

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Grigory Levenfish vs Vladimir Alatortsev
USSR Championship (1948), Moscow URS, rd 16, Dec-06
Slav Defense: Czech Variation. Classical System (D18) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Apr-10-22		cehertan: After 33.hxg4 click for larger view The position is equal but there is a treasure trove of play left. A good reminder that even before Magnus, a noted master could be humbled in a complicated ending. Black is concerned about white playing g5, to gain space and disconnect the black pawns. He was correct to avoid the simplest approach—33..Qe6? 34.Qxe6 fxe6 35.Kg3 e5 36.f4! exf3+ 37.Kxf3 Kh6 38.Ke4 Kg5 39.Kxe5 Kxg4 40.e4 when both sides queen but white has good chances to win on the queenside. Interestingly in this line, the problem wasn’t incurring doubled pawns, it was just brute force calculation showing that the race favors white. (To be continued)

Apr-11-22		cehertan: A better way to stop 34.g5+ was 33..♔h6! click for larger view This sly move prepares to meet 34.Kg3 with ..f5! 35.gxf5 Qg5+. 34.Qd4 is smoothly met by ..Qe6, while if 34.Kh3 Qe6 and with the extra tempo, the K+P ending no longer poses any danger to black.

Apr-11-22		cehertan: By chance, even if black apparently blunders with 33..♔g7 he can maintain equality. The problem with complex Q endings is that the depth and breadth of forcing variations is a little beyond even strong GM capacities. Figuring out if the attackers king can avoid perpetual check might mean calculating hundreds of ply. After 33..♔g7 click for larger view .Qd4+ Kh7 35.Qxb6 Qh4 36.Qxa5 Qxg4+ 36.Kf1 Qd1+ 37.Qe1 Qxb3 and white can’t support the a pawn without allowing perpetual.

Apr-12-22		cehertan: 40.Kg3! was a beautiful idea. Black can take the a pawn two ways, leading to four distinct mating lines: click for larger view If 40..bxa4 41.g5+ Kxg5 42.Qf4+ Kh5 43.Qh4#. If black varies with 40.. Kh5 white has the fantastic quiet forcing move 41.Qg7!! threatening 42.Qh6#. Forced is 41..Kxg5 42.f4+ and mate after 42..Kf5 43.Qe5# or 42..Kh5 43.Qh7#. Can you find the 2 mating lines after 40..Qxa4? Will post later.

Apr-12-22		cehertan: Interestingly on 40�Qxa4 [bad FEN: 8/2Q6/6pk/pp6/P5P1/q5P1/4P1K1/5P2]/8

Apr-12-22		cehertan: Interestingly on 40..Qxa4 click for larger view {41.g5+ neither of white’s mating ideas after 40..bxa4 will work; on 40..Kxg5 the f4 square is defended, while on 40..Kh5 41.Qg7?? now loses to 41..Qh4+. Fortunately for white, new mating ideas now occur in both lines: 41.g5+ Kxg5 42.Qe5+! Kh6 43.Qh8+ Kg5 44.f4+ Kf5 45.Qe5#, and on 41.g5+ Kh5 the quiet forcing move 42.f4! with mate in 2.

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