Miguel Najdorf vs Jan Timman (1980) Naj: Not On, Jan!

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Miguel Najdorf vs Jan Timman
"Naj: Not On, Jan!" (game of the day Mar-11-2025)
Buenos Aires (Clarin) (1980), Buenos Aires ARG, rd 8, Oct-27
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense. King's Knight Variation (A15) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Oct-28-17		TrczkWszczinsk: Very nice punishment for greedily eating the toxic pawn.

Mar-09-24		WTHarvey: White wins: click for larger view 33. ?

Mar-11-25		An Englishman: Good Evening: Black's position looked fine before 32...Rxb3, which might qualify as a "??" sort of move. Good game title today, makes me wonder--do palindrome composers create their gems first then find an appropriate game, or do they see the game first and take inspiration from that?

Mar-11-25		thegoldenband: <An Englishman: Good game title today, makes me wonder--do palindrome composers create their gems first then find an appropriate game, or do they see the game first and take inspiration from that?> Thanks! In this case, the game came first, as I saw the key position in a tactics quiz and was surprised to see it had never been GOTD. Always glad to see Najdorf, who went through so much in his life, hold his own with the youngsters (though Timman pretty much blundered the game away).

Mar-11-25		BxChess: Nice game. Nice pun. In the final postion, click for larger view White threatens mate with the bishop or rook pawn. Black can only delay with 43...h5 44. Rxg7+ Kh6 45. g5#

Mar-11-25		goodevans: Here's the position after 30.Rxd3: click for larger view Timman saw he could win a pawn with 30...Qxd3 31.Qxd3 Rxd3 32.Bxe5 Rxb3 but failed to foresee the consequences. A much better way to net a pawn would have been <30...Rxd3>. The threat of 31...Rxg3+ stops White from capturing on e5 and after <31.Re3 e4> White has nothing to compensate for the pawn he's conceded.

Mar-11-25		Teyss: Nice pun, indeed Timman wasn't on guard here. (For memo "Jan" is pronounced "ee-an" but palindromes must be read, not spoken.) 32...Rxb3? is surprising for a player of his caliber, especially since he was at his best in the 1980s. Maybe time trouble. <goodevans> nailed it as usual: Black would have had a good game with 30...Rxd3 and if he had won it, he would in theory have won the tournament. Earlier if 29.Rfd1 to protect the Pawn, 29...c4! and a3 or e3 will fall. So Timman definitely blew up a good position. click for larger view

Mar-11-25		Honza Cervenka: Why not 16...Qxd3?

Mar-11-25		offramp: <Teyss: Nice pun, indeed Timman wasn't on guard here....> Is it a pun? I believe it is a falindrome, i.e. a palindrome from the Philippines. There are two crucial elements: <NAJ> and <JAN>, that leaves the central conjunction: <NOT TO>. Is that the greatest <PUN OF THE DAY> ever?

Mar-11-25		Breunor: Thanks Honza, playing through the game, I couldn't understand why not 16 .... Qxd3? There doesn't even seem to be a threat?

Mar-11-25		thegoldenband: <Teyss: (For memo "Jan" is pronounced "ee-an" but palindromes must be read, not spoken.)> Pretty sure the "Naj" part of Najdorf is an aural palindrome for Jan as well, right? Na-ee and ee-an. (I assume you don't have "nazh" in mind, which would be rather Tolkienistic.)

Mar-12-25		beatgiant: <Honza Cervenka> Maybe during the game the players saw 16...Qxd3 17. Qb3+ Kh8 18. Qxb7 which seems ok for White. But Black has a big improvement with 16...Qxd3 17. Qb3+ <Kf8> 18. Qxb7. Here, with the king defending the bishop, Black has 18...Nd4 with an advantage.

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