Lajos Portisch vs Ludek Pachman (1967)

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Lajos Portisch vs Ludek Pachman
Moscow (1967), Moscow URS, rd 3, May-23
King's Indian Attack: Symmetrical Defense (A05) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Oct-17-05		Kriegspiel: Anything wrong with 39...Rg7 ?

Oct-17-05		Kriegspiel: Also: any truth to the (apocryphal?) story that, upon Pachman's resignation, Portisch made "boop-boop-boop" sounds and said "Game Over"?

Oct-17-05		aw1988: Rg7 looks okay, but still, a two pawn advantage...

Mar-13-06		grinder: 40...Rg7 41.Qf6 now if41..Ke8 then 42 Bc6

Jan-19-14		Domdaniel: <Kriegspiel> --- < "boop-boop-boop" sounds > were largely unknown in 1967.

Jan-05-15		Santiago Abdala: What if 39...Kh8? It seems to me a draw...

Apr-12-19		SpamIAm: <Kriegspiel> (if you have waited 13+ years for an answer), 39...Rg7 is met by 40.Bd5+ Kf8 (40...Kh8 41.Qh6+ Rh7 42.Qf8#) 41.Qf6+ Rf7 (if 41...Ke8 42.Bc6 pins and wins the queen) 42.Qxf7+ Qxf7 43.Bxf7 Kxf7 44.f4 leaves a very simple endgame win.

Apr-12-19		drollere: hard not to see the R sacrifice. i examined whether a R interposition at 38 or later would suffice. at each step it seems to lead either to mate, losing the Q, or clearing the board with a won endgame. 36. Rxh7+ Kxh7 37. Qxg6+ Kh8 38. Qxf6+ Kg8 39. Qg5+ Rg7 40. Bd5+ Kf8 41. Qf6+ Rf7 ...

Apr-12-19		TeaChess: Agree with what <Santiago Abdala> said in Jan15.

Apr-12-19		sfm: As indicated already, 39.-,Kf8?? is a blunder, as White wins instantly. It was probably close to the 40-move time control. Against 39.-,Kh8 I did not find a win. But White can certainly play on, it will be hard to lose.

Apr-12-19		al wazir: The first three moves were easy. I thought about 39. Qg5+, but didn't see that it led anywhere. I still don't. After 39...Kf8 40. Bd5, white threatens 41. Qg8#. If 40...Rg8 (or any ♖ move other than 40...Re6, which loses immediately), then 41. Qf6+ Kf8 42. Bc6. But what if black plays 39...Kh8 ? If now 40. Bd5 Re8 41. Qf6+ (41. Qh6+ Qh7) Qg7, where's the win?

Apr-12-19		Walter Glattke: the final: 40.-Rg7 41.Qf6+ Rf7 42.Qxf7+ 2 pawns ahead. 41.-Ke8?? 42.Bc6 wins. 39.-Kf7 40.Bd5+ Re6 (Kf8/Ke8 Qg8#) 41.Qf5+ same Change, 2 pawns ahead, 39.-Kg7 40.Bd5+ Kf8 41.Qf6 same position as above, always 2 pawns ahead or queen lose by Bc6. Al Wazir asks for 39.-Kh8, 40.Bd5 Rg7? 41.Qh6+ Rh7 42.Qf8#, but 40.-Re8, I leave this for stockfish.

Apr-12-19		Ceri Evans: <sfm: As indicated already, 39.-,Kf8?? is a blunder> You are right: [Event "Moscow"] [Site "Moscow URS"] [Date "1967.05.23"] [Round "3"] [White "Lajos Portisch"] [Black "Ludek Pachman"] [ECO "A05"] [Result "1-0"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. c4 c6 5. d4 d5 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. O-O Bf5 8. b3 Ne4 9. Bb2 Nd7 10. Nh4 Nxd2 11. Qxd2 Be6 12. e4 dxe4 13. Bxe4 Bh3 14. Rfe1 e6 15. Bh1 Bf6 16. Nf3 Bg4 17. Rad1 Qc7 18. Re4 Bxf3 19. Bxf3 Rfd8 20. Qe2 Nf8 21. h4 Bg7 22. h5 gxh5 23. Rh4 Rd7 24. Rxh5 Rad8 25. d5 exd5 26. Bxg7 Kxg7 27. cxd5 cxd5 28. Rdxd5 Qc3 29. Kg2 b6 30. Rhf5 Ng6 31. Rxd7 Rxd7 32. Bd5 Re7 33. Qg4 f6 34. Rh5 Qc7 35. Be4 Qd7 36. Rxh7+ Kxh7 37. Qxg6+ Kh8 38. Qxf6+ Kg8 39. Qg5+ Kh8 40. Bd5 Re8 41. g4 click for larger view Much play left. Cheers, Ceri

Apr-12-19		saturn2: I saw 36. Rxh7+ Kxh7 (Kf8 37. Qxd7 Rxd7 38. Rxd7) Now I deviated with 37. Bxg6+ 37...Kh8 (if the king goes to the g file it is Q vsR+B) 38. Qh5+ Kg7 39. Qh7+ Kf8 40. Qh8# 37...Kh6 similar

Apr-12-19		Lambda: 37. Bxg6+ Kh8 38. Qh5+ <Kg8>

Apr-12-19		ChessHigherCat: Wow, they're a lot easier in the morning! 36. Rxh7+ Kg8 37. Qxg6+ Rg7 38. Bd5+ Kf8 39. Rh8+ Ke7 40. Qxg7+ Kd6 41. Qxd7+ Kxd7

Apr-12-19		ChessHigherCat: In the gameline, I got the same ending as WG, namely trading everything down with a 2-pawn advantage for white: 40...Rg7 41. Qf6+ Rf7 etc.

Apr-12-19		wood n tempo: I saw as far as 36.Rxh7+ Kxh7 37.Qxg6+ Kh8 38.Qxf6+ Kg8. At that point if white can trade off all the pieces it is a won pawn end game.

Apr-12-19		talljack: <Santiago Abdala> YES 39. … Kh8 is =. I checked with Stockfish and Komodo with strong processors. I suspect this was a time pressure error, assuming the first time control was 40 moves. White may be able to force off the Queens and have the only winning chances with having connected passers and Black having no way to create one or snag the White Bishop once it sinks in of c3, but the defense isn't too tough with the Black rook checking from behind.

Apr-12-19		patz8491: Kriegspiel, "...any truth to the (apocryphal?) story that, upon Pachman's resignation, Portisch made "boop-boop-boop" sounds and said "Game Over"? None whatsoever. This game was played in 1967, thirteen years before Pac-Man existed.

Apr-12-19		agb2002: White has a bishop for a knight. Black threatens Qxg4. The h-pawn protects the knight. This suggests 36.Rxh7+ Kxh7 37.Qxg6+ (37.Bxg6+ Kh8) 37... Kh8 38.Qxf6+ Kg8 (38... Rg7 39.Qf8+ Rg8 40.Qh6+ Qh7 41.Qxh7#) 39.Qg5+: A) 39... Kf7 40.Bd5+ Re6 (40... Ke(f)8 41.Qg8#) 41.Qf5+ Ke7 42.Qxe6+ Qxe6 43.Bxe6 Kxe6 44.Kf3 + -[2P]. B) 39... Kf8 40.Bd5 B.1) 40... Rg7 41.Qf6+ Ke8 (41... Rf7 42.Qxf7+ as in A) 42.Bc6 wins. B.2) 40... Re2 41.Qf6+ as above. B.3) 40... Rf7 41.Qh6+ Ke7 (41... Rg7 42.Qf6+ as above; 41... Ke8 42.Bc6 as above) 42.Bxf7 wins decisive material (42... Kxf7 43.Qh7+ as in A; 42... Qb7+ 43.Kg1 Kxf7? 44.Qh7+ wins). C) 39... Rg7 40.Bd5+ Kf8 (40... Kh7 41.Qh5#; 40... Kh8 41.Qh6+ Rh7 42.Qf8#) 41.Qf6+ transposes to B.1. D) 39... Kh8 40.Bd5 (40.Qh6+ Kg8 41.Qg5+ repeats moves) unclear.

Apr-12-19		TheaN: Had the feeling that White <could> play Rxh7+ by virtue of forcefully gaining two pawns for the exchange in an endgame that White can't lose. But it's not won.

Apr-08-20		MarianoFreyre: Im studying chess this days of Coronavirus at home. Sorry guys, but this game is far for unclear, white its always winning. It will be a miracle if black draws. I will tell you the plan: 1. Exchange Queens in a favorable way. 2. Play the move a4, sp your pwans are untouchable for the rook. 3. g4 Kg3 f4 g5 f5 White its totally winning. A line played with my friend 2412 fide its: 39.Qg5+ Kh8 40.Bd5 Re8 41.g4 Qh7 (Only move, any other loose at once) 42.a4¡ Rf8(Rf2+?) 43.Kg3¡ Qg7(if Qg7 one move before Qh5+ wins the rook on e8) 44.Qd2 Re8 45.f4 Qe7 46. Qc3¡ Kh7 47.g5 Qe1+(Only move, Qe2 is interesting, but Qc6 and Bf3) 48.Qxe1 Rxe1 49.f5 +- Bye.

Apr-08-20		SChesshevsky: <...It will be a miracle if black draws...> Seems a well thought out rook sac by Portisch. The connected passed pawns and monster B are easily at least equal to the rook with a lot more potential. The main problem for black with 39...Kh8 lines is he really can't exchange anything. Plus any tempo loss just gets a pawn rolling or white king better. I guess the miracle might be if white went into a coma and allowed some sort of perpetual. Maybe it was time trouble and 39...Kf8 was an oversight. But think equally possible was swindle attempt for 40. Qh6 Kf7 with possible escape. Thinking if Pachman didn't have 39...Kf8 try, he would've resigned rather than play ...Kh8. Unless he was some sort of masochist.

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