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Dunaev vs Tigran V Petrosian
URS-ch U18 (1946), Leningrad URS
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen. Classical Variation (B84)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-20-05  suenteus po 147: I do not doubt that Petrosian has a won position here, but could somebody please explain it to me? What's the ending here?
Feb-20-05  vonKrolock: White Q moves, then de2, Queen takes, otherwise a Rook goes, then Bb5 wins the exchange - in the end, Black plus will be a whole piece and two Pawns, whithout compensation for White
Feb-20-05  aw1988: Poor white. Massacre!
Feb-20-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: An unconventional exchange sacrifice which proved stronger than it looks with Black's central Pawn roller stealing the show. Surprising that White went down so quickly since I thought he had a nice game out of the opening. Maybe 16. a5 was the problem, so perhaps 16. Qd2 & 17. Rad1 instead.
Feb-20-05  aw1988: Tal would doubtless play 16. Nd5 and crush black.
Aug-01-05  ARTIN: what? why can't he just take the if 16.Nd5?
Aug-01-05  farrooj: this is one of my favorite openings, the hedgehog sicilian. It's basic idea is to set up a black wall that white can't breach. If white attacks, blacks pieces all come in to play...so you wait till white makes a mistake. If he doesn't, you can make plans of your own.

<ARTIN> he's saying Tal would make a dubious sacrifice like Nd5 to win

actually Nd5 sometimes works in the hegehog when the c fil is open

Aug-01-05  euripides: Petrosian must have been about fifteen, but this fine game has some of the hallmarks of his adult style including the killer exchange sacrifice.
Sep-11-07  wolfmaster: <euripides> Yes, THE killer exchange sacrifice.
Jan-28-08  xombie: Petrosian's games are like a dance. All the pieces sit so nicely on the best squares.

This is a standard variation. But even so, look at 6.. a6 to prevent Nb5 which will annoy the d pawn and the Queen from going to c7.

9 .. b6
Another very aesthetic move. It allows the fianchetto (the most obvious thing) and secures a beautiful spot for the Knight at c5-and we see, later that the b-file is opened when the Knight is taken.

Now the rook navigates to b4 -protected by the c-pawn. This of course allows the exchange sacrifice, but I think we must see the whole thing as a whole, starting from the creation of the outpost squares.

See also, how Petrosian takes the Bishop at e4 with the pawn to create the Passed Pawns.

Finally, we see another 'hole' with the Knight firmly parked on it on f6.

Almost every Petrosian game I see has a Knight outpost. There are also the 'mysterious' Queen manoevres, weird Rook development (again as outposts making very elegant formations like here) and bad bishops that are actually very useful.

Jan-28-08  xombie: I forgot to mention-all the pieces seem to eye e4. The fianchettoed bishop, the circuitous Rook manoeuvre and the Knight on f6.
Jan-29-08  dabearsrock1010: ooooo one for my collection which is very hard to satisfy, sacing the exchange for strong pawns
Jan-30-09  MethodMan: That was a destruction
Apr-02-09  arsen387: whites were wiped off the board after Petrosian's hallmark exchange sacrifice. Tigran was a great master already in 17
Apr-02-09  Andrijadj: Hedgehog in 1946???Petrosian was a great player...
Apr-02-09  tonsillolith: All that without castling? Wow. I'm certain I would have been anxious about castling from move 13 at least and certainly before 24...d5
Apr-18-10  xombie: Now that I look at this game again, it makes sense as to why he exchange sacced when he did. It was only AFTER white pushed pawns, opening the diagonals. So in a sense black provoked this pawn advance and then nipped it in the bud, after the ensuing diagonal weakening. Remarkable how these points emerge so suddenly!
Apr-18-10  xombie: Also, note the sweet blockading action on the kingside. How often have we tried this in our own games and succeeded? It is what nimzo calls, 'spreading the blockade net' (or web)
Jul-26-11  FlintEastwood: Ahh...maybe I'm missing the point here, but white's play seems pretty terrible. Can't he play something like 26Nb1, just getting his pieces out the way. Then after 26...d4 27. Bf2 e3 28. Bxe3 dxe 29. Qxe3 white seems quite okay to me. Black shouldn't go for the pawn with 29...Qxa5 because 30. Qe6 looks dangerous, and white gets a lot of counter play.
Mar-08-12  screwdriver: After the exchange sac, I noticed Petrosian had 2 pawns for the compensation. Who needs to castle? Not Petrosian.
Sep-01-16  maseras: Another brilliant exchange sac from Iron Tiger. But 16.f5! could be smashing for him.

Maybe 12...h5 will stop this ''bayonet attack''.

Dec-30-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: 7 a4 is not one of the main lines nowadays as it prematurely weakens b4. Black normally would develop the knight to c6 as b4 is ideal square for its future development. Nb3 was a new move; 9 0-0 had been played once before. 12..Rb8 would have been more logical as the c-file soon becomes closed. White's position deteriorated quickly after 21 g6?; Petrosian recommended 21 Nc3..Rxe3 22 Qxe3..hxg 23 fxg..Ne5 24 Bxc6+..Qxc6 with a complex struggle.
Apr-09-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  TerryMills: What's wrong with 20. Bxe4?
Apr-09-23  SChesshevsky: <What's wrong with 20. Bxe4?> Doesn't look like anything terrible. And might be better than what white ended up doing.

But black likely gets more than enough compensation. Gets a B and pawn for the rook but it's a very strong B. Plenty of light squares to work with, no counter part except the white N who probably is best used otherwise. Plus whites advanced pawns are probably going to end up getting weakened and good targets for blacks two B's. Also whites exposed king probably doesn't help.

So all together, expecting to be able to pick up at least another pawn somewhere eventually, The very good B plus 2 pawns for the rook, plus whites other weaknesses likely means black has chances to win but little losing probability. Not a good deal for white.

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