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Tigran V Petrosian vs Mark Taimanov
USSR Championship (1955), Moscow URS, rd 12, Mar-01
Semi-Slav Defense: Romih Variation (D46)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Nov-19-04  drukenknight: Hey do I get a turn? [inserts new clip into .357 magnum]
Nov-19-04  clocked: Is that a starter pistol?
Nov-19-04  drukenknight: clocked 25...Bd7
Nov-19-04  clocked: 26.Rxe5 fxe5 27.Bh5
Nov-20-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: Sorry guys, 24...♘b6 25. ♗d3 ♕f7 26. ♘g6+ ♔g8 27. ♘xe5 ♕xh5 28. ♗h7+ ♔h8 29. ♖d8+ ♖e8 30. ♗g6 does win the queen.

My main point (which may have been lost in the tactics) is that White is not only winning the exchange, there is a mating net too. So it really is a quesiton of how Black can save and not how White can win.

Nov-20-04  clocked: <beatgiant> "Sorry guys"?? who are you talking to? I never said your move is not winning. But I will return the comment: sorry, there is NO mating net.

30...Bf5 I will force you into a tedious endgame.

Nov-20-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <30...Bf5 I will force you into a tedious endgame.>

Sure, White's then "only" a piece up with 31. ♗xe8 ♗xc2 32. ♗xh5+ ♖xd8 33. ♘f7+ followed by 34. ♘xd8. Are we agreed that Black can resign?

Nov-20-04  clocked: No we are not agreed. 33...Kh7 34.Nxd8 Nxc4
Nov-20-04  drukenknight: yay! I have clocked on my side! I think white will be a piece up in all variations, I tried the 24...Bxh2+ and basically down a B. Dunno if thats enuf to resign.
Jun-05-05  notyetagm: Petrosian was a <tremendous attacker> when the position demanded it.
Sep-09-06  outplayer: 24...Qd8(24...Qg8 25.Bh7! Qxh7 26.Ng6+)25.Be4 Kg8 26.Bd5+ Watson,J. from Los Secretos de la Estrategia Moderna en Ajedrez p.84
Mar-13-08  Nezhmetdinov: This is the "magic rook" game from O'kelly's book of TP's games.
Apr-08-08  ToTheDeath: <clocked> <beat giant> <drunkenknight> etc.: 24...Nb6 25.Bxc5. Game over.
Aug-29-08  arsen387: one of Petrosian's attacking brilliancies. Rook moves are very nice
Oct-30-08  sergeidave: Awesome game! Boa constrictor...
Nov-24-09  butilikefur: <ToTheDeath: <clocked> <beat giant> <drunkenknight> etc.: 24...Nb6 25.Bxc5. Game over.>

I think you guys had the right idea but just stopped short of the finish: <24...Nb6 25. Bd3 Qf7 26. Ng6+ Kg8 27. Nxe5 Qxh5 28. Bh7+ Kf8 29. Rd8+ Qe8> 29...Re8 30. Bxc5+ mate <30. Rxe8+ Kxe8 31. Qg6+ Kd8> 31...Kf8 32. Bxc5 fxe5 33. Qd6 wins (not 33. Bg8 Kxg8 34. Bxe7 Nd7) <32. Qd3+ Bd7> 32...Kc7 33. Bxc5 <33. Ng6 Re8 34. Bxc5> and White will win easily.

The toughest bit is seeing 27. Nxe5 ..for example, <27...fxe5 28. Bh7+ Kh8> 28...Kf8 29. Rd8+ Qe8 30. Rf5+ Bxf5 31. Qxf5+ Rf7 32. Bxc5+ mate <29. Rd8+ Re8 30. Bg6 Rxd8 31. Bxe7 Bg4 32. Rd5 Nxd5 cxd5> wins - a cute threat here was, after 31...Bd7 (a very poor move), 32. Qg6 and Black can't stop mate, even 32...Bf5 loses to 33. Rxh6+ gxh6 34. Qxh6+ Bh6 35. Qf6+ mate

Another variation is <27...Rxe5 28. Bh7+ Kf8> 28...Kh8 29. Rxe5 and White is just up a rook <29. Rd8+ Re8 30. Bxc5+ wins the queen> - 27. Nxe5 was a great idea <beatgiant> ..more than five years ago.

Feb-19-10  tommer: I think 21 ..Bd6 cost a lose of exchange for black .
Aug-23-12  backrank: This game was one Petrosian's own favorites. The rook manoevers on the 4th rank are as original as they are strong.

In the position after 14 ... exd4,


click for larger view

how many of us (including myself) would have recaptured 15 exd4 to keep the pawn structure intact?

Petrosian doesn't care for pawn structures here; he realizes that the game can be decided by piece play. He finds the wonderful manoever 25 Bh7+! (to force the king on the long diagonal and to clear the 4th rank for his own rook) followed by Rxd4-f4-e4-h4 etc.

Jul-18-14  parisattack: An amazing conception by Petrosian. The rook maneuvers are very creative. A miniature into the bargain!
Nov-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: This game has a tormenting cat-playing-with-mouse feeling to it. Brilliant play by a most brilliant player.
Nov-23-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: Pretty much what one might expect when giving odds of Rook and Bishop and move to Petrosian.
Mar-09-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: I like very much <backrank>'s comment explaining the crucial move 25.Bh7+:

"Petrosian doesn't care for pawn structures here; he realizes that the game can be decided by piece play. He finds the wonderful manoever 25 Bh7+! (to force the king on the long diagonal and to clear the 4th rank for his own rook) followed by Rxd4-f4-e4-h4 etc."

Oct-03-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: This game shocked me a bit - I am surprised by the apparent speed of Black's downfall. The thematic stuff black played looked on the surface fairly okay. But once Petrosian weakened g6, it all started looking terrible.
Oct-03-21  sudoplatov: Black's 8...Bd6 loses two moves. While the loss of a tempo is not as important in closed games, it doesn't have to be worthless. In this case, the Semi-Slave Pawn structure thematically calls for e4 (or ...e5) in which case the game becomes open (rather suddenly.) Black gets in ...e5 first but White's two extra moves (Qc2 and Bb2) are useful. White's procedure (Qc2 or b3 then Bb2) are often used in this structure when Black doesn't yield a temp for them. Black ends up playing a Colle System down several tempi.
Oct-04-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: I blogged about it here:

https://lichess.org/@/Kingscrusher-...

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