Spassky vs Gufeld, 1988 (31.?)

White to play and win.

Material: Even. The Black Kg8 has 3 legal moves, and is secured from check. The Black Qb3 and Rb7 are loose; Qb3 has no flight squares. The White Qd3 (protected by Nf4) x-rays Qb3 through the White Bc3. The Bc3 x-rays Bf6 through Pd4. The Black Bf6 is attacked once by Re6 and protected once by Rf8. Thus, the sequence 31.Rxf6 32.d5 could be very disorganizing for Black, because the Black Kg8 would then need to avoid dark squares where Bc3 could give check. Moreover, White could set up a deadly battery Bc3 and Qd4 on the dark long diagonal. The White Kg1 is secured from check.

Candidates (22.): Rxf6

22.Rxf6 Rxf6 [else, drop a B]

23.d5 (threatening 24.Bxf6, leaving White up a B)

The alternative is to move Rf6, but then White threatens

(A) 24.Qd4 (threatening 25.Qg7# or 25.Re1 26.Qh8+ 27.Qg7#)

To avoid the mate threat, Black must move Rf6, then Nd7. If Black tries to retain material with 24…Nc8, the second threat mates. Thus, Black must sacrifice Nd7 for Pd5, but White remains with an iron grip on the dark a1-h8 long diagonal to the Black Kg8 and B+N vs. R+P, a winning advantage.

In other words, if you considered 31.Rxf6 Rxf6 32.d5 would you be comfortable with thinking: "If black plays 32...Rf7/Rf8 then 33.Qd4 and white has a great position" or would you try to calculate until white mates or wins material?>>

The positional aspects justifying the exchange sacrifice 31. Rxf6!! are:

1. The Black Queen is nearly trapped, and Gufeld will have to give back the exchange and more to avoid decisive loss of material after 31....Rxf6 32. d5!

2. The Black King is not very well protected, as his Queen is out of play and unable to help defend. White on the other hand has his pieces well posted and ready to attack.

3. The Black Rook on b7 is unprotected, which makes it another potential target for White's attack.

4. Black can avoid immediate decisive material loss after 31. Rxf6 Rxf6 32. d5! However, in doing so he will expose his King to a decisive attack.

Some of the multiple tactics involved with 31. Rxf6!! :

1. Deflection, clearance and Queen trap, as the deflection 31. Rxf6 Rxf6 d5! clears the d5 square for White to threaten Ne6 followed by Nd4 trapping the Queen.

2. Pin, piling on pinned pieces and pin & deflection:

a. In the game, 37. Qg7+! Ke8 38. Bf6! pins and attacks the Knight, threatening 39. Rxe7+ Rxe7 40. Qxe7#.

b. In the game after 38...Ke8, White's 39. Qf8+ (Perhaps even stronger is the simple 39. Bxe7+ ) 39...Qe8 40. Rd1+ Rd7 41. Bxe7+ uses the pin and deflection tactics to remove the guard of the King and win the Queen.

c. If 32... Rf8, then 33. Qd4 Kf7 34. Re1 Ke8 (34... Qa3 35. Ne6 Rg8 36. d6 Nc6 37. Ng5+ Kf8 38. Qf6+ Rf7 39. Qxf7#) 35. d6 decisively attacks the pinned Knight with a pawn.

3. Skewer as a potential threat (e.g. if 32... Rf8, then 33. Qd4 Nc8 34. Qh8+ Kf7 35. Qxh7+ Ke8 36. Qxb7 picks off the unprotected Rook).

4. Mate threats:

a. If 31...Rf7, then 32. Qd4! threatens mate and forces White to immediately surrender the Queen to avoid it (e.g. 32...Qxc3 33. Qxc3 ).

NOTE: SOME OF THESE MOVES ARE NOT BEST OR THE "FRITZ" MOVES. THEY ARE JUST WHAT I "SAW" DURING THE COURSE OF MY ANALYSIS.

click for larger view

White: Kg1, Qd3, Nf4, Bc3, Ra1 & e6; White Pawns - a4, c4, d4, g3, and h2. Black: Kg8, Qb3, Ne7, Bf6, Rb7 & f8; Black Pawns - Pa7, b6, f5, g6, & h7.

Boris V. Spassky (2565) - Eduard Gufeld (2485) / [B25] Wellington, 1988. / [A.J.G.]

31.Rxf6!!
This has to be best.

<[But not 31.Rxe7?! Rxe7; 32.Nd5 Re4; as this is good/winning for Black. ("/+" ]>

31...Rxf6; 32.d5 Kf7;
This is probably forced.

<[I also looked at: 32...Rf7; ('?') 33.Qd4 Kf8; 34.Ne6+ Ke8; 35.Qh8+ Kd7; 36.Qd8#.]>

33.Ne6!,
White must proceed vigorously.

<[I think White is also winning after: 33.Qd4 Ng8; 34.Re1 Re7; 35.d6, etc. ]>

33...Rxe6!?;
I thought that this was closed to being forced, however, Fritz does not like it at all. (Why?)

<[After the moves: 33...Rd7; 34.Nd4 Rxd5; 35.cxd5 Qxd5; 36.Re1, White is winning. ( ) When I <first> did this line in my head, I thought Black was two Pawns up ... I missed that White has an extra piece!) ]>

34.dxe6+ Kxe6; 35.Re1+ Kf7; 36.Qd4 Qxa4;
Once again, I thought that this was forced ... (but maybe not).

<[Or 36...Rc7; 37.Qg7+ Ke8; 38.Bf6 Qb4; 39.Qg8+ Kd7; 40.Rxe7+ , (" ") and White wins. ]>

Eventually, I was successful at proving that I had gone into a dead-end.

31. Rxf6 Rxf6
32. d5

39.Qe8 Qe8†

One pin created.

40.Rd1 Rd7

Two pins created.

41.Bxe7†

Pins abused, game over, as neither piece can take back.

41....Kc7 42.Qxe8 Rxd1† 43.Kf2

After 17.b4

click for larger view

31.Rxf6! Rxf6 32.d5

This seizes control of the a1 diagonal, advances the d-pawn with gain of tempo, and makes e6 available to the knight. The vulnerability of the black king to an attack on the long diagonal is evident. Black can try:

A) 32... g5 33.Bxf6 Qxd3 34.Nxd3 leaving white a comfortable piece ahead.

B) 32... Rf7 33.Qd4 Kf8 34.Ne6+ Ke8 35.Qh8+ Rf8 36.Qxf8+ Kd7 37.Qd8#

C) 32... Rd6 33.Qd4 Kf7 34.Re1 and black, tied in knots, has no defense to the threat 35.Qg7+ Ke8 36.Bf6 Rxf6 37.Qxf6 Qxc4 38.d6 Qc5+ 39.Kg2 Qc2+ 40.Kh3 and black is out of useful checks.

C.1) 33... Nxd5 34.Nxd5 leaves black no good defense against 35.Qh8+ followed by Re1 and Qg7#

White to play (31.?) "Difficult"

Black's queen has no moves, so the first thing you look for is trapping the queen. But crude attemps to trap it fail, i.e. 31. Ree1 Rc8! (so that 32. Reb1 Qxc4) or 31. Ne2 Rc7!. Gufeld was prepared for that, but White (Spassky) succeeds by combining threats.

31. Rxf6! Rxf6 32. d5 and now:

A) 32...Rf8 33. Qd4 Kf7 34. d6! wins back the sacrificed material with a continuing attack, since 34...Nc6 35. Qg7+ Ke8 36. Re1+ Kd8 37. Qxf8+ wins easily.

B) 32...Rf7 33. Ne6! (threatening 34. Nd4) Nxd5 (forced) 34. cxd5 Rfd7 35. Qd4 Qxd5 (or 35...Rxd5 36. Qh8+ Kf7 37. Re1! threatening both 38. Qf8# and 38. Qg7+) 36. Qh8+ Kf7 37. Nf5+ Ke7 38. Bb4+ Rd6 39. Bxd6+ Kxd6 40. Qf6+ Kd7 41. Re1 leaves White up a knight for two pawns, with a continuing attack.

C) 32...Rd6 33. Qd4 Kf7 34. Qg7+ Ke8 35. Re1! and the noose closes around the Black king (either Bf6 or Ne6 is next).