Boris Spassky vs Lajos Portisch (1957)

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Kibitzing

Boris Spassky vs Lajos Portisch
World Student Team Championship (1957), Reykjavik ISL, rd 9, Jul-21
Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian. Bogoljubow Variation (B00) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 17 times; par: 28 [what's this?]

explore this opening	find similar games	82 more Spassky/Portisch games
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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 · Later Kibitzing>
Jun-26-07		ajile: Black should just play the obvious 20..RxN.

Jun-26-07		Wolfgang01: ajile: Lajos preferred a quick dead by harakiri. 20. … Rxb8 is also without expectations. Maybe 40 moves more …

Feb-06-12		whiteshark: Portisch never played this Nimzowitsch Defense/Scandinavian line again. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Jul-06-13		Xeroxx: nice game.

Dec-01-22		Brenin: 17 Rxe5 Qxe5 (17 ... Qxf2+ 18 Kh1 is harmless) 18 Nxc6, forking Q and R, and White can withstand any K-side counterplay by Black. White wins a P.

Dec-01-22		beatgiant: Isn't White winning an entire piece? 20...Rxb8 21. f4 Qg4 <22. Kh1> unpins the g-pawn and leaves the bishop trapped.

Dec-01-22		Mayankk: 17 Rxe5 Qxe5 18 Nxc6, forking a hanging Rook and Queen cries itself to be played. The only thing is to check if Black has any tactical options on 17th and 18th moves. On the 17th, Black can try out 17... Qxf2 18 Kh1 but it runs out of gas soon. On the 18th, Black needs to guard against Qxd5+ and so any strong tactics seems unlikely.

Dec-01-22		jrredfield: I looked at 17 Rxe5 but can't say I settled on it. I missed the N fork, Nxc6, so I wasn't sure of the best way to go. I considered 17 Nf3 as a defensive measure, and further analysis reveals it as the best move other than the text move. Actually 17 Rxe5 saves White but it only leads to about a pawn advantage.

Dec-01-22		Cheapo by the Dozen: <beatgiant> nailed it.

Dec-01-22		mel gibson: The Bishop had to be removed as the Rook on a1 was X-Rayed and the pawn on h2 was weak. I saw the fork straight away as compensation for White's Rook. Stockfish 15 is calling it close to a draw: 17. Rxe5 (17. Rxe5 (♖e1xe5 ♕f4xe5 ♘d4xc6 ♕e5-f6 ♘c6xb8 ♕f6xf2+ ♔g1-h1 d5-d4 ♕d1-g1 ♕f2xc2 ♖a1-c1 ♕c2-e2 ♖c1-e1 ♕e2-c2 h2-h3 c7-c5 ♖e1-c1 ♕c2-e2 ♕g1-e1 d4-d3 ♕e1xe2 d3xe2 ♔h1-g1 c5-c4 ♘a4-c3 ♗c8-f5 ♘b8-c6 ♗f5-d3 ♘c3xe2 c4xb3 a2xb3 ♗d3xe2 ♘c6xa7 ♖f8-f7 ♘a7-c6 ♖f7-d7 ♘c6-e5 ♖d7-d2 ♖c1-c8+ ♔g8-g7 ♖c8-c7+ ♔g7-f6 ♘e5-d7+ ♔f6-g5 ♘d7-c5 ♔g5-h6 ♘c5-e6 ♖d2-b2 g2-g4 g6-g5 ♘e6-f8 ♗e2-d3 ♖c7-c6+ ♔h6-g7 ♘f8-e6+ ♔g7-g8 ♖c6-b6 ♗d3-c4 ♘e6xg5 ♖b2xb3 ♖b6xb3 ♗c4xb3 ♘g5xh7 ♔g8xh7 ♔g1-f2 ♗b3-d1 ♔f2-e3 ♗d1xg4 h3-h4 ♗g4-h5 ♔e3-e4 ♗h5-g4 ♔e4-d3 ♗g4-f3 ♔d3-c2 ♗f3-c6 ♔c2-c3 ♗c6-d5 ♔c3-d2 ♗d5-f3 ♔d2-d3) +0.50/61 1036) score for White +0.50 depth 61.

Dec-01-22		al wazir: Why didn't black play 20...Rxb8 ? That leaves white only a ♙ up.

Dec-01-22		mel gibson: When Black resigns Stockfish 15 says: 23... Rxe2 (♖d2xe2 ♕f1xe2 d5-d4 ♘a4-b2 ♕g5-c1+ ♔g1-f2 ♕c1xb2 g2xh3 d4-d3 c2xd3 ♕b2-d4+ ♔f2-g2 ♕d4-f6 ♕e2-e8+ ♔g8-g7 ♘b8-d7 ♕f6-g5+ ♔g2-f2 ♕g5-d2+ ♕e8-e2 ♕d2-b4 ♕e2-e3 ♕b4-h4+ ♔f2-g2 ♕h4-d8 ♘d7-c5 ♔g7-g8 d3-d4 c7-c6 ♘c5-e4 ♕d8-a5 a2-a4 ♔g8-f8 ♘e4-g5 h7-h6 ♘g5-e4 ♔f8-g7) -9.15/34 246 score for Black -9.15 depth 34.

Dec-01-22		vajeer: The real star move here is 20.Qf1. I think that is the only move that allows white to keep piece advantage with f4. Seeing the fork was the easy part, but seeing Qf1, f4 and trapping the bishop is key to playing 17. Rxe5. Not easy otb I suppose.

Dec-01-22		vajeer: Also computer suggests 19...Bg4 instead of Bh3. That line leaves white with clear advantage, but white needs to play carefully. Certainly looks complicated for Thuursday.

Dec-01-22		al wazir: <beatgiant>: Thanks for the explanation, which I should have read before posting.

Dec-01-22		stacase: The first four moves were obvious. After that not so much.

Dec-01-22		Teyss: A great Russian Doll puzzle. Level 1: find 17.Rxe5 Qxe5 18.Nxc6 Qmoves 19.Nxb8 wins a piece. Easy Thursday Yawn That's how far I got. Level 2: find the counterattack 18...Qg5 19...Bh3. There I would have played 20.g3? Rxb8 (only +1.3 at 34 ply). Level 3: find the defence 20.Qf1! 20...Rxb8 21.f4! Qg4 22.Kh1 as per <beatgiant>. Level 4: find the reload 20...Rf4 threatening 21...Bxg2 22.Qxg2 Rg4. Level 5: find the defence 21.f3. Okay, this one is easier. Level 6: find the re-reload 21...Rd4. This guy never gives up. Level 7: find the defence 22.Re1. Good job Boris.

Dec-01-22		chrisowen: Icy it is huffle x z its work planned its Rxe5 abled its leeway its hoh adagio nag its da Rxe5 ebb;

Dec-01-22		chrisowen: I know cough cough a missed xxx

Dec-01-22		chrisowen: Inner Rev

Dec-01-22		Chesschronicle22: Wow, Spassky played a wonderful gamr here!

Dec-01-22		agb2002: White has both knights for the bishop pair. Black threatens B(Q)xd4, Qxh2+ and Qxf2+. The knight on d4 can fork b8 and e5. This suggests 17.Rxe5 Qxe5 18.Nxc6: A) 18... Qg5 19.Nxb8 A.1) 19... Bg4 20.h4 A.1.a) 20... Bxd1 21.hxg5 Bxc2 22.Nd7 wins an exchange. A.1.b) 20... Qh5 21.Qd4 Rxb8 22.Qxa7 must be winning. A.1.c) 20... Qf6 21.f3 (21.Qxd5+ Be6 22.Qd1 Qxf2+ looks bad for White) seems to win a pawn at least. A.1.d) 20... Qxh4 21.Qxd5+ Kg7(h8) (21... Rf7 22.Qd4 wins a piece) 22.Qd4+ and 23.Nc6 wins a piece. A.2) 19... Bh3 21.Qf1 (20.g3 Rxb8, unclear) 21... Rxb8 22.f4 Qg4 23.Kh1 traps the bishop. B) 18... Qf6 19.Nxb8 B.1) 19... Qxf2+ 20.Kh1 Bb7 21.Nc5 looks winning (21... Qxc5 22.Nd7). B.2) 19... Bf5 20.c3 Rxb8 21.Qxd5+ wins two pawns.

Dec-01-22		minasina: Please, tell me yesterday, Nov-30-22, puzzle and the starting move.

Dec-01-22		MissScarlett: See Game Collection: Puzzle of the Day 2022

Dec-02-22		minasina: <MissScarlett> great, thanks! I didn't know anyone else's collection than <PhonyBenoni's>.

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