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Georgy Lisitsin vs Viacheslav Ragozin
Leningrad National tournament (1934), Leningrad URS, May-??
French Defense: Two Knights Variation (C00)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 29 times; par: 41 [what's this?]

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sac: 20.Bh7+ PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jul-22-07  Gilmoy: <dzechiel: ... Notepad ... chess table ...> Emacs and WinBoard (without engine).
Jul-22-07  dzechiel: <Gilmoy Emacs and WinBoard (without engine).>

*IF* I was going to use a professional editor for this work, I would use CodeWright in Brief emulation mode.

Having used many, many editors over the years (and I'm talking editors like TECO, edlin [yuk], PE2, Brief, vi, Emacs, Slick, etc), I have settled on CodeWright as having the best features.

Jul-23-07  resty: got the first two moves
Oct-16-07  srinivas6195: EASY ONE
Oct-05-17  Whitehat1963: Wow!! Slaughter!
Mar-28-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: Brilliant attack. In the final position, Black is up two pieces yet totally helpless against White's forces.
Feb-26-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical:


click for larger view

20... Kh8 21. Ng5 Qc8 22. Nxf7+ Kxh7 23. Qc2+ g6 24. Ng5+ hxg5 25. Rf7+ Kh6 26. hxg5+ Kxg5 27. Bc1+ Kg4 28. Qxg6 mate

May-22-21  mel gibson: That wasn't too hard - I saw that.

Stockfish 13 says:

20. Bh7+

(20. Bh7+ (♗d3-h7+ ♔g8-h8 ♘f3-g5 f7-f6 ♘g5-f7+ ♔h8xh7 ♘f7xd8 ♖a8xd8 ♕d1-b1+ f6-f5 ♕b1xb7 ♘c7-d5 ♗a3-c5 ♘d5-f6 g3-g4 ♖d8-b8 ♕b7xa6 ♖b8-a8 ♕a6-b6 ♘f6xg4 a4-a5 ♖e8-c8 d4-d5 e6xd5 ♗c5-d4 ♖c8-e8 ♗d4-c3 ♖e8-e3 ♕b6-c5 d5-d4 ♗c3xd4 ♖e3-e4 ♗d4-c3 ♘c6-e5 ♗c3xe5 ♖e4xe5 ♕c5-c7 ♗d7-e8 ♖f1-f3 ♗e8-g6 a5-a6 f5-f4) +4.44/38 128)

score for White +4.44 depth 38.

May-22-21  Refused: Black's king position looks suspect. Something's gonna crash on f7, just a matter of move order.

20.Bh7+!! Kxh7 21.Ng5+

a)22...hxg5 23.Qh5+ Kg8 24.Qxf7+ Kh7 25.hxg5 looks good enough. e.g. 25...Rf8 26.Qh5+ Kg8 28.g6 and lights out.

b)22...Kg8 23.Nxf7 Q somewhere on the 8th 24.Nxh6+ and black just gets mauled here.

May-22-21  Walter Glattke: 20.Ng5 hxg5 21.Qh5 Qf7 (Nf7) 22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Qh8# (Nf7 pinned) B) 20.Ng5 f6 21.Bh7+ Kh8 22.Nf7+ Kxh7 23.Nxd8 Raxd8
May-22-21  Brenin: 20 Bh7+ is not so hard to find. Move order is vital, as <Refused> pointed out: 20 Ng5 first is refuted by 20 ... f5, forcing an embarassing retreat 21 Nf3
May-22-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Dionysius1: Surely this is full of holes.

Black doesn't have to take the bishop, and then where's White's attack, at least for the purposes of a showcased win?

And I think Black CAN take the knight, after which White doesn't have anything better than perpetual check on f7 and h5.

May-22-21  Walter Glattke: White can attack after 20.Ng5 f5,but less effectful with 21.Qh5 Re7 22.Bxe7 Qxe7 23.Nh3 Be8 with one exchange R for N or 21.-hxg5 22.hxg5 Ne7 23.Kf2 for g6 or Rh1 or 21.-Ne7 22.Nf7 Qb8 23.g4 but 20. Bh7+ is of course the better move.
May-22-21  agb2002: White has the bishop pair for a bishop, a knight and a pawn.

The black castle is defenseless. This suggests Ne5, Ng5 and Bh7+.

In the case of 20.Ne5 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Bc6 seems to hold.

In the case of 20.Ng5:

A) 20... hxg5 21.Bh7+ (21.Qh5 f5 22.hxg5 Nd5 23.g6 Nf6) 21... Kxh7 (21... Kh8 22.Qh5 wins) 22.Qh5+ Kg8 23.Qxf7+ (opens the f-file, disabling the defense a5-Nb4) 23... Kh7(8) 24.Qh5+ Kg8 25.hxg5 (threatens g6)

A.1) 25... Nd5 26.g6 Nf6 (26... Qf6 27.Qh7#) 27.Rxf6 and 28.Qh7#.

A.2) 25... Ne7 26.Qf7+ (26.g6 Nxg6 27.Qxg6 looks slower) 26... Kh8 (26... Kh7 27.Kf2 Ng8 28.Rh1+ Nh6 29.Rxh6#) 27.Kf2 Ng8 28.Rh1+ Nh6 29.gxh6 Rf8 30.hxg7#.

B) 20... f6 21.Bh7+ Kh8 22.Nf7+ wins decisive material.

C) 20... f5 21.Nf3 (21.Qh5 transposes to the first subline of A) and White doesn't seem to achieve much.

This last line suggests a change in the move order 20.Bh7+:

A) 20... Kxh7 21.Ng5+

A.1) 21... hxg5 22.Qh5+ transposes to A above.

A.2) 21... Kh8 22.Nxf7+ wins decisive material.

A.3) 21... Kg8 22.Nxf7 Qb8 23.Nxh6+

A.3.a) 23... gxh6 24.Qg4+ Kh8 25.Rf6 Kh7 26.Rf7+ Kh8 27.Qg7#.

A.3.b) 23... Kh8 24.Nf7+ Kg8 25.Qh5 and 26.Qh8#.

A.3.c) 23... Kh7 24.Qh5 wins (24... g6 or 24... gxh6 25.Rf7+).

B) 20... Kh8 21.Ng5 Qb8 22.Nxf7+ Kxh7 23.Qd3+

B.1) 23... Kg8 24.Nxh6+ Kh8 (24... gxh6 25.Qg6+ Kh8 26.Rf7 and mate next) 25.Nf7+ Kg8 26.Ng5 and mate in two.

B.2) 23... g6 24.Ng5+ hxg5 (else 25.Qxg6 wins) 25.Rf7+ Kh6 (else 26.Qxg6 wins) 26.hxg5+ Kxg5 27.Bc1#.

May-22-21  thegoodanarchist: Ragozin's first name sounds like "Via Chess Love".
May-22-21  RandomVisitor: Black's problems started with 16...0-0, where 16...Nb4 was better and avoids the "perfect storm" placement of pieces which makes the game-ending combination possible:

After 16...Nb4


click for larger view

Stockfish_21051710_x64_modern:

39/51 03:32 +0.05 17.Bb1 0-0 18.a4 Nc7 19.Ne5 Qe8 20.Ba3 Ncd5 21.Be4 a5 22.Qb1 Nc3 23.Bxh7+ Kh8 24.Qe1 Kxh7 25.Qxc3 Bxa4 26.Bxb4 axb4 27.Qxb4 Bc6

39/54 03:32 -0.00 17.a4 Nxd3 18.Qxd3 0-0 19.Ne5 Nd6 20.Ba3 Bc6 21.Qd2 Re8 22.Bxd6 Qxd6 23.Rxf7 Rf8 24.Qf4 Be8 25.Rxf8+ Qxf8 26.Qg4 Qd6 27.h4 Bh5

May-22-21  RandomVisitor: 15.Bf4 would have created effective pressure and might be best


click for larger view

Stockfish_21051710_x64_modern:

38/53 07:16 +0.93 15.Bf4 Qe7 16.Rb1 Nb5 17.Rb3 Rc8 18.a4 Ncxd4 19.Nxd4 Nxd4 20.Rxb7 Qc5 21.Be3 Qd5 22.Rb2 Nf5 23.Bb6 Rb8 24.Qb1 0-0 25.a5 Bb5

May-22-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: Waggies atavic Bh7+ huddles advances dankum a garcon quick waggies atavic umbrage its come atavic fertile ground i avow liquor tank tarquin hank happy puzzled its dizzy vow its odd avid blink o hints vest dearie rulz waits cop pjs vest muffle tot add gungho aka aorta avid voc back job iotas atavic coo it harangue cope its atavic within its Bh7+ clutch!!
May-22-21  Walter Glattke: Agb A) Black can stop g6 , but not the h-line-attack 21-.Nd5 22.Kf2 Nce7 23.Rh1 Qb6 24.Bc5 Qb2+ 25.Be2 Nc3 26. Rae1 Bxa4 27.g6 Nxg6 28.Qxg6 Bb5 29.Rh7 Nxe2 30.Qxg7# risk, I accept 20.Bh7+ so far.
May-22-21  RandomVisitor: After 11...Bxg3 white can recapture with either the h or f pawn. Maybe the h-pawn was better:


click for larger view

Stockfish_21051710_x64_modern:

<55/71 1:22:06 +0.40 12.hxg3> Nxe4 13.Qc2 Nf6 14.dxc5 Qc7 15.Rb1 0-0 16.Bg5 Rad8 17.Rfe1 h6 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qe4 Kg7 20.Qg4+ Kh7 21.Qh4 Kg7 22.Nd2 Ne7

55/65 1:22:06 -0.00 12.fxg3 Nxe4 13.Qc2 Nf6 14.Ba3 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Ne7 16.Rad1 0-0 17.Nb3 b5 18.Rxf6 gxf6 19.Bf3 Nd5 20.Bxd5 exd5 21.Rxd5 Qe8 22.Kf2 Bc6

May-22-21  Hercdon: Black, seduced into thinking they can avoid stalemate, falls off the cliff
May-22-21  njchess: I remember this game. It's a variation of the "Greek Gift". No matter what Black does, his king side gets shredded.
May-22-21  Refused: <Dionysius1: Surely this is full of holes. Black doesn't have to take the bishop, and then where's White's attack, at least for the purposes of a showcased win?

And I think Black CAN take the knight, after which White doesn't have anything better than perpetual check on f7 and h5. >

You kinda have to capture.

The only other legal move is 20...Kh8 21.Ng5 and that didn't strike me as survivable.

a) obviously 21...hxg5 is not playable because 22.Qh5 is simply mating with 23.Bg6+ b) if you go 21...f5 22.Nf7+ simply collects big material

c) 21...Rf8 22.Bxf8 is good enough as capturing the rook will drop the queen.

d) queen somewhere either Rxf7 or Qh5 look fine for White. Personally I prefer simply collecting the pawn with 22.Rxf7

May-22-21  RandomVisitor: Black can hold after 16...0-0 if he finds 19...Ne7


click for larger view

Stockfish_21051710_x64_modern:

59/66 7:54:06 +0.12 17.h4 h6 18.a4 Nc7 19.Ba3 <Ne7> 20.g4 Ncd5 21.Qd2 f6 22.g5 Rf7 23.Be4 Rc8 24.Bxe7 Rxe7 25.gxf6 gxf6 26.Bxd5 exd5 27.Qxh6 Qf8

May-23-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Dionysius1: Hi <Refused> 20...Kh8 21. Ng5 f6 22. Nf7+ Kxh7 23. Nxd8 Rexd8 +3.36

I know it's a win for White, but I don't go along with the idea the loser has to take the sacrifices so the game looks good. It's like what I think problemists call cooked.

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