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Boris Spassky vs Ratmir Kholmov
7th Soviet Team Cup Final-A (1971), Rostov-on-Don URS, rd 5, Aug-10
Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation (C41)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 42 times; par: 43 [what's this?]

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sac: 20.Qxh6 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
Nov-01-07  Whitehat1963: Brilliant combination. Should definitely become a puzzle. I can't believe no one has talked about this one!
Nov-01-07  Riverbeast: Wow, this is some game.

The interesting thing is, white's threatening 20. Qh6 anyway.

Nov-01-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: A big thankyou to who ever uploaded this game. I've been looking for it a while and couldn't find it anywhere. It certainly deserves to be more widely known.

:)

Jan-29-08  hedgeh0g: Wow...a stunning combination by Spassky. Move 20 is certainly puzzle-worthy. Spassky's knight was hopping all over the board!
Jul-10-08  frank124c: Move 25. c7 is an excellent and puzzle worthy move. This is a subtle move since it doesn't capture nor give check. It does threaten to Queen the Pawn. If Black plays 25. ... Qxc7 white plays 26. Nf6+ followed by Nd5 and then NxQ. If Black plays 25. ... Rxe8 White can check the king and fork the Rook and still promote the pawn next move! c7 was a velly interesting move indeed!
Jul-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  ToTheDeath: What a vicious beating- and fireworks galore.
Jul-11-08  ughaibu: Is 13....Bf8 any use?
Jul-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  ToTheDeath: Well the e4 pawn is defended. White could reply 14 a4 or perhaps 14 g4 and 15 Ng3.

15...Nd8 is far too passive, e5 was a a better square. After Nd8 it was necessary to play Nb7-c5 to reactivate it-- Black's subsequent play was asking for a slaughter.

Jul-11-08  Hesam7: Is there an alternative to 19...h6 ?
Jul-11-08  Eyal: <Hesam7: Is there an alternative to 19...h6?>

White threatens Qg5 and the only other way to try and stop it seems 19...f6. However, this also loses to 20.Nxg7! Bxg7 21.Re7, e.g. 21...Nf7 22.Rxd7; 21...Bf8 22.Bxf6 (22.Rxd7? Qc8) Bf5 23.Qg5+ Bg6 24.Re8; 21...Qb7 22.Rxg7+! Kxg7 23.Qg5+ Kf8 24.Qxf6+ Nf7 25.Qg7+ Ke8 26.Bf6 Bf5 27.Qg8+ Kd7 28.Qxf7+ Kc8 29.Qe8+ Kc7 30.Qe7+ Bd7 31.Qxh7.

Jul-11-08  tomfoolery: If black wants to avoid immediate demise 19...Kh8 looks in order, I'm analyzing without a chess computer and thus may miss some fairly obvious tactics, but white seems to be hard pressed to find anything other than 20. Qh6 f6 21. Bxf6 Nf7. 22. Qf4 loses a piece because there isn't a mate on g7. However the whole line seems horribly suspect because black's pieces are pretty horrible. White surely is winning positionally at some point or through gradual exploitation of blacks swiss cheese holes. And Kholmov was a grandmaster, so my comment doesn't exactly help.
Jul-11-08  Eyal: <[After 19...Kh8] white seems to be hard pressed to find anything other than 20. Qh6 f6 21. Bxf6 Nf7. 22. Qf4 loses a piece because there isn't a mate on g7.>

Of course there is - 22.Bxg7+ Bxg7 (22...Kg8 23.Nf6#) 23.Qxg7#

Oct-18-10  jerseybob: Spassky at his peak, pre-Reykjavik, was a scary attacking player.
Nov-16-10  sevenseaman: Its a wonderful game with a super combination, great advert for Boris' outstanding talent.
Nov-16-10  Tigranny: Nice game by Spassky.
Nov-16-10  woodthrush: Tres picturesque after 19 moves! Black's Q and R playing croquet on the lawn in a self-made box of pawns and pieces, while White's hordes are poised to rumble on open lines, a massive, almost scary imbalance of force.
Mar-07-14  karik: The score is somewhat faulty. It says 21.Nxf6 instead of the correct Nf6.

Sadly, the browser says "Error on ply 21.Nxf6" and refuses to continue. And I newer know how the game ends.

Mar-07-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <karik: ...The browser says "Error on ply 21.Nxf6" and refuses to continue. And I newer know how the game ends...>

Ruth returns to George. Mary appears in <Westchester Furioso> and is a success. The ducks return to Zabriskie Point. There is a gunfight at the O'Hallorans.

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