| Jan-30-09 | | zealouspawn: move ..26 is a thematic pawn sacrifice. Look at the board before that move, even material, black bishop against white knight and the bishop is bad (by definition) with all 7 pawns on dark squares. After the pawn push, the bishop's control along the diagonal is strong. |
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| Jan-30-09 | | euripides: This is a very thematic game in the Gligoric variation (7.Be3). Wang seems to be aiming for a knight vs. bad bishop ending, but Radjabov's pawn sacrifice 26...e4 liberates the bishop and it's always difficult for White thereafter. |
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| Jan-30-09 | | percyblakeney: Wang Yue lost in all one single game with white in the two previous years, but this month he has lost three. Not easy to get used to playing this kind of opposition on a more regular basis though. |
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Jan-30-09
 | | Eyal: <Wang seems to be aiming for a knight vs. bad bishop ending, but Radjabov's pawn sacrifice 26...e4 liberates the bishop and it's always difficult for White thereafter.> Yeah, 26...e4 was a key move, though until 40.f4? - after which White's position quickly deteriorates - it may have been good enough for not much more than holding the balance, e.g. after 40.Re2(!) Bf6+ 41.Kh3 h4 42.Ne4. Not the first time in this tournament that a serious mistake is made just at the move reaching the time control. |
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| Jan-30-09 | | messachess: Great game by Radjabov, very skilfully done. |
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| Jan-30-09 | | notyetagm: 26 ... ?
click for larger view26 ... e5-e4! <clearance: a1-h8>
click for larger view26 ♘g3xe4 ♗g7-d4+
click for larger view<zealouspawn: move ..26 is a thematic pawn sacrifice. Look at the board before that move, even material, black bishop against white knight and the bishop is bad (by definition) with all 7 pawns on dark squares. After the pawn push, the bishop's control along the diagonal is strong.> Great description of Radjabov's excellent <PAWN SACRIFICE> to free the King's Indian bishop. |
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| Jan-30-09 | | sharkw: 26...e4 was pretty much forced for any experienced KID player - if White was allowed to blockade on e4, he would have a slight but unpleasant advantage since Black wouldn't have any useful plans while White could build up slowly. While Black has pretty close to full compensation after 26...e4, I disagree that White's position was difficult after taking the pawn. If anything, White was still playing for a win notwithstanding Black's strong bishop. For example, after 34...Ra3, White could simply defend the b3 pawn with 35. Rd3 when he's certainly no worse. However, he decided to play on, not without reason. After move 38, it's hard to suggest how either side could make progress with careful play. 39. Ng3 didn't achieve anything after 39...h5 since the pawn is immune, but 40. f4?? looks to be a blunder which simply loses after the forcing line in the game. |
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| Jan-30-09 | | KingG: I'm guessing that Wang Yue had to have seen the pawn sacrifice, so I'm a bit surprised he didn't go for the immediate 25.Ne4 instead. Maybe Black has some vague attacking chances with ...g4, but White should objectively be better. Or perhaps he was happy to go into this endgame? He is very strong in that department after all. |
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| Jan-30-09 | | muradov: Ladies and gents, mark down another KID win for Radja! :) |
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| Jan-30-09 | | talisman: glad radj won, especially after the table debacle. |
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| Jan-31-09 | | M.D. Wilson: 26.e4 was essential to get some life into black's position. An excellent win by Radja. |
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| May-17-09 | | ToTheDeath: I know he gets credit for reviving the KID at the top level, but most of his victories have less to do with the opening and more to do with his fighting qualities as a player. |
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| May-18-09 | | blacksburg: <but most of his victories have less to do with the opening and more to do with his fighting qualities as a player.> this is certainly the case. i've been watching <Ubiyca> on ICC, and he almost always gets a garbage position out of the opening, and he almost always wins anyways. he's currently #1 in 5-minute chess despite the fact that it seems like he doesn't even look at the board until move 15. |
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Kibitzing
