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Emmanuel Schiffers vs Mikhail Chigorin
Chigorin - Schiffers Second Match (1878), St. Petersburg RUE, rd 10, May-09
King's Gambit: Accepted. Muzio Gambit Sarratt Defense (C37)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Nov-02-10  Jim Bartle: I like the way white's 32. Rc2 both stops a back-rank mate and creates the threat of one itself.
Jan-08-11  Calar: Last few moves are all about mutual back row mate threats and parrying them. Very nice game
Jan-08-11  capanegra: Though it was an interesting middle game, Chigorin spoiled at the end (as sadly he had done many other times). 29…Nxd3?? was awful. After 29…Qxf7 30.Rxf7 Rxd3 Black was still in the game, with a piece up in exchange of two Pawns.

24…Nf4? was another bad move. I believe Black should win after 24…Rhf8 25.Qc3+ Qc6 26.Qb3 Rxf7 27.Rxf7 Nf4 28.Rg7 Rxd3 29.Rg8+ Rd8 30.Rxd8+ Kxd8 31.Qg8+ Kc7 32.Qxh7+ Qd7 33.Qxd7+ Kxd7.

Jan-13-11  capanegra: When he played 29…Nxd3?? Chigorin evidently thought that 31…Qe6 was a deflecting winning move. What he didn't see is the counter-deflecting 32.Rc2! and game over.
Apr-14-14  thomastonk: The end of this game has deserved some attention.

The position after 31.♕f5 appears in a book by Neistadt on queen's sacs, which is currently my bedside book. Usually I study one or two examples and then I fall into a deep sleep. But this example didn't work well.


click for larger view

I saw that Neistadt mentions Chigorin's move 31.. ♕e6. Well, that looks quite spectacular, and my first idea for a reply was 32.♖h8. This is a good move and it wins, too, but Schiffer's 32.♖c2!! is much better and much more spectacular!

But has anybody observed so far, that these are the only two winning moves? There is in particular one 'normal' move, which has a fantastic/beautiful refutation: 32.♖h5 ♖f7!!.


click for larger view

White is lost!

+++

Back to the original position. I think Chigorin's idea can be improved by 31.. e4!!:


click for larger view

Here it is already difficult to find a move for White! And indeed 32.♖h5! is the only move that saves the game, which is now about equal, and still very interesting.

Have fun!

Sep-30-14  bengalcat47: Thomastonk, what is the title of this book on Queen sacrifices?
Nov-28-14  Knight13: So, you think Black could've done better with 22... Rf8?? No, because of 23. Qxg6+.

Also, a shout out to 13. d6!

Dec-05-19  Straclonoor: 16.Bh6 - weak move. Other two black color white bishop's move goes to win faster.

Analysis by Stockfish 051119 64 POPCNT:

1. +- (9.95): 16.Bg5 Qc6 17.Nf6+ Bxf6 18.Rxf6 Qxd6 19.Raf1 Nc6 20.Rxd6 cxd6 21.Qg4 Nge7 22.Qe6 Rd8 23.Rf7 Rd7 24.Bf6 Rg8 25.Rxe7+ Nxe7 26.Bxe7 Rxe7 27.Qxg8+ Kd7 28.Qb8 h6 29.Qxb7+ Ke6 30.Qc8+ Rd7 31.g3 Ke7 32.Kg2 h5 33.Qc6 Kd8 34.Qa8+ Ke7 35.Qc8 h4 36.gxh4 Rd8 37.Qb7+ Rd7 38.Qd5 Kd8 39.Qa8+ Ke7 40.b4 Kf6 41.Qd5

2. +- (8.76): 16.Be3 Qxe3 17.Qg4 Nc6 18.Qe6+ Nce7 19.Qf7+ Kd7 20.dxe7 Rae8 21.Qd5+ Kc8 22.Nc5 Qxc5 23.Qxc5 b6 24.Qd5 e4 25.Rf7 Bxb2 26.Raf1 exd3 27.Rf8 Nxf8 28.Rxf8 Rexf8 29.exf8Q+ Rxf8 30.Qa8+ Kd7 31.Qxf8 dxc2 32.Qf5+ Kd8 33.Qxc2 Be5 34.Qxh7 a5 35.Qf5 Bd6 36.g3 Ke7 37.Kg2 Bc5 38.h4 Bd6 39.h5 Bb4

Dec-05-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  NM JRousselle: When playing over the game, I wondered how the great Chigorin missed 24 ... Kb8.
Dec-05-19  spingo: <Jim Bartle: I like the way white's 32. Rc2 both stops a back-rank mate and creates the threat of one itself.>

Such a great comment.
For me, 32.Rc2 is not an easy move to see. It was also, I suppose, missed by Chigorin.

Dec-05-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: The trapper trapped, amidst some lovely cut-and-thrust tactics which are worthy of Chigorin himself.

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