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Vasyl Ivanchuk vs Gata Kamsky
"Saved by the Bell" (game of the day Dec-26-2011)
FIDE Jermuk Grand Prix (2009), Jermuk ARM, rd 6, Aug-15
Gruenfeld Defense: Exchange Variation (D85)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
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Dec-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eggman: "Saved By The Bell" is a most appropriate title for Boxing Day, n'est pas?
Dec-26-11  Billy Vaughan: Haha bien sûr ! I think this pun was mine, but it doesn't appear anymore on my submission list and I don't remember clearly. Anyways I'm a fan of endgame defenses and this one is clever especially at the bell :)
Dec-26-11  SatelliteDan: I think Chuck is like some kind of Guiness, savant at times.
Dec-26-11  Magic Castle: <zanshin: It looks like Kamsky missed a win on move 61> Yeah but I see a different continuation after 61..Bg3. 62. fg3. Here is my continuation: 62..Qe1+ 63. Bf1.. Qg3 64. Kh1..Qf2 threatening the bishop and the pawn push to g3 whereupon mate or easy win could not be avoided after a few moves.
Dec-26-11  7Heaven: The dub title means because of time control?
Dec-26-11  Magic Castle: <7Heaven: The dub title means because of time control?> No. Its the 50 moves rule which means, if no piece was captured after 50 moves, the game is a draw.
Dec-26-11  rogl: To make things clear. The 50 moves rule says that a player can claim a draw if no piece has been captured or no pawn has been moved in 50 moves.
Dec-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: "Saved by the bell" comes from boxing where if the referee is counting a boxer who is down out, if the bell (for the end of the round) goes he has another chance) and might even win if he "revives or whatever.

So now it means "saved a the last minute" or something such as that.

Clearly Ivanchuk's whole strategy was to survive for 50 moves after the last capture and with no pawn moves.

Dec-26-11  Ghu: I dont understand why black wont play 11...Nc2
12. Qc5 Nxa1
13. Bxc7 Nd7
14. Bb5 Qc8 and castles next move.

This doesnt seem like white has what he needs for the rook.

Dec-26-11  erniecohen: Black missed a win with 105...♕h4 106. ♗d1+ ♔c1 107. ♖d3 ♕h1+ 108. ♔e2 ♕e1+ 109. ♔f3 ♗d2 110. ♗b3 ♕f1 111. ♖d4 ♗e1 112. ♖d1+ ♔b2 and Black gets his capture just in time.

After 105...♕h6, white could have drawn without resorting to the 50-move rule, with 106. ♗d1+ ♔c1 107. ♗g4 ♕h1+ 108. ♔e2 ♕e4 109. ♖d1+ ♔c2 110. ♖g1

Black's last chance was 110...♗e5 111. ♔g2 ♕g5+ 112. ♔h3 ♕f6 113. f4 ♔xe3 (just in time again!) 114. f4xe5 ♕f3+.

Dec-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Looks like a blunder to me, but the 50 move rule saves the day for Ivanchuk.
Dec-26-11  MyDogPlaysChess: Thanks to (engineerX), I have never seen the chessintranslation.com and I love reading players interviews. They are often very instructive and bring chess down from the Olumpus myths into the a more "real"/human perspective. So, thank you.

I can't see myself having the nerves or stamina to play a game like this. I compare them with a 8 hours tennis match, but the brain drain is pure torment...

Thanks to (sfm) and (capablancakarpov) for explaining the 50 move rules (I never care about it since I never plan on playing a game that long - I settled for a draw or defeat.) But it's good to understand the GM's who do face it the scenarios.

Dec-26-11  MyDogPlaysChess: To (Richard Taylor), as a former boxing fan, your definition is quite correct but I want to point out the irony of the term. "Saved by the bell" most often lead to one or more rounds of punishment and even, brain damage. In extreme cases, several of the deaths on the ring have followed "saved by the bell" knockdowns. I wish that referees call for a medical review more often after many of these ingredients. The 1 minute "rest" often allows a boxer to continue beyond his physical possibilities. Specially after sniffing ammonia. Greetings.
Dec-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: <rogl> The way I understand it, the conditions must not have changed during the fifty moves. Thus, if at first one side could take en passant and later it couldn't, then 51 moves are required. Same consideration goes for the castling prerogative, but then the counting to 50 begins again the moment the prerogative is lost.
Dec-26-11  Dymdez: No, no.. I dont think saved by the bell comes from boxing at all actually.

As I remember it, it comes from around 700 years ago during the Black Plague. If you were rich enough you could be buried with a string that you could pull if you were buried alive. The bell aboveground would signal the gravewatcher (which is where that job comes from) to unearth you, and save you. Hence, saved by the bell.

Dec-26-11  Billy Vaughan: This might help: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/...
Dec-26-11  Whitehat1963: <Ghu: I dont understand why black wont play 11...Nc2 12. Qc5 Nxa1
13. Bxc7 Nd7
14. Bb5 Qc8 and castles next move.

This doesnt seem like white has what he needs for the rook.>

My thought exactly.

Dec-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: This guy Vassily never ceases to amaze.
Dec-26-11  bischopper: who was looking for the draw in this game? uh!
Dec-27-11  7Heaven: I know about the 50-moves rule,thanks though!!:)
Dec-27-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: <MyDogPlaysChess: To (Richard Taylor), as a former boxing fan, your definition is quite correct but I want to point out the irony of the term. "Saved by the bell" most often lead to one or more rounds of punishment and even, brain damage. In extreme cases, several of the deaths on the ring have followed "saved by the bell" knockdowns. I wish that referees call for a medical review more often after many of these ingredients. The 1 minute "rest" often allows a boxer to continue beyond his physical possibilities. Specially after sniffing ammonia. Greetings.>

Yes, although even from NZ I used to admire Mohammad Ali I have to say boxing is brutal. My father was in a light weight (may have been bantam) division in Britain before the war and accidentally killed another young man. He was the British amateur champion. He only came on to a light jab.

Yes "saved by the bell" is already oxymoronic and a sad expression. If they can carry on they are liable to more damage and even death. Can boxing be made more safer some how - after all fencers are rarely injured as they are well protected. I feel that it is ultimately barbaric. Possibly we (we humans) should look to radically changing such a sport or banning it.

But we also need to stop wars!

Dec-27-11  kevin86: Here is a case where the letter of the law trumps the spirit of the law;However,I think that the final move was a whim on paper-an even bigger one would be to allow a mate in one by let's say:Rg4.

since white claimed the draw beforehand-as is required-any written move would have done

Dec-27-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: <kevin86>, I am not that sure about what should the spirit of the law be. White missed several winning opportunities during the 50 moves. There is always a bus to catch. Plus, some guys don't know the endings and it can become boring as hell. Plus, some guys (it has happened to me) just play on for the heck of it.
Mar-28-17  PhilFeeley: Help me out: I thought the 50-move rule was no captures or checks for 50 moves, but there were lots of checks in that span, so why is this a draw?
Mar-28-17  SimonWebbsTiger: @<PhilFeeley>

The definition is:

<The fifty-move rule in chess states that a player can claim a draw if no capture has been made and no pawn has been moved in the last fifty moves (for this purpose a "move" consists of a player completing their turn followed by the opponent completing their turn).>

Checks are immaterial.

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