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Vladimir Simagin vs Bibikov
Spartak Championship (1944), USSR
French Defense: Chigorin Variation (C00)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Aug-26-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: A real brilliancy, right from the start. I like the way white gave up his c-, a- & b-pawns in three consecutive moves - but I had no idea how Simagin was intending to win. It is fascinating how he actually does it, in magician-like style. At move 17 he seems to have nothing. There's probably a good Saturday puzzle in here somewhere.
Oct-26-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: Wow! The lack of reader comments made FTB wonder, but <offramp> isn't teasing us. This IS a real brilliancy miniature by Simagin!
Jun-27-23  jrredfield: 22 Rxe7 Rxe7 23 Bxf6+ Kf8 (Kxf6 24 Qg5+ Kg7 25 Qxe7+ Kh6 26 Bxb3 and mate in a few moves) 24 Qh6+ Ke8 25 Bxe7 Kxe7 and mate should be within the horizon. Seems about Tuesday POTD, a good puzzle!
Jun-27-23  jrredfield: While already in trouble, Black's 18th move (f6) made things worse in a hurry. 18 ... Ne5 is better.
Jun-27-23  Brenin: 22 Rxe7+ Rxe7 23 Bxf6+ Kxf6 24 Qg5+ Kg7 25 Qxe7+ Kh6 (or Kh6 26 Qf6 mate) 26 Bxb3 and White is a Q ahead.
Jun-27-23  Brenin: 18 ... Ne5 19 Qxe5 f6 20 Qh5 g6 21 Qh6 Qf5 keeps Black alive (just about).
Jun-27-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Bit more complex than standard Tuesday fare, as White needs to come up with something forcing:

22.Rxe7+ Rxe7 23.Bxf6+ Kxf6 24.Qg5+ brings it home on material for a start.

Jun-27-23  Mayankk: I first saw 22 Rxe7+ Rxe7 23 Bxf6+ Kxf6 24 Qg5+ Kg7 25 Qxe7+ Kh6/Kh8 26 Qxd7 with White a Bishop ahead.

I then noticed that the two Queens were en prise since the puzzle began. So White can go even better by the simple 26 Bxd3 or even 25 Bxd3, in all cases White's material superiority is overwhelming.

Jun-27-23  Mayankk: At the move 18 e6, White had already sacrificed a Knight plus pawn. I was wondering what if Black tries to hold on to its material gains via 18 ... Nf6 instead of returning the knight via 18 ... f6 (an offer which White didn't take anyway).

18 ... Nf6 19 exf7+ Kxf7 20 Bxf6 and it seems that White will get to fork the Black Royal pair at some point on the light a2 - g8 diagonal.

Jun-27-23  King.Arthur.Brazil: The direct line is: 22. Rxe7+ ( Kf8 23. Rf7+ Kg8 24. Qxh7#) Rxe7 23. Bxf6+ (Kf8 24. Qh6+ Rg7 25. Qxg7+ Ke8 26. Qe7#) Kxf6 24. Qg5+ Kg7 25. Qxe7+ (Kh8 26. Qf6#) Kh6 26. Bxb3 capture the enemy's ♕, I love it guys.
Jun-27-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  takebackok: Whole game feels like prep! Puzzle moves just play them self.
Jun-27-23  raymondhow: After the first move I wanted to play 23.Qg5, completely blanking out on 23.Bxf6+ which looks pretty obvious now. My move eventually wins too, but it's not so simple. I probably deserve only half credit.
Jun-27-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: Easy once you realize it's a material grab, not a mate.
Jun-27-23  agb2002: White is one pawn down.

Black threatens gxh5.

White can win decisive material if it were possible to save the queen with tempo (a check). This suggests 22.Rxe7+:

A) 22... Rxe7 23.Bxf6+

A.1) 23... Kxf6 24.Qg5+ Kg7 25.Qxe7+ Kh6 (25... Kh8 26.Qf6#) 26.Bxb3 wins.

A.2) 23... Kf8 24.Qh6+ Ke8 25.Bxe7 Kxe7 (25... Qxd5 26.Qf8#) 26.Qxh7+ and 27.Bxb3 wins.

B) 22... Kh8 23.Bxf6# (or 23.Qxh7#).

C) 22... Kf8 23.Rf7+ Kg8 24.Qxh7#.

Jun-27-23  mel gibson: It took me longer than it should to decide on the Rook sac. There was a lot in play including a Queen swap.

Stockfish 15 says:

22. Rxe7+

(22. Rxe7+ (Re1xe7+ Re8xe7 Bd4xf6+ Kg7-f8
Bf6xe7+ Kf8xe7 Qh5-e5+ Ke7-d8 Bd5xb3 Ra8-c8 Bb3-d5 Rc8-c5 Qe5-b8+ Bd7-c8 Qb8-d6+ Bc8-d7 Qd6-b6+ Kd8-e7 Rf1-e1+ Bd7-e6 Qb6xe6+ Ke7-d8 Qe6-d6+ Kd8-c8 Bd5-e6+) +M13/72 30)

White wins _ mate in 13.

When Black resigns it's mate in 11:

23. Bxf6+ Kf8

(Kg7-f8 Bf6xe7+ Kf8xe7
Qh5-e5+ Ke7-d8 Bd5xb3 Ra8-c8 Rf1-e1 Rc8-c6 Bb3-d5 Rc6-b6 Qe5-b8+ Bd7-c8 Bd5-e6 Rb6xe6 Re1xe6 g6-g5 Re6-f6 g5xh4 Qb8-d6+ Bc8-d7 Rf6-f8+) -M11/71 31

Jun-27-23  saturn2: Wellknown motif of the diagonal mate by the Qe5 and Bd5. Black can avoid it at the cost of material loss.
Jun-27-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: I got it.
Jun-27-23  TheaN: We have a weird situation where both queens are en prise and this won't resolve itself without at least one falling. White can force their hand with <22.Rxe7+ Rxe7 (Kg8/h8 23.Qxh7+/# +-;Kf8 23.Rf7+ #1) 23.Bxf6+ Kf8 (Kxf6 24.Qg5+ Kg7 25.Qxe7+ +-) 24.Bxe7+ Kxe7 25.Qe5+ +-> and the result is that the White queen is in the clear and Black's falls.
Jun-27-23  Brenin: <Mayankk>: 18 ... Nf6 is better than the move f6 played, but I think it still loses: 19 exf7+ Kxf7 20 Bxf6 gxf6 (not 20 ... Bxf6 21 Qxe8 mate) 21 Qh5+ Kf8 22 Bxd5, and the threat of mate on f7 forces 22 ... Qxd5 23 Qxd5. (In fact, 22 Re3 first is even stronger, freeing the R on f1 from Black's Bh3.) Black's only hope after 18 e6 is Ne5 19 Qxe5 f6 20 Qh5 g6, with a passive but tenable position.
Jun-27-23  Mayankk: Hi <Brenin>, thanks for the lines.

Yes that's what I wrote in the second paragraph of my post as well.

<18 ... Nf6 19 exf7+ Kxf7 20 Bxf6 and it seems that White will get to fork the Black Royal pair at some point on the light a2 - g8 diagonal>

Bxd5 is a deadly threat and seems to be the main point of 17 Nxd5 and 18 e6 - clearing the a2 - g8 diagonal for royal fork tactics.

Jun-27-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: I quids it is whiff bark op munch it is v jacky it is Rxe7+ arrive it is grog gift ace it is me it is ho Rxe7+ go!
Jun-27-23  johnnydeep: Easier for me than Monday.

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