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Alexey Shirov vs Samuel Sevian
Hasselbacken Open (2016), Stockholm SWE, rd 5, May-04
Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation (C45)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-05-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Sam I Am.
Apr-05-17  SpiritedReposte: I bet even the computers would take a second to analyze this one. What a final hammer in <46. ...Be4+!>
Apr-05-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  saffuna: Chess is dying from these dry positional games. It's all played out.
Apr-05-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: Sammy did a fine job of mixing it up with the master of tactics.
Jan-14-18  Steve.Patzer: Wow, awesome young player
Jan-14-18  mel gibson: Good game.

Stockfish 8 says:

26. Nd5 Rxb2
(26. .. Rxb2 (♖b8xb2 ♔c1xb2 ♖h8-b8+ ♗c4-b3 ♗d6-e5+ ♘d5-c3 ♔f7-e8 ♗h6-e3 a7-a5 ♗e3-a7 ♘e6-f4 ♕h3-f3 ♘f4-e2 ♕f3-c6+ ♔e8-f8 ♖d1-d7 ♗e5xc3+ ♕c6xc3 ♖b8xb3+ a2xb3 ♕e7xd7 ♕c3xf6+ ♗g6-f7 ♕f6-g5 ♕d7-e6 ♕g5-d8+ ♔f8-g7 ♕d8-g5+ ♗f7-g6 ♗a7-c5 h7-h6 ♕g5-e7+ ♕e6xe7 ♗c5xe7 ♘e2-f4 ♗e7-h4 ♘f4-e6 f2-f4 ♘e6xf4 ♗h4-g3 ♘f4-d5 ♗g3-e1 h6-h5 ♗e1xa5 ♔g7-f6 ♗a5-d2 ♔f6-f5 ♗d2-h6 h5-h4 ♔b2-a3 ♗g6-f7 ♗h6-d2 ♔f5-g4 ♔a3-a4 ♘d5-f6 ♗d2-a5 c7-c5 b3-b4 c5xb4 ♔a4xb4 ♘f6-e4 ♗a5-d8) +3.04/37 165)

score for Black +3.04 depth 37.

However the text only follows Stockfish for 5 plies.

The game then plays even - a draw - till move 37

37. ... Nd3+

(37. .. Nd3+ (♘c5-d3+ ♔b2-b1 ♘d3-f2+ ♔b1-b2
♘f2-d1+ ♔b2xb3 ♕d6-d5+ ♔b3-b4 ♘d1xe3 ♗h6xe3 a7-a6 ♘b5-d4 a6-a5+ ♔b4-a3 ♕d5-e4 ♘d4-b3 ♕e4xe3 ♔a3-b2 ♔f7xf6 ♘b3xa5 ♕e3-d3 h2-h4 ♗g6-f7 ♔b2-c1 ♕d3-c3+ ♔c1-b1 ♕c3-d2 ♘a5-c4 ♗f7xc4 h4-h5 ♗c4-d3+ ♔b1-a1 ♕d2-c1+ ♔a1-a2 ♗d3-c4+) +M18/42 42)

black wins - mate in 18

Jan-14-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: What was wrong with 23. Bc4+ Ne6 24. Qg4+ Kf7 (24...Bg6 25. Bxe6+) 25. Qg7+ Ke8 26. Qxh8+ Nf8 (26...Kd7 27. Qxb8) 27. Qxf8+ Qxf8 28. Bxf8 Bxf8 29. Nxe4 ? White is a piece up.
Jan-14-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <al wazir>
23. Bc4+ <Bd5+> returns check for check.
Jan-14-18  mel gibson: <al wazir: What was wrong with 23. Bc4+>

Because when Black moves the bishop White is in check:

Stockfish 8

(23. Bc4+ Bd5+ (♗e4-d5+
♔e1-d2 ♖b8xb2+ ♔d2-c1 ♗d5xc4 ♔c1xb2 ♘c5-e4 ♖a1-e1 ♗d6-e5 ♕h5-g4+ ♔g8-f7 ♕g4-g7+ ♔f7-e6 ♕g7xe7+ ♔e6xe7 ♖e1xe4 ♗c4-e6 f2-f4 ♖h8-b8+ ♔b2-c2 ♗e5xc3 ♔c2xc3 ♖b8-b5 ♖e4-e2 ♖b5-f5 ♖e2-g2 ♖f5-c5+ ♔c3-d2 ♖c5-h5 ♖g2-g7+ ♔e7-d6 ♖g7xh7 ♖h5xh2+ ♔d2-c3 ♖h2-h3+ ♔c3-b2 ♔d6-d5 ♖h7-h8 ♖h3-h2+ ♔b2-c3 ♖h2xa2 ♗h6-g7 f6-f5 ♖h8-d8+ ♔d5-e4 ♖d8-e8 ♖a2-a6 ♗g7-e5 c7-c5 ♖e8-e7 ♖a6-a3+ ♔c3-b2 ♖a3-a2+ ♔b2-c3 ♔e4-d5 ♔c3-b3 ♖a2-a6 ♔b3-b2 ♔d5-c4 ♔b2-c2 ♖a6-a2+ ♔c2-b1) +1.18/31 51)

score for Black +1.18 depth 31

Jan-14-18  theo77: smart kid
Jan-14-18  yadasampati: Intuition did it again! It took me about 15 seconds to see 26. ... Rxb2 This will be a perfect Sunday :-)
Jan-14-18  ChessHigherCat: The first move must be Rxb2.I meant if black plays Nxe7, Rxc2+ Kb1 with a kamikaze holy wind-mill that at least wins back the Queen. So Rxb2 Bd3 Nf4 Bxf4 Bxf4+ with another windmill! My first Sunday, unless I've missed something as always.

I also considered Rxb2 Kxb2 Rb8+ but I missed Bb3.

Of course I missed something and don't even give myself a fraction of a point for seeing the first move but on the other the hand I only spent 5 minutes on it and got to see an interesting combination so I'm happy.

Jan-14-18  Everett: I thought it was white to play, and analyzed, from the given position 1.Nxc7 Bxc7 2.Bxd6 Qxd6 3.Rd7+ which looks promising
Jan-14-18  schachfuchs: Hm, 27.Nxe7 Rc2+ 28.Kb1 R anywhere+ 29.Nxg6 is not a real "holy wind-mill". So, is my variation 28...Rxc4+ 29.Nxg6 Rb8+ 30.Ka1 hxg6 threatening 31...Be5+ correct, or is there any better?
Jan-14-18  TheMacMan: 37. Nb5?? LOSING move! Qe7+ draws the game I expected to see qe7+ when going through the game it kills all of blacks momentum thus this puzzle leads to a draw
Jan-14-18  patzer2: Since Black is up a whole Rook and it's a Sunday puzzle (26...?), I figured the first move had to be the demolition of pawn structure sham sacrifice 26...Rxb2!! 27. Kxb2 (not 27. Nxd7? Rd2+ -+) Rb8+.

At a glance, White's position doesn't look so terribly bad after 27...Rb8+ 28. Nc3 (not 28. Kc1? Qc5+ -+) Bb5+ 29. Nc3:


click for larger view

Indeed, in the diagram above (after 29. Nc3), Black has a difficult decision to make in finding the only winning (29...?) move.

In the game, Black picks the wrong move with 29...c5? which allows White to equalize after 30. f4 c4 31.fxe5 cxb3 32.a4 = (0.00 @ 35 ply, Stockfish 8).

Instead, Black missed the win with 29...Ke8! when play might continue 30.Be3 (not 30. Qxe6?? Qxe6 -+) 30...a5 31.Rd5 (31.Ba7 Nf4 32.Qf3 Ne2! 33.Qc6+ Kf8 34.Rd7 Rxb3+ 35.axb3 Bxc3+ 36.Qxc3 Qxd7 37.Qxf6+ Ke8 38.Qe5+ Qe7 39.Qxe7+ Kxe7 -+) 31...a4 32.Rxe5 fxe5 33.Nd5 Qd6 34.Qxe6+ Qxe6 35.Nxc7+ Ke7 36.Nxe6 axb3 37.Ng5 bxa2+ 38.Kxa2 Rb1 -+ (-4.05 @ 30 ply, Stockfish 8).

Jan-14-18  agb2002: Bkack has an extra rook.

White threatens Nxe7.

The airy position of the white king leads to consider 26... Rxb2:

A) 27.Nxe7 Rc2+ 28.Kb1 Rb8+ (28... Rc3+ 29.Nxg6 Rxh3 30.Nxh8+ unclear)

A.1) 29.Ka1 Be5+ and mate in two.

A.2) 29.Bb3 Rc3+ 30.Nxg6 Rxh3 - + [r+p vs B] and the double threat hxg6 and Rxh6 (31.Nf4 Bxf4).

A.3) 29.Qb3 Rxc4+ (29... Rxb3+ 30.Bxb3 Rd2+ 31.Nxg6 Rxd1+ 32.Bxd1 hxg6 - /+ [n+p vs B]) 30.

B) 27.Kxb2 Be5+

B.1) 28.Nc3 Qb4+ 29.Bb3 (else 29... Qxc3+ mates or wins decisive material) 29... Qxc3+ 30.Qxc3 Bxc3+ 31.Kxc3 Kd7 32.Re1 Bf7 and Black ends up a pawn ahead.

B.2) 28.Kc1 Qc5 followed by Rb8 seems to give Black sufficient counterchances and an extra pawn.

Jan-14-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Jimfromprovidence: According to the computer annotation, 29...Ke8, below, apparently is the only winning move. It seems that after either 29...c5 or 29...a5 30 f4 kills the attack.


click for larger view

So I guess 29...Ke8 unpins the knight and prevents 30 f4.

I never would have seen this move in a million years.

Jan-14-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Morning: Just when congratulating myself for solving a Sunday, discovered that I already knew the game. Oh, well. 6/6 for the week.
Jan-14-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: I saw the attacking idea with Rxb2. It looked winning. Calculated a few variations and decided I would be very tempted to go for it in a real game.
Jan-14-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: Two very strong players have a wild game for sure. Shirov went on the attack, sacrificed a R, Sevian defended then counter attacked with a counter rook sac...
Jan-14-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: Was Chris Owen born with a copy of Finnegan's Wake in his mouth?
Jan-14-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: I just realised Black was a rook up in any case! I wondered a bit if after Rxb2 white might have Qxe3+ but without calculating much it looked dubious. Having said I would play Rxb2, even if that was a sacrifice, knowing how I play, I would probably lose my way in the complications. Sevian seems to be a kind of prodigy and found his way through the morass of complications...
Jan-15-18  mel gibson: <Jan-14-18
Premium Chessgames Member Richard Taylor: Was Chris Owen born with a copy of Finnegan's Wake in his mouth?>

I have him on ignore -
I don't know why he's allowed to post here?

Jan-04-23  Messiah: Bum is a really good player!
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