Mar-06-23 Rellstab vs Alekhine, 1942 
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scutigera: As confirmed by William Winter (Chess Notes 8215), this is the game that inspired Reuben Fine to write, "In such positions combinations are as natural as a baby's smile." I've read that expression often enough to propose "The Baby Smiles" as this game's title. |
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Feb-20-23 N Abdusattorov vs A Esipenko, 2023 
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scutigera: "Abdussattorov" is derived from the Arabic "Slave of the Veiler [of sins] ", if that helps. |
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Feb-19-23 Lasker / Maroczy vs NN, 1900 
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scutigera: Note Black's careful preservation of the LSB on moves 13-14 in a spirited attempt to make it the world's worst Bishop. Sadly, the coup de grĂ¢ce came before NN could move the a-pawn one square. |
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Jan-31-23 Shirov vs A Vitolinsh, 1985
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scutigera: Nil desperandum! |
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Dec-15-22 O Semenova vs M Lauberte, 1954
Nov-16-22 V Antonov vs C Kamp, 1989 
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scutigera: It's a bad pun, of course (name of just one player, nothing about the game itself), but, as far as taste goes, a recent bestselling and non-Hitlerish memoir fleuve by Karl Ove Knausgaard is probably a sufficient defense against the charge of Holocaust-joking, at least for a first ... |
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Nov-11-22 M El Adnani vs Ganguly, 2021
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scutigera: Stockfish 231-64 on ancient hardware thinks so: -3.71:
22. Qd1 Re2 23. Nd4 Rxg2+ 24. Kxg2 Qe4+ 25. Nf3 Bxc3 26. bxc3 Qxc4 27. Bh6 Qxc3 28. Rc1 Qb2+ 29. Qd2 Qxd2+ 30. Bxd2 Re8 31. Re1 Be4 32. g4 hxg4 33. hxg4 Nc5 34. Kg3 Nd3 35. Re2 f5 36. Ng5 c5 37. Bc3 c4 38. gxf5 gxf5 39. Rh2 ... |
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Oct-25-22 Tal vs M Wahls, 1990
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scutigera: Even I often skip past draws if I just want to kill some time looking for a cheap-thrill chess game to play over, but I still can't believe I'm the first person to comment on this classic knife fight between a great old berserker and a great newer one. |
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Sep-27-22 P K Wells vs S Ernst, 2005
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scutigera: Whenever you see an oddly disadvantageous decision on move 39, or for earlier eras any move ending in 9 or sometimes 4, consider time trouble. Series of mutual mistakes leading up to time breakpoints also show up, and resignations on move 41 are common too, after overnight ... |
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Sep-21-22 V Buturin vs I Vainerman, 1986
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scutigera: Totally won for White, but the clock made it all in Vain..er..man. Gotta be a pun in there somewhere... |
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