Yakov Estrin
Most young players today have probably never heard of Yakov Estrin or perhaps they might have accidentally seen an old opening monograph with his name attached in someone’s chess library and never given it another thought.
There was a time when the same could be said of me. But as I grew into a mature player and delved deeper into the secrets of chess, Estrin’s name began to gain more significance.
And for good reasons: a first rate opening theoretician and analyst, a World Correspondence Champion and a brilliant attacking player, Yakov Estrin’s games and ideas were studied by the top masters of his time, including the legendary Mikhail Botvinnik.
Estrin was fortunate to have lived in what many consider the most creative and interesting period of post-WW2 chess. Estrin himself made many significant contributions.
A famous photo from 1958 when a young Bobby Fischer visited the Moscow Central Chess Club.
Yakov Estrin was born in Moscow in 1922 and died at age 63 in 1987. Trained as a lawyer , Estrin decided to dedicate himself to chess. His personal specialty was correspondence chess : he won the title of grandmaster of correspondence chess in 1966, and became World Correspondence Champion in 1976. Estrin also won the IM title in 1975 for his over the board play.
Estrin has authored and/or collaborated in the writing of numerous chess books — including top notch opening manuals ( ‘vintage’ openings such as the King’s Gambit and the Two Knights Opening, and modern lines like the Grunfeld, which he co-wrote with Botvinnik ) — and I consider myself fortunate to have most of them in my library.
The game below is one of Estrin’s most brilliant – but relatively unknown – tournament efforts. Played in 1969 and against the strong IM Boris Katalymov .
The game is typical of Estrin’s dynamic style and features an unrelenting fight for the initiative from start to finish. Enjoy!
Estrin,Y – Katalymov,B
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 b6$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Today this is known as the ‘Katalymov Variation’. The Kazakh master was known for going his way in the opening. As White he often played – and with success – 1.b4! I don’t quite understand why Black would not want to play for b5 in one move (instead of two) but suffice to say that the move has quite a following. Today, with the faster time controls, it is frequently seen. That being said, the middlegame that often results from this variation features super-sharp tactics. White, trying to exploit what is essentially an extra tempo compared to ‘normal’ Sicilians, often plays sharp,sacrificial ideas. Sometimes they work, sometimes not. In this game, they will work!</strong>} 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bb7 5.Nc3 a6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 6.Bc4$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The sharpest, but hardly the only way to proceed.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">A: </strong> } 6.Bd3 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 d6 9.O-O Nf6 10.Qe1 O-O 11.Qh4 Nbd7
12.Bd2 Rc8 13.Rae1 Nc5 14.f5 gxf5 15.exf5 d5 16.Be3 b5 17.Bd4
b4 18.Ne2 Nfe4 19.Qg4 f6 20.Nf4 Qd6 21.Re3 Rf7 22.Nh4 Nd7 23.Ne6
Ne5 24.Bxe5 Qxe5 25.Bxe4 dxe4 26.Rg3 e3 27.Nxg7 Qxg3 28.Qxg3
Rxg7 29.Qxe3 {<strong style="color:black;">1-0, Vasiukov Evgeni – Katalymov Boris , Krasnodar 1966 Ch URS (1/2 final)</strong>}
)
({<strong style="color:black;">B: </strong> } 6.Be2 d6 7.f4 Nd7 8.O-O Rc8 9.a4 Ngf6 10.Bf3 e6 11.Re1 Rc4
12.Be3 Qa8 13.Qd3 Rb4 14.b3 Nc5 15.Qd2 a5 16.Ndb5 Qb8 17.Bxc5
dxc5 18.e5 Bxf3 19.gxf3 Rd4 20.Nxd4 cxd4 21.Nb5 Bb4 22.Qd3 Nd5
23.Re4 O-O 24.Nxd4 f5 25.exf6 Nxf4 26.Qc4 gxf6 27.Nxe6 Rc8 28.Nc7+
Kh8 29.Rxf4 Rxc7 30.Qe4 Re7 31.Qf5 Bc3 32.Rd1 Qe8 33.Re4 Qg8+
34.Kh1 {<strong style="color:black;">1-0, Nikitin Yury – Katalymov Boris , Kazakhstan 1968 Ch Kazakhstan</strong>}
)
e6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">An example of how things can quickly turn south is </strong> } 6...b5 7.Bb3 b4 8.Na4 Bxe4 9.Nc5 Bxg2 10.Rg1 Bc6 11.Bxf7+!{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
Kxf7 12.Rxg7+!! {<strong style="color:black;"> It is forced mate.1-0, Schlosser Wolfgang – Kantchev T ,1968 Europe Tournament (corr.)</strong>}
)
7.O-O{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} b5
({<strong style="color:black;">A more cautious approach would be </strong> } 7...Qc7 8.Bb3 Nf6 9.Re1 Bd6$5 {<strong style="color:black;"> with a tough fight</strong> } )
8.Bb3{[#]} b4$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Very provocative!</strong>} 9.Na4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">On this particular day Estrin avoids the more speculative, but risker </strong> } 9.Nd5$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Bc5? ({<strong style="color:black;">Black immediately blunders. He has no choice but to accept the gift </strong> } 9...exd5! 10.exd5 Bc5 11.Re1+ Kf8 {<strong style="color:black;">with an exciting struggle ahead, typical of many sacrificial lines in the Sicilian labyrinth </strong> } ) 10.Be3! exd5
11.Nf5! d6 12.Bxd5 Bc6 13.Bxc5! Nh6 ( 13...dxc5 14.Bxf7+ ) 14.Bxc6+
{<strong style="color:black;">1-0, Storey Charles (ENG) 2268 – Meijers Viesturs (LAT) 2510 , Liverpool 14/ 9/2008 Ch European Union</strong>}
)
Bxe4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Not for the faint hearted! Strangely, the move lacks direct refutation.</strong>} 10.Re1{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Nf6!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The only good move, normally a sign that Black is skating on thin glass…</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">A: </strong> } 10...d5$6 11.Nxe6! fxe6 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qe5 Qf6
14.Rxe4 dxe4 15.Qxe4 Ra7 16.Be3 Rd7 17.Bxe6 Re7 18.Nc5 )
({<strong style="color:black;">B: </strong> } 10...Bg6 11.Qf3 Ra7 12.Be3$16 )
({<strong style="color:black;"> C:</strong> } 10...Bb7$6 11.Qh5! Nf6 12.Nxe6!!{[#]}
dxe6 13.Rxe6+ Be7 14.Rxf6 O-O 15.Rxf7$18 )
11.Bg5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Developing with threats and gain of time</strong>} Bc6!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Another difficult move to find.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Against the natural move </strong> } 11...Bb7$6 {<strong style="color:black;">White quickly develops a strong attack: </strong> } 12.Nf5! Qa5 13.Bxf6! Qxf5 ( 13...gxf6 14.Nd6+
Bxd6 15.Qxd6 Rg8 16.g3 ) 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 h5 16.Nb6 h4 17.Bxb8 )
12.Qe2$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A critical moment in the game.Estrin decides to continue to develop rapidly. He can now move his Rook to d1.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">A: Now the intended </strong> } 12.Nf5{<strong style="color:black;">is not so effective after </strong> } Qa5!{<strong style="color:black;"> when, amongst other things, the White Knight on a4 is in trouble. This is the idea behind Black’s previous move. </strong> } )
({<strong style="color:black;">B: I think the strongest moves is </strong> } 12.c3!{<strong style="color:black;">planning to open the c-file for the Rook. Black must be careful: </strong> } Be7
( 12...bxc3$6 13.Nxc3 Be7 14.Nf5! )
( 12...a5? 13.Nf5!$16 )
( 12...Bxa4? 13.Bxa4 bxc3 14.Nxe6!$18 )
13.Nf5$5 exf5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qh5!{<strong style="color:black;"> And White has full compensation for the material sacrificed</strong> } )
Qa5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Best, and forcing White’s play</strong>} ( 12...Be7$6 13.Rad1 O-O 14.Nf5! )
13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Rad1{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Another critical position. Both players – but especially Black – must have been running short of time already!</strong>} Bxa4?{[#] <strong style="color:red;">THE LOSING MOMENT! Black was tempted by Estrin’s sacrifice…</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">After </strong> } 14...Be7 {<strong style="color:black;">White is happy after </strong> } 15.Nxc6 Nxc6 16.Qg4!{<strong style="color:black;">with typical compensation for the material sacrificed </strong> } )
({<strong style="color:black;">The very best is </strong> } 14...Rg8!{<strong style="color:black;"> activating the Rook. After </strong> } 15.Nxc6 Nxc6
16.Qd3$5 Rd8 17.Qxh7 Rg6$5 {<strong style="color:black;">it is still anybody’s game. The computer prefers Black, whose King can hide behind his pawn center, but I think humans prefer White’s attacking prospects. </strong> } )
15.Bxa4 Qxa4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 16.Qf3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Attacking the Rook on a8 and the pawn on f6, and once more gaining time for the attack.</strong>} Nc6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Relatively best. Black has nothing better than to return some material.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Losing quickly would be </strong> } 16...Ra7 17.Qxf6
Rg8 18.Nxe6! )
({<strong style="color:black;">Nor is </strong> } 16...Bg7{<strong style="color:black;">pleasant after </strong> } 17.Nf5! )
17.b3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Very precise! Estrin forces the Black Queen away after which his position soon collapses.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">White did not fall for </strong> } 17.Qxf6$6 Nxd4! {<strong style="color:black;">when Black escapes! </strong> } )
Qxa2 18.Nxc6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Rc8{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">There is no salvation in </strong> } 18...Qxc2 19.Nxb4! Qc8 20.Nd5! )
19.Rxe6+!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A beautiful and very strong move. Curiously, there is even stronger!</strong>}
( 19.Qd5!!{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Bc5 ( 19...Rc7 20.Rxe6+! ) 20.Qxd7+ Kf8 21.Qxc8+ Kg7
22.Qc7$18 {<strong style="color:black;"> HOWEVER, an artiste like Estrin could hardly resist the Rook sacrifice! Besides, White’s attack is unstoppable in any case…</strong> } )
dxe6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} ( 19...fxe6? 20.Qh5# ) 20.Qxf6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Bd6 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 20...Rxc6? 21.Rd8# )
21.Qxh8+ {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Kd7{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 22.Nb8+!{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Kc7 ( 22...Rxb8 23.Qxb8 ) 23.Qd4!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Despite material equality, Black is defenceless against Estrin’s enslaught. </strong>} Rd8{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Greater resistance is possible after </strong> } 23...Kxb8$5 24.Qxd6+ Rc7 25.Qb6+ Kc8 26.h3 Qxc2 27.Qxa6+ Rb7
28.Qa8+ Rb8{<strong style="color:black;">but, of course, after </strong> } 29.Qa1 {<strong style="color:black;">White’s many threats are too much for Black to handle. </strong> } )
24.Qa7+{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Kc8 25.Nxa6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Qa5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} ( 25...Qxc2 26.Qa8+
Kd7 27.Rxd6+ ) 26.g3{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 26.Qa8+ Kd7 27.Nb8+ Rxb8 28.Qxa5 )
Qe5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
27.Nxb4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Qe4 28.Nd3 ( 28.Rd4! ) Rd7{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A blunder short of time, but the game is lost in any case.</strong>} 29.Qxd7+!{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 1-0
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