Vladimir Simagin
It is as simple as Black and White: uncompromising attitude, courage, fearlessness and cold-bloodedness. Risk-taking. No going back. Checkmate!…the winner takes it all.
Today’s Feature Game
Today’s feature game is an oldie but goodie from the 1946 Moscow Championship between future GM Vladimir Simagin and the experienced master (and trainer) Grigory Ravinsky .
Apparently this was the first encounter between these two players, and it set the tone for the next dozen or so encounters that would follow: a bitter rivalry, sharp tactics and uncompromising fights.
There were almost no draws and despite the fact that Simagin won virtually all of the encounters(!) he was not really much stronger than Ravinsky! Both players always played for the win and as in any sport the result can go either way.
Vladimir Simagin (June 1919 to October 1968) was a well respected player and coach. He was awarded the GM title in 1962 and also had a number of correspondence titles in his collection. As well, he coached V.Smyslov when the latter was fighting for the world title. All in all a fascinating person! Simagin died of a heart attack while playing in a tournament.
Simagin,V – Ravinsky,G Moscow Ch 1946 1-0
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Both players were specialists in the Spanish Opening from either side…</strong>} a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3
d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Nd7{[#] <strong style="color:red;">One of the many choices available to Black when he does not want to play the ‘main’ line. Karpov played it a number of times against Kasparov in his 1990 World Championship match, and closer to home the late Bryon Nickoloff did a lot of work popularizing the line in the 1980’s.</strong>} 10.d3$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Simagin decides to avoid the immediate d4, preferring to keep the center closed for the time being. I must approve since I have played the move myself numerous times over the years!</strong>} Bb7 11.Nbd2 Nc5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Chasing away the White Bishop and the most popular move here.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">One of my favourite Bronstein games is </strong> } 11...Bf6 12.Nf1
Nc5 13.Bd5 Ne7 14.Bxb7 Nxb7 15.Ne3 Ng6 16.d4 c6 17.Ng4 Re8 18.d5
Be7 19.dxc6 Na5 20.Ne3 Qc8 21.Nd5 Qxc6 22.b3 Nb7 23.Be3 Nc5 24.Bxc5
Qxc5 25.Rc1 Bd8 26.Qd2 h6 27.Red1 a5 28.g3 Qc6 29.Qd3 Nf8 30.h4
Ne6 31.b4 Qb7 32.a3 Ra6 33.Rb1 axb4 34.axb4 Bc7 35.Ra1 Rea8 36.Rxa6
Rxa6 37.Kg2 Bb8 38.Rd2 Ra3 39.Qb1 Kh7 40.Ra2 Qa6 41.Rxa3 Qxa3
42.Qd3 Qa6 43.h5 Ba7 44.Qe2 Qb7 45.Nh4 Nc7 46.Nxc7 Qxc7 47.Qf3
Bb8 48.Nf5 Qd8 49.Ne3 Kg8 50.Qg4 Ba7 51.Nf5 Qf6 52.Qd1 Bb8 53.Qd5
Qd8 54.Qxb5 Kh7 55.Qb7 Bc7 56.Ne3 Kg8 57.Nd5 Bb8 58.Ne7+ Kh7
59.Nc6 Qc7 60.Qxc7 Bxc7 61.Ne7 {<strong style="color:black;"> 1-0, Bronstein D – Gereben E, Beverwijk 1963 </strong>}
)
12.Bc2 d5$6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A reasonable move at first sight, but today theory considers this move premature because of Simagin’s next move.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">It is better to keep manoeuvring </strong> } 12...Ne6$5 {<strong style="color:black;">with a complex struggle considered approximately equal by theory </strong> }13.Nf1 Ng5 14.N3h2 g6
15.Ne3 Bf6 16.Nd5 h5 17.f4 exf4 18.Nxf6+ Qxf6 19.Rf1 Ne6 20.d4
Ncxd4 21.cxd4 Qxd4+ 22.Qxd4 Nxd4 23.Bd1 Bxe4 24.Bxf4 Rfe8 25.Nf3
Ne6 26.Bd2 c5 27.Bc3 f5 28.b3 b4 29.Bd2 d5 30.Rc1 a5 31.Be2 Kg7
32.Bb5 Re7 33.Ng5 Nd4 34.Rxc5 Nxb5 35.Nxe4 dxe4 36.Rxb5 e3 37.Be1
Rc8 38.Rxa5 e2 39.Rf4 Rc1 40.Kf2 Rd7 41.Re5 Rc2 {<strong style="color:black;"> 1-0, Shamkovich L – Zaitsev I , Moscow 1964 Ch </strong>}
)
13.exd5 Qxd5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black’s game looks quite strong , but in chess it often happens that appearances are deceiving!</strong>} 14.d4!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">This unexpected move is tactically very strong and immediately it becomes apparent that Black’s Queen is exposed and will soon have to find shelter.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Less forceful, but certainly constructive is the standard Knight manoeuvre: </strong> } 14.Nf1 Rad8 15.Ne3 Qd7 16.d4 exd4
17.cxd4 Qc8 18.Bd2 Na4 19.d5 Nb8 20.Nf5 Bf6 21.Ng5 g6 22.Nxh7{[#] <strong style="color:red;">This is one of my favourite Gligoric games!</strong>}
Kxh7 23.Ne7 Bxe7 24.Qh5+ Kg8 25.Bxg6 fxg6 26.Qxg6+ Kh8 27.Rxe7
{<strong style="color:black;"> 1-0, Gligoric Svetozar (SRB) 2447 – Bidev Pavle (YUG), Yugoslavia 1946 Ch Yugoslavia (1/2 final)</strong>}
)
exd4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">There is little choice for Black</strong>}
( 14...Nd7? 15.Be4 Qd6 16.dxe5 Qe6 17.Nb3$18 )
15.cxd4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Na4!
({<strong style="color:black;">Simagin’s idea is that after </strong> } 15...Nd7 {<strong style="color:black;">White has the very strong </strong> } 16.Rxe7! Nxe7 17.Be4 $16 {<strong style="color:black;">winning material. Actually, several games have gone this way, one recent example is: </strong> } Qxe4 18.Nxe4
Bxe4 19.Qe2 Bxf3 20.Qxe7 Bc6 21.Bf4 Rfe8 22.Qa3 Re4 23.Rc1 Rxd4
24.Rxc6 Rxf4 25.Rxa6 Rf8 26.Qa5 Nb8 27.Qd2 Nxa6 28.Qxf4 Rb8 29.a4
b4 30.a5 Rd8 31.Qc4 Rd6 32.f4 g6 33.Kf2 Kg7 34.g4 h6 35.Kf3 g5
36.Qb5 gxf4 37.Kxf4 Re6 38.h4 Rf6+ 39.Ke5 Re6+ 40.Kd5 Rd6+ 41.Kc4
Re6 42.Qd7 c5 43.Qd5 Kg8 44.Qd8+ Kg7 45.Kd5 Rf6 46.Ke5 Rc6 47.b3
Re6+ 48.Kf5 Rc6 49.g5 hxg5 50.Qxg5+ Kh7 51.Qe7 Kg7 52.Qe5+ Kh7
53.Qe8 {<strong style="color:black;"> 1-0, Sarkisian G – Polovodin I, Novgorod 1999 Russia Cup </strong>}
)
({<strong style="color:black;">A blunder would be</strong> } 15...Ne6?? 15.Be4 Qd6 16.d5 )
({<strong style="color:black;"> Of course the ‘gambit’</strong> } 15...Nxd4? 16.Rxe7 Rae8 17.Rxe8 Rxe8 18.Nf1{<strong style="color:black;"> is far too optimistic and White must win</strong> } )
16.Ne4$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">An important moment. Simagin could have won some material here, but instead prefers to pursue an attack on the King side. Considering what happens later in the game, he appears to have taken the right decision here!</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Most players would have preferred to play </strong> } 16.Rxe7 Nxe7 17.Be4!{<strong style="color:black;"> winning two pieces for the Rook</strong> } Qd7 18.Bxb7 Rad8 19.Be4 c5 20.Qc2$16 )
Nb4$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">True to his style, Ravinsky continues to fight for the initative.</strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">Ravinsky probably did not like the look of </strong> } 16...Rad8 17.Qd3 g6 18.Bb3!{<strong style="color:black;"> with lots of pressure</strong> } )
17.Bb3 Qd8 18.Ne5$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Simagin continues with his idea of piling up pressure on the Kingside.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">White could have kept his King Bishop with </strong> } 18.a3$5 Nd5
19.Ba2$5 {<strong style="color:black;">and later recycle it onto the b1 to h7 diagonal </strong> } c5$6 20.Nxc5 Nxc5 21.dxc5 Bxc5 22.Re5! )
Bd5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Ravinsky jumps at the opportunity to kill the ‘Spanish Bishop’, but as we shall see, Simagin foresaw that his attack will not need it! </strong>} 19.a3{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
Bxb3
( {<strong style="color:black;">Ravinsky rejected </strong> } 19...Nc6 20.Nxc6 Bxc6 21.d5!{<strong style="color:black;">as he gets pushed back, but probably this was Black’s best chance of keeping his game together. </strong> } Bb7 22.Be3
c5 23.Qh5 $16 Rc8 24.Bxa4 bxa4 25.Rad1 )
20.Qxb3 Qxd4$6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">It is easy to criticize this, as it loses material, but Ravinsky did not like the alternatives and he probably thought that he would get some compensation for it</strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">After </strong> } 20...Qd5$5 {<strong style="color:black;"> White has the suprisingly strong </strong> } 21.Qg3! {<strong style="color:black;">with a dangerous attack after </strong> } Nc2 22.Bh6 $40 )
21.Qg3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Defending the Knight on e5 and threatening Bh6. White gets the attack that he wants. </strong>}
Qb6$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">At least this prevents the immediate Bh6</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Ravinsky is not tempted with </strong> } 21...Nc2 22.Bh6! g6 23.Nc6 Qd7 24.Qe5!$18 f6 25.Nxe7+ Kh8 26.Nxf6
Qd4 27.Ned5 Qxe5 28.Rxe5 Nxa1 29.Re7 )
22.axb4
Bxb4 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Probably Ravinsky had originally evaluated this postion as somewhat unclear. He has 2 good pawns for the piece and some pressure on the Queenside. But it becomes clear very quickly that he underestimated Simagin’s Kingside attack.</strong>}
23.Rd1 Qe6 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 24.Bg5! {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Bad news for Black. White now threatens Bf6 and he can not play f6 because of Bh6. The next move is virtually necessary</strong>} Be7 25.Bxe7 Qxe7{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 26.Rd7!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Simagin is relentless and keeps making threats.</strong>} Qe6 27.Ng5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
Qf6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 28.Ngxf7 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Not the only way to win, but certainly very convincing.</strong>} Nxb2{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Ravinsky must have realized that he is lost, but probably found some small satisfaction in taking White’s last Queenside pawn.</strong>} 29.Ng4! Qg6 30.Nfe5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Simagin’s two Knights are perfectly coordinated!</strong>} Qe6 31.Ne3{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Qf6 32.Nd5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Qh6
33.Ng4 Qg5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 34.Ngf6+{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black resigned. He loses his Queen.</strong>} 1-0
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