Really nice attacking game!
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
But I am digressing…what a great book this is! While I never spend more than 10 to 15 minutes (at a time) flipping thru any chapter, taking a look at the games and reading the introductions to each one, I find that I really enjoy this book!
I strongly recommend to the reader to get hold of this book if you can. I am not sure if it is out of print (that would be a pity!), but you can probably buy an old copy on ebay. Sorry, but mine is not for sale!
This book makes me realize how much great chess has been played up to the early 60’s! Today, most published books focus their examples primarily on games coming from such a small pool of players (the super-elite) that I had almost forgotten that 99.99% of the best chess that is (and has) being played is being played by relatively unknown masters! That chess , as we know it, is not the private property of anyone…
After a quiet opening we have what is today a relatively well-known pawn structure that can arise from several openings, including the Caro Khan. Safest for Black is to move his Queen back to c7 and then fianchetto his Queen Bishop. However, this game was played in 1937 (!), long before theory had really developed to the point where this knowledge could be considered everyday type of stuff.
One book that I always keep within hands reach (usually in the washroom right beside my office at home) is ‘Soviet Chess’ by Nicolai Grekov. The edition that I have was published in 1962 and it evidently was translated from the Russian original by Theo Reich and is updated by none other than David Bronstein.
The back cover says: ”This clear and detailed work deals with the origins of chess in Russia and the development of the specifically Soviet brand of chess, as encouraged by the government. Including dozens of game analyses of the struggles between such giants as Tchigorin, Botvinnik, Flohr, Smyslov, Keres and the other Soviet masters against such foreign champions as Reshevsky, Capablanca, Tartakower, Vidmar, Euwe and Steinitz, this is the most detailed account in existence of one of the greatest centers of this age-old game. The last 20 years of Soviet chess has been analyzed in a brilliant afterword by the international grandmaster David Bronstein.”
Opening the book to the first page, I find that this book belonged (originally) to Montreal amateur John Szwaronek (–now that is a name from the past!). At one time John decided to give up competitive chess (in the late ’80’s if I recall correctly) and he packed up his chess library and brought over to my place (in Montreal) several boxes of great books and magazines.
But I am digressing…what a great book this is! While I never spend more than 10 to 15 minutes (at a time) flipping thru any chapter, taking a look at the games and reading the introductions to each one, I find that I really enjoy this book!
I strongly recommend to the reader to get hold of this book if you can. I am not sure if it is out of print (that would be a pity!), but you can probably buy an old copy on ebay. Sorry, but mine is not for sale!
This book makes me realize how much great chess has been played up to the early 60’s! Today, most published books focus their examples primarily on games coming from such a small pool of players (the super-elite) that I had almost forgotten that 99.99% of the best chess that is (and has) being played is being played by relatively unknown masters! That chess , as we know it, is not the private property of anyone…
Take a look at this gem of a game played in 1937 at Rostov-on-Don between Dubinin and Petrov. While nothing out of the ordinary up to around move 15, White then conducts an inspired and most original attack against the Black King. What really stands out in this masterpiece of attacking play, is that White succeeds in sacrificing 3 pieces (first a Knight, then a Rook and finally a Bishop) all on the same square–g7 !! Enjoy!
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POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 11th MOVE
Petrov
Dubinin
11… Nf8!? (Reasonable, but cumbersome) 12. Ne5 Ng6
Petrov
Dubinin
The Black Knight adds to the fortress around the King. Black threatens to exchange the annoying Knight on e5…now White has to decide how to fight for the initiative. Dubinin’s decision is surprising at first sight, since he willingly exchanges his dangerous light squared Bishop. However, White still has other pieces that can join in the attack.
13. Bxg6!? hg 14. h4!?
Petrov
Dubinin
15… gh 16. Nxh5
16… Nh7 Reasonable enough looking…
Clouds are gathering around the Black King
17. Nxg7 ! A shock sacrifice
17… Kxg7 What else?
How should White proceed?
18. Qh5!? Less forcing, but equally deadly
18… Bf8!? 19. Re1 !
This Rook is destined for greatness!
19… Kg8 20. Re3 Re7
Black decides to defend laterally.
21. Rg3 Bg7 Black is holding for the moment, but a nasty surprise awaits him!
How does White proceed?
22. Rxg7 !! Ouch! The second sacrifice on g7
This game is filled with neat tactical twists!
22… Kxg7 23. Bh6 Kh8 24. Rd1!
24… Nf6 In truth, there is no defence, so Black must try something. At least he attacks the White Queen
Now comes the 3rd surprise for Black
25. Bg7 !!
Very pretty! White has succeeded in making 3 sacrifices on the same square! A sort of hat-trick.
25… Kxg7 26. Qg5 ! The point
26… Kh8 No better is 26… Kf8 27. Qxf6 Kg8 28. Rd4! etc. 27. Qxf6 Kg8 28. Rd3!
There is no defence. Black gets mated in several moves. Black throws in the towel.
A beautifully conducted attack! Give the man a cigar…
…for a job well done!
White’s idea is clear enough: tear away at the pawn fortress around the Black King. White’s attacking chances come from Black’s difficulty in conveniently eliminating the White Knight on e5. Should Black now play 14… Bd6 (with this idea) then after 15. Nc4! Qc7 16. Nxd6 Qxd6 17. Rd1! Qc7 18. Bg5! White would have a small but firm positional advantage.
14… Qc7!? 15. h5
Now Black should continue 15… Bd6! If then 16. f4 gh 17. Nxh5 Nxh5 18. Qxh5 g6 White should drop his Queen back to f3, with a more or less balanced position. Wrong would be 19. Nxg6? because Black wins with 19… Qc5!
Black’s failure to play 15…Bd6 can be attributed to a lack of sense of danger. At first sight the Black King seems well defended, with several pawns and pieces in the neighbourhood to protect his Majesty. However, as Dubinin will show–in brilliant fashion–White’s attack has a lot of sting!
15… gh 16. Nxh5
Now if 16… Nxh5 17. Qxh5 g6? 18. Nxg6! fg 19. Qxg6 Kf8 20. Bh6 Ke7 21. Rad1 with a winning attack.
16… Nh7 Reasonable enough looking…
17. Nxg7 ! A shock sacrifice
The first sacrifice on g7. The idea is to draw out the Black King. White is attacking with a lot of pieces and can afford to sacrifice one of them to open up the King side. There is the Queen, Knight (e5), the Bishop along the c1-h6 diagonal, and one of White’s Rooks can enter the fray with an elevator shift to the 3rd rank.
17… Kxg7 What else?
How should White proceed?
One strong way is 18. Qg4! Kh8 (18… Kf8 19. Bh6 Ke7 20. Qg7) 19. Qh5 Rf8 20. Bf4 Qe7 (20… Bd6 21. Rad1) 21. Rad1 Qf6 (Diagram,right) 22. Nxf7]!! crashing thru. Black is dead.
18. Qh5!? Less forcing, but equally deadly
White often threatens Bh6 check. If Black anticipates this with 18… Kg8 then after 19. Rd1! Nf8 20. Rd3 the Rook comes in with deadly effect, as in the game continuation.
18… Bf8!? 19. Re1 !
19… Kg8 20. Re3 Re7
Equally hopeless is 20… Bg7 21. Rg3 Nf8 (Diagram,right)
22. Rxg7!! Kxg7 23. Bh6 Kg8 24. Qg5 Ng6 25. Nxg6! etc with a winning attack. Black could resign
21. Rg3 Bg7 Black is holding for the moment, but a nasty surprise awaits him!
22. Rxg7 !! Ouch! The second sacrifice on g7
22… Kxg7 23. Bh6 Kh8 24. Rd1!
To Black’s great displeasure, this Rook completely paralyzes the defenders. If now 24… f6 then White crashes thru with 25. Ng6 Kg8 26. Nxe7 Qxe7 27. Rd8! etc
24… Nf6 In truth, there is no defence, so Black must try something. At least he attacks the White Queen
25. Bg7 !!
25… Kxg7 26. Qg5 ! The point
White recovers a piece and still has a raging attack. There is no defence to White lifting his Rook to the 3rd rank, joining in the attack.
26… Kh8 No better is 26… Kf8 27. Qxf6 Kg8 28. Rd4! etc. 27. Qxf6 Kg8 28. Rd3!
A beautifully conducted attack! Give the man a cigar…
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS