Sunday’s winning 5-second tactics
“Clear thinking at the wrong moment can stifle creativity.”
― Karl Lagerfeld
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im Dubinin. Pyotr Vasilievich
gm Averbakh, Yuri L
Ch URS Sverdlovsk 1951 And oldie but goodie! Position after 32 moves of play. White’s pieces are a picture of coordination and harmony; Black’s pieces are scattered and disorganized. Such situations often give rise to short tactical skirmishes that quickly bring about an end to the game…
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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THE MAGICAL ROOK
gm Averbakh, Y
gm Suetin,A
Riga, 1954. Position after 16 moves. Black has played a bit fast and loose in the opening and has created some potentially serious weaknesses in his position, especially the c-file and the doubled pawns on the Kingside. Even so, Averbakh just needs to complete his development (…Be6 and …Qd7) and he will have things under control. Therefore, Suetin must strike quickly if he is to exploit the present circumstances…
17.e6!
A sharp blow that aims to divide Black’s forces. The pawn has to be taken as 17…f5 18.Bd3! Rb8 19.Rc1! paralyzes Black and allows White to quickly reap dividends: 19… Qd6 20.Qe2 a4 21.Bxb5 and so on.
17…Bxe6 18.Bxg6!
An important pawn defending the Black King disappears. Clearly the Bishop should not be taken, but the question is what should Black do? White has any number of ways to build up an attack should Black do nothing , for instance 19.Rc1 or 19.B-retreats and 20.Qd3. Insufficient is 18…Qd7 as 19.Bd3! Rab8 20.Nxg5! and the King-side collapses.
If instead 18…Kg7!? (threatening to capture the Bishop with the King, and planning to answer 19.Bb1 with 19…Rh8) then very strong would be 19.Rc1! KxB 20.RxN Kg7 (what else?) 21.Rxe6! PxR 22.Rxe6 with a dangerous and probably winning attack against the Black King.
Black decides to distract White on the Queen-side:
18…a4!?
19.Bb1!!
A very strong manoeuvre threatening Qd3
If now 19…axb3 20.Qd3 f5 21.Rxe6 Nb4 22.Qxb3 is clearly unsatisfactory, as is 19…Nb4 20.Nc5! BxN 21.PxB Qf6!? 22.Re3! threatening 23.Nxg5.
19…Kg7!?
Black defends as well as can be done
20.Qd3! Rh8!
21.Rxe6!
As we shall soon see, this Rook is a hero!
If now the immediate 21…fxe6 22.Qg6+ Kf8 White crushes with 23.Nc5!! Bxc5 24.Nxg5! (a recurring theme in this position) 24… Qxg5 (There is nothing better) 25.Qxg5 Bxd4 26.Bg6! and the White Rook soon enters the game to finish off Black’s disorganized army.
21…Nb4!?
Trying to confuse matters…
22.Rg6+!!
A beautiful move! The Rook forces Black to capture it, as 22…Kf8 23.Qf5! soon finishes Black off: 23…axb3 24.Ne5! f6 25.Rxg5!
22…fxg6 23.Qxg6+ Kf8
A sad picture of Black’s forces! His two Rooks and Queen are still on their home squares and his King completely exposed. It is not surprising that Black is helpless against White’s onslaught.
There are a number of ways of winning by force. Besides the game continuation (which is the strongest) White can win with 24.Ne5!? Qe8 25.Qf5+ Kg7 26.Nc5! , as the reader can readily verify for himself.
24.Nc5!
Designed to lure away the Bishop from the defence of g5
24…Bxc5 25.Nxg5!
Threatening mate. Giving up the Black Queen for the Knight (and leaving Black with Rook and minor piece for the Queen) , as in an earlier variation given above, would only provide temporary relief, as Black’s are clearly too disorganized to provide serious resistance.
25…Qd7!?
And now the most forceful way to win is 26.Ne6+! Ke7 27.Qg7+! Kd6 ( 27…Kxe6 28.Bf5+ ) 28.dxc5+ Kc6 29.Nd4+ etc. In the actual game continuation, probably short of time, White played less precisely with 26.Bf5 Ra6! 27.Ne6 (27.Be6!) 27…Rxe6 28.Bxe6 Qg7 29.Qf5+ but still won, but some 25 moves later!
A brilliant attacking game!
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