Just one puzzle to solve this week. It tripped me up when I first tried it.
A. Korobov - A. Volokitin, Ukraine 2001
Black to play and win. Solution at the bottom.
Clue
I cannot think of a good clue without giving the solution away.
A tale retold from ‘The Art of Checkmate’ by Renaud and Khan.
August 1939 and boarding the good ship Piriapolis at Antwerp are
groups of chess players of various nationalities on their way to play
in the 8th Chess Olympiad being held in Buenos Aries, Argentina.
Onboard are Alexander, Czerniak, Eliskases, Friedemann, Najdorf, Golombek
and a whole host of other players including one of the authors, Victor Khan.
The Piriapolis (which was sunk by the Luftwaffe in June 1940)
Victor Khan writes that the score of a smashing Kotov win had just been
published. The variation Kotov used was not in the latest MCO (number 6).
At that time Modern Chess Openings was a must have chess players Bible
and Victor Khan writes that everyone onboard had a copy in their possession.
During the journey everyone was analysing the game in great depth.
Here is the original game and next I’ll give a sample of their analysis.
A. Kotov - M. Yudovich USSR Championship Leningrad 1939
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Bg5 Bb4+ {The Ragozin variation.} 5. Nc3 dxc4 6. e4 c5 {This line was subject to some heavy analysis by Grunfeld in the 1930's.} 7. Bxc4 {Kotov's TN. The usual move was 7.e5 which is still occasionally played today.} 7... cxd4 8. Nxd4 Qa5 9. Bxf6 Bxc3+ {It was possibly this move that kept players before Kotov from looking any further.} 10. bxc3 {Black can take on c3 and win the c4 Bishop with a check, we will look at that next.} 10... gxf6 {Black saw all kinds of dangers with Qxc3+ so fell back on this move.} 11. O-O Nd7 {Black has some untangling to do to get into the game.} 12. Kh1 {Prepping f4 and taking the sting out of any Rg8 ideas.} 12... Nb6 13. Bb3 Bd7 14. Qf3 Ke7 15. Qe3 Rac8 16. Rac1 Nc4 17. Qe2 {It looks like Black is doing OK but the King is just asking for a sac attack.} 17... Nb6 18. Qd3 Rc5 19. c4 {This looks out of place but White does not want to be tied down defending the c-pawn.} 19... Rhc8 20. f4 {Here it comes. Black knows a storm is coming.} 20... Be8 {Freeing d7 so the Knight to help out in defensive duty.} 21. e5 {The fun begins. 21....f5 22.Nxf5+ exf5 23.Qd6 mate.} 21... fxe5 22. fxe5 Rxe5 23. Rcd1 {Once again White is looking Qd6 mate ideas.} 23... Qc5 {Black covers the d6 square before a disaster happens there.} 24. Qg3 {24.Qxh7 Rg5 would have given Black counter play, White is looking for a combo.} 24... Re4 {To stop Qh4+ and bring in Qe5 Queen swap ideas.} 25. Rf5 {A well worked out piece of play coming up.} 25... exf5 26. Nxf5+ {26...Qxf5 27.Qd6 mate a theme of the game.} 26... Kf6 27. Rd6+ {27...Qxd6 28 Nxd6 is no good. Black has to hope there is a hole in White's calculations..} 27... Kxf5 28. Qf3+ {We now into mate in all variations territory. 28...Ke5 29.Qf6 mate is just one of them.} 28... Rf4 29. Qh5+ Ke4 {Only move.} 30. Bc2+ Ke3 {Only move.} 31. Rd3+ {Black resigned. The finish is.} 31... Ke4 32. Rd2+ Ke3 33. Qe2# {Checkmate.}
Sparing no expense in my research for Red Hot Pawn I bought an MCO 6
for £2.00 and the line Kotov played is not in there. I already had an MCO 7
(published in 1947) I cannot remember where or how I came by it but I can
confirm that MCO 7 has the Kotov theoretical Novelty (a TN) he is proof.
( A lot of you will not understand descriptive hieroglyphics but it’s there. Trust me.)
Now we look at what the boys on the boat were having fun analysing..
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bg5 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 dxc4 6. e4 c5 7. Bxc4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Qa5 9. Bxf6 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qxc3+ {Of course they looked at this move.} 11. Kf1 {Giving up a Bishop with check. Next game we look at 12.Qd2.} 11... Qxc4+ 12. Kg1 {Now 12....gxf6 meets 13.Rc1 and Rxc8+ so Black castles.} 12... O-O 13. Qg4 g6 14. Qf4 {With the obvious threat of Qh6 and mate on g7.} 14... Nd7 {15.Qh6 Nxf6 but White still has a few tricks left.} 15. e5 {Threatening 16.Nf5 Qxf4 17.Ne7 Mate.} 15... Nxf6 16. exf6 Kh8 {To free g8 for the Rook to stop Qg7 mate.} 17. Rc1 Qd5 {17...Qb4 is a better defensive try.} 18. Qh6 Rg8 19. Nf3 {If Black had played 17...Qb4 they could play 19....Qb2 here and Qxf6 next move.} 19... Qh5 {The Idea of 17....Qd5. get the Queen away from the g7 square.} 20. Ng5 {This would have been met with hearty cheers by all onboard.} 20... Qxh6 21. Nxf7 {Checkmate.}
Finally I wonder if they looked at the Double Rook sac on the ship. (they must have.)
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Bg5 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 dxc4 6. e4 c5 7. Bxc4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Qa5 9. Bxf6 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qxc3+ 11. Qd2 {Black takes both Rooks.} 11... Qxa1+ 12. Ke2 Qxh1 13. Nxe6 {With Qd8 mate on the table. There seems to be no escape for Black.} 13... Nc6 {Best. 13...Nd7 14.Nxg7+ Kf8 15.Qd5 mate on f7 is coming.} 14. Nxg7+ Kf8 {Now 15.Qd5 meets 15...Bg4+ and Black is winning. so...} 15. Qd6+ Kg8 16. Qg3 {The Discovered check is a winner so Black steps out of the way.} 16... Kf8 17. Nf5 {Nothing can save Black, I'll give this variation.} 17... Nd4+ 18. Kd2 {18.....Bxf5 gets mated with 19.Qg7+ and Qxf7 and 18....Qc1+ 19.Kxc1 Ne2+ 20.Bxe2 is 1-0.} 18... Nxf5 19. exf5 {With a choice of checkmates. Lets go for....} 19... Be6 {There is nothing else.} 20. Qg7+ Ke8 21. Bb5+ Bd7 22. Qxh8 {Checkmate.} 1-0
A. Korobov - A. Volokitin, Ukraine 2001 (the solution)
I’ll play a few moves before we get to the critical position.
FEN
3r1r1k/p3q2p/1pRp1np1/3Rp3/1P2Pp1b/5P2/P5PP/3Q1BBK w - - 0 1
[FEN "3r1r1k/p3q2p/1pRp1np1/3Rp3/1P2Pp1b/5P2/P5PP/3Q1BBK w - - 0 1"] 1. Rdxd6 Nh5 2. Qd5 Be1 {Around about here both players would have been looking at Ng3+} 3. a3 {Hold the b4 pawn but possibly tempting Black to sac the Knight.} 3... Ng3+ {There it is. Which player has judged the position better.} 4. hxg3 fxg3 5. Qe6 {5...Qh4+ 6.Qh3. but Black before sacrificing the Knight Black had seen...} 5... Rf5 {Wonderful! 6.exf5 Qh4+ mates and 6.Rxd8+ Qxd8 7.Rc8 Rh5+ mates White in two moves.} 6. Bh2 {A touch of desperation but White is lost here.} 6... Rh5 7. Rd2 {To stop Bf2 mate after Rxh2+} 7... Rxh2+ 8. Kg1 Bxd2 {White resigned.}
