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A Pleasing Tactical

A Pleasing Tactical "Dual"

Only Chess

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In Euwe-Smyslov (Zurich, 1953), the following position was reached after 37. Rd1.

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In the kibitzing section for this game at chessgames dot com, poster Howard stated that 37...Nd3 (instead of the game's 37...Qf3) would have won quickly. (See resulting position below.)

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Now, 38. f4 would lose the b-pawn with check after 38...Qd4+ 39. Kg2(or h2).

I wondered why White couldn't effectively answer 37...Nd3 simply by defending the b- and f-pawns along the second rank. Then I realized that 38. Rd2 runs into a fork after 38...Rxf2! 39. Rxf2 (39. Qc8+ Rf8) 39...Qh1+!! 40. Kxh1 Nxf2+ and 41...Nxg4. Similarly, 38. Qe2 would be met by 38...Rxf2 39. Qxf2 Qh1+ 40. Kxh1 Nxf2+ and 41...Nxd1. (See the following two diagrams for these continuations.)

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1.Rd2Rxf2
2.Rxf2Qh1
3.Kxh1Nxf2
4.Kg2Nxg4

-1


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1.Qe2Rxf2
2.Qxf2Qh1
3.Kxh1Nxf2
4.Kg2Nxd1

-1


It's rare to see a given combinational theme appear in two distinct settings within an analysis tree.

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I just bought that book yesterday 🤗

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A similar finish with the same tactic was Petrosian vs Spassky 1966 WC.

1-0 Petrosian.

I do not know how to post games.

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[Event "Petrosian-Spassky World Championship Match 1966"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian"]
[Black "Boris Spassky"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E63"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O Nc6 6. Nc3 d6 7. d4 a6 8. d5 Na5
9. Nd2 c5 10. Qc2 e5 11. b3 Ng4 12. e4 f5 13. exf5 gxf5 14. Nd1 b5 15. f3 e4 16.
Bb2 exf3 17. Bxf3 Bxb2 18. Qxb2 Ne5 19. Be2 f4 20. gxf4 Bh3 21. Ne3 Bxf1 22.
Rxf1 Ng6 23. Bg4 Nxf4 24. Rxf4 Rxf4 25. Be6+ Rf7 26. Ne4 Qh4 27. Nxd6 Qg5+ 28.
Kh1 Ra7 29. Bxf7+ Rxf7 30. Qh8+ 1-0

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  • 8
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1.Nf3Nf6
2.g3g6
3.c4Bg7
4.Bg2O-O
5.O-ONc6
6.Nc3d6
7.d4a6
8.d5Na5
9.Nd2c5
10.Qc2e5
11.b3Ng4
12.e4f5
13.exf5gxf5
14.Nd1b5
15.f3e4
16.Bb2exf3
17.Bxf3Bxb2
18.Qxb2Ne5
19.Be2f4
20.gxf4Bh3
21.Ne3Bxf1
22.Rxf1Ng6
23.Bg4Nxf4
24.Rxf4Rxf4
25.Be6Rf7
26.Ne4Qh4
27.Nxd6Qg5
28.Kh1Ra7
29.Bxf7Rxf7
30.Qh8

0

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      A good spot that David,

      In the 1937 Alekhine - Euwe W.C. rematch game 16. this position arose.

      White to play.

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      For two moves Alekhine missed playing Qh8+ and Nxf7+ then Nxe5 winning
      a very important pawn. and by allowing it to happen twice Euwe also missed it.

      1 edit
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      @Gambrel

      Thanks!...I think 🤔

      It stopped before move 16.

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      @contenchess said

      I do not know how to post games.
      To display a diagram for a game score, type (omitting the quotes and spaces) "[ pgn ]" just before it and "[ /pgn ]" just after it. If the starting position has moves already made, use also the "fen" tag as shown by clicking the "PGN" button below such a diagram within a post.

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      @FMDavidHLevin

      Well that isn't hard.

      Thanks 😉

      1 edit
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      @contenchess said
      @Gambrel

      Thanks!...I think 🤔

      It stopped before move 16.
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      1.Nf3Nf6
      2.g3g6
      3.c4Bg7
      4.Bg2O-O
      5.O-ONc6
      6.Nc3d6
      7.d4a6
      8.d5Na5
      9.Nd2c5
      10.Qc2e5
      11.b3Ng4
      12.e4f5
      13.exf5gxf5
      14.Nd1b5
      15.f3e4
      16.Bb2exf3
      17.Bxf3Bxb2
      18.Qxb2Ne5
      19.Be2f4
      20.gxf4Bh3
      21.Ne3Bxf1
      22.Rxf1Ng6
      23.Bg4Nxf4
      24.Rxf4Rxf4
      25.Be6Rf7
      26.Ne4Qh4
      27.Nxd6Qg5
      28.Kh1Ra7
      29.Bxf7Rxf7
      30.Qh8

      0

          It did it again, I'm too stupid to get it right, sorry bro

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          Before posting this comment, I made sure that there were no line breaks in the game score (which I thought might have been causing truncation at move 15 in earlier posts).

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          1.Nf3Nf6
          2.g3g6
          3.c4Bg7
          4.Bg2O-O
          5.O-ONc6
          6.Nc3d6
          7.d4a6
          8.d5Na5
          9.Nd2c5
          10.Qc2e5
          11.b3Ng4
          12.e4f5
          13.exf5gxf5
          14.Nd1b5
          15.f3e4
          16.Bb2exf3
          17.Bxf3Bxb2
          18.Qxb2Ne5
          19.Be2f4
          20.gxf4Bh3
          21.Ne3Bxf1
          22.Rxf1Ng6
          23.Bg4Nxf4
          24.Rxf4Rxf4
          25.Be6Rf7
          26.Ne4Qh4
          27.Nxd6Qg5
          28.Kh1Ra7
          29.Bxf7Rxf7
          30.Qh8

          0

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              @Gambrel

              LoL it's ok I'm learning too 😄

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              @FMDavidHLevin

              Thanks 😉

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              @FMDavidHLevin
              Thank you sir, my poor eyesight is exceeded only by my technical ineptitude

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