22 Jan 22
In the game Euwe-Averbakh (Zurich Candidates, 1953), the following position was reached after 25...Ne7xf5.
The article "Note by Bronstein on Euwe-Averbakh (Zurich, 1953)" (https://www.redhotpawn.com/forum/only-chess/note-by-bronstein-on-euwe-averbakh-zurich-1953.191843) concluded that after 26. Re5 (recommended by Bronstein) 26...Qg6, one benefit of 27. Qxg6 (in contrast to advancing the h- or f-pawn to defend the queen) is that 27...hxg6 might make it harder for Black to win a single minor piece ending. (See next chess movie for this sequence.)
The present article continues from 27...hxg6.
White's knight could retreat to g3 or f4. (28. g4, attacking Black's knight, would be refuted by 28...Nh4, threatening 29...Nxf3+ and leaving White's knight en pris.) From the f4-square, the knight would be attacking two pawns. (The position after 28. Nf4 is shown in the next diagram.)
Black can't hold both pawns, but he can counter with 28...Nxd4, discovering on White's knight. (See next diagram.)
White would have a slew of possible captures:
A) 29. cxd4 Rxf4 30. Rxd5 would maintain material equality, at the cost of giving Black a passed c-pawn to go with the passed b-pawn.
B) 29. Nxg6+ Kh7, and now
B1) 30. cxd4 Kxg6 31. Rxd5 gains White a pawn but again leaves Black with a connected duo of passed pawns.
B2) 30. Rxd5 might unfold as depicted in the next chess movie (which starts with 29. Nxg6+).
C) 29. Rxd5 would transpose to line B2 after 29...Nc2 30. Nxg6+ Kh7.
D) 29. Nxd5 would eliminate the protector of Black's c-pawn, while threatening 30. Nb6, forking a8-rook and c-pawn. The necessity of Black's knight's escaping with tempo compels 29...Nc2, from which the knight has practically no mobility. But at least the knight will keep a White rook off e1 and pressure a3. (See next diagram.)
Where should the attacked rook go? One possibility is 30. Rd1, which is examined in the next chess movie.)
So, after 29...Nc2, where should the rook go instead? 30. Rc1 would seem to bite on mahogany ( not quite "granite" ), but the point is revealed in the next chess movie.
Another try, 30...Ra5, appears in the next chess movie.
30...Rd8 surrenders the pawn in the hope of invading at d2, but this doesn't seem to work for Black either, as shown in the next chess movie.
Conclusion: The position resulting from 26...Qg6 27. Qxg6 hxg6 seems better for White. Therefore, it seems that Bronstein was correct that 26. Re5 would have made it more difficult for Black to bring about a favorable ending.
(A list of the threads I've initiated at this forum is available at http://www.davidlevinchess.com/chess/RHP_my_threads.htm .)