Who is your favourite player and why?

Marinkatomb View Profile

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18 Oct '12 23:23

Marinkatomb
wotagr8game
tbc
Joined
18 Feb '04
Moves
61941
18 Oct '12 23:237 edits
Mine is Vasily Smyslov. Master strategist, he always seemed to have a handle on the position, no matter how complex things became. This is a game from his World championship match with Bottvinik in 1954. I find this game to be somewhat reminiscent of Bobby Fischers 'game of the century', but Smyslov played his in a match for the World championship, against a World champion!

Enjoy 🙂

EVENT match
SITE Ch World , Moscow (Russia) (14)
DATE 1954.04.15
ROUND 14
WHITE Mikhail Botvinnik
BLACK Vasily Smyslov
RESULT 0-1
WHITEELO ?
BLACKELO ?
ECO E67
EVENTDATE ?
Invert Board PGN Headers Comments

[Event "match"]
[Site "Ch World , Moscow (Russia) (14)"]
[Date "1954.04.15"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "14"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Mikhail Botvinnik"]
[Black "Vasily Smyslov"]
[ECO "E67"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "66"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.O-O
e5 8.e4 c6 9.Be3 Ng4 10.Bg5 Qb6 { I don't play the Kings indian defence, so i'm not to hot on the theory, but i find this approach quite novel. The usual kingside pawn advance is passed up in favour of play on the Queenside. Black actually ends up turning the position into an open scrap which is just the sort of thing i love to play through. } 11.h3 exd4 12.Na4 Qa6 13.hxg4
b5 14.Nxd4 bxa4 15.Nxc6 Qxc6 16.e5 Qxc4 17.Bxa8 Nxe5 18.Rc1
Qb4 19.a3 Qxb2 20.Qxa4 Bb7 { Given the benefit of hindsight, white might have wished he took this offer of an exchange, but Botvinik goes for more and soon lands himself in trouble a Smyslov has seen deeper! } 21.Rb1 Nf3+ 22.Kh1 Bxa8 { A master stroke!! } 23.Rxb2
Nxg5 24.Kh2 Nf3+ 25.Kh3 Bxb2 26.Qxa7 Be4 { Counting the material we see that things are dead level, but any chess player would take black here. Whites only hope is his a-pawn and the threat of promotion but there is simply no time for that... } 27.a4 Kg7 28.Rd1 Be5
29.Qe7 Rc8 30.a5 Rc2 31.Kg2 Nd4 32.Kf1 Bf3 33.Rb1 Nc6 0-1
Marinkatomb
wotagr8game
tbc
Joined
18 Feb '04
Moves
61941
18 Oct '12 23:51
Another example..

EVENT 2, Moscow URS ch
SITE 2, Moscow URS ch
DATE 1945.??.??
ROUND ?
WHITE Vasily Smyslov
BLACK Iosif Rudakovsky
RESULT 1-0
WHITEELO ?
BLACKELO ?
ECO B83
EVENTDATE ?
Invert Board PGN Headers Comments
[Event "2, Moscow URS ch"]
[Site "2, Moscow URS ch"]
[Date "1945.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Vasily Smyslov"]
[Black "Iosif Rudakovsky"]
[ECO "B83"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "57"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Be7
7. O-O O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 9. f4 Qc7 10. Qe1 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 e5
12. Be3 Be6 13. f5 Bc4 14. Bxc4 Qxc4 15. Bg5 Rfe8 16. Bxf6
Bxf6 17. Nd5 { What a strategy! Which is stronger, whites knight or blacks Bishop? } Bd8 18. c3 b5 19. b3 Qc5+ 20. Kh1 Rc8 21. Rf3 Kh8
22. f6 gxf6 23. Qh4 { White has complete control of the kingside. Where is blacks Queen? More to the point, where is his counter play on the Queenside? Non-existent is the answer.. } Rg8 24. Nxf6 Rg7 25. Rg3 Bxf6 26. Qxf6
Rcg8 27. Rd1 d5 28. Rxg7 Rxg7 29. Rxd5 1-0
Marinkatomb
wotagr8game
tbc
Joined
18 Feb '04
Moves
61941
19 Oct '12 01:012 edits
This one is against Keres, another World champion.

EVENT Groningen
SITE Groningen
DATE 1946.08.22
ROUND 8
WHITE Vasily Smyslov
BLACK Max Euwe
RESULT 1-0
WHITEELO ?
BLACKELO ?
ECO C77
EVENTDATE ?
Invert Board PGN Headers Comments
[Event "Groningen"]
[Site "Groningen"]
[Date "1946.08.22"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "8"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Vasily Smyslov"]
[Black "Max Euwe"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "97"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 g6
7. O-O Bg7 8. Re1 b5 9. Bc2 O-O 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 Qe8
12. Nbd2 Nh5 13. Nf1 g5 14. Bg3 Ne7 15. a4 Nxg3 16. hxg3 Be6
17. d4 f6 18. Bb3 { Things are generally speaking quite level, but blacks white squares are weak. Exchanging off the white bishops is simple and logical } Bxb3 19. Qxb3+ Qf7 20. Qxf7+ Kxf7 { Mission accomplished, white has a free hand to dominate the white squares. Smyslovs technique is so elegant, THIS is why he's my favourite. The rest is a matter of technique.. } 21. Ne3
Rfb8 22. axb5 axb5 23. d5 h5 24. Kf1 g4 25. Nh4 Bh6 26. Nef5
Ng8 27. Ke2 Ra4 28. Rxa4 bxa4 29. Rb1 Rb3 30. Kd3 a3 31. Kc2
Rxb2+ 32. Rxb2 axb2 33. Kxb2 Bd2 34. Kc2 { Again, Knights V Bishops, which are better? Smyslov demonstrates that knights can trump bishops if you know what you are doing. This Bishop has only four squares to choose from... so much for the bishops advantage! } Be1 35. f3 Ne7
36. Nxe7 Kxe7 37. fxg4 hxg4 38. Nf5+ Kf7 39. c4 Kg6 { Obviously i'm no Grandmaster, but ..Bf2 looks pretty strong to me here. Yes Black loses his g-pawn after Nh6 and Nxg4, but it's hard for white to advance the doubled pawns and the black bishop is doing a good job of holding both flanks together g1-a7 diagonal.. } 40. Kb3
Kg5 41. Ka4 Bxg3 42. Nxg3 Kf4 43. Nh5+ Kxe4 44. Nxf6+ Kf5
45. Ne8 e4 46. Nxc7 e3 47. Nb5 Kf4 48. Nc3 Kg3 49. c5 1-0

SwissGambit View Profile

Caninus Interruptus

Joined: 11 Apr '07
Moves: 92274

19 Oct '12 01:23

Originally posted by Marinkatomb
This one is against Keres, another World champion.

[pgn][Event "Groningen"]
[Site "Groningen"]
[Date "1946.08.22"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "8"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Vasily Smyslov"]
[Black "Max Euwe"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "97"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 g6
7. O-O Bg7 8. Re1 ...[text shortened]... 6+ Kf5
45. Ne8 e4 46. Nxc7 e3 47. Nb5 Kf4 48. Nc3 Kg3 49. c5 1-0[/pgn]

Alekhine and Fischer.

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Marinkatomb
wotagr8game
tbc
Joined
18 Feb '04
Moves
61941
19 Oct '12 01:34
Originally posted by SwissGambit
Alekhine and Fischer.

[pgn]
[Event "Baden Baden"]
[Site "Baden Baden"]
[Date "1925.04.25"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "8"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Richard Reti"]
[Black "Alexander Alekhine"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "80"]
1. g3 e5 2. Nf3 e4 3. Nd4 d5 4. d3 exd3 5. Qxd3 Nf6 6. Bg2 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Nxd2 O-O 9. c4 N ...[text shortened]... gxf6 39. Rxf6 Kg8 40. Bc4 Kh8 41. Qf4 1-0[/pgn]
That Alekhine game is just mind blowing!! I love the threatened knight mate toward the end. What a strangle hold on the initiative!
Wulebgr
Angler
River City
Joined
08 Dec '04
Moves
16907
19 Oct '12 04:02
My "favorite" player is whoever's games I happen to be going through at the moment, but I do keep coming back to Kramnik, Smyslov, Karpov, Gligoric--all men who sought the truth of the position.

Currently, I am working through some of the games in Akiba Rubinstein: Uncrowned King (1994) by John Donaldson an Nikolay Minev. Hence, Rubinstein is my favorite player this fall.
Marinkatomb
wotagr8game
tbc
Joined
18 Feb '04
Moves
61941
19 Oct '12 04:291 edit
Originally posted by Wulebgr
My "favorite" player is whoever's games I happen to be going through at the moment, but I do keep coming back to Kramnik, Smyslov, Karpov, Gligoric--all men who sought the truth of the position.

Currently, I am working through some of the games in Akiba Rubinstein: Uncrowned King (1994) by John Donaldson an Nikolay Minev. Hence, Rubinstein is my favorite player this fall.
If pushed which one would you choose? Smyslov is a close first for me. I am also a great fan of Korchnoi (the first player i really studied in any detail, could easily be my fav). Kasparov/Tal/Fischer, great tacticians (amongst other things) but i struggle to understand them.

Smyslov comes first for me because he was so good at achieving a positions where he is clearly better but his opponent has no counter play. Someone like Kasparov for example, would play on a knife edge where he wins because of a tempo...while i admire this, it is not something i could ever emulate. Tactically, most players are never going to be good enough. Same with Tal and Fischer. I think for the average player, Smyslov is the perfect player to emulate. One move at a time, avoid ridiculous complications that require a super computer to work out. Just improve your position, plenty of prophylactic manoeuvring. Very instructive, elegant chess. 😏

EDIT: I've never gotten around to Rubinstein, care to post a game? 🙂
ChessPraxis
Cowboy From Hell
American West
Joined
19 Apr '10
Moves
55013
19 Oct '12 05:08
I am my favorite player. 😕
Mephisto2
Joined
12 Mar '03
Moves
44411
19 Oct '12 06:32
Originally posted by Marinkatomb
This one is against Keres, another World champion.

[pgn][Event "Groningen"]
[Site "Groningen"]
[Date "1946.08.22"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "8"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Vasily Smyslov"]
[Black "Max Euwe"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "97"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 g6
7. O-O Bg7 8. Re1 ...[text shortened]... Kf5
45. Ne8 e4 46. Nxc7 e3 47. Nb5 Kf4 48. Nc3 Kg3 49. c5 1-0[/pgn]
When was Keres worldchampion?
Fat Lady
Joined
21 Feb '06
Moves
6830
19 Oct '12 06:56
Originally posted by Mephisto2
When was Keres worldchampion?
Never, but the game was against Euwe, who was the World Champion.
Marinkatomb
wotagr8game
tbc
Joined
18 Feb '04
Moves
61941
19 Oct '12 10:14
Originally posted by Fat Lady
Never, but the game was against Euwe, who was the World Champion.
Yes, i constantly get these two mixed up for some reason..
Grobzilla
Joined
16 Nov '07
Moves
2329
19 Oct '12 11:48
TAL. You know why.
Fat Lady
Joined
21 Feb '06
Moves
6830
19 Oct '12 13:41
Alekhine is my favourite player. He took on and defeated Capablanca, who everyone else considered invincible. He also led a weird and wonderful life outside of chess. And that's to say nothing of Alekhine's play - I enjoy going through his games more than those of any other player. He seemed to genuinely love game for its own sake.

Wulebgr

Angler

Joined: 08 Dec '04
Moves: 16907

19 Oct '12 13:45

Originally posted by Marinkatomb
If pushed which one would you choose? Smyslov is a close first for me. I am also a great fan of Korchnoi (the first player i really studied in any detail, could easily be my fav). Kasparov/Tal/Fischer, great tacticians (amongst other things) but i struggle to understand them.

Smyslov comes first for me because he was so good at achieving a positions ...[text shortened]... ive, elegant chess. 😏

EDIT: I've never gotten around to Rubinstein, care to post a game? 🙂

When pushed, I usually say Kramnik. OTOH, on another site where I play as Wulebgr, I am on the Smyslov team in the Favorite Grandmaster's League. Gligoric was my favorite in the 1970s, Kramnik in the 1990s, and Smyslov's stock is ascendant in my mind now.

I posted this Rubinstein miniature on my blog two weeks ago: http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2012/10/practicing-visualization.html

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greenpawn34
e4
Joined
06 May '08
Moves
42492
19 Oct '12 13:572 edits
I chop and change from day to day, Month to month.

I've done all the M's:
Morphy, Marshall, Mieses, and Miles.....

And the the T's: Tartakower, Tal and.....

....the player I keep returning too, whose game notes I find so clear
and honest and whose games have an iron logic to them is Tarrasch.
So again this month I've been going through T's 300 Chess games.

Some of his games are quite beautiful. His good one fit perfectly in a way
I just seem to understand. I often pull them around a bit looking for other
moves and perhaps stumble upon something he perhaps had up his sleeve.

Here, just to be different, is one he never played!
(well not all of it anyway.)

Tarrasch - Kurschner Nuremberg 1889

Invert Board PGN Comments

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. dxe5 Nxb5 7. a4 Nd6 8. Bg5 Be7 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. exd6 cxd6 11. Re1 Ne5 12. Nd4 Qf6 {To stop f2-f4} 13. Nc3 O-O 14. Nd5 Qh4 {Tarrach now played 15.Ra3 and won in a typical instructive Tarrasch style. However written in the margin by me is the following....} 15. Nf5 {Tarrasch mentions this possibilty and gives as best 15...Qd8 pointing out the trick. 15...Qg4 16.Nh6+ and Nf6+ winning the Queen.} 15... Qd8 {The line I have in the margin now runs.} 16. Rxe5 dxe5 17. Qg4 g6 18. Nde7+ Kh8 19. Qg5 f6 20. Nxg6+ Kg8 21. Qh6 Rf7 22. Qg7+ Rxg7 23. Nh6# {Adding another game variation to unheard melodies.}

EVENT	match
SITE	Ch World , Moscow (Russia) (14)
DATE	1954.04.15
ROUND	14
WHITE	Mikhail Botvinnik
BLACK	Vasily Smyslov
RESULT	0-1
WHITEELO	?
BLACKELO	?
ECO	E67
EVENTDATE	?

EVENT	2, Moscow URS ch
SITE	2, Moscow URS ch
DATE	1945.??.??
ROUND	?
WHITE	Vasily Smyslov
BLACK	Iosif Rudakovsky
RESULT	1-0
WHITEELO	?
BLACKELO	?
ECO	B83
EVENTDATE	?

EVENT	Groningen
SITE	Groningen
DATE	1946.08.22
ROUND	8
WHITE	Vasily Smyslov
BLACK	Max Euwe
RESULT	1-0
WHITEELO	?
BLACKELO	?
ECO	C77
EVENTDATE	?

EVENT	Baden Baden
SITE	Baden Baden
DATE	1925.04.25
ROUND	8
WHITE	Richard Reti
BLACK	Alexander Alekhine
RESULT	0-1
WHITEELO	?
BLACKELO	?
ECO	A00
EVENTDATE	?

Only Chess Forum

Who is your favourite player and why?