[Event "URS-ch23 Final"] [Site "Leningrad"] [Date "1956.01.28"] [Round "11"] [White "Tal, Mihail"] [Black "Lisitsin, Georgy M"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B71"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "107"] [Beauty "6735582466567"] [GameId "272191690069"] [EventDate "1956.01.10"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "17"] [EventCountry "URS"] [SourceTitle "URS-ch"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] {[%evp 0,57,25,16,58,64,85,62,53,33,33,36,59,44,33,15,15,14,18,17,4,2,-20,-29,-27,-43,-11,-77,-58,-129,-87,-105,-66,-51,-51,-53,-44,-51,-37,-63,-52,-33,-58,-51,-57,-68,-45,-77,-71,-51,-67,-81,-80,-88,-68,-74,-77,-63,-63,-32]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. f4 Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5 Nd7 9. exd6 exd6 10. Be3 Be7 11. Qf3 d5 12. O-O-O Bf6 13. Bd4 O-O 14. h4 Rb8 15. Qf2 Rb4 16. Bxf6 Nxf6 17. a3 Qb6 18. Qxb6 Rxb6 19. Na4 $1 {A good move, aiming to blockade on c5.} Rb7 20. Bd3 Nh5 21. Rhf1 Re7 22. f5 $1 {Wrecking Black's pawn structure and hemming in his bishop.} gxf5 23. Rfe1 $1 {Contesting the file.} Rfe8 24. Rxe7 Rxe7 25. Kd2 $1 {The king is headed to Black's half of the queenside, where it will ransack Black's weak pawns.} Ng3 26. Kc3 f4 27. Kd4 Bf5 28. Rd2 Re6 29. Nc5 Rh6 30. Ke5 Bxd3 31. cxd3 Rxh4 32. Kd6 Rh6+ 33. Kc7 Nf5 34. Kb7 Nd4 35. Rf2 a5 36. Rxf4 Ne6 37. Rg4+ Kf8 38. Kxc6 $1 {Not fearing the discovered check.} Nxc5+ 39. Kxc5 Re6 40. Kxd5 {White's king raid was a complete success. The rest is simple.} Rb6 41. b4 axb4 42. axb4 Ke7 43. Kc5 Rf6 44. Rd4 Rf5+ 45. Kb6 Rf6+ 46. Kc7 Rf5 47. Re4+ Kf6 48. Kc6 Rf2 49. g4 h5 50. gxh5 Kg5 51. b5 f5 52. Rb4 f4 53. b6 f3 54. b7 {A nice, convincing positional victory by Tal...right? See the next entry.} 1-0 [Event "URS-ch23 Final"] [Site "Leningrad"] [Date "1956.01.28"] [Round "11"] [White "Tal, Mihail"] [Black "Lisitsin, Georgy M"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B71"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "107"] [Beauty "6735582466567"] [GameId "272191690069"] [EventDate "1956.01.10"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "17"] [EventCountry "URS"] [SourceTitle "URS-ch"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] {[%evp 0,35,27,23,64,68,67,57,61,33,36,33,59,33,15,14,14,18,4,19,-3,-17,-25,-43,-47,-44,-20,-83,-87,-112,-105,-78,-50,-61,-61,-69,-37,-30]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. f4 {The Levenfish System isn't particularly dangerous for Black, provided he avoids a well-known trap.} Nc6 $1 $11 (6... Bg7 $6 7. e5 dxe5 (7... Nh5 {is usual, though not necessarily better than 7...dxe5.} 8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Qe2 $14 ({The usual} 9. e6 {is less good.})) 8. fxe5 Ng4 $2 {is the trap.} (8... Nfd7 9. e6 {looks unpleasant, but apparently it's not such a big deal after} Ne5 10. exf7+ Kxf7 $14 {followed by ...Rf8 and ...Kg8.}) 9. Bb5+ {wins:} Nc6 $1 (9... Bd7 $2 10. Qxg4 $18) (9... Kf8 $4 10. Ne6+ {followed by 11.Qxd8+/#.}) 10. Nxc6 Qxd1+ 11. Nxd1 a6 $1 (11... bxc6 12. Bxc6+ $18) 12. Ba4 Bd7 {Black *almost* escapes, but not quite.} 13. h3 $1 Nh6 14. Nxe7 $1 Bxa4 (14... Kxe7 15. Bg5+ Ke8 16. Nc3 $18) 15. Nd5 $18) 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5 Nd7 9. exd6 (9. Qf3 $142) 9... exd6 10. Be3 (10. Qd4 $142) 10... Be7 11. Qf3 $6 (11. Qd2 $142) 11... d5 $15 {/? White's position is already unpleasant.} 12. O-O-O $6 Bf6 $6 (12... O-O $17 {was better, waiting to see if it's the knight or the bishop that should go to f6. Other constructive moves include ...Qa5 and ...Rb8.}) 13. Bd4 {There aren't a lot of games to reach the position after 12...Bf6 - 10 of them - but they all played this very natural move. The engine points out a startling alternative, one it would take a Tal to find.} (13. Bb5 $3 {A move very much in the great Latvian's style, prioritizing development while looking to blast open the center while Black's king is still there (see the note to Black's 12th move!) and his pieces are generally underdeveloped.} Bb7 {Forced.} (13... cxb5 $2 14. Nxd5 Bxb2+ $8 (14... Bg7 15. Qe4+ Kf8 16. Qb4+ Ke8 (16... Kg8 {There's no smothered mate here, but White wins the queen and the game after} 17. Ne7+ Kf8 18. Nc6+ $18 ({Or} 18. Nxc8+ Kg8 19. Ne7+ Kf8 20. Nxg6+ Kg8 21. Ne7+ Kf8 22. Nc6+ Kg8 23. Nxd8 Rxd8 24. Qe7 Bf6 25. Qxf6 Nxf6 26. Rxd8+ Kg7 27. Rxh8 Kxh8 28. Bd4 $18 {, but analyzing such positions is silly.})) 17. Rhe1 $18 {is obviously catastrophic for Black.}) 15. Kxb2 O-O 16. Nb4 Rb8 17. Rhe1 $1 Bb7 18. Qh3 Qe7 19. Bd2 Be4 $8 20. Rxe4 $1 Qxe4 21. Qxd7 $18 {The game goes on, but White should eventually win.}) (13... Bxc3 $2 14. Bxc6 Bxb2+ 15. Kxb2 Rb8+ 16. Ka1 O-O 17. Bxd5 $18 {White should manage to defend his king without much trouble, so the bishop pair and extra pawn should decide the game.}) 14. Bd3 $1 $11 {The position is very sharp, obviously. You might be wondering what's the point of first moving the bishop to b5 and only next going to d3. There are two points, actually. The first is that on b7 Black's bishop blocks the b-file, and a Black rook on b8 poses far more danger to White's king than the bishop on b7. Second, the knight on d7 is less secure with the bishop on b7 - have a look at the following line, and compare it to the similar line given after 13.Bd3.} O-O 15. h4 $1 d4 16. h5 $1 dxe3 $2 (16... Qe7 $142 17. hxg6 hxg6 (17... Qxe3+ 18. Qxe3 dxe3 19. gxf7+ Rxf7 $8 20. Bc4 Nb6 21. Bxf7+ Kxf7 22. Ne4 Ba6 $1 $11)) 17. hxg6 hxg6 18. Qh3 Re8 19. Bc4 Bg7 $2 (19... Re7 20. Rd6 $16 {/+-}) 20. Rxd7 $18) (13. Bd3 $2 O-O $19 14. h4 $2 d4 15. h5 dxe3 16. hxg6 hxg6 17. Qh3 Re8 18. Bc4 Bg7 $19) 13... O-O $15 14. h4 $2 {Too slow.} (14. f5 $15) 14... Rb8 $2 {Right idea, wrong execution.} (14... Bxd4 $1 15. Rxd4 Rb8 {Threatening ...Qb6 either immediately or after 16...Rxb2. (Thus 13.Bb5!! Bb7 14.Bd3!, keeping Black's rook out of the action.)} 16. Qf2 Nf6 $17 {/-+ Black's pieces flow to perfect squares, while White is left trying to avoid defeat in the next 5-6 moves.}) 15. Qf2 $1 $15 Rb4 16. Bxf6 Nxf6 17. a3 Qb6 (17... Rb8 $142 {was better, but if you've seen the king of chess Tal played in his youth it's easy to understand Black wanting to get the queens off the board.}) 18. Qxb6 Rxb6 $11 {/?} 19. Na4 {An okay move, and the idea of occupying c5 is certainly natural. But there was better.} (19. Be2 $142 {Nothing special, of course, but White needs to finish his development before bothering with the blockading Na4-c5. He'll put the h-rook on e1 and play Bf3, and then he'll take it from there.}) 19... Rb7 (19... Rb8 $142 $15) 20. Bd3 (20. Re1 $142 {should have been played, thwarting Black's plan to double his rooks on the e-file.}) 20... Nh5 $1 21. Rhf1 Re7 $15 {/?} 22. f5 $1 {It is a good move, serving the primarily prophylactic function of sidestepping Black's threat to double rooks on the e-file and play ...Bg4.} gxf5 (22... Ng3 23. f6 Re6 24. Rf3 Nh5 25. Rdf1 Rfe8 {followed by ...Re5 and ...Bg4 was a good, amusing alternative.}) 23. Rfe1 $6 (23. Rde1 $142 {was better. If Black takes on e1, White gets the file; if he doesn't, then White trades and keeps the rook on f1 eyeing the f5-pawn.}) 23... Rfe8 $17 24. Rxe7 Rxe7 25. Kd2 $2 (25. c4 {was much better, a one-pawn version of the minority attack. White needs to activate his pieces and give them targets.}) 25... Ng3 $19 {The narrative one gets from the Chernev book would run something like this: Black has an extra pawn, but the doubled f-pawn is garbage. His pawns are weak in general, he has no control over the dark squares, and White's king is now going to run up the board and wreak havoc. The truth? White's position is terrible, and if Black makes a few accurate moves here he'll win. Black's extra pawn isn't useless, he controls the open file, he's at least as well centralized, and he can target White's kingside pawns.} 26. Kc3 {Every other sensible move would be met by 26...Ne4+, which takes White's king march off the table.} f4 (26... Re6 {was better, heading for White's h-pawn.} 27. Kd4 Kg7 28. b4 Rh6 29. Re1 Ne4 30. Rh1 Rg6 31. Rh2 Kf6 $19) 27. Kd4 Bf5 $6 (27... Bg4 $1 28. Ra1 Bf5 $19) 28. Rd2 $1 {Now Black can't ransack White's pawns with 28...Bxd3 followed by 29...Re2.} (28. Kc5 {shows another point of 27...Bg4. After} Bxd3 $2 {White can activate his rook.} (28... Re6 $142 $19) 29. Rxd3 $15) 28... Re6 $2 (28... Kg7 $142 $1 29. Nc5 $2 {This time it doesn't come with tempo, so Black can play} (29. Nc3) 29... Bxd3 30. Nxd3 (30. cxd3 Ne2+ $19) (30. Rxd3 $4 Ne2#) 30... Re4+ 31. Kc5 $2 Rc4+ 32. Kd6 Ne4+ $19) 29. Nc5 $15 Rh6 (29... Re8 $142 $15) 30. Ke5 $44 {Only now is White fully okay.} Bxd3 31. cxd3 Rxh4 32. Kd6 (32. Rf2 $142 $11) 32... Rh6+ (32... Nf5+ 33. Kxc6 Rh2 34. Nb3 $1 {The only move not to lose.} Nh4 35. Kxd5 Rxg2 36. Rxg2+ Nxg2 37. Ke4 {The ending should be drawn, as both sides will probably need to do a little bloodletting of their pawn majorities to neutralize their opponents' passers.}) 33. Kc7 Nf5 (33... Rh2 34. Rf2 $8 f3 35. Rxf3 Rxg2 36. Kxc6 h5 37. Kxd5 h4 38. Ne4 $8 $11) 34. Kb7 Nd4 $6 (34... Rh2 35. Rf2 $1 Kg7 36. Rxf4 Kg6 37. Rf2 Nd4 $11) 35. Rf2 $1 {Otherwise White is in serious trouble.} (35. Kxa7 $4 Rh2 $19 {leaves White without a good defense to ...f3. Black's knight prevents Nb3, and if White plays 36.Rf2 the knight protects the pawn when it moves to f3.}) 35... a5 $2 {Black played very well overall through move 25, but he has been drifting over the last 10 moves. His position was so good that even after all those inaccuracies and errors he still had equality until this move.} ({Black really needs to play} 35... Rh2 {, and this is his last chance to do so.} 36. Rxf4 Ne6 {should still save the game.}) 36. Rxf4 $18 {Now, Black has no counterplay on the kingside; soon, he will have no pawns on the queenside.} Ne6 37. Rg4+ $1 (37. Nxe6 $2 Rxe6 $11 {and the coming ...Re2 gives Black enough counterplay.}) 37... Kf8 38. Kxc6 {There's no meaningful discovered check, as White's knight on c5 and pawns on d3 and g2 are all protected.} Nxc5+ 39. Kxc5 Re6 40. Kxd5 Rb6 41. b4 axb4 42. axb4 {White's b-pawn will decide the game.} Ke7 43. Kc5 Rf6 44. Rd4 $1 {Good technique, cutting off Black's king.} Rf5+ 45. Kb6 Rf6+ 46. Kc7 Rf5 47. Re4+ $1 {Again, good technique.} Kf6 (47... Kf8 {leaves f6 available to the rook, albeit at the cost of further slowing any (purely hypothetical) kingside counterplay.}) 48. Kc6 {The point of the last comment is that White can now play 49.b5 next, as Black can't bother White's king with 48...Rf6+ (the trick Black used back on move 45).} Rf2 49. g4 ({There's nothing wrong with finishing things off with} 49. b5 Rxg2 50. b6 (50. Rb4)) 49... h5 50. gxh5 Kg5 {Black's counterplay with the f-pawn is way too slow, but there's nothing else to try.} 51. b5 f5 52. Rb4 f4 53. b6 f3 54. b7 1-0