[Event "USSR Championship (Baku)"] [Site "?"] [Date "1961.??.??"] [Round "15"] [White "Nezhmetdinov"] [Black "Tal"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B84"] [PlyCount "57"] [EventDate "1961.??.??"] {This game is analysed on Agadmator's Chess Channel on YouTube. The fearless attacking player, Rashid Nezhmetdinov (1912-74), had a combined plus score against the world champions he faced, including +3 -1 against Mikhail Tal. This is the best known of his wins against Tal. The annotations to this game, by R. G. Nezhmetdinov, are from Shakhmaty v SSSR (No.3, 1962). The translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin. It can be found on his excellent blog on Soviet-era chess at https://dgriffinchess.wordpress.com/ and is reproduced here with his kind permission. The annotations to this game, by R. G. Nezhmetdinov, are from Shakhmaty v SSSR (? 3, 1962.) The translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin. It can be found on his excellent blog on Soviet-era chess at https:// dgriffinchess.wordpress.com/ and is reproduced here with his kind permission.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 Nbd7 {One does not question tastes, but to me more reliable appears 6...Nc6 followed by an exchange at d4 and ... Bc8–d7–c6, which permits Black to take aim at the important d4–square.} 7. O-O a6 ({Also possible was} 7... Nc5 {, forcing White to transfer the bishop to f3, and thereby obstructing the path of the f-pawn. The ex-World Champion prefers a sharper path to the struggle.}) 8. f4 Qc7 9. g4 {The idea of this move is to establish control over the central squares e4 and d5.} b5 10. a3 ({The e4–square must be held at all costs. The 'active'} 10. g5 b4 11. gxf6 bxc3 {was clearly to Black's advantage.}) 10... Bb7 11. Bf3 Nc5 { Intending the plan of taking control of the central squares f4 and d4, Black loses valuable tempi and does not have time to remove his king from the danger zone. In my opinion the plan associated with ...h7–h6 and then ...Nd7–b6, employed against me by V. Zhilin RSFSR Championship, 1958), deserves greater attention.} ({One may also recommend} 11... e5 {, on which White ought to withdraw the knight to e2.} 12. Nde2 Nc5 13. Ng3 exf4 14. Bxf4 Nfd7 15. Nf5 Ne5 16. Ne3 {a lively struggle for the centre begins, in which White all the same has the better prospects.}) 12. Qe2 e5 ({The bold counter-blow in the centre - } 12... d5 13. exd5 O-O-O {will not do in view of} 14. b4 {with advantage for White.}) ({B. Spassky suggested} 12... Nfd7 {which, evidently, is better.}) 13. Nf5 g6 ({Here too} 13... Nfd7 {was necessary. Admittedly, it must be noted that in this case after} 14. Nd5 {White's initiative is highly dangerous.} exf4 ) 14. fxe5 dxe5 15. Nh6 $1 {This knight on the edge of the board soon becomes one of the main attacking pieces.} ({Nothing is given by} 15. Bg5 {since after 15...} Ncd7 16. Ne3 Bc5 {all of the danger for Black is behind him.}) 15... Ne6 16. Bg2 $1 {The exchange of this bishop cannot be permitted!} Bg7 ({After} 16... Nf4 17. Bxf4 exf4 18. e5 {matters for Black would have been altogether bad, for example:18...} Bxh6 ({or} 18... Nd7 19. e6 Bxh6 20. exd7+ Kf8 21. Bxb7 Qxb7 22. Qe5 Kg8 23. g5) 19. exf6+ Kf8 20. Qe7+ $1) {Black's position has seemingly been consolidated. Now he intends to remove his king. But at just this moment, sacrificing the exchange, White begins the decisive attack.} 17. Rxf6 $1 Bxf6 18. Nd5 Qd8 ({In the case of} 18... Bxd5 19. exd5 Nd4 20. Qf2 Qb6 21. g5 Ne2+ 22. Kf1 Qxf2+ 23. Kxf2 Nxc1 24. gxf6 {White has a material advantage sufficient for victory.}) 19. Qf2 Nf4 ({The variation} 19... Bxd5 20. exd5 Nf4 21. Bxf4 exf4 22. Qxf4 Qb6+ 23. Kh1 O-O-O 24. c3 Rhe8 25. g5 Be7 26. Nxf7 {was all the same the lesser of the evils.}) 20. Bxf4 exf4 ({It was still possible to go over to the above variation with} 20... Bxd5) 21. e5 $1 Bxe5 ({ An interesting position arose after} 21... Bh4 22. Qd4 Rf8 23. Rd1 {and Black has no useful moves.}) 22. Re1 f6 23. Nxf6+ $1 {A concluding sacrifice, permanently demolishing the defensive structure around the black king.} Qxf6 24. Qd4 {White has a rook less, but Black is defenceless.} Kf8 25. Rxe5 Qd8 ( 25... Rd8 26. Re8+ $1) 26. Rf5+ gxf5 27. Qxh8+ Ke7 28. Qg7+ Ke6 29. gxf5+ { (Translator’s note: Here an editorial note indicates that this game was awarded a special prize, as the best in the tournament.)} 1-0