[Event "GotM #57"]
[Site "Chelyabinsk"]
[Date "1946.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gusev, Yuri S"]
[Black "Averbakh"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B72"]
[Annotator "Connaughton, Ken"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "1946.??.??"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
1. e4 c5 {Sicilian Defense} 2. Nf3 {Open Sicilian} d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5.
Nc3 g6 {Dragon Variation} 6. Be2 Nc6 7. Nb3 Bg7 8. O-O Be6 9. f4 {[%csl Ge4,
Gf4][%CAl Gf4f5,Ge4e5] [#] White will push forward annexing space.} Rc8 10. f5
$5 {An energetic move, but not an infallible one. Black must respond in kind,
with energy. White intends to smother him and he must break the ropes before
he is bound.} Bd7 (10... gxf5 {to weaken and eventually destroy the pawns was
the better route.}) 11. g4 $5 {[%CAl Rg4g5,Rc3d5] [#] This is the logical
continuation of White's plan. White wants to constrict Black's space, leaving
his pieces with no activity. Meanwhile White's own pieces would have the
freedom of the board and he need not worry about his open Kingside as Black
would not be in a position to attack.} Ne5 {Designed to blockade but will
prove ineffective against the rolling pawn mass. He has missed his last chance
to prevail in the battle for space.} (11... h6 {would defend g5.}) (11... gxf5
{was also much better than the text move.}) 12. g5 {Now that White's dubious
plan was not nipped in the bud, he has a great advantage, but still there is
work to be done to construct a winning plan.} Ng8 {A sad but necessary retreat.
} 13. Nd5 {[%csl Gd5]} (13. f6 exf6 14. Qxd6 {was also possible.}) 13... f6 {
He tries to halt the advance but the Kingside now becomes a prison for most of
his pieces. They will become entombed.} (13... gxf5 {to break out was his best
try.}) 14. Be3 b6 $2 {He defends a7 but there were more important things to do.
} (14... fxg5 15. Bxa7 Nc4 16. Bxc4 Rxc4) 15. Nd4 Kf7 {[%CAl Ye7e6,Yg8e7,Yh8e8]
Hoping to eventually release his pieces into action but his plan is too slow
and White won't allow it.} 16. c3 {[%CAl Rd1b3] Important move, solidifying
his citadel on the c-file and giving the White Queen access to the crucial
a2-g8 diagonal.} Qe8 17. Ne6 {[#] White trades off his strong Knight for one
of Black's less impressive pieces. He won't allow his opponent room to breathe.
} Bxe6 18. fxe6+ Kf8 {[%csl Rg7,Rg8,Rh8] Black's pieces are horrible and have
no future. How though can White break open the prison to execute the chief
prisoner?} (18... Kxe6 $4 19. Qb3 Kd7 20. Qa4+ Rc6 21. Qxa7+ {is clearly not
feasible for Black.}) 19. Nxf6 $1 (19. Qb3 {was just as good.}) 19... Nxf6 (
19... exf6 $2 {is crushed by} 20. Qxd6+ Qe7 21. Qxe5) 20. gxf6 Bxf6 (20... exf6
{again runs into} 21. Qxd6+) 21. Bh6+ Kg8 22. Rxf6 $1 {to prevent ...Bg7} exf6
23. Qxd6 Rc6 {and it seems that e6 will fall and Black may even begin to sort
out his chronic problems. But White comes up with one of the most genius
positional sacrifices in the history of chess. His retention of his positional
supremacy is much more important than any material considerations.} 24. Qxe5 $3
{[#] Yes he sacrifices the Queen to prevent Black from freeing up his pieces.}
fxe5 {[%csl Rf7,Rf8,Rg7][%CAl Re6f7,Rh6g7,Rh6f8]} 25. Rf1 $1 {This makes f8 a
mating square. Black has a sizeable material advantage, a Queen and Rook for
two Bishops and a pawn.Yet White has the whip hand, all of his pieces are
working hard while Black's are remarkably ineffective. The h8-Rook and the
King will never escape from the corner. The Queen is forced to babysit f8 lest
the White Rook swoops to give #. Black's best piece, the c6-Rook has no way to
create problems for White on it's own. Even the e6-pawn can't be taken or Bc4
will deal a swift and terrible punishment.} Rc8 {To avoid getting pinned by
Bb5.} (25... Qxe6 $4 26. Rf8#) (25... Rxe6 $4 26. Bc4 Qe7 27. Bxe6+ Qxe6 (27...
Qf7 28. Bxf7#) 28. Rf8#) 26. Bd1 $1 {[%CAl Rd1b3] [#] with many possibilities.}
Rc4 {Black must give up his only free piece for the mighty Bishop.} 27. Bb3 b5
28. Bxc4 $6 {Maybe not the best path to victory. It allows Black some
resources to hold the position with perfect defense.} (28. a4 $3 {was the move
to create a passed pawn that the Queen could not block along the dark diagonal.
} a6 {Forced.} 29. axb5 axb5 30. Rf2 Qe7 31. Ba2 Qa7 32. b4 {Preparing for
life after the Rook and Bishop are inevitably exchanged.} g5 33. Kf1 {[%CAl
Rf2f8]} (33. Bxc4 $2 {Not the right time, Black can draw.} bxc4 34. Kg2 Qxf2+
$3 35. Kxf2 g4 36. b5 g3+ $1 {The plan is stalemate and White can't avoid it.}
37. Kg2 gxh2 38. Kxh2 {Black can't move, it's stalemate.} (38. Kh1 {Again
stalemate.})) 33... Qe7 34. Bxc4 bxc4 {[%CAl Rb4b5,Rb5b6,Rb6b7,Rb7b8] And now
the Queen stop the passer without leaving the dark diagonal. Win for White.})
28... bxc4 {As before, despite his material advantage, none of Black's pieces
can move. But how does White win?} 29. b3 {He creates a second weakness.} a5 (
29... cxb3 $1 30. axb3 a5 $1 {[%CAl Ra5b4,Ye8e7,Ye7c5] would enable Black to
stop the c-pawn on c5.}) 30. bxc4 Qe7 {Black can only wait.} 31. Kg2 {So the
Queen can't give check while taking on c5.} Qa3 {e8 is no longer available to
the Black Queen, she must remain permanently on this dark diagonal to prevent
the c-pawn from advancing.} 32. Rf2 Qe7 {The Queen can't leave the diagonal.
f8 must not be abandoned. It seems as if Black is holding somehow. White has a
problem to find a way to push the pawn. He will have to use his King or get
creative with the Rook to make progress. Either way the way forward to victory
is very difficult.} 33. Rf1 g5 $2 {One mistake too many.} 34. Rf5 {[%csl Rc5,
Rf8,Rg5] Now the Queen is overloaded, needing to defend f8, c5 and now also g5.
A simple pawn advance is now all that's needed to win.} g4 35. c5 {[%CAl Rc5c6,
Rc6c7,Rc7c8] The Queen can't stop the pawn as she must maintain control of the
two mating squares, f8 and g5.} Qd8 (35... Qxc5 36. Rg5#) 36. c6 Qe7 37. c7 {
[%CAl Rf5g5,Rc7c8,Rf5f8] [#] And now Black must resign.} 1-0
