Annotated chess game: Off The Mark

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ANNOTATED GAME

Off The Mark
Boris Spassky (GM) vs. Mark Taimanov (GM)
Annotated by: last_archimedean

(1564)
Chess opening: Ruy Lopez (C70), Taimanov (chase/wing/accelerated counterthrust) variation

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Notes by R. N. Coles.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5 5. Bb3 Na5	A very old line, inviting 6 B x P ch K x B 7 Kt x P ch.
	2 comments charleshiggie (2224) on 07-Dec-24: White can of course also play 6. Nxe5 here archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: White can choose 6.Nxe5. but that does not necessarily win a pawn: 6...Nxb3 7.axb3 Qg4. If White likes to ramp up the excitement, there is 6.Bxf7+!? Kxf7 7.Nxe5. If then 7...Ke8?, 8.Qh5+! is rather unpleasant for Black.


6. O-O d6 7. d4 Nxb3 8. axb3 f6	Borrowing an idea from the Steinitz Defense Deferred in order to maintain his K 4.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: As Black chose not to exchange on d5 the move earlier, it would make little sense to do so now. Normally a move to avoid making, here ...f6 is OK, as White lacks the White square bishop to exploit the light squares. Now we see the purpose of Black's exchange on b3. If now, 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8, the game would be about even, but with neither side having much leverage with which to create dynamic imbalances.


9. Nc3 Bb7 10. Nh4 Ne7 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Qf3 Qd7	An attempt to contest the white squares.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: Perhaps a better square from which to do so would have been c8 - safe from molestation by a White rook.


13. Rd1 Qe6 14. Be3 g5	Safer was 14... P - Kt 3 15 B - B 5 B - Kt 2.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: (??) Why is 14...g5 a blunder and not ...g6? The reason is that classic light-square diagonal: h5-e8. Black suddenly finds himself with a losing game. (One wonders if perhaps GM Taimanov was about to play ...g6 and bethought himself as he picked up the pawn: 'Why not one square further?')


15. Nxb5	A sharp shock for Black.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: Shuh-ZAM!! The beginning of a material-winning combination!


15... axb5 16. Qh5+ Qf7	On 16... Kt - Kt 3, White plays 17 R x R ch B x R 18 Kt x Kt.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: Or... 16....Ng6 17.Nxg6 hxg6 18.Qxg6+ Qf2 (18...Ke7, 19.Bc4+) 19.Rxa8+ Bxa8 20.Rd8+ etc. White fetches up with Queen and a whole bunch of extra pawns for Rook and Bishop.


17. Rxa8+ Bxa8 18. Rd8+ Kxd8 19. Qxf7 gxh4	Black's pieces have sufficient value but insufficient co-ordination for successful resistance.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: Black has rook and two minor pieces for the queen and two pawns. But the tangled Black pieces have very little mobility at the moment.


20. Qxf6 Rg8 21. f3 h3 22. g3 Ke8 23. Qxe5	White initiates a tactical sequence...
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: 21.f3 was an odd choice, it seems to me. 21.Qxh4 would have protected the vital spots betimes. Not that it matters: Black is in a straitjacket, struggling to break out.


23... Rg6 24. Qxb5+ Bc6 25. Qb8+ Kf7 26. Qxc7	...which destroys Black's pawns.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: Rook, knight and bishop are no match for a queen and a million pawns.


26... Rf6 27. Bg5 Re6	If 27... R x P, White has 28 B x Kt B x B 29 Q x QB.



28. b4	This passed pawn is now a serious threat.



28... Kg8 29. Qb8 Ng6 30. Kf2 Ne5 31. b5	Black will have trouble defending against this pawn.



31... Be8 32. Be3 Bd6 33. Qc8 Kf7 34. b6	The pawn marches inexorably onwards.



34... Rf6 35. Bf4 Bd7 36. b7	The final blow.



36... Be6 37. Bxe5 Bxe5 38. b8=Q Bxc8 39. Qxe5	Black resigns.
	3 comments charleshiggie (2224) on 07-Dec-24: Nice annotation, thanks for making and sharing last_archimedean (1564) on 07-Dec-24: It was my pleasure. archduke_piccolo (2332) on 08-Dec-24: Rather a drastic demonstration of the decisive consequence of a single, seemingly insignificant, misjudgment. Fine presentation!