Annotated chess game: Sent Pach-ing

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ANNOTATED GAME

Sent Pach-ing
Ludek Pachman (GM) vs. Tigran Petrosyan (GM)
Annotated by: last_archimedean

(1564)
Chess opening: English opening (A15)

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Notes by R. N. Coles.

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Nc3 g6 5. e4 Bxf3 6. Qxf3 Nfd7	To guard against P - K 5.



7. e5 Nc6 8. exd6 Nxd4	8.. B P x P would yield an equal position.



9. Qe4 e5 10. dxc7 Qxc7 11. Nd5	Hoping to exploit the black squares on the K-side.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: I looks as though the our pal, and well known theoretician, Ludek Pachman is indulging himself in a light-hearted skirmishing action in this game.


11... Qd6 12. Bf4	To answer 12... Kt - Q B 4 with 13 Q x P ch.



12... Ne6 13. Be3 Bg7 14. O-O-O	The threats of Kt - B 6 ch and Kt - Kt 6 appear to force a defensive move by Black's Queen.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: White's position on the queen's side of the board looks a bit porous, but castling on this wing looks to be justified by tactical considerations. E.g. 14...Qc6, say, is met by 15.Qh4, with a mate threat, or 14...Qa6 15.Kb1 Qa4 16.b3 ... and Black is finding it hard to get castled.


14... O-O 15. Nb6 Qxd1+ 16. Kxd1 axb6	The Queen sacrifice has energized Black's game.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: One wonders if a fair amount of midnight oil was burned considering this line.


17. a3 Ndc5 18. Qc2 e4 19. f3	B - K 2 was a better option.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: Possibly even better would have been 19.Ke1. Black would, after 19...Na5, pick up the Q-side pawns, but, meanwhile White would be castling long-hand on the K-side, with a reasonable game.


19... Rad8+ 20. Ke1	The alternative was 20 K - B 1 Kt - Q 6 ch 21 B x Kt P x B 22 Q- Q 2 Kt - B 4, and Black would be threatening Kt - Kt 6 ch.
	2 comments nuntar (1702) on 18-May-25: But the threat is easily countered by 23. BxN and the position seems about equal. archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: It seems possible that 'The Tiger' chose his wrong rook. On a8, there remains the potential to do White some mischief down the a-file. On f8 the K-side rook isn't doing much of anything. Incidentally, there was also something to be said for 19...Na4. After the possible 20.Kc1 (instead of the text), Possibly Black's better option would be 20...Nd4! with this line in mind: 21.Bxd4 Rxd4 22.b4 Nd3+ 23.Bxd3 exd3, and that advanced passed pawn would confer upon Black a big advantage. White's better option would be to let the knight live a bit longer: 21.Qf2, but then comes 21...Ndb3+ 22.Kc2 Na1+ 23.Kc1 Ncb3+ 24.Kb1 Rd1+ with a strong attack in the making. +++++++++++++ In R. Coles's line, White has to play 22.Q-N3, after which he's not doing too badly!


20... Nd4 21. Bxd4 Bxd4 22. fxe4 Nxe4	Opening another central file.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: But 'El Tigre' hasn't made the best of his chances in the last two or three of moves. Instead of 20...Nd4, how about building up the array of threats by 20...Rfe8, instead? Or, 21...Rxd4 instead of 21...Bxd4? Or, finally, 22...Rfe8 instead of 22...Nxe4?! Now, in this diagram position, after 23.Qxe4! White would still be in the game: 23...Rfe8 24.Qxe8+ Rxe8+ 25.Be2 Bxb2 26.a4 ... White's defensive chances would then have lain in the bishops of opposite colours.


23. Be2 Rfe8 24. Rf1 Re7 25. Rf3 Rde8 26. Rd3	To answer 26... Kt - Kt 4 with 27 R x B R x B ch 28 Q x R R x Q ch 29 K x R, coming out the Exchange ahead.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: Instead of 25...Rde8, Black had an interesting tactical shot in 25...Bg1! 26.h3 Bh2, with the threat of ...Bg3+ together with attacks down the centre files. After 25...Bg1 26.g3 Bxh2, Black would be able to clear out the K-side pawns, with a terrific game.


26... Bg1 27. h3 Bh2	White must now save his Bishop.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: 27..Bf2+ was also strong.


28. Bf3 Bg3+ 29. Kd1 Nf2+ 30. Kd2 Bf4+ 31. Kc3 Nxd3	Black pauses the King-hunt for a move to win the Exchange.
	1 comment nuntar (1702) on 18-May-25: Nicely timed. 30... NxR would be much less effective; now White is forced to recapture with the king.


32. Kxd3 Re7e3+ 33. Kd4 Bh6	Threatening 34... B - Kt 2 ch 35 K - Q 5 R - Q 1 mate.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: Equally strong would have been 33...Bd6, eyeing ...Bc5.


34. c5 b5 35. Bxb7 Bg7+ 36. Kd5 Re8e6	Overwhelmed by difficulties, White lost on time. But after 37 P - B 6 R(6) - K 4 ch 38 K - Q 4 R - K 7 dis ch, White would have to resign anyway, as his Queen is lost.
	2 comments nuntar (1702) on 18-May-25: The annotator overlooks a mate in two: 38... R-KB4ch 39. K-Q3 R-Q4 mate. archduke_piccolo (2332) on 19-May-25: White was busted anyhow, owing to Black's stranglehold on the centre squares. E.g.: 37.Qd2 R3e5+ 38 Kd4 Re2+ 39.Kd3 Rxd2 ... and the extra rook wins.