Annotated chess game: Soviet preliminary tournament, 1969

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ANNOTATED GAME

Soviet preliminary tournament, 1969
Dimitriy Ostapenko (IM) vs. Pavel Jarchev (IM)
Annotated by: last_archimedean

(1564)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B58), classical

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This highly theoretically important game needs to be posted. The annotations below are by Andy Soltis and Nick de Firmian [independently.]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4	The Sozin Sicilian, a line that regained popularity in the 1960's as the Richter-Rauzer attack was analyzed to seeming exhaustion.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 25-Jun-14: During the late 1950s Bobby Fischer was a big fan of this line.


6... e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qe2	A relatively new idea, the Velimirovic attack leads to very sharp play.



8... O-O 9. Bb3 Qc7 10. O-O-O a6 11. Rhg1	An excellent move, taking away Black's primary drawing resource [11... NxN] and avoiding early endgames.
	2 comments stalhandske (2251) on 25-Jun-14: I think (at this time I have not checked even who will win the game!) white plays far too passively. archduke_piccolo (2355) on 25-Jun-14: I do not believe there is any passive intent behind Rhg1. But I do think some explanation is due to why this move rules 11...Nxd4 out of court. I suspect it has to do with the convergence of the g-file and the dark long diagonal at g7. The g-pawn is to be thrown forward sharpish.


11... b5	At the time this game was played, this was considered the sharpest move.



12. g4 b4 13. Nxc6 Qxc6 14. Nd5	Based on the weakness of the long diagonal.
	2 comments stalhandske (2251) on 25-Jun-14: 12....b4 is a mistake. A "cool" 12....Na5 had been much better! archduke_piccolo (2355) on 25-Jun-14: I imagine that in 1969, the superiority of 12...Na5 over ...b4 had yet to be discovered.


14... exd5 15. g5	The only way to continue the attack.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 25-Jun-14: But this really is the 'raison d'etre' of the Rhg1 move.


15... dxe4	Considered the best move, both then and now.
	2 comments stalhandske (2251) on 25-Jun-14: But it is not! 15....Qb5 had kept the game balanced archduke_piccolo (2355) on 25-Jun-14: I would have thought that after 15...Qb5, 16.Qxb5 axb5 17.gxf6 Bxf8 18.Bxd5 would have left White with a marginal edge at least.


16. gxf6 Bxf6 17. Bd5	Splitting Black's forces.



17... Qa4	It was thought at the time this was played that Black stood well. If 18 BxR. 18... B-K3! 19 B-Q4 BxB 20 RxB QxRP is good for Black.
	1 comment stalhandske (2251) on 25-Jun-14: This position is more or less won by white


18. Qh5 Be6	Black has no choice (18... P-N3? 19 RxP ch! RPxR 20 QxP ch B-N2 21 B-Q4!)
	1 comment stalhandske (2251) on 25-Jun-14: 18. Bg5 may have been even stronger


19. Rxg7+ Bxg7 20. Rg1 Rfc8 21. Rxg7+ Kxg7	If 21... K-B1, 22 RxP ch forces mate.



22. Qh6+ Kg8 23. Bxe4	Here is the quiet move. White stops the mate on his QB2 and takes aim at KR7. A few variations will show the depth of White's conception: (a) 23... RxP ch 24 BxR R-QB1 25 QxP ch K-B-1 26 Q-R8 ch K-K2 27 B-N5 ch K-Q2 28 QxR ch Any 29 BxQ. (b) 23... QxP ch 24 BxQ B-B4 25 B-Q4 RxB ch 26 K-Q1 P-B3 27 QxBP and wins. (c) 23... R-B4 24 BxP ch K-R1 25 B-B5 ch K-N1 26 B-Q4 R-K4 27 BxR PxB 28 Q-R7 ch K-B1 29 BxB PxB 30 Q-R8 ch and after winning the Rook White has the better of the Q and P ending.



23... b3	This sets up counterplay based on ...PxRP.
	1 comment stalhandske (2251) on 25-Jun-14: The best move!


24. Bxh7+ Kh8 25. Bf5+ Kg8 26. Qh7+	Going for the jugular.



26... Kf8 27. Bh6+ Ke8 28. Qg8+ Ke7	Black is trying to avoid walking into a pin.



29. Bg5+ Kd7 30. Qxf7+ Kc6 31. Bxe6	Here Black is lost despite the lively appearance of his position. On 31... QxP, for example, White wins by 32 Q-Q7 ch K-N3 33 B-K3 ch K-R4 34 B-Q2 ch K-N3 35 QxP ch R-B3 36 B-K3 ch K-N2 37 Q-Q7 ch R-B2 38 B-Q5 ch K-N1 39 Q-Q8 ch R-B1 40 Q-N6 mate. Another way to go is 31... R-B2 32 B-Q5 ch K-N3 33 B-K3 ch R-B4 34 Q-N7 ch K-R4 35 B-Q2 ch winning everything. The Bishops are sheer murder.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 25-Jun-14: This is the sort of game where the bishop pair really are mighty servants of the Lord.


31... Kb6 32. Be3+ Ka5	There is no longer any viable defense.



33. Bxc8 Rxc8 34. Qf5+ Rc5 35. Bxc5 Qb5	The only practical try.



36. Bb4+	36 RPxP was good enough, but this simplification ends all Black's potential counterplay.



36... Kxb4 37. a3+ Kc4 38. Qxb5+ axb5 39. cxb3+ Kd3 40. Kd1	White seizes the opposition. Black resigns at once, as the K and P ending is hopeless.