There are so many reminiscences of the past in various spheres of activity. I found it particularly funny when cricket scores were updated in espncricinfo with a retro live theme! And with the dearth of inflow of activity television channels too have decided to resort to re telecasting old programs. In many ways as Chess players and enthusiasts are very fortunate because it is much more feasible and pretty to revisit olden games. The FIDE candidates tournament too had to be stopped due to the current situation, and continuing with the current trend, I thought why not pretend to commentate on a Retro Candidates event? And What better event than the famous Zurich 1953 with the inimitable comments of David Bronstein! Lets delve into the second round duel between Efim Geller and former World Champion Max Euwe. To maintain the purity of time travel I will give below the comments of Bronstein in descriptive notation! For those who are not used to this can check the re playable board given at the end for the currently used Algebraic notation. I have also included some of my observations in italics.
One of the best games in the tournament, and the winner of a beauty prize. White starts a strong Kingside attack by sacrificing his QBP. Geller has every chance of succeeding if Black according to tradition, counterattacks on the Queenside. Euwe however, carries out two remarkable ideas:
1) he makes good use of communication with the Queenside to attack the Kingside, and
2) he lures his opponent's forces deep into his own territory in order to isolate them from the defense of their Kings.
It is extremely interesting to see how White's pieces dig deeper and deeper into their frontal attack on the King while Black regroups circuitously.
Geller-Euwe Round 2 Candidates Zurich 1953
1. P-Q4 N-KB3 2.P-QB4 P-K3 3. N-QB3 B-N5 4. P-K3 P-B4 5. P-QR3 BXN ch 6.PXB P-QN3
7.B-Q3 B-N2 8.P-B3
A small but important detail in the opening: as a result of Black's substitution of P-QN3 and B-N2 for the usual N-QB3 and 0-0, White , who failed to react correctly in time with N-K2, has to spend an extra tempo to prepare P-K4. Such details must never be overlooked, but they should not be overemphasized either. It is sometimes said that White's advantage consists of the first move; if he loses a tempo the advantage should go to Black. In practice, however, White's advantage is that has a greater choice of possible plans to suit his taste; when play is in full swing the loss of a single tempo is not always of great importance.
7.N-K2 !? B-N2 8. N-N3 0-0 9. B-Q3 BXP ( If Black does not capture the K-NP then White need not lose a move with P-KB3) 10.R-KN1 B-N2 11.P-K4 gives White a strong attack.
8....N-B3 9.N-K2 0-0 10. 0-0 N-QR4 11. P-K4 N-K1
Black moves the Knight to avoid the pin B-N5 and to answer P-B4 with ....P-B4, blocking the Kingside. White therefore takes control of KB5 before moving his KBP. Defending the QBP is pointless: it was already doomed by White's 5th move.
12. N-N3 PxP 13. PxP R-B1 14. P-B4 NxP 15. P-B5 P-B3 16. R-B4
White's attack becomes threatening. Black's last move was necessary because White intended to advance his pawn to B6 and to answer .... NxP by pinning the Knight and attacking the King with the combined force of Queen, Rook, and three minor pieces. Now White needs only two moves to transfer his Queen and Rook to the KR file, after which nothing it seems, will save the Black King.
But Euwe is not easily upset, Remember that in his life he played more than seventy games against Alekhine, the most dangerous attacking player of his time.
16.... P-QN4 !
The beginning of a remarkable plan. It is clear that any defensive maneuver on the kingside that depends on pieces without significant scope - R-KB2, Q-K2, etc.- is doomed to fail. But Black has another defensive resource- counterattack! The QB, the QR and the Knight on QB5 occupy good launching positions, and all that remains is to activate the Queen. The basis for counterattack is Black's preponderance on the central squares. With P-QN4 Black reinforces his Knight's position and opens the way for the Queen to N3. Nevertheless, the impression is that these operations will be too late.
With this in mind and the benefit of hindsight, it seems to me that perhaps white could have considered 16.P-QR4. And wouldn't Sultan Khan ,Petrosian or a later day Karpov have played that move as White!?
Continuing this discussion further down, could Black have started with 15.... P-QN4 16. P-B6 NxP
17.B-N5 ( or 17.P-K5 N-Q4) Q-N3
17.R-R4 Q-N3
Pinning the White Queen to the defense of the QP, Black impedes White's plan to play Q-R5. Incidentally if 17.Q-R5 Q-N3 18. N-K2 N-K4 an echo variation arises; White has no time for R-KR4
18. P-K5 NxKP 19. PxP NxB 20. QxN QxP
Each of White's moves requires careful and accurate calculation. Here, for instance the natural 20.PxP would not have worked because of 20...Q-B3.
20.... PxP was an option for Black which seems to improve the structure. However, that is not the priority for Black, his Queen is a key participant in the Whirlwind counter attack that Black unleashes later on in the game, And for that, clearly she needs activity!
21.QxP ch K-B2 22.B-R6 R-KR1
Black's 16th move P-QN4 was the beginning of a strategic plan of counter attack, and the Rook sacrifice is its main tactical blow, aiming to divert White's Queen far from its QB2 and to use that time to attack the King.
The Imagination and the concept of the idea is truly brilliant.As Bronstein has already pointed out, Euwe has a unique experience of playing a lot of games versus Alekhine, and can it not do wonders to one's whole board vision? There were of course various other alternatives in this rich position. For Example
1) 22...Q-Q4 !? 23.R-K4 R-B3 in order to meet 24.QR-K1 with R-K3 and Black has a nice position.
2)22...R-B5( Bronstein's suggestion) perhaps the game can go on with 23.R-KB1 Q-Q4 24.R-K4 RxP 25.R-K2 R-KR5 26.N-B5 and the position remains extremely complex
3) 22...P-N5( is a try with a devious trap in mind for example 23.PxP ? R-KR1!! 24.QxR R-B7 25. P-Q5 BxP 26. R-Q1 RxP ch 27. K-B1 Q-R3 ch wins the game! This is of course based on the defense for White which could have happened in the game) But White can carry on with 23.R-KB1 retaining complex play.
4) 22....R-B6!? is another idea which threatens Q-Q4 and if need be undermine White's control of K4 with a possible RxN in mind. 23.R-KB1 Q-Q4 24. N-K4 K-K2!! and amidst all the Chaos Black might quietly let his monarch run away to safety from the centre of action. And this might tilt the balance in his favour.
23.QxR R-B7
The threat is mate in a few moves... RxP ch, ..... Q-B5 ch, etc. Careful analysis, which required no less than a week, proved that White could avoid the mate by means of a few very difficult only moves. Necessary is 24.P-Q5. If 24...Q-N3 ch 25. K-R1 Q-B7 26. R-KN1 BxP, White is saved by 27.R-K4! If at once 24...BxP, not 25.R-Q4 but only 25.R-Q1 then after 25....RxP ch 26.K-B1 PxB, neither 27.RxP nor 27.RxB is good, but again an "only" move, 27.QxP. Still, Black has a Bishop and two pawns for a Rook, which, considering the exposed position of White's King, gives him good winning chances. Needless to say, there was no practical possibility of Geller's finding all these moves over the board.
Analysts have also demonstrated that the overall idea of .... R-KR1 was premature. R-B5 was better first. Nevertheless, it will be hard for chess lovers to agree. A move like 22....R-KR1 is not easily forgotten.
24. R-QB1 RxP ch 25. K-B1 Q-N6 26. K-K1 Q-KB6 White Resigns
Concluding Thoughts:
Bronstein's comments to this impressive game were no less of a masterpiece than the game itself.
The two most important moments in the game were 16...P-QN4 and 22...R-KR1, both required great imagination and flight of courage, which were both abundantly available to the Chess Artist Max Euwe.
To a certain extent I am also reminded of the 24th Round game between Keres and the eventual winner Smyslov from the same tournament. White would use all his might to attack the King Rook pawn in order to deliver a mate, but finally it amounted to one solitary pawn and better central control of the opponent diffused the attack surprisingly easily.
The position after White's 22nd move is very rich and would definitely enthrall the imagination of many a reader. The variations indicated are only a spark to delve into the position further.
Signing off with respect to Bronstein, Geller and Euwe!
Au Revoir!
With this in mind and the benefit of hindsight, it seems to me that perhaps white could have considered 16.P-QR4. And wouldn't Sultan Khan ,Petrosian or a later day Karpov have played that move as White!?
Continuing this discussion further down, could Black have started with 15.... P-QN4 16. P-B6 NxP
17.B-N5 ( or 17.P-K5 N-Q4) Q-N3
17.R-R4 Q-N3
Pinning the White Queen to the defense of the QP, Black impedes White's plan to play Q-R5. Incidentally if 17.Q-R5 Q-N3 18. N-K2 N-K4 an echo variation arises; White has no time for R-KR4
18. P-K5 NxKP 19. PxP NxB 20. QxN QxP
Each of White's moves requires careful and accurate calculation. Here, for instance the natural 20.PxP would not have worked because of 20...Q-B3.
20.... PxP was an option for Black which seems to improve the structure. However, that is not the priority for Black, his Queen is a key participant in the Whirlwind counter attack that Black unleashes later on in the game, And for that, clearly she needs activity!
21.QxP ch K-B2 22.B-R6 R-KR1
Black's 16th move P-QN4 was the beginning of a strategic plan of counter attack, and the Rook sacrifice is its main tactical blow, aiming to divert White's Queen far from its QB2 and to use that time to attack the King.
The Imagination and the concept of the idea is truly brilliant.As Bronstein has already pointed out, Euwe has a unique experience of playing a lot of games versus Alekhine, and can it not do wonders to one's whole board vision? There were of course various other alternatives in this rich position. For Example
1) 22...Q-Q4 !? 23.R-K4 R-B3 in order to meet 24.QR-K1 with R-K3 and Black has a nice position.
2)22...R-B5( Bronstein's suggestion) perhaps the game can go on with 23.R-KB1 Q-Q4 24.R-K4 RxP 25.R-K2 R-KR5 26.N-B5 and the position remains extremely complex
3) 22...P-N5( is a try with a devious trap in mind for example 23.PxP ? R-KR1!! 24.QxR R-B7 25. P-Q5 BxP 26. R-Q1 RxP ch 27. K-B1 Q-R3 ch wins the game! This is of course based on the defense for White which could have happened in the game) But White can carry on with 23.R-KB1 retaining complex play.
4) 22....R-B6!? is another idea which threatens Q-Q4 and if need be undermine White's control of K4 with a possible RxN in mind. 23.R-KB1 Q-Q4 24. N-K4 K-K2!! and amidst all the Chaos Black might quietly let his monarch run away to safety from the centre of action. And this might tilt the balance in his favour.
23.QxR R-B7
The threat is mate in a few moves... RxP ch, ..... Q-B5 ch, etc. Careful analysis, which required no less than a week, proved that White could avoid the mate by means of a few very difficult only moves. Necessary is 24.P-Q5. If 24...Q-N3 ch 25. K-R1 Q-B7 26. R-KN1 BxP, White is saved by 27.R-K4! If at once 24...BxP, not 25.R-Q4 but only 25.R-Q1 then after 25....RxP ch 26.K-B1 PxB, neither 27.RxP nor 27.RxB is good, but again an "only" move, 27.QxP. Still, Black has a Bishop and two pawns for a Rook, which, considering the exposed position of White's King, gives him good winning chances. Needless to say, there was no practical possibility of Geller's finding all these moves over the board.
Analysts have also demonstrated that the overall idea of .... R-KR1 was premature. R-B5 was better first. Nevertheless, it will be hard for chess lovers to agree. A move like 22....R-KR1 is not easily forgotten.
24. R-QB1 RxP ch 25. K-B1 Q-N6 26. K-K1 Q-KB6 White Resigns
Concluding Thoughts:
Bronstein's comments to this impressive game were no less of a masterpiece than the game itself.
The two most important moments in the game were 16...P-QN4 and 22...R-KR1, both required great imagination and flight of courage, which were both abundantly available to the Chess Artist Max Euwe.
To a certain extent I am also reminded of the 24th Round game between Keres and the eventual winner Smyslov from the same tournament. White would use all his might to attack the King Rook pawn in order to deliver a mate, but finally it amounted to one solitary pawn and better central control of the opponent diffused the attack surprisingly easily.
The position after White's 22nd move is very rich and would definitely enthrall the imagination of many a reader. The variations indicated are only a spark to delve into the position further.
Signing off with respect to Bronstein, Geller and Euwe!
Au Revoir!
A very interesting game! Thank u for your thoughtful comments, GM Kidambi!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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