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Ruslan Ponomariov vs Etienne Bacrot
World Cup (2009), Khanty-Mansiysk RUS, rd 4, Dec-01
Slav Defense: Quiet Variation. Schallopp Defense (D12)  ·  1/2-1/2

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1/2-1/2

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Dec-01-09  GaeBulg: Rybka evals give Ponomariov a +7 during the end game! I guess the winning line may have been too deep to see OTB.
Dec-01-09  Albertan: Yeah GaeBulg, I was playing through the game with Deep Rybka 3 today and my program came to the same conclusion as yours. Ponomariov missed his last chance to win on move 78:

78. Na4 Kd5 79. Kg6 Ne6 80. Kf5 Nf8
81. Nc3+ Kd6 82. Kf6 Nh7+ 83. Kg7 Ng5 84. Ne4+

Dec-01-09  Eyal: No, actually it happened on move 82:


click for larger view

Here 82.Kg7! would have won: 82....Ne6+ (82...Kf5 83.Nf3 - and unlike the game, Black doesn't have the saving Nh7 here) 83.Kf7 Ng5+ 84.Kg6 Ne6 85.Nf3+ Kf4 86.Kf7 Nd8+ 87.Kf6 and the h pawn can't be stopped.

Btw, to review endgames like this, with 6 pieces or less, it's more trustworthy to use tablebases (http://www.k4it.de/index.php?topic=...) that tell you the "right" result with absolute certainty, not just give an evaluation like an engine.

Dec-01-09  kb2ct:

Bacrot should have played for white to end up with the g-pawn not the h-pawn.

As noted, the h-pawn can be played for zugswang with 75. Ng1 or Na4 later

Probably not easy to see, but the g-pawn can be attacked easier than the h-pawn. Dead draw if you understand what you are doing.

:0)

Dec-01-09  ycbaywtb: a lesson for everyone here apparently, even top GMs, not just patzers
Dec-01-09  kb2ct:

<ycbaywtb:>

Bacrot should have played for Pono to end up with a g-pawn by playing Pg4 earlier even if it meant a pawn sac.

No substitute for centuries of theory and experience.

:0)

Dec-01-09  kb2ct:

Preferred technique was 50...Nd1 and 51...Pg4


click for larger view

:0)

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