[Event "USSR Championship"]
[Site "Moscow URS"]
[Date "1949.10.24"]
[EventDate "1949.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian"]
[Black "Andre Lilienthal"]
[ECO "C49"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "87"]

1.e4 {Notes by Peter Clarke} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4
{The Rubinstein Counter-Attack (4...Nd4) is sound enough, but
Lilienthal was no doubt unwilling to provide the 'novice' with
a ready-made simplifying line-5.Nxd4 exd4 6.e5, etc.} 5.O-O
O-O 6.d3 Bxc3 7.bxc3 d6 8.Bg5 Qe7 {This and his next two moves
constitute the Metger Defence; while holding on firmly to the
center Black seeks to unpin himself and drive back the
agressive Bishops.} 9.Re1 Nd8 10.d4 Ne6 11.Bc1 c5 {Here we
have a position which is not only of fundamental importance
for the theory of the opening but also extremely interesting
from the point of view of general strategy. It is a question
of Bishops versus Knights and of the advantages and
disadvantages of the doubled pawn complex. Nimzovitch
considered that White was not in an attacking but a
'crouching' position and that any move on the part of his
central pawns would disclose their dynamic weakness. He
recommended Black's last move as the correct way to challenge
them. On the other hand, Botvinnik has frequently demonstrated
that this type of position can be very favourable for White if
he can stabilise the situation in the center and consolidate a
piece-preferably his KB-on d5. To this end the continuation
12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Bc4 (Not 13.Nxe5 Nc7, etc.) is well worth
considering.} 12.Bf1 Qc7 {Inconsequential play; Black could
and should have carried out the positional threat of 12...cxd4
13.cxd4 Qc7 with prospects on the c-file. He is not given a
second opportunity.} 13.d5 Nd8 {13...Nf4 would allow White to
break up the center to his advantage by 14.Bxf4 exf4 15.e5
dxe5 16.Nxe5. Petrosian supports this as follows 16...Rd8
17.c4 b5 18.Qf3 Bb7 (or 18...bxc4 19.d6 Qb7 20.Qxf4, etc.)
19.Rad1 bxc4 20.Bxc4 Rd6 21.Bb3. It shoul be noted that while
Black has succeeded in immobilising the enemy pawns this is
not necessarily a permanent state of affairs. Wite immediately
starts preparing for a thrust on the K side with h4.} 14.Nh4
Ne8 15.g3 Qe7 16.Nf5 Bxf5 {Otherwise this Knight may settle on
c4 and harass him on all sides. However, leaving onelf with
two knights against two bishops, even in a closed position, is
a serious step,. It may be all right in theory, but in
practice many difficulties are involved. The trouble is that
the player with the Knights must be extremely cautious about
changes in the pawn formation, whereas his opponent may
undertake almost any action he likes. The rest of the game
affords a good illustration of the way the bishops work
towards the breaching and ultimate collapse of the opposing
defences.} 17.exf5 Qf6 18.Qg4 Qe7 19.Bg5 Qd7 20.a4 f6 {After
non too happy manouvering with his Queen, Black was faced with
the threat of 21. Bb5 Qc7 22.Bxe8 Rxe8 23.Bf6 and wins.}
21.Bd2 g6 {Is this not helping White? Yes; but if he does
nothing to relieve his rather cramped position, White will
buid up a K side offensive at his leisure. That is Black's
dilemma.} 22.Bh3 Qxf5 {Not 22...Ng7? 23.fxg6! winning a pawn;
while if 22...g5, White simply retires his KB again and gets
ready to strike back with h4.} 23.Qxf5 gxf5 24.Bxf5 Ng7 25.Bd3
f5 {He ought to have played 25...Nf7 and kept his pawns firmly
entrenched where they were. By his weakening his support to
the strongpoint at e5 he makes it easier for White to
undermine it. It is doubtful whether Black's game can be saved
after this.} 26.f4 e4 {Closing the position again, but the
respite is only temporary. With every new advance the Knights
find it harder to plug the gaps. 26...Nf7 was therefore the
better choice.} 27.Be2 Rc8 28.c4 Ne8 29.h3 Nf6 30.g4 {!
White's strategy has won the day. The barrier of enemy pawns
that curbs his Bishops can no longer be maintained.} fxg4
31.hxg4 Rc7 32.Kf2 h6 33.Rh1 e3 {A desperate attempt at
counter-play. Passive defence was hopeless in any case; for
example, 33...Kg7 34.Bc3 Kg6 35.Ke3 Rh7 36.Rag1 Nf7 37.g5 hxg5
38.f5+!, winning a piece.} 34.Bxe3 Ne4+ 35.Kg2 Nf7 36.Bd3 Re7
37.Rae1 Rfe8 38.Bc1 Nc3 {The Knight makes a sortie at last.}
39.Rxe7 Rxe7 40.a5 b6 41.Bd2 Ne2 42.axb6 axb6 43.c3 {And gets
trapped! As is fitting the Bishops have had the final way.} b5
44.Kf3 1-0