chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing
Vasyl Ivanchuk vs Alexander Graf
"Sinking of the Graf's Play" (game of the day Jun-23-2022)
USSR Army Championship (1988), Frunze URS, rd 2, May-??
Pirc Defense: General (B07)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Vasyl Ivanchuk.

explore this opening
find similar games 5 more Ivanchuk/A Graf games
sac: 28.Ng4 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: You can make these tips go away by registering a free account then visiting your preferences page. Simply check the option "Don't show random tips on game pages." and click the Update Profile button at the bottom.

PGN Viewer:  What is this?
For help with this chess viewer, please see the Olga Chess Viewer Quickstart Guide.
PREMIUM MEMBERS CAN REQUEST COMPUTER ANALYSIS [more info]

A COMPUTER ANNOTATED SCORE OF THIS GAME IS AVAILABLE.  [CLICK HERE]

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-21-07  acirce: Well, being that I solved chess before the universe even existed, these "puzzles" are definitely no match for me either.
Jan-21-07  Themofro: I saw Ra7, but missed f5 first, which was the key to the whole solution, lol. Still got a portion of it on a Sunday, so i'm happy.
Jan-21-07  Fisheremon: As in the game 25.Rd1 (instead of 25.exd6) d5 26.g4 leads to a fierce attack with quicker win.
Jan-21-07  LaSmitedCrab: WOOT, I got it!
Jan-21-07  LoveThatJoker: Fisheremon, I found the drawing line to yesterday's puzzle.

LTJ

And P.S. I haven't seen answer to today's yet. So I still have got to solve it.

Jan-21-07  RandomVisitor: After 23.f5, Black might offer stiffer resistance with:

(23-ply)
1. (1.23): 23...dxe5 24.Ra7 Rb7 25.Rxb7 Bxb7 26.fxg6 Qe7 27.gxh7+ Qxh7 28.Qxe6+ Qf7 29.Qxf7+ Rxf7 30.Ng4

2. (1.31): 23...Rb7 24.exd6 Rf6 25.fxe6 Bxe6 26.Rad1 Nxe3 27.Qxe3 Rd7 28.Qxc5 Bf7 29.Qxb4 Rfxd6 30.Rxd6

Jan-21-07  soberknight: I'm not even going to try to understand what the hell just happened. What a crazy combination!
Jan-21-07  Kings Indian: I got f5 after a while, and got up to Ra7 seeing about all of the variations but i just got lost after Nc7. Good enough for me on a sunday i guess. Brilliant game!
Jan-21-07  Bumcrot: Ivanchuk was only 18 or 19 when he played this game nearly 20 years ago. And he's still a Top 5 player in the world right now. Impressive!
Jan-21-07  laskereshevsky: YAP!
when he ( and i...) was young i thought he possessed th potential 4 to be th
"NEW BORIS SPASSKY"
Jan-21-07  dzechiel: Missed this one completely. I don't think I spotted one of Ivanchuck's moves.
Jan-21-07  wonderboymyth: One of those games showing Ivanchuk's incredible genius.
Jan-21-07  THE pawn: Holy crap...I completely missed the whole puzzle. I thought a lot about f5 but then Ra7 was just fantasy for me. Fantastic, really.
Jan-21-07  kevin86: I missed this one-no great sin. A fantastic finish!! Black cannot either decline or accept the sacrifice and loses very quickly.
Jan-21-07  Fisheremon: <RandomVisitor: After 23.f5, Black might offer stiffer resistance with:

(23-ply)
1. (1.23): 23...dxe5 24.Ra7 Rb7 25.Rxb7 Bxb7 26.fxg6 Qe7 27.gxh7+ Qxh7 28.Qxe6+ Qf7 29.Qxf7+ Rxf7 30.Ng4

2. (1.31): 23...Rb7 24.exd6 Rf6 25.fxe6 Bxe6 26.Rad1 Nxe3 27.Qxe3 Rd7 28.Qxc5 Bf7 29.Qxb4 Rfxd6 30.Rxd6>

As far for the 1st line: 27.Ng4 (instead of gxh7+) Bc8 28.Nxe5 Qg7 29.gxh7+ Qxh7 30.Qd2 Qg7 31.Ng4 with attack and quite difficult to find a good move for Black

As for the second line: 24.g4 (instead of exd6) gxf5 25.Nf4 Nxf4 26.Bxb7 dxe5 27.Red1 Qe7 28.Bxc8 Nxc8 29.Kh2 Nd6 30.gxf5 with a nice attack on 6th horizontal.

Jan-21-07  Amarande: As for Black's final plight, if 29 ... Rxd8, then 30 Qf6+ and 31 Nh6#. Black's only hope is to connect his Rooks by giving up the Queen with 29 ... Qxg2+ 30 Kxg2 Bb7+ 31 Rxb7 Rbxd8, but even then after 32 Rxc7 he is naturally gone ...

I didn't see it, myself ... I saw a kingside attack brewing and my impression was that I should begin bringing my pieces up for the attack with some such move as 23 Ng4.

Indeed White still has much the better of it after 23 Ng4, Junior 9 after 16 ply giving 23...Rf5 24.Qh4 Rf8 25.exd6 Qxd6 26.Ra7 Rb7 27.Ra5 Rg7 28.Nf2 Ne3 29.Ne4 Nxg2 30.Kxg2 Qd5 31.Rxc5 with an evaluation of +1.14, but it's nowhere near as good as the quick win that follows f5!

Jan-22-07  alphee: Did not get it. I saw 23.f5 gxf5 and also Ra7 possible back answers but could not put them together. Sunday's puzzles are a definite challenge
Jan-22-07  ALEXIN: Both:very strong and subtel !
Feb-28-09  WhiteRook48: does Nenashev mean computer? :D
Jun-23-22  gary11201: Marvelous - admiral-able - pun, Miss Scarlett! But does one not have to be familiar with WWII naval warfare to get it?
Jun-23-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: Agree with <gary11201>; inspired pun indeed, but one does need to know about the WWII cruiser.
Jun-23-22  Brenin: The cruiser Admiral Graf Spee was named after Maximilian Johannes Maria Hubert Reichsgraf von Spee (22 June 1861 – 8 December 1914), a German admiral killed in the Battle of the Falkland Islands. The ship was scuttled at Montevideo in 1939, after being damaged in the Battle of the River Plate (the subject of a film of that came).
Jun-23-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  piltdown man: Yes, a nice pun. Esoteric, but still silly. The best kind.
Jun-23-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: <Good Evening: Agree with <gary11201>; inspired pun indeed, but one does need to know about the WWII cruiser.>

Other than that, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Jun-23-22  thegoodanarchist: < Brenin: The cruiser Admiral Graf Speed was named after Maximilian Johannes Maria Hubert Reichsgraf von Spee (22 June 1861 – 8 December 1914)>

His name is longer than the game

search thread:   
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
  3. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
  5. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
  6. No trolling.
  7. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
  8. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

Blow the Whistle

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.


NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific game only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

This game is type: CLASSICAL. Please report incorrect or missing information by submitting a correction slip to help us improve the quality of our content.

<This page contains Editor Notes. Click here to read them.>

Home | About | Login | Logout | F.A.Q. | Profile | Preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | New Kibitzing | Chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | Notable Games | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | Privacy Notice | Contact Us

Copyright 2001-2025, Chessgames Services LLC