Paul Keres vs Efim Bogoljubov (1936) The Battle of Agincourt

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Paul Keres vs Efim Bogoljubov
"The Battle of Agincourt" (game of the day Oct-25-2015)
Zandvoort (1936), Zandvoort NED, rd 6, Jul-25
English Opening: Agincourt Defense. Neo Catalan Declined (A14) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 4 times; par: 64 [what's this?]

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer). [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 3 · Later Kibitzing>
Nov-23-15		Honza Cervenka: <beatgiant: <Honza Cervenka> <31...Qe5!> What defense do you see after 31...Qe5 32. Bc1, apparently at least winning the g-pawn with the additional threat of 33. Bf4. For example, 31...Qe5 32. Bc1 Rd5 <33. Bxg5> still works.> After 31...Qe5 32.Bc1 black can play 32...d3! 33.exd3 c4! (with threat Qxg3+ and Qxf2#) 34.Kg2 cxd3 35.Bxg5 d2, which is definitely better outcome than the text continuation.

Nov-23-15		beatgiant: <Honza Cervenka> You're right. Then on 31...Qe5, maybe White should simply play 32. Qh7+ Kf8 33. Qh8+ trying for a better endgame, although Black probably holds with a very careful defense.

Oct-28-16		profK: Surely even after 32...Qc1+ 33.Kg2 Qh1+ 34.Kh1 Rg6 black hangs on by his fingernails for another 20 moves or so.

Oct-28-16		beatgiant: <Honza Cervenka> On 31...Qe5, White also might try to keep the attack going with <32. Qg4> aiming to get the rook in front, as in 31...Qe5 32. Qg4 Re6 33. Rh5 f6 34. Qh3 Qe4 35. Rh8+ Kf7. The resulting White attack looks dangerous, but I haven't found a knockout blow.

Jan-23-23		Brenin: 36 Qxd6+ Kxd6 37 Bf4+ gxf4 38 Rxb1, winning the exchange. Nice Monday level POTD.

Jan-23-23		jrredfield: My gut immediately said 36 Qxd6+ but I failed to see the full tactical sequence to put White ahead (rook vs. bishop) by capturing the Black Q. So I wasn't completely sure. Can't claim credit, not even on a Monday. Maybe tomorrow will be more Monday-ish.

Jan-23-23		perfidious: Less direct and slambang than typical Monday fare, but pleasing all the same--except, of course, to Bogolyubov.

Jan-23-23		mel gibson: Easy - I saw the whole line in under 5 seconds.

Jan-23-23		Mayankk: The faux Queen sac 36 Qxd6+ Kxd6 37 Bf4+ gxf4 38 Rxb1 to go an exchange up was the first thing I saw. But sometimes Rook- Bishop end games can be tricky if the Bishop manages to defend the weak pawns or has a passed pawn. Not the case here since after 39 ... fxg3 40 Kxg3 Black has three weak a7, c5 and f6 pawns to defend and no passed pawn to complicate matters. The White King will infiltrate through the light squares and then gang up on those 3 weak pawns along with the mobile Rook.

Jan-23-23		King.Arthur.Brazil: I was hopping that's very easy, so the combination is: 36. Qxd6+ Kxd6 37. Bf4+ gxf4 38. Rxb1... win the quality and maybe the game too. However, it seems more promising to continue directly: 36. Rh7+ Kc6 37. Qe8+ Kd5 38. Qa8+ Ke5 39. Re7+ 1- 39... Kf5 40. g4+ Kg6 41. Qg8+ Kh6 42. Qg7#(Not 40... Kxg4 41. Qf3+ Kh4 42. Qh3#). 2- 39... Re6 40. Qb8+ Kf5 41. g4+ (again 41...Kg6 42. Qg8+ Kh6 43. Qg7#) (a) 41... Kxg4 42. Qg3+ Kf5 43. Qh3+ Kg6 44. Qh7# or 43. Qh3+ (If 43... Ke5 or Ke4 44. Qxe6#) 43... g4 44. Qh7+ Ke5 45. Rxe6+ Kxe6 46. Qxb1 (I take the ♕, the King loves it! lgs) (b) 41... Ke4 42. f3+ Kd5 43. Qb7+ Kd6 44. Qd7+ Ke5 45. Qxe6#, or else 43... Rc6 44. Rd7+ Ke5 45. Qxc6 Qxc1 46. Qe4#. I don''t see all the ways, but It seems that Black cannot stop White attack. If I have low time in the clock, the King would use the other move.

Jan-23-23		agb2002: Black threatens fxe5 and Qxa2. The rook x-rays the defenseless black queen. Hence, 36.Qxd6+ Kxd6 37.Bf4+ gxf4 38.Rxb1 + - [R vs b].

Jan-23-23		Cheapo by the Dozen: I was a little slow to solve this because I was looking at a mating attack based on Rh7+. One I recalled that, as the late Arthur Spiller used to remind me, "Queens move backwards", I abandoned the idea of forcing a quick mate and solve the problem in a few seconds.

Jan-23-23		syracrophy: I just can't with the soft elegancy of 32.♗c1!! Sweet!

Jan-23-23		saturn2: White gets a won ending R vs B which are fun to play. But unfortunarely the opponent gives up before.

Jan-23-23		TheaN: The key move <36.Qxd6+> jumps out instantly because it's a queen sac, and with one main followup, being <36....Kxd6 37.Bf4+ gxf4 38.Rxb1 fxg3 39.Kxg3 +-> and White's up a full exchange in an endgame. Still some work to do, but it's won. Be careful that, because the queen is attacked from the get-go, the switcheroo 36.Bf4? fails miserably on 36....Qxh1+ 37.Kxh1 fxe5 -+.

Jan-23-23		Teyss: <FairyPromotion: Is it possible that the Agincourt Defense got it's name because it represents the English (1.c4 ) vs the French (1...e6)?> That's a good one!

Jan-23-23		Brenin: 32 Bc1 is a very classy move. It's a pity that the rest of the game is spoilt by inaccuracies at moves 33 (by Keres) and 35 (by both players, missing a draw). No doubt time pressure was to blame.

Jan-23-23		saturn2: I have heard Keres was an avid puzzlesolver

Jan-23-23		Willber G: <King.Arthur.Brazil: However, it seems more promising to continue directly: 36. Rh7+> 36...QxR

Jan-23-23		chrisowen: Z luv tony q its suffice grabs its Qxd6+ arrive hoh its ignoble fob v its auld abridge lug its accomodation ha its guff hoh its adagio nug offer its buck with Qxd6+ fog :)

Jan-23-23		Damenlaeuferbauer: After long thinking, the immortal Estonian Paul Keres, one of the strongest chess players, who never became world champion, finally found the temporarily queen sacrifice 36.Qxd6!,Kxd6 37.Bf4+,gxf4 38.Rxb1, winning the exchange and the game.

Jan-23-23		chrisowen: Hobble x

Jan-23-23		mel gibson: I put the game into Stockfish 15. It's a long game but the outcome is inevitable and fairly easy to play. 36. Qxd6+ (36. Qxd6+ (♕e5xd6+ ♔d7xd6 ♗c1-f4+ g5xf4 ♖h1xb1 ♗b6-a5 ♖b1-h1 ♗a5-d2 ♖h1-h5 f4xg3 f2xg3 ♗d2-g5 ♔g2-f3 ♔d6-d5 ♖h5-h7 a7-a5 ♖h7-d7+ ♔d5-e6 ♖d7-a7 ♗g5-d2 ♖a7-a6+ ♔e6-f5 ♖a6-d6 ♔f5-e5 ♖d6-c6 ♗d2-b4 g3-g4 ♗b4-a3 ♖c6-c8 d4-d3 e2xd3 ♔e5-d4 ♖c8-f8 ♔d4-e5 ♖f8-e8+ ♔e5-d5 ♖e8-a8 ♗a3-b4 ♖a8-h8 ♔d5-e5 ♔f3-e3 ♔e5-d5 ♖h8-h7 ♔d5-e5 ♖h7-h6 ♗b4-c3 ♖h6-h5+ ♔e5-d6 ♔e3-e4 ♔d6-c6 a2-a4 ♗c3-d4 ♖h5-h6 ♔c6-d6 ♔e4-f5 ♔d6-e7 ♖h6-h8 ♔e7-d7 ♖h8-a8 ♗d4-c3 ♖a8-a6 ♗c3-e5 ♖a6xa5) +11.11/45 684) score for White +11.11 depth 45.

Jan-23-23		devere: Since the attacked White Queen has no safe move, and the Black Queen also stops Rh7+, White is forced to win by Qxd6+. There is no other choice!

Jan-23-23		areknames: <devere> Good point! The best move is also the only move.

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