Yuri Averbakh vs Paul Keres (1950)

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Yuri Averbakh vs Paul Keres
USSR Championship (1950), Moscow URS, rd 17, Dec-11
Four Knights Game: Spanish. Symmetrical Variation (C49) · 0-1

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a

1

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 13.Be3 Bc7 14.Re1 a5 15.a4 d5 16.exd5 Bxd5 17.Bxg6 hxg6 = +0.43 (21 ply)= -0.17 (20 ply)better is 29.g4 Rh8 30.Bb4 hxg4 31.hxg4 Rh4 32.f3 Rh1+ 33.Kg2 Ra1 = -0.30 (27 ply)better is 29...Nf8 30.g4 Ne6 31.Bb4 hxg4 32.hxg4 g5 33.Bd2 Rd8 ⩱ -0.95 (25 ply)= -0.27 (29 ply) after 30.Bb4 f5 31.Re1 Rd8 32.Bc3 Nf4 33.Rc1 Ne6 34.Bb2 Rd6 better is 37.Re1 Ne7 38.Bb4 Re6 39.Rxe6 Kxe6 40.Bxe7 Kxe7 41.Ke2 = -0.07 (31 ply) ⩱ -0.62 (28 ply)better is 42.b4 a6 43.Kf2 b5 44.axb5 axb5 45.Ke2 g6 46.f4 Kd7 = -0.35 (26 ply)better is 42...fxg5 43.Kg4 Kf6 44.Bg1 a5 45.Be3 Kf7 46.Kh5 Rd6 ⩱ -1.00 (28 ply) 43.Rh4 f4+ 44.Bxf4 Nxd4 45.Kg4 Ne6 46.b4 Kf7 47.Kg3 Nxf4 = -0.43 (24 ply) ∓ -2.31 (26 ply)better is 46...b5 47.axb5 cxb5 48.Kh3 Nxd4 49.Bc1 Ne6 50.Bb2 Kc5 -+ -4.31 (28 ply) 47.Kg3 c5 48.Bd2 Ke6 49.Bg5 Nxb3 50.Kf2 c4 51.Ke3 c3 ∓ -2.29 (27 ply)-+ -4.69 (28 ply) 49.Kg3 Ke5 50.Bf2 Nd4 51.Be3 Kf6 52.Kf2 Nxb3 53.Bf4 c4 -+ -3.94 (28 ply)-+ -7.52 (36 ply) after 49...c4 50.bxc4+ Kxc4 51.Kh4 Kb3 52.Kg3 Kxa4 53.Bxb6 Kb4 better is 52...Ke5 53.Bh6 Kf6 54.Bg5+ Ke6 55.Bd8 Kd7 56.Bf6 Ne6 ⩱ -1.18 (31 ply) 53.Bd8 Nxb3 54.Kg5 Nd4 55.Kf4 b5 56.axb5 Nxb5 57.Bxa5 ∓ -2.44 (31 ply)-+ -54.77 (28 ply)59.Kg5 Kxg7 60.Kh4 Nc6 61.Kg3 Nd4 62.Kf2 Nxb3 63.Ke2 c4 -+ mate-in-200-1

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

FEN COPIED

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

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Feb-14-07		Honza Cervenka: Nice example of R+N vs R+B ending with isolated Pawn.

Apr-16-10		DrGridlock: Game as posted contains an incorrect move. 45 ... a6 should be 45 ... a5 Keres' book contains a long annotation on the trap set by White with move 45 g6 And how Black's reply 45 ... a5 avoids the trap.

Jun-04-15		zydeco: <DrGridlock> I assume the trap is 45....Nxd4 46.Kf4 and if 46....Nxb3 47.Bh6. 45....a5 puts white into a kind of zugzwang. The bishop can't both protect d4 and threaten Bh6 if it moves to square other than e3; and white's king loses contact with the f4 square after 46.Kh4. Maybe 47.Kg5 keeps white in the game a little longer. Keres had so many devastating last round losses in important tournaments throughout his career; it's nice to see him come through in pressure. Often, in these situations, he'd play for an attack. Here he plays very patiently, gets an endgame with an advantage, and brings home the point.

Jun-05-15		Sally Simpson: Hi zydeco, click for larger view The trap mentioned is Black taking on d4 and White takes back 45...Nxd4 Bxd4 46. Kxd4. click for larger view Going into what looks like a lost endgame. The Keres analysis is pretty instructive. 47. Kf4 b5 48. axb5 cxb5 49. b4 Kc4 50. Kxf5 Kxb4 51. Ke6 a5 52. Kf7 a4 53. Kxg7 a3 and here with White to play. click for larger view No matter where he moves his King, keeping away from f6 or h8 when Black promotes with a check or pins the g-pawn and wins easily. Black can force after the joint promotion an exchange of Queens and the b-pawn wins. but no, Keres continues.... 54. Kf7 a2 55. g7 a1=Q 56.g8=Q Qa2+ 57. Kf8 Qxg8+ 58. Kxg8 Kc4 59. f4 Kd5 click for larger view 60. Kf7! b4 61. f5 b3 62. f6 b2 63. Kg7 b1=Q 64. f7 click for larger view That is a draw. Keres adds he as Black was unable to calculate all of this accurately but correctly judged the position was better for Black after 45...a5. click for larger view Now the d-pawn is under threat 45...a5 gains a tempo. Keres does indeed take the d-pawn on the next move but calls it a mistake! Saying 46...b5 was much better as now, as in the game White has counter play.

Jun-11-15		zydeco: <Sally Simpson> Pretty deep trap! Thanks!

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