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Laszlo Szabo vs Boris Spassky
Bucharest (1953), Bucharest ROU, rd 18, Feb-??
King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation. Classical System Neo-Classsical Line (E99)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
May-26-04  Dudley: How does black win after 30.Qc5? Help <Crafty> !
May-26-04  Cyphelium: I don't think you need Crafty to see that black is just a piece up. =)
May-26-04  Dudley: you are so right-guess I didn't pay much attention to the previous course of the game.
Apr-13-09  A.G. Argent: Well, <people-from-5-years-ago>, I ain't sure why Szabo didn't tip his king over earlier after 20...Bxg2 21.Bxg2 f3 22.Ne1 fxg2. His King's defense is now gutted, he's lost the piece and a patented Spassky storm gathers with 24...Qg8. The feeble counter-play with 26.cxd6 was just that; feeble. I believe that once again, I have crystallized the situation.
Oct-27-09  ToTheDeath: 25.Bg3? was a blunder. 25.Bh4 would leave White with plenty of chances to resist.
Mar-30-15  A.T PhoneHome: In the ending position, Spassky's pieces are all protected.

Black threatens ...Be3. Like <30.Qc5 Be3 31.Nxe3 Qf7>. Now 32.Nf5?? would allow mate; <32...Nf2+ 33.Rxf2 Qxf2> and <...Qf3#> mate. If <32.Nxg4>, then <32...Qf3+> wins <(33.Kg1 Rxg4#)>.

Another variation is perhaps <30.Qc5 Be3 31.-Queen moves-> and now Black has <31...Nf2+> (if c2 Rook captures, 32.Rxf2, then simply 32...Bxf2 and Rook is lost).

So King has to move, <32.Kg1> and Black has <32...Rxg2+> (checkmate if 33.Kxg2??). Now <33.Kf1> would be self-destructive as <33...Rg1+> means King has to play <34.Ke2> which loses a1 Rook; White has lost both Rooks!

May not be the most correct variations I just gave; probably better moves for White there but I think you 1) get checkmated as White or 2) lose a lot of material preventing speedy mate.

White's Rooks and Knight are stuck passively in the queenside while Black has each piece protected by another piece PLUS they are all on the kingside and in my opinion he can play many tempo-winning moves, forcing White to reply.

My take on this pretty chess game!

Aug-21-16  tigreton: With 14 ... Rg6 and an early g4, Spassky made a improvement over Taimanov-Bronstein 1952, where Black played 14 ... Rh6 and his attack got stuck.
Dec-10-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: 14 Nd3?! was new and was too slow; 14 c5 is the main line. 16 Qb3?! weakened control of g4;better would have been 16 Rc1. Interesting that neither Cafferty or Franco mentions 19 Qd1 which is clearly the best defense to Black's threats. 20 Re1..Qd7 21 Kh1?..Qh3! would have been winning for Black.

This game was played in the earliest days of the Kings Indian when White had not yet figured out the best ways to counter Black's kingside initiative.

Dec-10-20  Granny O Doul: I also wondered why White resigned. But 25....Rxg3 amounts to an exchange sac only if White takes it.

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