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Jan Hein Donner vs Mikhail Tal
Zuerich (1959), Zurich SUI, rd 14, Jun-06
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation. General (A70)  ·  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)10...Qc7 was played in B Goulding Brown vs Wade, 1959 (0-1)12...Qc7 was played in J Mohammed Ameen vs M Herrera, 2008 (0-1)13.Qe2 was played in E Eliskases vs Bogoljubov, 1939 (1-0)better is 14.Bc2 Rae8 15.Be3 b5 16.axb5 axb5 17.Ra6 Qb8 18.Rfa1 b4 ⩲ +0.65 (21 ply)= +0.13 (22 ply) after 14...Nh5 15.Bg5 Bd4 16.Kh1 Rae8 17.g4 Ng7 18.f4 f5 better is 19.a5 Rb8 20.f5 Bd4+ 21.Kh1 Ne5 22.Qe2 b5 23.axb6 Qxb6 = 0.00 (22 ply) ⩱ -0.63 (23 ply) after 19...Qa5 20.Kh1 Qb4 21.Qe2 Bxc3 22.bxc3 Qxc3 23.Rac1 Qd4 22.f5 Bd4+ 23.Kh1 Ne5 24.Bg1 Bxg1 25.Qxg1 Nd3 26.Rf1 Qc5 ⩱ -0.52 (24 ply) 22...Bxc3 23.bxc3 Qxc3 24.Kh1 Nc5 25.e5 Qd3 26.Rd1 Qf5 ∓ -2.41 (23 ply) ⩱ -0.97 (21 ply) after 23.e5 dxe5 24.axb5 axb5 25.fxe5 Nxe5 26.Rbe1 Qd6 27.Qf2 27.e5 Nc5 28.Rb1 Qxd5 29.Rd1 Nd3 30.Bg3 h5 31.Rc2 dxe5 ∓ -1.76 (26 ply)-+ -5.26 (31 ply)29.Qd1 Rxe4 30.Qxd3 Nxd3 31.Rxe4 Nf2+ 32.Kg1 Nxe4 33.Rc1 -+ -4.75 (29 ply)0-1

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

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Given 31 times; par: 45 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Oct-03-06  Gowe: I think the threat Rxe4 is too strong. I mean: 29.Rd1 Rxe4 and the c3 pawn is winning the whole thing. <29.Rd1 Rxe4 30.Rxd3 Rxe2 31. Qxe2 Nxd3 32.Qxd3 c2>

But I think that there are a lot of "winning moves"; only that Rxe4 looks pretty.

Sep-07-08  ToTheDeath: Donner wrote that he spent over 2 hours on his clock in this game. Tal: fifteen minutes.
Sep-19-08  pom nasayao: If 29. Re3 Rxe4 30. Rxd3 Rxe1+ 31. Rxe1 32. Nxd3 and it is all over.
Jan-14-13  Cemoblanca: "I have played one game against Tal myself - in the Zurich tournament that he won last year. It lasted two-and-a-half hours. When I resigned after using up most of my time, it turned out that he had needed only fifteen minutes. Something like that is food for thought. We have always regarded chess as a serious game, and now this. There is no telling what the consequences will be."

DE TIJD (English: The Times) 9 MAY 1960 by Jan Hein Donner

Jan-15-13  RookFile: Well, white's play wasn't perfect before, but surely you play 19. Rae1, not 19. Rfe1, right? It seems like white should go "all in" for a kingside attack, and leave the queenside to its fate.
Jan-15-13  RookFile: I mean 21. Qf1. Really? White set up his troops before to play e5, then decides he was only kidding. He should have followed through on this even if he lost a pawn or two.
Jan-05-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: 9 h3 is considered better (Seirawean's Benoni principle:"If Black achieves one swap of minor pieces, he equalizes, two swaps and Black stands better"). 15 a5 was suggested as an improvement. The blockade of the c-pawn with 16 Bc4 failed so perhaps White should have considered 16 Bc2.
Jun-25-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: Tal makes it look easy (and considering the time he invested, it must have been so for him!)

I think there are good reasons why 8.Bd3 is not too popular. That square does not seem good for the bishop. It exposes it to future harassment from a Ne5. And that diagonal is not an attacking diagonal in the Benoni, generally. Here Donner ended up giving the bishop the sad role of containing the advance c4.

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