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Ilia Kan vs Mikhail Botvinnik
"The Kan Can" (game of the day Oct-11-2014)
USSR Championship (1929), Odessa URS, rd 4, Sep-12
Italian Game: Evans Gambit (C51)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Oct-03-02
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 11...Bg4 was a blunder which Botvinnik didn't make very often...
Oct-04-02
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: But what can black play? His knight f6 is hopelessly pinned and white threatens to play Ne4 and Qf3 attacking it again. I don't see any satisfactory move for black. It seems to be that already 8...0-0 was a big mistake. Black should play 8...Nf6.
Dec-28-02  mj29479: or what abuot 8.Ng5?
Dec-28-02  GregorMendel: It seems odd that one would decline the Evans Gambit, but that's just my opinion...
Dec-28-02
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 8...Ng5 is not good for simple 9.Nxg5 Qxg5 10.a5 Bd4 (10...Ba7 11.Nxc7+) 11.c3 and white wins. 8...Nd6 (for example 9.Bb3 e4 10.Bb2 0-0 11.Ne5 Qg5 12.d4 Nf5) seems to be a playable alternative to 8...Nf6, but 8...Nf6 is probably better move.
Nov-11-05  AlexanderMorphy: yes i agree....the best way to play the Evans gambit is to accept it!
Sep-17-09  birthtimes: Botvinnik turned 18 in 1929, and this is the only time in his career he played 3...Bc5, according to the Chessgames database...not surprising.
Sep-17-09  AnalyzeThis: Black had to play 11....Nxb4, with only two pawns for the piece. I'm sure he would have lost anyway.
Sep-17-09  birthtimes: 8...d6 protects the e5 pawn on the White half-open file, and if followed by 9...O-O, then Black is out of danger.
Apr-18-12  zanzibar: nstead of 7 ...Nxe4 probably better is 7 ...Nxd5, at least then the knight won't become a target for White!
Oct-11-14  kyg16: 7. Nd5 is an interesting type of "gambit". Is it theorical? Which name it receives?
Oct-11-14  kevin86: Black's game falls apart quickly!
Oct-11-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: 7.Nd5!? is a tricky move, and evidently threw Botvinnik for a loop. Black has done OK with 7...Nxd5 8.exd5 Nd4. Opening Explorer
Oct-11-14  Ksprasad: Botvinnik lured into a trap nice to learn
Oct-12-14  morfishine: If you were to ask me, I'd guess Botvinnik was about 6 years old when he played this.
Oct-20-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: As Honza pointed out just when this site was getting started, 11....Bg4 lost on the spot, but Black was already hard up. The pin is so strong that SF thinks Black's best is to give up a piece another way, 11....Nxb4 12.Nxb4 c6.

Earlier, instead of 9....Nf6, SF goes right for 9....Nxf2 10.Rxf2 Bxf2+ h6 and thinks Black is just a little worse.

I played a casual game today and got to play the Evans, which never happens, and then my opponent declined the pawn, which <really> never happens. I was trying to remember Kan-Botvinnik, without success. I played 8.Nxb6, which isn't nearly as good as 8.0-0.

Incidentally, 7....Nxd5 isn't a panacea; for example, 8.exd5 Nd4 9.a5! Ba7 10.d6! is good for white.

Dec-06-21  Cheapo by the Dozen: Played when Bottvinik was 18 years old, it seems.

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