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Boris Gelfand vs Aleksey Dreev
"A Dreev Come True" (game of the day Dec-16-2012)
Tilburg Interpolis (1993), Tilburg NED, rd 2, Nov-17
Semi-Slav Defense: Meran. Wade Variation (D47)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Oct-01-03  Phoenix: Is chess fun, or what?
Dec-20-05  Frankly: Well, having studied the game in Stohl's book, I had to include it among my notables. Interesting for how long Fritz has White still winning after the first sacrifice of the exchange on move 24. The second sacrifice on move 29 appeared more caled for at that stage. Wonderful game, particularly with the benefit of Stohl's analysis.
Feb-06-06  KingG: Great game. Some analysis here: http://www.chesscafe.com/yaz/yaz.htm.
Jun-25-06  KingG: <Great game. Some analysis here: http://www.chesscafe.com/yaz/yaz.ht...;

Well, not anymore. It's on this page now: http://www.chesscafe.com/text/yaz54...

Oct-30-07  ToTheDeath: Dreev on, dreev on, dreev until your dreev comes true.
May-24-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <Frankly: Well, having studied the game in Stohl's book, I had to include it among my notables. *** >

I have checked the analysis in Stohl's book ("Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces" [New Enlarged Edition], by Igor Stohl, Gambit Publications (c)2009 at pages 8-13) with Fritz. There are some interesting discrepancies, with Stohl having a much more favorable opinion of Black's position than Fritz's evaluations for much of the middle game.

Stohl and Fritz agree that after 38. Qf2, White was losing by force. This is the first point at which Fritz assessed the position significantly in Black's favor, but it cannot find an alternative for White at move 38 that avoids serious disadvantage. For example, the move that Stohl considers comparatively best (38. Qxg7+) seems to be losing in the long run (per Stohl's analysis: 38. ... Bxg7 39. Nxd5 Qc6 40. Ra5! (40. Rd1? is analyzed by Stohl as weaker.) Qg6 41. Rxf3 Qe4 42. Kg2 Qc2+ 43. Rf2 Qxc1 44. Rxa6 Qd1 and the connected passed pawns should be decisive.). Another plausible alternative, 38. Qc2 (which Stohl does not consider) also seems insufficient, for example: (after 38. Qc2) 38. ... Bb7 39. Ne4 f2 40. Rxf2 Qc6 41. Re2 f3 42. Rf2 Qxe4 43. Qxe4 Bxe4 and White is defenseless against the threatened 44. ... Bh4.

The fact that Fritz only evaluates the position as losing for White after 38. Qf2 but cannot find a saving alternative suggests to me that Stohl's evaluations during earlier stages of the middle game are more accurate than Fritz's.

Jul-05-09  Xeroxx: Amazing game (grace)
Jul-19-11  Elrathia Kingi: At the end of the game, 45.Ra7+ Kf6 46.Rxf3 (Rxg7? Bxf2, winning for black) Bh2+ 47.Kg1 Bxf3+ 48.Rxg7 Kxg7 Bxf4 leaves black with a bishop pair and only one pawn vs a bishop and 3 pawns (weak, admittedly). Seems like decent drawing chances?
Jul-19-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  scormus: A brilliant game. W's looks fine and not putting a foot wrong in the first 20 plus moves. Hard to imagine B would turn the tables so completely.

29 ... Nd5 left W ahead R vs 2p but B had a lot of play and suddenly W had a difficult game to play, OTB at any rate. Not sure what the best move is (30 Nxf4 doest work) but I dont think Rf1 was it.

Very interesting in te context of today's Carlsen-Shirov game. My thanks to <Marmot> for posting it

Jul-20-11  DrMAL: This game contains the line I was referring to in Carlsen vs Shirov, 2011 where after 19...gxf4 the position is dead equal. White can get a perpetual nothing more. The reason why Carlsen made the simple move 16.g3 in that game.

Here, after 22.Bd1 instead of perpetual, black has minuscule advantage. But after 24...Rg6 cute but inaccurate, white is very slightly better, but by 28.f3 it's a dead draw again. White is way up in material but white's position cannot use it.

Both players try for something but nothing really comes of it until 36.axb4 a rather subtle mistake (36.Bxf4 white's best was also subtle). Both play out its consequence very accurately until 38.Qf2 the losing move. 39...Rg2 wins faster.

Jul-20-11  trnbg: <Elrathia King>: Black plays 46....Rxa7 (instead of Bg2+), after 47.Rxh3 Ra1 48.Rc3 Be1! he wins the white bishop (49.Rc2 Bd2!)
Jan-10-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: Great game by Dreev!!! (Game # 46 in Soltis's book: "The 100 Best.")
May-15-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  LoveThatJoker: In honour of <ToTheDeath>'s excellent pun, I propose:

GOTD - A Dreev Come True

LTJ

Dec-16-12  Kikoman: And CG published it today "A Dreev Come True" :D
Dec-16-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: I wonder how programmers could "teach" (for lack of a better word) software programs to recognize that White's immobility after 30...Bxd5 at least partially compensates for Black's large material deficit. The Ne2 has no moves, the Bc1 has limited range, and the Ra1 contributes nothing to the cause. Oh, and the Queen is almost trapped. Even if a computer should reveal a possible defense, Black's sacrificial attack remains a profound conception; he drops an Exchange and then a piece in order have the time to finish his development.
Dec-16-12  RandomVisitor: 36.Bxf4 exf4 37.fxg4 Rxg4 38.Qf3 is another try to escape...
Dec-16-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: Exciting game! Pun leaves a bit to be desired.
Dec-16-12  RandomVisitor: 36.Bxf4 exf4 37.fxg4 Rxg4 38.Qf3


click for larger view

Rybka 4.1 x64:

[+0.02] d=24 38...Be5 39.axb4 Bc8 40.Ng3 Bb7 41.Ne4 Rh4 42.Ra5 Qe7 43.Rd1 Bc7 44.Rf5+ Ke8 45.Rd4 Be5 46.Rd2 Bxb2 47.Re2 Kd8 48.Rxf4 Rxf4 49.Qxf4 Be5 50.Qe3 Kc7 51.Kg2 Qxb4 52.Kf2 Bxh2

Dec-17-12  kevin86: The bishops and rook work well together...
Dec-17-12  RandomVisitor: After 30...Bxd5


click for larger view

Rybka 4.1 x64:

[-0.22] d=24 31.Qh7+ Rg7 32.Qh3 Qc6 33.Rf1 g5 34.Qg4 Be6 35.Qh5+ Kg8 36.Bd2 a5 37.Rf2 Qd7 38.Rg2 Bf7 39.Qg4 Qxg4 40.Rxg4 Bh5 41.h3 Bxg4 42.hxg4 Bf6 43.Kg2 e4 44.Rb1 exf3+ 45.Kxf3 Rd7 46.Be1

Dec-17-12  rwbean: Following the RandomVisitor line 36.Bxf4 exf4 37.fxg4 Rxg4 38.Qf3 Be5 39.axb4 Bc8 40.Ng3 Bb7 41.Ne4 Rh4 42.Ra5 Qe7, which Houdini also follows: Houdini 1.5a continues 43. Rxe5 Qxe5 44. Ng5+ Qxg5 45. Qxb7+ with an equal position.

It also agrees with 31. Qh7+ (27 ply, 0.00).

On move 21 it suggests (30 ply, +0.23): 21... Rg8-g7 22. Rf1-g1 Rg7xg1+ 23. Kh1xg1 Kf7-g7 24. Kg1-h1 Qc7-d8 25. Qh4-h3 Kg7-h8 etc.

Dec-31-12  paavoh: So beautiful, mind over matter!
Jan-22-15  SpiritedReposte: What a gem.
Apr-27-20  Inocencio: Aleksey Dreev is a Master of Defense. On move 24 (Rg6) by black, the goal of Boris Gelfand to deliver a quick kill in the king side evaporated in the air, his dream of instant win became frustrating. In chess sometimes, it is better to give than to receive.

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