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Paul Keres vs Reuben Fine
URS-USA (1946), Moscow URS, rd 2, Sep-14
English Opening: Symmetrical. Three Knights Variation (A34)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-14-03  Dr Young: Hard to believe Fine could miss this kind of knight sacrifice. Keres is such a sharp tactician.
Aug-27-04  Whitehat1963: How many games in this match?
Aug-27-04  acirce: Was this the USA-USSR match? In that case, two (on each board).
Aug-27-04  WMD: "In the year 1946 I made my first reappearance on the international scene since the end of the war. In the summer a match by radio took place between teams representing the USSR and Great Britain and I had to play two games against Master Klein. [...] After this a team came to Moscow from the USA to play a match vs. the USSR. In this, after a long interval, I met my old opponent, Grandmaster Fine. Of our games the first one was the more interesting. After I had obtained a slight positional advantage I was able to win material by a small but very pleasing combination and then converted this advantage to a win. The other game resulted in an early draw." (Paul Keres: The Road to the Top).

There were a series of matches played by the Soviets after the war when their collective strength became fully apparent.

September 1945, USA-USSR Radio match, won by the USSR by 15.5 to 4.5.

June 1946, GB-USSR Radio match, won by the USSR by 18-6.

1946, Moscow, USSR-USA match, won by the USSR 12.5-7.5.

1947, London, GB-USSR match, won by the USSR 15-5.

Jan-03-06  notyetagm: An excellent example of Keres' razor sharp tactical vision. Fine innocently plays 24 ... ♖bc8? but then finds himself down by a pawn after 25 ♘xf7!. The points are 25 ... ♖xf7? 26 ♕xc8+ and 25 ... ♔xf7?? 26 ♕e6#.
May-05-06  Resignation Trap: From <<Chess Review>> October 1946: This "game began at 2 p.m. on September 11th and it finished at 6:45 when Fine resigned on the thirty-second move.

The game was played ahead of schedule to permit Fine to return to the United States on the thirteenth, and was regarded as the second round game between these players. Their first round game [Fine vs Keres, 1946 ] will be played today as the match play between the full compliments of both teams gets under way."

Aug-21-07  wolfmaster: 25.Nxf7!
Dec-15-08  notyetagm: 24 ... ♖b8-c8?


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<notyetagm: An excellent example of Keres' razor sharp tactical vision. Fine innocently plays 24 ... Rbc8? but then finds himself down by a pawn after 25 Nxf7!. The points are 25 ... Rxf7? 26 Qxc8+ and 25 ... Kxf7?? 26 Qe6#.>

25 ♘g5xf7!


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(VAR) 25 ... ♖f8x♘f7 <deflection: c8> 26 ♕h3x♖c8+


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(VAR) 25 ... ♔g8x♘f7?? 26 ♕h3-e6#


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Apr-14-09  WhiteRook48: 25. Nxf7! is simple but forces a smile out of any tactical lover.
Jun-30-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: 11..a6?! seems unnecessary and weakening; perhaps 11..b6 is an improvement. After 15 d5 White had a positional advantage. 17 Bb2 exchanging off the powerful Black bishop would have been a better way of meeting Black's queenside play. 21..Qa5 would have been an improvement when Black is holding after 22 Ng5..Rxb5 23 Qh3..Nf6. After the alternative 23..h6 White would also have had dangerous threats: ie. 24 Ne4..Kh7? 25 Bxh6!..Bxh6 26 Qxd7! but, in this line, Black would have been OK after 24..Qa4 25 Rde1..f5 26 Ng3..Rb4. Apparently, Black's best defense was 24..Rb7 25 Be5..Qd7 26 Qc3..Qf5 27 f4 with advantage to White.

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