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Efim Geller vs Efim Kogan
Odessa (1946)
Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation (B53)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1-0

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

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Given 37 times; par: 47 [what's this?]

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sac: 19.Qe3 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
Aug-18-03  xu fei: Is Geller's combination sound? At times it just looks too good to be true.
Aug-18-03
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sneaky: Wow, that is insane!
Sep-28-03  Nogal: Wonderful game indeed, but plenty of blunders. I know that over the board chess is difficult and psychology plays a huge role. Let´s see the moves.

1.- 17...h5? is bad, better cxb2

2.- 18...e5 is bad better maybe is Bf8!?

3.- 20... Kxg7?? is a total blunder, instead 20... Bxe4! 21.Qh6 Bh7 and Black is winning.

4. Finally 28... cxb2?? another blunder, instead 28... Bf7! 29.Rxc3 Qb7 30.Qxf7 Re8 is best.

5. Finally, White had a perpetual check at move 26 with Qh7+ Ke6 Qf5+ etc.

Hope this will be usefull for other players.

Apr-25-05  Shokwave: Wow. That game must have been fun to analyze!
May-17-05  soberknight: <patzer2> <crafty> <everyone> Can you explain what's going on here?

On <Nogal>'s points: 17...h5? didn't work, but ...cxb2 would have been completely pointless. Only defensive moves like ...e5 or ...Bf8 merit consideration.

20...Bxe4 21 Qh6 Bh7 22 Rf5! threatens Rh5 and mate, or if 22...Bf8 23 Rg5.

After the fourth line I don't see how White continues (e.g. 31 Qxf6 Qxe4, or 31 Qg6 Qxb2).

Jul-18-05  davewv: The Application of Chess Theory by Geller Page 24
Mar-24-06  zev22407: After the 18 move ,black threatens 4 pieces!
Jan-07-07  Rubenus: Like in 'the Dutch immortal', the combination is has many refutations but black still manages to lose.
Aug-22-07  wolfmaster: The Ukrainian Immortal?
Apr-30-09  WhiteRook48: 32...Rd7??
Dec-19-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <The Application of Chess Theory by Geller[,] Page 24>

... where he acknowledges that the game was "far from faultless". He was 20 or 21 when this game was played and merely a first category player.

Black's last chance to defend would probably have been 28. ... Kc7 (found by Fritz; not mentioned in Geller's notes in the above-cited source). After 28. ... cxb2?, White was winning by force.

Dec-19-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: BTW, it is doubtful that the player of the Black pieces was Boris Markovich Kogan (who later settled in Georgia, USA). That Kogan was born in 1940 and would have been only 6 years old at the time this game was played.
Jun-12-11  ZeejDonnelly: Efimeral Advantage
Oct-27-11  Skakalec: Comments on <Nogal> from 2003 and <Soberknight> from 2005 comments.

20...Kxg7 ?? <Nogal> says is blunder while 20...Bxe4! winns giving 21.Qh6 Bh7 <Soberknight> thinks that after 22.Rf5! white still winns because of Rh5 and Qxh7 # threat , but I found 22....cxb2!! and after 23.Rh5 Qxc2 and white is helpless.

But, this is not the end of story!
After 19...Bxe4! 20.Qh6 Bh7 white has Re4! and black's position is once again critical.

21...Qc8?

Dec-24-11  shakespeare: the attack is not much more then a bluff - shocking his opponent Rxf6 - just take it gxf6 with massive advantage and 2 hanging pieces maybe he was fearing Bxf6 with a Q invasion to follow - but e5 would have stopped any dreams like this
Apr-26-16  iammortal: i call this 1: "kogan's bluff!" ;)
Apr-26-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <iammortal: i call this 1: "kogan's bluff!" ;)>

That's a great name! Although it is a pity that Kogan did not <make> the bluff... What a great game as well. Black was pretty inventive in his defence; he can be forgiven for not finding the best defence. Defending can be a very tiring business.

Apr-26-16  john barleycorn: <fframp: <iammortal: i call this 1: "kogan's bluff!" ;)>

That's a great name! ...>

Absolutely

Apr-27-16  iammortal: thanks guys. :)

btw for me the bluff was the following move: 31...b1Q and that was the trigger for my idea. haha.

Apr-27-16  iammortal: more info: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0062824/ :D
Dec-18-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: Position after 18...e5:


click for larger view

Four White pieces are en prise.

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