| Apr-17-15 | | zydeco: If 46....Nxf5 47.gxf5 Re7 48.Ng4 Rxe4 49.Nf6+.
If 47....Rc6 I think 48.Ng4 followed by 49.e5 and the connected passed pawns are stronger than the exchange. |
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| Apr-17-15 | | Mr. V: This is a wonderful endgame.
Zydeco, I think if in your line after 47...Rc6 48.Ng4, then black plays 48...Re-c5. This gives black some counter play. Now, if 49.e5 then 49...Rxc2 50.Nf6+ Rxf6 51.Rxc2 Rxf5 and maybe a draw. If 49.Kd1 h5 should do the job. Black looks good, I think. Tell me if I'm missing anything important. |
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| Apr-18-15 | | zydeco: <Mr V> Yeah, if 48....Rec5 49.c4 and white's threatening Nf2-d3, so if say 49....h5 50.Nf2 Re5 51.Nd3 Re7 52.e5 and white's position is at least aesthetically more appealing. By the way, 48.Nd3 Re7 49.e5 h5 would transpose to pretty much the same position as the move I suggested (48.Ng4). But the final position in this variation isn't so easy to evaluate. White has two advanced passed pawns, but black has the exchange and the g and h-pawns will get mobile quickly. Olafsson rejected it but the line he chose instead (remaining a pawn down) loses without too much fuss. |
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| Apr-21-15 | | Mr. V: That seems to wrap things up, then. Thanks. |
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Apr-09-24
 | | Sally Simpson: Geller sealed 41.Kb2 and he, Botvinnik and Keres were analysing the adjourned position. Nothing sinister in that, fellow countrymen often helped each in adjourned games even if they were in the same tournament and especially if it was against one of their rivals. 
click for larger viewThey were making no progress until Botvinnik suggested moving the King back to e1 and sacrificing the exchange (move 46) and they worked out a win even if it the exchnage sac was refused
This was fine but they discovered Black could re-arrange the pieces to prevent their idea if Olafsson got wind of it. Botvinnik suggested that when Geller was moving the King back to e1 he had to do a bit of acting by moving it slowly and rocking in his chair as if in despair about the lack of a plan to win. Botvinnik added that Olafsson would suspect nothing and not change the position of his pieces thinking he could a three fold rep. (page 5) Botvinnik’s ‘Selected Games 1967-1970.’ It worked! Geller later told Botvinnik; "I rocked!" (pun-submitted 'Rock-a-Geller.') |
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| Apr-09-24 | | FM David H. Levin: <Botvinnik suggested that when Geller was moving the King back to e1 he had to do a bit of acting by moving it slowly and rocking in his chair as if in despair about the lack of a plan to win.> Interesting background, but using mannerisms (such as this "rocking") to deceive the opponent strikes me as a bit shady. |
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Apr-09-24
| | Sally Simpson: Hi David,
All depends how much you rocked. I suspect it was more leaning forward pretending to be concentrating for a minute or two then leaning back, sighing, then leaning in again. Good book that by Botvinnik and as in other books of his, very honest, he does not shy away from criticizing his own play.
He said he gave up studying the game after 1963 and lived on 'the fat' of what he had gathered prior to 1963. |
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| Apr-11-24 | | Messiah: What a pun, oh dear. |
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Apr-11-24
 | | al wazir: Black gave up a ♙ unnecessarily with 25...e4 and never got it back. White made 14 consecutive ♔ moves (31 to 44), with no purpose that was clear to me. Meanwhile, black was making 13 consecutive ♔ moves (34 to 46), also with no clear purpose. The spectators must have been out of the skulls with excitement. The pun is rotten too.
"Game of the Day"? I think not. |
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Apr-11-24
 | | Teyss: I was wondering about the quality of the game, then read <Sally Simpson>'s anecdote and suddenly it became much better, as well as the pun. I even suspect Geller to have quietly walked his King to the Qside instead of trying anything with the sole purpose of reaching adjournment: he then knew his pals Botvinnik and Keres would help him. The three of them together bouncing ideas to each other must have reached a record cumulated Elo, while poor Olafsson was sweating alone in his hotel room. The key moment is here: 
click for larger view It’s briefly analysed in the posts above but apparently 46...Nxf5 is not much worse than the game line: after 47.gxf5 Black can choose between: (a) 47…Rc6 48.Nd3 Re7 49.e5 and the two connected passed Pawns look dangerous. SF rates this as +2.0 at 40 ply but on the longer term if played carefully White might be able to win. (b) 47…Re7 to prevent 48.e5, but then 48.Ng4 Rc5 49.Nxh6: White has N+2Ps vs R and the 2 Pawns still look dangerous. SF gives 0.8 at 40 ply, same comment as above. The latter is comparable to the game line (+1.1 at 42 ply after 47…Rxe5). It’s understandable that Olafsson didn’t want to risk 46...Nxf5 after a night of analysis by the Soviet team, thinking it was fully analysed, which the anecdote doesn’t mention BTW. I like these games with a revealing background, in this case the importance of Soviet collusion and the impact of shady mannerisms, as <FM David H. Levin> rightfully puts it. Somewhat similar to Petrosian's leg shaking during the Candidates semifinal in 1974, although in that case it didn't work. If I'm not mistaken it's Sally Simpson's first GOTD & pun. Well done Geoff. |
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Apr-11-24
| | Sally Simpson: Hi al wazir,
Not too sure about it being game of the day either. Maybe a 'ROD' Ruse Of the Day. Yes the last few moves were the 'Adjournment Shuffle.' when one of the players did nothing but avoid three fold rep to reach adjournment so they could stop the game and, with help, find the win. Spectators bored. Well of course no live games so it would have been a room full of spectators and demo boards. They, and Olafsson, would have known what Geller was up to (and why not with Botvinnik and Keres waiting in the wings to bounce ideas of.) But the spectators would have left happy having been treated to Keres vs Lombardy, 1969 played in the same round. (now that is a GOTD). Geller too would have been happy seeing that one and also Botvinnik vs T van Scheltinga, 1969 with the mastermind of the ruse winning under 40 moves. "Good. Paul and Mikhail are free tonight, I'll just coast to the adjournment and they can help." And there was nothing illegal about it. Back in the day it was the done thing. Computers, bless them, put an end to this. Having a pop at the Rockefeller, Rock-a-Geller pun is fine, these things are meant be groaned at. |
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| Apr-11-24 | | goodevans: I would say that this is the ideal sort of GOTD for right now. The World Championship Candidates (2024) is serving up enough tasty treats for us all to chew over. Quite frankly, choosing fabulous games, like Saturday's Navara vs Keymer, 2021, as GOTD is a bit of a waste. We need them when there's nothing else going on. This game has an interesting backstory and that's enough for me today. The pun is also very apt which is a bonus. |
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Apr-11-24
 | | offramp: <goodevans: I would say that this is...serving up enough <tasty treats> for us all to chew over.> I went to MacDonald 's about a fortnight ago. I bought a big burger called a <Big Tasty>. It is advertised on TV by a rapper named <Big Narstie>. He is actually a very nice guy, not Narstie at all, unlike Efim Geller. I give the Big Tasty® 🍔🍔🍔🍔 out of 5.
I give Efim Geller ♞♞♞ out of 5.
I am giving the pun 🚽🚽 out of 6. |
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Kibitzing
