Akiba Rubinstein vs Ernst Gruenfeld (1929) The Importance of Beating Ernst

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Akiba Rubinstein vs Ernst Gruenfeld
"The Importance of Beating Ernst" (game of the day Aug-19-2016)
Karlsbad (1929), Karlsbad CSR, rd 5, Aug-05
Indian Game: Yusupov-Rubinstein System (A46) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 6 times; par: 137 [what's this?]

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Sep-25-04		Karpova: I like this game. Rubinstein's play is sometimes surprising but always incredibly far-sighted

Sep-29-04		paulalbert: <Karpova> I really like your selection of games. All very instructive. In this one, I really like how the K comes back from b6 just in time to attack black c pawn, winning K and P endgame no matter how black wins B. <Paul Albert>

Sep-29-04		Karpova: thank you very much, Paul Albert! It's good to know that that some people not only have a look at my game collection but also like it.

Nov-30-08		sleepyirv: Yes, thanks <Karpova> for finding this gem.

Jun-14-09		Chessical: This is a famous ending. Rubinstein wins because Gruenfeld cannot deal with pawn threats on either side of the board simultaneoulsy. Yet, later analysis showed that there is no forced win. In the end, practical considerations took their toll and Gruenfeld erred in defence. <55.h5> was found by analysts to be premature; and it should have allowed Gruenfeld to draw. Instead, <55.Kc2!> would have won <55...Ke6> 56.Kd3 Kf7 57.Kc4 Be1 58.Kb5 After <55.h5> gxh5 56.Bxh5 Ke7 57.Kc2 c4 58.Be2 the endgame expert Becker criticised <58...c3> as losing and this was later supported by Euwe and Hooper("A Guide to the endings" #185). Instead Becker recommended <58....Kf7!> as the drawing method and this seems correct: <59.Bxc4+> Kg6 60.Kb3 Be1 61.Bd5 Kxg5 62.Kc4 Kf6 63.Kb5 Ke7 64. a5 Kd8 65.Kb6 Kc8 66.a6 Bf2+ 67. Kc6 Kb8 = Despite this, in the actual game, Gruenfeld may have still been able to draw after <60... Be7!> 61. Bc4+ Kg7 62. Kxc3 Bxg5 63.Kb4 Kf6 64. Kc5 Ke7 65. Kc6 Bd2 66. Bd5 Bc3 67. Kb5 Kd6 68. a5 Kc7 69. a6 Bd4 70. Be6 Be3 = In the above line, if White cannot simply win by dashing up the Q-side with the pawn: <60... Be7!> 61.Kc4 Bxg5 62.Kb5 Ke6 63.a5 Kd6 64.Kb6 Bd8+ 65.Kb5 Kc7 66.a6 Be7 67.Ka5 Kb8 =

Apr-14-12		Karpova: Nimzowitsch: <Rubinstein's games with Gruenfeld almost invariably take the following course: By means of overhasty simplification, Gruenfeld gets himself into difficulties, after which Rubinstein wins the game by means of extremely judicious simplifications. The dynamism inherent in Rubinstein's simplifications becomes especially clear when these are compared with the less fortunate simplifications of his opponent (as, for example, Gruenfeld's 18...Bxc4, compared to Rubinstein's 31...Qxc5).> (from Nimzowitsch's tournament book 'Izbrannye partii mezdunarodnovo turnira v Karlsbade 1929') Source: Page 248 of J. Donaldson and N. Minev 'The Life and Games of Akiva Rubinstein - Volume 2: The Later Years', 2nd edition, Milford, USA, 2011.

Aug-19-16		An Englishman: Good Evening: Nimzowitsch's comment seems odd given that Grunfeld allowed 17.Bxc5 instead of withdrawing the Knight. I realize that Black feared a continuation such as 16...Nb7; 17.Nd6+,Nxd6; 18.Qxa6 winning the Two Bishops, but is that really such a bad thing? I believe the Knight is the best minor piece on the board and in formation such as this, the Bc2 can become useless.

Aug-19-16		goodevans: Of course not <39.Qd7+ Kh6 40.Qxc6> because of <40...Bxh4!>. Now <41.Kxh4?? Qh2+ 42.Kg4 Qh5#> is curtains so white must concede another pawn with <41.Qc3>.

Aug-19-16		goodevans: P.S. Brilliant pun!

Aug-19-16		AylerKupp: Regardless of whether Gruenfeld had theoretical chances for a draw at the later stages of the game, from a practical perspective, entering into an endgame against Rubinstein with an inferior pawn structure was ill advised. Even with BOC.

Aug-19-16		kevin86: Bishops of opposite colors is a bear of an endgame, even while a pawn or two ahead. You need to win the adverse bishop and still have enough pawns to win.

Aug-19-16		morfishine: Rubinstein really was brilliant in all phases

Aug-19-16		thegoodanarchist: The pun is a reference to the Oscar Wilde play, <The Importance of Being Earnest>, or else it is a reference to the physical beating of the movie character, <Ernest P. Worrell>

Aug-19-16		jimx: What an awesomely Gruelling game.

Aug-20-16		thegoodanarchist: <morfishine: Rubinstein really was brilliant in all phases> He was good in chess, too ;)

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