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Vlastimil Hort vs Pal Benko
75th US Open (1974), New York, NY USA, rd 6, Aug-16
Benko Gambit: Accepted. Fianchetto Variation (A58)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-27-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 40...Nf4 is weird mistake.
Jul-29-06  Resignation Trap: Here is the critical position, with Black to play:


click for larger view

According to Benko, this position favors Black and he recommends 40...Rxe2 41.Bxe2 Rxb3.

<<...but the move I played put an untimely end to the struggle: 40...Nf4?? 41.Rxa2. Hort said "Sorry" as he gently removed my Rook from the board. Naturally, I resigned. Sitting there, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. To cheer myself up, I recalled my favorite cartoon character and his famous remark: "Oh, Magoo, you've done it again!">>

"It" in this case means losing a Rook in time pressure.

Jul-29-06  Gypsy: I was looking at this gane a couple of days ago and concluded that I was watching a result of a desperate time trouble...
Jul-29-06  aw1988: To me it seems more like mixing up the moves, intending to play Rxe2 and Nf4, the correct plan, but instead playing Nf4 immediately, a slip of the mind, which obviously loses.
Jul-29-06  Hesam7: <Resignation Trap: According to Benko, this position favors Black and he recommends 40...Rxe2 41.Bxe2 Rxb3.>

After 40... Rxe2 41. Bxe2 Rxb3 42. Ra1! Nf4 43. Bf1


click for larger view

I would say it is equal considering the a-pawn and the rook behind it. Note that 43... Rxf3 actually loses to 44. a5.

Jul-31-06  Resignation Trap: I abbreviated Benko's analysis from game #78 G Aspler vs Benko, 1971 in his book <Pal Benko: My Life, Games and Compositions> where Hort deviates with 11.Qc2 (instead of Aspler's 11.Re1).

Benko's full analysis goes: <<This position favors Black. Correct is 40...Rxe2 (Also interesting is 40...Ra3!? 41.Rb2 Kg7 followed by 42...Kf6, 43...Ke5 and 44...Nf4) 41.Bxe2 Rxb3 42.Ra1! Ke8 43.a5 Rb7 44.a6 Ra7 45.Rb1 Kd7 46.Rb8 Ne5 47.Bb5+ Kc7 48.Re8 c4! 49.Kf2 (49.Rxe7+ Kb6 is good for Black) 49...Kb6 50.Rb8+ Kc5 51.Rb7 Ra8 with good chances for Black. It's clear that Black is in the driver's seat, but the move I played put an untimely end to the struggle: 40...Nf4?? 41. Rxa2...>> etc.

I did not include the entire note due to my Larsenian (Larsenic?) mistrust of long analysis.

Dec-18-17  Howard: CL&R mentioned this blunder !
Dec-18-17  Granny O Doul: Nothing gets past CL&R!

Interesting to learn of Benko's affinity for Mr. Magoo.

Dec-25-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: This was played in round 6, at the halfway point of the U Open. Benko recovered sufficiently to tie with Hort for first place in the end.
Nov-07-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  marcusantoinerome: In the November 1974 CL&R, page 718, Burt Hochberg writes, "Benko played the Benko gambit, of course, and in the middlegame the advantage shifted back-and-forth with Hort maintaining the gambit pawn. Hort played inaccurately and Benko seemed better in the ending, but then he made his usual Rook blunder and immediately resigned. "

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