chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing
Anatoly Karpov vs Mark Taimanov
"Taimanov to Checkmate" (game of the day Dec-15-2013)
October Revolution 60th Anniversary (1977), Leningrad URS, rd 1, Jun-25
Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian. Open (B32)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Click Here to play Guess-the-Move
Given 22 times; par: 57 [what's this?]

explore this opening
find similar games 8 more Karpov/Taimanov games
sac: 38...Ng3+ PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: As you play through the game, you can get the FEN code for any position by right-clicking on the board and choosing "Copy Position (EPD)". Copy and paste the FEN into a post to display a diagram.

PGN Viewer:  What is this?
For help with this chess viewer, please see the Olga Chess Viewer Quickstart Guide.
PREMIUM MEMBERS CAN REQUEST COMPUTER ANALYSIS [more info]

A COMPUTER ANNOTATED SCORE OF THIS GAME IS AVAILABLE.  [CLICK HERE]

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 9 OF 9 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Dec-15-13  Refused: <perfidious: <newzild> This game was from Leningrad 1977, as stated in the DB, which was a regular invitational. This game was played at a time when Karpov was virtually invincible and won nearly every event he played, yet lost two games in the tourney (the other to Belyavsky) and if memory serves, finished =3rd.>

Shared fourth, according to the database.
Romanishin and Tal finished shared first. Smyslov finished clear third half a point ahead of Karpov and Vaganian.

Dec-15-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Strange. I would have bet anything that I had read about this tournament in the <Players Chess News> at the time. However, it seems that PCN did not yet exist. See http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Annual-.... This result was a huge sensation: as <perfidious> said, Karpov was winning everything in sight at the time, so it was shocking to see him lose two games, "only" finish with +3 (terrible by his lights), and tie for fourth. October Revolution 60th Anniversary (1977) OTOH, a great result by Romanishin, who tied for first with Tal, but unfortunately turned out to be a bit of a flash in the pan.
Dec-16-13  Granny O Doul: The event was reported in CL&R, in David Levy's "Letter from Europe". Levy also forecast big things for Romanishin in the future.
Dec-16-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: Maximum's the word! The black rook goes from a1 to h8 in two moves to checkmate!

Henry Bemis (twilight zone) must have liked this finish...if only he had "Time Enough" to play it.

Dec-16-13  Tigranny: Correct me if I'm wrong, but did Karpov play somewhat passively to let Taimanov gain space and eventually open up the h file to mate his king?
Jan-28-14  JG27Pyth: Talk about your 'puzzle-like' finishes.
Apr-28-15  m.okun: This game Taimanov considers one of two his best games (the second - a victory over Lutikov, 1969).
May-07-15  Cactusjuice: Legendery tactics
Nov-29-16  NightKnight: Wow, what a gem of beauty! First I could only see that after Qxg3, yeah black is better, but what about hxg3? Could not figure it out, but a minute or so after it hit. Would call that a lesson in backward geometry. Naturally the title certainly gave something away. ;-)
Nov-29-16  izimbra: This is an amazing game. Karpov was leading most of the way, but by move 37 his advantage had dissipated. <36...Qd4> puts White in a position where only 2 moves save the game: <37.Rb1> or <37.Rc3> both of which block <37...Ra1>. Everyone else loses, Karpov doesn't see it, and Taimanov wins brilliantly.
Nov-29-16  Howard: Regarding the comment from about 7-8 postings above this one, David Levy actually wrote in CL&R that at the rate that Romanishin was improving, one could "fully expect" to see him in the Candidates finals come 1980...

....didn't actually work out that way, as I recall. Romanishin didn't even get past the 1979 interzonals.

Nov-29-16  PJs Studio: 38...Ng3+ fa fa faa fa fa fa fa faa faa
Psycho killer. RIP GM Taimanov. Loved your games.
Feb-15-17  shameer832: watch the history of mark taimanov
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr-...
loved ur games.good agressive player died at age of 90.he had four wives in that he is the father of twins
Feb-15-17  diagonal: <shameer832> What a beauty, thanks for that new link to an animated puzzle with the knight sacrifice, the final move in this famous game from Mark Taimanov against the then reigning World Champion.

Taimanov was a regular top fifty player of the world (today regarded as super grandmaster) from the late 1940s to the early 1980s, and a frequent top ten player in the 1950s.

Best world ranking: 5th in January 1957 with 2742 (prior to FIDE in historical ELO by SONAS); =10th with Smyslov and Stein in January 1971 FIDE list with 2620 ELO (also best FIDE rating).

Jun-06-18  Toribio3: Power chess by Taimanov!
Jun-27-18  Amarande: Am I missing anything more forcible, or is the end simply:

39 Qxg3 (not hxg3 Ra8, with mate) Rxb1 (threatens mate) 40 Qf3 (40 h3 holds out longer, but a Rook down) e4 41 Qe2 Qd3! 42 Qxd3 (forced due to the mate threats) exd3 43 Kg1 d2 and the pawn queens?

Jun-27-18  RookFile: Karpov loses to one of Fischer's punching bags.
Jun-27-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  ChessHigherCat: I wish people had the same attitude towards chessplayers as they do towards artists and composers. I mean how stupid would it be to slander Mahler or Debussy because they're "not as good as" Bach? Taimanov was a great artist and should be appreciated as such.
Jun-28-18  RookFile: Great probably means something other than finishing 8th in one Candidates or paying off Matulovic to qualify to get slapped around 6-0 in the other.
Jun-28-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  ChessHigherCat: Yeah, if you're completely fixated on winning tournaments but he's provided me with enough great entertainment to consider him a great artist.
Jun-28-18  RookFile: The joke they used to tell back then went like this:

Q: Why did the Soviet Union expel Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn?

A: Officials found that Solzhenitsyn had one of Taimanov's chess books in his flat.

Jun-28-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: Love the joke! Taimonov played the black keys well here.
Nov-07-19  ewan14: Soviet tournaments , national championships and invitations , were always tougher than other tournaments
Jan-10-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  thegoodanarchist: < FSR: .... Emulating Taimanov, one of my opponents, Bill Weihmiller, played the same line against me. I played 6.Nf5!>

Karpov doesn't play such moves! (who am I quoting?)

<(instead of Karpov's 6.Nb3)>

(Hint: Karpov's opponent [the player I quoted] opened with 1...a6 in the game I am referencing)

<and won handily.>

Congratulations. And we shouldn't be surprised, as the move you played is much more active, and in keeping with the spirit of having the White pieces in the opening.

Jan-10-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  thegoodanarchist: FYI, I was replying to:

Karpov vs Taimanov, 1977 (kibitz #176)

Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 9)
search thread:   
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 9 OF 9 ·  Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
  3. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
  5. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
  6. No trolling.
  7. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
  8. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

Blow the Whistle

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.


NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific game only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

This game is type: CLASSICAL. Please report incorrect or missing information by submitting a correction slip to help us improve the quality of our content.

<This page contains Editor Notes. Click here to read them.>

Featured in the Following Game Collections[what is this?]
Games from Taimanov's Book: TAIMANOV'S SELECTED
by Malacha
thesonicvision's favorite short games
by thesonicvision
Larsker's favorite games
by Larsker
markku's favorite games
by markkumatt
Froma1,rook mates at h8 in two moves
from champs vs champs by kevin86
Mark Taimanov (1926-)
from Player of the day: Notable game. by nikolaas
Black to play after 38. Rb1
from Chessgames.com's Daily Puzzles by Minor Piece Activity
Taimanov's nice shot
from Honza Cervenka's favorite games2 by Honza Cervenka
Dillinger's favorite games
by Dillinger
something to think about
by tldr3
38...Ng3+!
from Nova's favorite games2 by Nova
38...Ng3+!
from Clearance by patzer2
black to play after 28.Rb1
from chessgames daily puzzles by maheshml
sicilian
by zentovic
b33
from favorite games according to opening b00-b99 by mirage
mcgaughp's favorite games
by mcgaughp
Move 38 Black to play
from Chessgames.com's most interesting chess puzzles by ahmadov
An amazing trap from Taimanov
from Trap, Ambush, and Swindle by Gypsy
woodenbishop's favorite games #3
by woodenbishop
Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian.Open
from MKD's Sicilian Defense Black by MKD
plus 89 more collections (not shown)

Home | About | Login | Logout | F.A.Q. | Profile | Preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | New Kibitzing | Chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | Notable Games | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | Privacy Notice | Contact Us

Copyright 2001-2023, Chessgames Services LLC