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Vladimir Simagin vs Viktor Korchnoi
USSR Championship (1956), Leningrad URS , rd 13, Feb-01
English Opening: Symmetrical. Anti-Benoni Variation (A31)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 17 times; par: 60 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-04-10  Bolgoljubov: This game is identical to a game Korchnoi played four years previously against Smyslov.

Smyslov vs Korchnoi, 1952

Simagin found the improvement 10 Qe2 and won easily...

Jan-04-10  sleepkid: Actually it would appear that Simagin found the improvement 10. Qe2, achieved a winning position, but then blundered the game away, as this is a victory for Korchnoi.
Jan-04-10  Boomie: Strange the Simagen chose the losing 37. Qf8+ over 37. Qh4+ with perpetual check.

Even stranger that nobody has noticed this before. Or am I missing something?

Jan-04-10  Notagm: What about 29. Rg1?
Jan-04-10  Bolgoljubov: sleepkid,

Thanks, that is what I meant! :)

Apr-07-12  Hesam7: <sleepkid: Actually it would appear that Simagin found the improvement 10. Qe2, achieved a winning position, but then blundered the game away, as this is a victory for Korchnoi.>

A great deal of mistakes by both sides in this game. Korchnoi's opening was a disaster, then White started playing badly from an overwhelming position:

<18. Nd5?> This squanders a great deal of White's advantage. 18. Na4! practically wins:

18. ... f5 is met with the simple 19. exf5 gxf5 20. Rac1.

18. ... Rfd8 19. Qe3! (19. Rac1 seems more natural but White is planning to double the rooks on the d-file) 19. ... Bf8 (defending against Nc5) 20. Rd4 with Rad1-b3-g3-f4 to follow. Black is completely strangled.

18. ... Qe5 19. Rac1 Bxe4 20. Rc5 Qf4 21. b3 Bb7 22. Rc4 Qb8 23. Nc5 and with Qe7 & Ne6 coming Black is toast.

18. ... Qg5 19. h4! Qe5 (19. ... Qxh4? 20. Nc5) 20. Rac1 transposing to the previous line but with an extra move for White .

<21. Ng5?> Now White has no advantage whatsoever. Much better was 21. Rac1 fxe4 (the other two captures lose the bishop!) 22. Rc5! Qf6 23. Rc7 Rb8 24. Qe3 Ba8 25. Rdc1 and Black's defenses are breached.

<25. fxe3?> The losing move, 25. Bh3 defending g2, was the only defense.

<27. Kxg2?> This will lose very quickly, 27. Rd2 was the toughest defense. The game might have gone as follows: 27. ... Ba8 28. Bh3 Bh6 29. Re1 Bf4 30. Qd3 Bxh2+ 31. Rxh2 Qg3+ 32. Rg2 Qxe1+ 33. Kh2 Kg7 34. Qd4+ Kh6 35. Qd2 (35. e4 Rf4; 35. Qd6 Rf1) 35. ... Qh4 36. e4+ Qf4+ 37. Qxf4 Rxf4 38. Kg3 Rxe4 39. Rd2 Kg5.

<29. ... Qh4?> Black misses a quick win: 29. ... Be5! 30. Rd4 Qf6! (30. ... Rxh2+?! 31. Kg1 Qh4 [31. ... Qf6? 32. Rf4! =] 32. Qg8+ Kxg8 33. Be6+ Kg7 34. Rxh4 Rxh4 35. Rc1 Bxb2 36. Rc7+ Kf6 in this rook and opposite colored bishops ending Black is 2 pawns up but there is still a lot of work to be done) 31. Qf7 Qxf7 32. Rd8+ Kg7 33. Rd7 Rxb2! 34. Rxf7+ Kxf7 we still get the same kind of ending but here White will lose his a-pawn because of zugzwang. For example: 35. h3 a5 36. Kg1 Ke7 37. Bd1 Rd2.

<30. Bh3??> Now Black is completely winning again. The immediate 30. Rd8+ Qxd8 31. Qe6 was much better since Black has not played ... Be5.

<34. ... Qxe3??> This gifts White a perpetual. After 34. ... Rh1+ 35. Ke2 Rxa1 White has a check or two but that is it.

<37. Qf8+??> A fitting end to this comedy of errors. White could have forced a draw with Qh4-Qe7.

Oct-28-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: I just played this game on Guess The Move:

< WE ARE NOW FOLLOWING
Simagin vs Korchnoi, 1956.
YOU ARE PLAYING THE ROLE OF KORCHNOI.
Your score: 73 (par = 62) >

This is an odd choice for the GTM game. Like Korchnoi, I blundered the perpetual with 34...Qxe3?? but was given full credit for the move... because it's the one Korchnoi made! Before that, I correctly chose 29...Be5, but was not given full credit for it.

Oct-14-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: <Hesam7> This part of the analysis seems quite faulty:

"18. ... f5 is met with the simple 19. exf5 gxf5 20. Rac1."

REALLY?!

18...f5 seems to be one of the best moves. If 19.exf5 - there is a weakness of the last move - d5 is hanging. Just Bxd5:

Vladimir Simagin - Viktor Korchnoi 0-1 13.0, USSR Championship 1956


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Analysis by Stockfish 17:

1. -+ (-3.28): 20.fxg6 Bg8 21.a3 b3 22.Rd2 Qg5 23.gxh7 Bc4 24.Qe1 Bd5 25.g3 Bf3 26.Rd3 Rad8 27.Qb4 Black has a decisive advantage

(Gavriel, 14.10.2024)

But the other parts of analysis seem in general correct.

So in fact, one has to rewind to establish that 18.Nd5 was in fact an inaccuracy because of f5. Na4 seems stronger according to modern engine analysis.

A fun game - dramatic blunder at the end instead of the draw by perpetual check.

What amazes me is actually how White is getting mated by force despite being two rooks up in one of the fun variations if 29.Rg1 had been played.


click for larger view

Challenge for kibitzers - can you work out the forced mate in 6 here black has here. They say opposite colored bishops favor the attacking player but this seems extreme!

Oct-14-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: Sorry please ignore my previous post except the mate bit … the analysis was related to Na4 so all of that analysis is correct.

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