Viktor Korchnoi vs Boris Spassky (1968) Catch Me If You Can

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Viktor Korchnoi vs Boris Spassky
"Catch Me If You Can" (game of the day Jul-06-2019)
Spassky - Korchnoi Candidates Final (1968), Kiev URS, rd 6, Sep-17
Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek (Petrosian) Variation (D31) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 · Later Kibitzing>
Mar-27-16		cimatar: at move 25 black looks like he is attacking but only in the surface, because whites attack is more concrete although IMO he should have tried 25..Kf7 trying to move out from the attack!

Mar-27-16		offramp: <imatar: @offramp 25..Bxc3 will be met with Rxh7 and not Qxc3 that is why Spassky moved 25..Nb6 to cover the h7 which is a target..there is a long variation that will follow afterwards but IMHO the players covered this line as winning for white. i.e. after 26.Rxh7 black has nothing 26..Bxb2 27.Kxb2 or Bb4 Kd1 is hard to proceed with the attack..while Rh8 and Qxg6 is coming.> <25..Bxc3 will be met with Rxh7> That would give us this position: click for larger view How about 26...Bxd4+? click for larger view I can see that at some point White will get a check on h8, but Black seems to have some checks before that. Here is an example: 27. Kd2 Qc2+ 28. Qxc2 bxc2 click for larger view 29. Rh8+ Kf7 30. R1h7+ Ke8 and Black is a piece ahead.

Mar-27-16		Honza Cervenka: <cimatar: @offramp 25..Bxc3 will be met with Rxh7 and not Qxc3 that is why Spassky moved 25..Nb6 to cover the h7 which is a target..there is a long variation that will follow afterwards but IMHO the players covered this line as winning for white. i.e. after 26.Rxh7 black has nothing 26..Bxb2 27.Kxb2 or Bb4 Kd1 is hard to proceed with the attack..while Rh8 and Qxg6 is coming.> After 25...Bxc3 26.Rxh7 Bxd4+ 27.Kd2 Qc2+ 28.Qxc2 bxc2 the game is over for white IMHO. Anyway, the easiest way to win for Spassky seems to be 19...cxd3 20.Qxd3 h5! 21.Rc2 (Of course, 21.gxh5? is bad for 21...Bf5) 21...0-0 etc. White is busted with no chance to get counterplay on the KS and even material. The win of black is just a matter of technique.

Mar-27-16		Honza Cervenka: <RookFile: Sometimes I get tired of hearing that Korchnoi would have been a good match opponent for Fischer in the 1970's. It really doesn't make any sense. Spassky beats Korchnoi in '68. Then Petrosian beats Korchnoi in '71. Fischer shows up and beats both Petrosian and Spassky convincingly.> Well, that's true but Spassky, who beat Korchnoi in 1968, was not the same Spassky, who lost to Fischer in Reykjavik four years later. Also Petrosian's performance in last four games of the match with Fischer was something quite unusual I would say.

Mar-28-16		cimatar: I miss that Bxd4 however how about 26.bxc3 first, then if 26..Rxf4 27.Qxg6 click for larger view

Mar-28-16		cimatar: Is there enough compensation for the Bishop with 27..Kf8 Qd3?

Mar-28-16		Honza Cervenka: <cimatar: I miss that Bxd4 however how about 26.bxc3 first, then if 26..Rxf4 27.Qxg6> <cimatar: Is there enough compensation for the Bishop with 27..Kf8 Qd3?> 25...Bxc3 26. bxc3 Rxf4 27. Qxg6+ Kf8 28. Qd3 Qc4 is dead lost for white.

Aug-23-18		Honza Cervenka: 19...cxd3 20.Qxd3 h5 21.Rc2 O-O 22.Kd2 (what else?) 22....hxg4 23.fxg4 b3+ 24.Rc3 Bxg4 was winning easily.

Sep-11-18		edubueno: 25...Bxc3!! gana enseguida. Por ejemplo: a)26.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 27.bxc3 Rxf4 28.Rxh7 Nf8 29.Rh8+ Kg7 30.Kb2 Ra2+ 31.Kxb3 Rf2 32.R8h3 R2xf3 33.Rxf3 Rxf3 34.Rg1 Bd7 35.Nd2 Re3 36.Kb4 Ne6 37.c4 Bc6 38.Nb3 b6 39.Ra1 Rg3 40.Ra7+ Kh6 41.Ra6 Rd3 42.cxd5 b) 26.Txh7 Bxd4+ 27.Kd1 Qc2+ 28.Qxc2 bxc2+ 29.Kxc2 Bxe5 30.Bxe5 Nxe5 31.Rh8+ Kf7 32.R1h7+ Ke8 33.Rxf8+ Kxf8 34.Nd2 Bf7 35.g5 Kg8 36.Rh4 Be6 37.Nb3 Nxf3 38.Rf4 Rf1 39.Kc3 b6 40.Kb4 Bh3 41.Kb5 Nxg5 42.Rxf1 Bxf1+ 43.Kxb6 Ne6 44.Kc6 Bc4

Dec-28-18		woldsmandriffield: The castling decisions in this game are extraordinarily provocative. 7 o-o-o by Korchnoi is followed by a Knight sacrifice 5 moves later. Spassky’s 21..o-o is followed by a temporary Queen sacrifice 5 moves later. You reap what you sow...

Jul-06-19		HeMateMe: I wish the world championship games of late could be as exciting as this stuff.

Jul-06-19		MissScarlett: Go back to sleep.

Jul-06-19		HeMateMe: <MissScarlett: Go back to sleep.> go back to your clients, rent boy.

Jul-06-19		MissScarlett: You just woke up, or did it take 8 hours to think up this, ehhhh, witticism?

Jul-06-19		perfidious: <HMM>, tell it to <dicer>. A most unfortunate outcome for Spassky after his elegant piece sacrifice.

Jul-06-19		catlover: What a fight! This was great choice for GOTD. Some excellent kibitzing as well.

Jul-06-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 14...c5 15.Ne2 c4 16.Qe3 g5 17.Bg3 Bf5 18.h4 gxh4 19.Bf2 Ra1 20.Kd2 Bxb1 21.Ke1 Nf8 22.f4 Ng6 23.f5 Bg5 24.Qh3 Ne7 25.f6 Nf5 26.g4 hxg3 27.Nxg3 Qd7 28.Qh5 h6 29.Nxf5 Qxf5 30.Bg2 - / + (-0.97) Depth: 20 dpa done

Jul-06-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 d 21 dpa 1. - / + (-0.75): 14.Nce2 c5 15.Kd2 c4 16.Qc2 Bf5 17.Qc1 c3+ 18.Ke1 Ra2 19.Nxc3 bxc3 20.Qxc3 Qb6 21.Kf2 0-0 22.Ne2 Rxb2 23.Kg1 Rb3 24.Qe1 Nc5 25.h4 Nd3 26.Qg3 h5 27.Bg5 Bxg5 28.hxg5 Rc8 29.Ra1 Kg7 30.Rh4 Rb1 31.Rxb1 Qxb1 2. - / + (-1.30): 14.Nb1 c5 15.Ne2 0-0 16.Qe3 Ra1 17.Kd2 Bf5 18.Ke1 g5 19.Bg3 Rxb1 20.Rxb1 Bxb1 21.e6 Nb6 22.dxc5 Nc4 23.Qc1 Bg6 24.Bf2 fxe6 25.Nd4 Bxc5 26.Bxc4 dxc4 27.Qxc4 Bxd4 28.Bxd4 Qc8 29.b3 Qxc4 30.bxc4 Rc8 31.Bf6 Kf7 3. - + (-1.42): 14.Na4 Qa5 15.Bh6 Qxa4 16.Qxa4 Rxa4 17.Bd3 b3 18.Ne2 Nb6 19.Kd2 Ra2 20.Rb1 Bb4+ 21.Ke3 Nc4+ 22.Bxc4 dxc4 23.Nc1 Ra8 24.Ne2 Kd7 25.Bg7 Rhe8 26.Bf6 Ra2 27.Nc1 Ra4 28.Ne2 Rea8 29.Kf2 Kc7

Jul-06-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 d 23 dpa 1. = / + (-0.75): 13.axb4 axb4 14.Nce2 c5 15.Kd2 c4 16.Qc2 Bf5 17.Qc1 c3+ 18.Ke3 Ra2 19.Nxc3 bxc3 20.Qxc3 g5 21.Bg3 Qb6 22.Ne2 0-0 23.Kf2 Rxb2 24.Kg1 Rb3 25.Qd2 Rc8 26.Rc1 Rc4 27.Rxc4 dxc4 28.h4 g4 29.Nc3 Bd3 30.Qf4 gxf3 31.Nd5 Qe6 32.Nxe7+ Qxe7 33.Qg4+ Kf8 34.gxf3 2. - / + (-0.89): 13.Nge2 c5 14.Qa4 0-0 15.Qb5 Nc6 16.Kb1 a4 17.Bh6 Re8 18.dxc5 Ndxe5 19.Nd4 Nxd4 20.Rxd4 Ra5 21.Qb6 Nc6 22.Qxd8 Rxd8 23.Rd2 Bxc5 24.Bg5 Be7 25.Bxe7 Nxe7 26.Rd4 Kg7 27.Rxa4 Rxa4 28.Nxa4 Bf5+ 29.Kc1 Rc8+ 30.Kd2 Rc2+ 31.Ke3 Nc6 32.Kf4 d4

Jul-06-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 d 18 dpa done only 1. = (-0.75): 12.a3 a5 13.axb4 axb4 14.Nce2 c5 15.Nh3 c4 16.Qe3 Ra1+ 17.Kd2 Ra2 18.Ng5 Rxb2+ 19.Ke1 0-0 20.h4 Rb3 21.Nxe6 fxe6 22.Qc1 Bxh4+ 23.g3 Be7 24.Kf2 Qb6 25.Kg2 Ra3 26.Qb2 c3 27.Qc2 Rfa8 28.Nc1 Ra1 29.Rh6 Bf8 2. - / + (-1.06): 12.Nge2 c5 13.Rd2 c4 14.Qd1 Nd3+ 15.Rxd3 cxd3 16.Qxd3 Rc8 17.Qb5 0-0 18.Kb1 Nb6 19.Bh6 a6 20.Qb3 Re8 21.a3 Rc4 22.Ka1 Qc7 23.Bd2

Jul-06-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 d 22 dpa done 1. = / + (-0.75): 11.e5 Nd7 12.a3 a5 13.axb4 axb4 14.Nce2 c5 15.Kd2 c4 16.Qc2 Bf5 17.Qc1 c3+ 18.Ke3 Ra2 19.Nxc3 bxc3 20.Qxc3 g5 21.Bg3 Qb6 22.Ne2 0-0 23.Kf2 Rxb2 24.Kg1 Rc2 25.Qe1 f6 26.exf6 Bxf6 27.h4 g4 28.fxg4 Bxg4 29.Kh2 Re8 30.Rd2 Qb2 31.Rxc2 Qxc2 32.Qa5 Kg7 33.Qxd5 Rxe2 34.Bxe2 Qxe2 2. - + (-1.54): 11.a3 dxe4 12.d5 Bxd5 13.Qa4 Nd3+ 14.Bxd3 exd3 15.Rxd3 b5 16.Qc2 0-0 17.Nh3 Re8 18.Nxd5 cxd5 19.Kb1 Rc8 20.Qb3 Qd7 21.Re1 Rc4 22.g4 a6 23.Bg3 Rec8 24.Be5 b4 25.a4 Qc6

Jul-06-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 d 20 dpa done 1. = (0.03): 10.Qf2 0-0 11.a3 Na6 12.Bh6 Re8 13.e5 Nd7 14.h4 b5 15.h5 b4 16.axb4 Nxb4 17.g4 g5 18.f4 Nb6 19.f5 Nc4 20.b3 Na5 21.Kb2 Rb8 22.f6 Bf8 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 2. = (-0.13): 10.Qe2 0-0 11.Kb1 b5 12.Qe3 Re8 13.Nge2 Be6 14.a3 Na6 15.Be5 b4 16.axb4 Nxb4 17.Nf4 Bd6 18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.e5 Bf5+ 20.Bd3 Nxd3 21.Nxd3 Nd7 22.g4 Bxd3+ 23.Rxd3 Qe6 24.Rc1 f6 25.f4 Qxg4 so 10.Db3?

Jul-06-19		cunctatorg: A defensive masterpiece of Victor Korchnoi!! A relatively unknown one, I must add... though a very spectacular and convincing!

Sep-14-22		offramp: Spassky was playing very strongly at this time. He won this match 4-1 but he could have won 5-0. Spassky didn't try hard at all but he got a totally won position very quickly. click for larger view Korchnoi tried 22. hxg6. Spassky did not even bother to calculate it. Why think about a load of complications? Spassky decided to play 22....fxg6 because that white king was going anywhere. Also, after ...fxg6 there is a threat against the B at f4. However, the best move would have been 22...cxd3! ****** Later on, Spassky missed the best continuation but the position is still drawn. click for larger view 34. Bg5= but BVS played 34...Ra6? He should have played 34....Bd7!=

Sep-16-24		ewan14: Korchnoi remarked that against Geller and Larsen Spassky let them beat themselves. In this game of the match Spassky was really going for it , perhaps like the slugfest against Keres in 64/64 ( Korchnoi also said the Soviet authorities hampered his preparation )

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