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Vladas Mikenas vs Lev Aronin
USSR Championship (1957), Moscow URS, rd 2, Jan-22
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. Main Line (B99)  ·  0-1

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
0-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jul-26-05  The beginner: <Ericku>

Qxf5 ..exf5
Rc1 .. Rb8 (Re8 is to early as Kf8 is needed before the rook can leave 8 rank, or white has a mate in one) Rc4 ..Kf8

Not sure what white can play here, He can exchange rooks with

Rb4 ..Rxb4
axb4

But i think he loses here, those double b pawns dont look to good.

Posibel better is

Kc1 (walking the king to c3)

Here it is draw i think.

Jul-26-05  Stevens: there is no win that i can see for white.

the move ...Rd8 is nice. The poor white queen gets kebabed. Pinned to the king and even if it could move the skewer to the white rook gives an immediate mate ie Qxf5 Rxd1 mate.

Jul-26-05  Manus: This looks like a standard combination, doesn't it? Pretty move though.
Jul-26-05  rya: ee zee
Jul-26-05  EmperorAtahualpa: Easy puzzle..what happens after 33.Ka1 though?
Jul-26-05  erimiro1: <EmperorAtahualpa> Are you from Equador or Peru (I guess so by your name...)? Anyway, if 33. Ka1 Black contiues simply 33. -Rf8 or even 33. Qc5!? (34. Qd8+ Qf8) with an advantage for Black, but there is a lot to play (the white pawn at a3 and the unprotected black pawn on b3 can cause some troubles) So I'm sorry, <patzer2>, I don't share your opinion.
Jul-26-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: <patzer2> is that combination book (the Inmformant one) a very big one and they dont give the solutions on each page? How big is it in any case - I would like one with many comnbinations - I recognised this combination but & I saw the solution immediately - hard to know whether that was "training" or abilty per se- a bit of both I suppose - it is also in a book -[I realise it will be in many books on combinations etc] (a New Zealand book )

by Lev Aptekar,who came from Russia to New Zealand about 1977 or so, and was Chess coach in Russia - his book "Wisdom in Chess" is excellent for training - tactics etc

Jul-26-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: I think White had a better chance with 19 Qg3 he even can win in some variatons
Jul-26-05  alexandrovm: The queen is pinned. 33. ... Rd8 34. and white loses his queen. If Qxf5 then Rd1#
Jul-26-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: Rd8 wins. There is a similar position in Fred Reinfelds book "1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and combinations.Problem #1.
Jul-26-05  patzer2: <erimiro1> I'm not sure I disagree with you. Indeed, 33. Ka1 is the correct move, instead of the blunder 33. Qd3?? After 33. Ka1, I agree there is a lot of play left with plenty of opportunities for Black to go wrong. You are also correct that Black's only chance to pursue the advantage for a win is 33...Rf8! or 33...Qc5!?

When I initially posted that Black wins after 33. Ka1, I based it on a quick computer assessment. However, after a deeper look, my computer assesses it as barely a winning advantage for Black after 33. Ka1 Rf8! Yet the position is very complicated, and it may be possible that with best play White can force the draw.

The following analysis of the possibility 33. Ka1 is from Fritz 8 (@ 18/58 depth & 1272kN/s):

1. (-1.41): 33...Rf8 34.Qd3 Qg5 35.Qxb3 Qxg2 36.Qg3 Qb7 37.Qe5 Qb3 38.Rd7 Qb6 39.Kb1 f6 40.Qd6

2. (-1.38): 33...Qc5 34.Qd8+ Qf8 35.Qb6 Rb8 36.Qc7 Qe8 37.Rd7 Ra8 38.Qb7 Rc8 39.Kb1 Rb8 40.Qc7 Ra8

Jul-26-05  kevin86: I first tried Rc1+ trying to divert the queen's protection-but the king culd take. I first thought that Rd8 allowed immediate mate,but the pin prevents Rxd8# and turns the tables. Taking the queen is punished by Rxd1#-white is a goner
Jul-26-05  xxdsdxx: "A pinned piece is a useless piece" was never more clearer. I enjoy the way that CG reinforces what you should already know with examples. For White to win he should never should have stepped into that pin. These "easy" examples have become second nature for a lot of us and our games have improved because of it. Those struggling with the puzzles today will learn from their mistakes and play better tomorrow.
Jul-26-05  YouRang: Found it quickly. Yes, the white queen is pinned by the black queen, but it doesn't 'look' like a dangerous pin (from a casual glance) because the white queen is free to capture the black queen. But in this case, the capture is unacceptable because of the white king's vulnerability to a back rank mate.
Jul-26-05  RonB52734: Very interesting combination here beginning around 27...♖ac6. With 28...♕xe5, the white ♖ at e1 can't take the ♕ or it's 29...♖c1#. So the e1 ♖ is effectively pinned to the back rank. Notice that the ♘ at h5 has been hanging since it went there (13 moves before). White's 28.♘d6 looks like a culprit in all of this, allowing the black ♕ to have e5 and later h5, and opening the c-file for the black ♖s. But there's not much else available for white at 28. Anything else I looked at either lost the ♘ or led to # with the ♖s on the back rank.
Jul-26-05  EmperorAtahualpa: <erimiro1> Thanks for your help. This is already what I had in mind, I was just staring at the board thinking I missed something more "spectacular". :)

And by the way, I'm Dutch, although my name would indeed point to different countries. I hope you are familiar with his chess tale, I thought it would be a nice reason to choose this name in this forum.

Jul-26-05  brainzugzwang: <patzer2> We all agree that 33. Qd3 was a major brainlock, and 33. Ka1 would have kept things going.

But I am missing something that obvious, or does the other interposition, 33. Rd3, work just as well? Yes, White purposely walks into a pin, but his own back-rank threats appear to prevent Black from exploiting this. If 33... Qf1+, 34. Rd1 and a possible repetition; if Black doesn't give check, he has to play Rf8 to defend White's threats. 33.Rd3 also seems to force Black to use his queen to keep White's rook occupied; if 33... Qc5!?, for example, what about 34. Rxb3?

Jul-26-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: <brainzugzwang: does the other interposition, 33. Rd3, work just as well?> After 33. Rd3 Rf8 34. Ka1 Qf1+ 35. Rd1 35. Qxg2, white is two pawns down and still has to worry about mating threats.
Jul-27-05  patzer2: <brainzugzwang> I agree with <al wazir's> analysis of 33. Rd3?! Rf8 .

Another expanded possibility is 33. Rd3?! Rf8! 34. g3!? h5 35. Ka1 Rb8 36. Rd1 Qc2 37. Rf1 Rf8 38. Qb7 f5 39. Qe7 Qe2 40. Rb1 Ra8 41. h3 Kh7 42. Qb4 Qf3 43. Qd6 Ra4 44. Re1 Re4 45. Rb1 e5 46. Qd5 Qxg3 , when Black's central passed pawns decide.

Jul-27-05  brainzugzwang: <al wazir> and <patzer2> Fair enough. I was looking at genreal ideas without going into much in-depth analysis (sitting at my desk after a 12-hour workday!), and I was thinking if White can threaten/remove Black's b-pawn, taking away the mate threats, he might have some chances to get the Q-side rolling. Have to sit down tonight and look at this closer, along with patzer2's earlier look at 33.Ka1.
Aug-29-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  cu8sfan: 33...♖d8, what a beautiful move!
Aug-31-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  cu8sfan: This move was repeated exactly 50 years later in R Swinkels vs C Bauer, 2007.
Aug-31-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: It's almost unreal how this matches today's puzzle. (R Swinkels vs C Bauer, 2007)
May-31-12  Llawdogg: Wow! Mikenas pinned himself.
Aug-02-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  WTHarvey: Black mates in 6.


click for larger view

33. ... ?

if 34.g4 ♕g6 35.h3 ♖xd3
or if 34.♖c1 ♕xd3+ 35.♔a1 ♕c2

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