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Smilga vs Tigran Petrosian
URS-ch U18 (1946), Leningrad URS, rd 13, Aug-??
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange. Rubinstein Variation (B13)  ·  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
Sep-07-05  SnoopDogg: Perfect game which teaches you how to defend a direct attack on the castled king. Don't create any kingside weaknesses with unnecessary pawn moves, make sure you don't move kingside pieces away from the kingside, make sure you have mobility in defending possible focal points, stir up some counterplay in center or queenside, also nice tactics by Petrosian.
Sep-07-05  hayton3: True. 7.Qb3 is the correct continuation though, when White gains an extra tempo for his kingside attack. See Fischer vs Petrosian, 1970 WCH Candidate Match
Aug-06-06  notyetagm: 37 ... ♖xa2! 38 ♕xa2 b3 is a lovely <DECOY> into a <PAWN FORK>.

Note that this tactical idea did not work the previous move, which is why Petrosian played 36 ... ♖a3 and not 36 ... ♖xa2??.

Why is 36 ... ♖xa2?? a blunder? Because after 37 ♕xa2 b3, White has the <TEMPO> move 38 ♕a7!, threatening mate on h7 by the queen with the support of the White h3-rook (38 ... ♙x♖?? 39 ♕h7#).

But once White plays 37 ♖h3-e3? and removes his control over the h7-mating focal point, there is no <TEMPO> move for the White queen and now 37 ... ♖xa2! works tactically.

Aug-06-06  notyetagm: 46 ... ♕f1+ is the start of a mate in three: 46 ... ♕f1+ 47 ♔g3 (47 ♔h2 ♕g1#) ♗f2+ 48 ♔f3 (48 ♔h2 ♕g1#) e1=♘#!.

Position after 48 ... e1=♘#!:


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Aug-07-06  notyetagm: <SnoopDogg: Perfect game which teaches you how to defend a direct attack on the castled king. Don't create any kingside weaknesses with unnecessary pawn moves, make sure you don't move kingside pieces away from the kingside, make sure you have mobility in defending possible focal points, stir up some counterplay in center or queenside, also nice tactics by Petrosian.>

Good summary. This is indeed a model game.

Aug-07-06  notyetagm: The more I play over this game, the more I like it.
Nov-26-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: <notyetagm> That's a very nice underpromotion mate, yet 47. Kg3 Qf2# is quicker. =)
Sep-11-07  wolfmaster: Snilga avoided the beautiful ending.
Jan-01-09  dtsherer: to notyetagm;i i can't agree with u as 36...Rxa2, Qxa2, b3, Qa7!.What about Rc7! It seems to take the air out of the tires. Can you clarify?
Jul-21-13  Chessman1504: I like playing over this game. Petrosian is my second favorite player behind Capablanca. I like the way he made the h-file utterly useless for White.
Feb-10-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: 9..Bd6 was new; 9..Be7 had been played once before. Although White's kingside attack had been effectively neutralized by Black he was still in the game until 34 Rc1..axb destroying White's queenside.

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