chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing
Tigran V Petrosian vs Palle Moeller Nielsen
Nimzowitsch Memorial (1960), Copenhagen DEN, rd 9, Aug-17
Dutch Defense: Hopton Attack (A80)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Raymond Keene.      [405 more games annotated by Keene]

explore this opening
find similar games 2,072 more games of Petrosian
PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: You can get computer analysis by clicking the "ENGINE" button below the game.

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
Aug-26-04  Republic of Texas: This game is from the Nimzovitch Memorial Tournament which Petrosian won [+10 =3 -0] ahead of 2] Geller, 3] Stahlberg, and 11 others.
May-02-05  fgh: Great stuff.
May-11-05  dippel: Here you can see a picture from the game - Axel Nielsen vs Petrosian - exactly at move 6. Ngf3 in Copenhagen 1960: http://www.kemikeren.dk/Petrosian.jpg
May-11-05  ranchogrande: and if we look closer at the picture<dippel> ,we can see that Petrosian already on move 6 is trying to take his lesser experienced opponent into likely new teritory!(new for Nielsen).
Mar-09-10  YoungEd: Perhaps Black should have castled on move 6. White's ♕ on b3 is very strong. If I were Black, I might have tried 7. ...e6 and 8. ...d5, setting up a Stonewall. That might have afforded better defensive opportunities desite the loss of a tempo or two.
Aug-19-12  backrank: Like in the better known game Petrosian vs S Schweber, 1962, but even more drastically, Petrosian shows here the superiority of the knight pair over the bishop pair. After move 12, Tarrasch would probably have said that in his bishop pair, Black has sufficient compensation for his disrupted pawn structure:


click for larger view

Maybe Black has believed this; but Petrosian shows very clearly that it is not the case. With seemingly effortless elegance, only 5 moves later he has achieved a position where Black's pieces lack any chance of activity, now and in the future:


click for larger view

After move 22 and a pawn sac by White the position looks like this:


click for larger view

Quite a long time ago, Lasker has taught us that the two knights are strongest when standing side by side, and weakest when protecting each other (as they do in the above position), but again Petrosian falsifies that rule. He wins by an elegant manoever which is on each move based on a potential knight fork on e6 which Black has to avoid until he can't escape:

23 Rxf8! Kxf8 (Qxf8 24 Ne6+) 24 Nxg5 hxg5 (Qxg5 25 Ne6+) 25 Qb7!


click for larger view

And now 25 ... Rd8 fails to 26 Rxd8 Qxd8 (?) 27 Ne6+. Very pretty!

Feb-27-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Black Vampire: It´s curious that in a game from the Nimzovich Memorial Tournament Petrosian doesn´t employ Nimzovich´s Triangle, but the Saragossian one!!
Oct-07-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: Nimzovich would be proud. Nimzovich's favourite blockade is a Knight in front of doubled pawns. Petrosian engineers that scenario well in this game. It echoes a little bit of playing a nimzo-indian in reverse with the Bb5xc6 moves.
May-20-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: Very original, creative effort; 25 Qb7 was cute.

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?]
Petrosian wins miniatures
by ughaibu
"Aron Nimzowitsch: A Reappraisal" by Keene
by chessgames.com
zakir's favorite games
by zakir
Petrosian's tribute to Nimzowitsch.
from bitko's collection by bitko
Fitting tribute
from keypusher's bookmarked games by keypusher
Mephisto Games to Memorize
by krdjis
Dutch Defense: Hopton Attack (A80) 1-0 Dbl Doubled Ps are weak!
from Trompy, Byrne Bg5 Stuff Fredthebear by fredthebear
Amazing Forks
by khursh
Tigran, Tigran, burning bright
by sleepyirv
Restricted Bs
from Petrosian's unbelievable mastery by arsen387
illustrative use of knights
from fav Smyslov & Petrosian games by guoduke
Tigran Petrosian's Best Games
by KingG
;;;
from ipap's favorite games by ipap
Bishop v Knight: the verdict (Steve Mayer)
by hms123
The Russian Tiger
by 67JediChessMaster
Dutch Defense: Hopton Attack
by ISeth
Fantastic positional miniature
from Positional Chess Wins! by sorokahdeen
Game 56. Copenhagen 1960
from Chernev: The Russians Play Chess by backrank
Tigran Petrosian
by ALL
No chance for Black's bishops.
from Positional Masterworks by DcGentle
plus 59 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