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Vasily Smyslov vs Tigran Petrosian
Moscow Team Championship (1967), Moscow URS
Catalan Opening: General (E00)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Mar-17-04  Whitehat1963: Petrosian is such a good positional defender; where did this all fall apart for him?
Mar-17-04  drukenknight: it looks like 25...Bc5 is much better move, but can he save it at that pt...?
Mar-19-04  Cyphelium: On 25.- Bc5, 26. Qf7 looks very strong.
Apr-30-04  aurelian: We'd all do ourselves a favor if we all saw what Smyslov has to say about this game in his Best Games anthology. =)
Mar-28-06  stanleys: Simple chess!I really like this kind of games
May-21-13  dmvdc: <Whitehat1963: Petrosian is such a good positional defender; where did this all fall apart for him?>

Smyslov seemed to think that Petrosian went wrong with 22...cxb4 (even giving the move a '?'). Smyslov:

<This exchange leads to serious difficulties. Better was 22...Qe6 23.bxc5 Bxc5 24.e3 Na5, when Black can put up a stubborn defense.>

May-26-21  Ulhumbrus: 19...dxc5 wins a pawn but gets the black king exposed horribly whereupon Patrosian resigns.

The move goes against Najdorf's advice which is < Don't open lines when you are behind in development>

This suggests 19...d5 avoiding the opening of lines at least until Black has caught up with White in development.

May-26-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: In what way is Black behind in development on move 19?

19...d5 20. cxb6 Qxb6 <21. Nd4> Nxd4 22. Bxd4 seems to leave White with a very nice initiative on the queenside.

I agree with Smyslov's comment above. After <22...Qe6> I don't see how Black's king will be "exposed horribly" in the near future.

May-26-21  SChesshevsky: Think Petrosian likely went wrong before Smyslov's 22...cxb4. While probably not necessarily fatal 15...f5 might not be good. Seems to push into a bad Queens Indian type for black with the d-file open.

Get the feeling that Petrosian not happy with how the opening went and kind of flailing with...f5. Concern for Black with these types of QiD is usually the e-pawn. Here Petrosian apparently abandons the pawn for Qside activity but ends up with awful position. Again feels like flailing and not usual Petrosian. Guessing he was just disgusted enough to either miss 22...Qe6 or just pass on the defense.

Maybe similar with why 15...f5. Likely something better but doomed to passive defense. But not in the mood for that given how he might've felt about how he played the opening.

May-27-21  Ulhumbrus: <beatgiant: In what way is Black behind in development on move 19?> White's king's rook is ahead in development of Black's king's rook

< After <22...Qe6> I don't see how Black's king will be "exposed horribly" in the near future.> After 22...Qe6 Black doesn't win a pawn on b4 either and it allows 23 b5 eg 23...Rd8 24 Qa4 or even 24 Qc2

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