chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing
Lev Polugaevsky vs Mikhail Tal
"Beat Noire" (game of the day Jul-08-2021)
Riga Interzonal (1979), Riga URS, rd 2, Sep-06
English Opening: Symmetrical. Three Knights Variation (A34)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Click Here to play Guess-the-Move
Given 12 times; par: 30 [what's this?]

explore this opening
find similar games 32 more Polugaevsky/Tal games
sac: 23...Rdf3 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
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jul-08-21  Brenin: We're captive on the carousel of time.
We can't return, we can only look
Behind, from where we came
And go round and round and round, in the circle game.
Jul-08-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Folks, if you're not happy with the repeated GOTDs, I suggest you post a note at User: chessgames.com. If you don't do that, they many not even be aware there is a problem and it will never get fixed.
Jul-08-21  areknames: AFAIC this magnificent game could be GOTD every day of the year, and well done to <paavoh> for a delightfully droll pun.
Jul-08-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: "Beat Noire?" But Noire *won*.

Maybe it should have been "bet Noire."

Jul-08-21  vermapulak: It takes "20 Years" for Tal to win over Polugaevsky after his first win on 1959.
Jul-08-21  Ironmanth: Misha always threw heavy stuff, and often got away with it! RIP, GM Tal. Y'all stay safe out there today, and play often, well, and fairly.
Jul-08-21  siggemannen: Isn't bete noire something like a nemesis you always lose against. In that case at least the pun makes sense (not that the pun is all that great)
Jul-08-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <siggemannen: Isn't bete noire something like a nemesis you always lose against....>

Indeed it is.

Jan-04-24  Saniyat24: stumbled upon an agadmator video on youtube on this game- https://youtu.be/uTWSFGsqDO8?si=EPz...
Jan-20-24  mel gibson: I didn't chose that move.
I found it very complicated.

Stockfish 16 says:

23. .. Rdf3

(23. .. Rdf3 (1. ... Rdf3 2.Nxf8 Nd3 3.Nb5 Nxe1+ 4.Rxe1 Qxa2 5.Na3 Rxf8 6.Rf1 Rd8 7.Kh1 h5 8.Rb5 Bd4 9.Rb1 e5 10.h4 gxh3 11.Rf3 Kb8 12.Kh2 h4 13.Kxh3 hxg3 14.Rfb3 Rh8+ 15.Kg2 b6 16.Nb5 Rg8) +7.37/42 446)

score for Black +7.37 depth 42.

Jan-20-24  mel gibson: < Saniyat24: stumbled upon an agadmator video on youtube on this game->

Thanks - agadmator always does a good job.
I always enjoy his videos.

Jan-20-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: Sang bleu c or rf3 x
Jan-20-24  Damenlaeuferbauer: This is a very famous game: After long pondering, the 8th world champion Mikhail Tal, the wizard of Riga, finally found 23.-,Rdf3! 24.Nxf8,Nd3! 25.Qd1 (25.Qe2,Nd4 26.Qd1,Qxd1 27.Txd1,Rf2+ 28.Kh1 [28.Kg1,Nf3+ 29.Kh1,Rxh2#] 28.-,Nf3 -+) 25.-,Qxe4 (threatening 26.-,Rf2++ 27.Kg1,Qg2#) 26.Rxf3,gxf3+ 27.Kf1 (27.Qxf3,Ne1+ -+; 27.Kh3,Nf2+ -+; 27.Kh1,f2+ 28.Qf3,Qxf3#; 27.Kg1,f2+ 28.Kf1,Qh1+/Qe1+ -+) 27.-,Qf5 (threatening 28.-,Qh3+ 29.Kg1,Qg2#) 28.Kg1,Bd4+ (29.Kh1,Nf2+ -+; 29.Kf1,Qh3+ 30.Kg1,Qg2#).
Jan-20-24  Messiah: Very difficult, did not see it.
Jan-21-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: Already knew this one; final score for the week = 11 solved, 1 flubbed, 2 already known. Otherwise, would not have solved this one.

The position after 8...fxe6 arose quite often at the highest levels circa 1980; guess the GMs wanted the madness.

Jan-21-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  Breunor: Crazy! Tal was such a a genius - I could never get this in 100 years, but what a joy to play through!
Jan-21-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Breunor....I could never get this in 100 years....>

Don't I know it.

Jan-21-24  1stboard: Another one of Tal's very instructive games .....
Jan-21-24  Alan McGowan: Black's opening idea was introduced in W Koch vs K Richter, 1930
Jan-21-24  stone free or die: <Alan> - which opening idea?
Jan-22-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  Retireborn: The "structure sacrifice" 6...Be6, presumably. I can find earlier games with 6...e6 and 6...Nd3+.

5.e4 was apparently Nimzowitsch's innovation.

Jan-22-24  stone free or die: Thanks <Retireborn> that's what I was thinking as well. I guess that has to be <Alan>'s idea.

What's funny is <Koch--Richter (1930)> game wasn't the game that caused the move to get adopted, afaik. The idea of 6...Be6 seems to have been forgotten until the early 1970's when it showed up in a couple of correspondence games.

As for OTB play, this game seems to have "rediscovered" the move:

O'Kelly vs S Palatnik, 1976

Or should I say (re)introduced the move into competitive play?

(Side note, there's also <Ornstein--Schmidt - Malmo (1976) 0-1>, which was also played in 1976. Which came first is uncertain to me, but Palatnik is higher rated than Schmidt, and other Malmo tournaments in later years were in Dec. I could see a draw followed by a win catching player's eyes, but this is all speculation).

We really need two verbs - one for the first time a move is played, and another for when the played move is noticed and fashion follows.

Jan-22-24  Alan McGowan: Yes, I could have said things more clearly - I did mean 6...Be6.

That move was also seen in Golombek-Mulder van Leens Dijkstra, Leeuwarden 1947.

After 7.Bxe6 Black chose 7...fxe6. Golombek's notes said (in descriptive notation, though): 'If 7...Nd3+ 8.Kf1 fxe6 9.Qb3 Qb6 10.Qc4 Qa6 11.Nb5 and White wins.' A rather bare review of things.

Having looked out the game, I will submit it.

Jan-23-24  stone free or die: Well, at least one author agrees with my assessment that the opening novelty wasn't widely adopted until the 1970's:

W Koch vs K Richter, 1930 (kibitz #1)

Ha!

Jan-23-24  Damenlaeuferbauer: <Alan McGowan> <stone free or die>: Refering to the famous game Lev Polugaevsky vs. Mikhail Tal, Riga (izt) 1979, rd. 2, your finding and mentioning of the previous game Wilhelm Koch vs. Kurt Richter, Berlin (ch) 1930 in "Vossische Zeitung", June 1, 1930 is REMARKABLE and VERY IMPORTANT. Do you know, that Erich Maria Remarque's sensational novel "All Quiet on Western Front", the most sold fiction book of the 20th century in German language, was FIRST published in November and December 1928 in "Vossische Zeitung"?
Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 3)
search thread:   
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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.

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 2001-2025, Chessgames Services LLC