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Vasily Smyslov vs Tigran Petrosian
Training Match Tournament (1952), Gagra
King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation. Positional Defense Closed Line (E94)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-20-05  mohd rafi fan: Perhaps 17...d6-c5 would have been better.
Nov-25-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: Beautiful game. Against 17...dxc5 18.b5 Nb8 19.d6 looks pretty strong. Smyslov's every piece seems to be in the right place.
Nov-26-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: Instead of 28.Nd4 it was much better to play 28.Ng5!! with idea 28...Bxb2 29.Rh6!! (diagram)


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Of course, the Rook cannot be taken for the Knight fork on f7, and white is threatening 30.Rxh7+ Kg8 31.Qc4 with decisive attack. This is what can follow after 29...Be5 or after 29...Ra1 30.Rxa1 Bxa1. Attempt to stop Qc4 by 29...Ra4 is insufficient too for 30.Rxh7+ Kg8 31.Rxd7 Bxd7 32.Qxd7 Bg7 33.Rd1! (This quiet move covering Nd5 makes black practically helpless) 33...Ra8 (33...Ra7 doesn't help for 34.b6 and white can then play also 34.Nf4 with unavoidable threats) 34.Qxb7 etc. Perhaps the best defense here can be 29...Kg8 30.Rxh7 Qc5 31.Rxd7 Qxc7 32.Rxc7 but white is still clearly better and he also has a sound extra Pawn. Despite of black Bishop pair it should be technically won game for white.

In the game black could still resist for a while after better 29...Kg8.

Nov-26-12  fgh: <Honza Cervenka>: Are you sure 31. Rxd7 is fine if black plays 29... Be5, given 31... Bxc7?
Nov-26-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: <HC> After 28.Ng5 Bxb2 29.Rh6 Qxh6 30.Nf7+ Kg7 31.Nxh6 Kxh6 Black collected two pieces and a rook for the queen. Normally that should be a good trade.


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Here the black king is exposed and the black pieces are awkwardly placed, but if White doesn't mate him, Black might be able to reorganize--starting with ...Be5. Luckily for Black, before White can activate the rook with Re3, he must prevent ...Ra1+.

32.Ne7!? seems good... It threatens both Nxf5 and Nxc8 picking up the black knight. But I guess 32...Ne5 works.

Nov-26-12  Nerwal: When looking at Honza Cervenka's lines I thought too that giving up the queen by taking on h6 was the best defence as 32. ♕f4+ ♔g6 33. ♘c7 is met by 33... ♗e5, then I was shown that both 32. ♕f4+ ♔g6 33. ♕g3+ ♔f7 34. ♕b3! and 32. ♕d6+! (easiest, because after 32... ♔g7 which is forced white then picks the ♖e8 with check) win for white convincingly.
Nov-26-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: <Nerwal> Okay, time to check with the computer. And the computer says... you are right, which means <HC>'s line is better and prettier than what Smyslov's play.

The computer also says 29...Qg7 instead of 29...Qxh6. White takes on h7 and, as in the other lines, eventually gets back an exchange, and black's position is quite hard to defend for a human.

Apparently, Petrosian blundered with his last move. 29...Re7, for example, was playable.

Nov-27-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: <fgh: <Honza Cervenka>: Are you sure 31. Rxd7 is fine if black plays 29... Be5, given 31... Bxc7?>

Of course, after 28.Ng5 Bxb2 29.Rh6 Be5 30.Rxh7+ Kg8 white wins instantly playing 31.Qc4 (diagram)


click for larger view

But this is what I have stated already in my previous comment.

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