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Werner Hug vs Boris Spassky
European Team Championship (1973), Bath ENG, rd 5, Jul-10
Formation: King's Indian Attack (A07)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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sac: 24...Bxc5 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Feb-07-04  Fingol: 25. Nxc5 seems like a really bad move, the first and only blunder by white in that game? Why was he so eager to swap his knight for his bishop when his knight was covering such a vital square d2?
Feb-07-04  Reisswolf: Aww! Poor White! He just needs a...never mind!
Feb-07-04  technical draw: <Reisswolf> Poor white needs what? A slap on the back, the Heimlich manuever, 6 million units of pennicilin? What? Oh, I see...
Feb-08-04  patzer2: <Fingol> I beleive you are correct in stating 25. Nxc5?? is the first tactical blunder of the game. However, even without this move White clearly had the inferior position against the recent former World champion, and I believe that was due to superior opening choices and positional play by Black earlier in the game.

At this juncture, Fritz 8 gives the best alternative for White as 25. Bg2 (not 25. NxB??) Nd3 26. Nxc5 Nxe1 27. Nxe6 Nf3+ 28. Qxf3 fxe6 29. h3 Rd2 30. Bc1 Rc2 (-0.59 @ 17/42 depth & 742kN/s). If this is indeed the best White can do at this point, then I believe Hug is lost positionally (down the exchange against Spassky), and needs to find an improvement earlier.

<Reisswolf/technical draw> White is an International Master (and at the time was a recent Junior World Champion) who simply got outplayed in the opening and then missed a great positional move (19...c4!) and a brilliant tactical shot (25...Rd2!!) by a former world champion. I think he deserves respect, and I'm sure White knows what he needs to improve on his play in this game.

Hug, Werner (1952- )
World Junior champion in 1971 and Swiss champion in 1975. In 1979 he set a world record, playing 560 simultaneous games, winning 365, drawing 126, losing 49.

Jan-18-05  aw1988: Poor white needs a bath.
Jan-18-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: Looks like he got a cold shower
:)
Dec-17-14  ForeverYoung: Very nice shot by Boris with 25 ... Rd2! Great play by him staring with ... Nd4! and ... c4!
Feb-02-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: I have nothing to say about this puzzle. But Happy Groundhog Day!
Feb-02-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: 25...Rd2 was easy to find, but I didn't foresee 26. Nd3.
Feb-02-19  Mayankk: I saw Rd2 and that any Queen moves are disastrous for White. I didn’t look at Nd3 but it seems an easy win after that. So maybe I can claim to have solved it.
Feb-02-19  5hrsolver: 25...Rd2 26. Qe3 Nc4 27. Qf4 e5 28. Qh4 Qxc5 29. Re2 Rxe2 30. Bxe2 Nxb2 31. Rb1 Qxc3
Feb-02-19  Walter Glattke: 26.Qe3 Rxb2 27.Be2 Rc8 28.Nd3 Nxd3 29.Qxd3 Qxc3 black advantage.28.-Nxf3+ 29.Qxf3 Rxb2 30.Nd3 Rc2 31.Rac1 Qxc3 32.Rxc2 Qxc2 33.Ne5 f6 black advantage. 26.Qe3 Nc4 brings one piece in all continuations.
Feb-02-19  agb2002: Black is a bishop down.

White threatens Nb3.

The knight close to White's royal family suggests 25... Rd2:

A) 26.Qxd2 Nxf3+ 27.Kg2 Nxd2 wins decisive material.

B) 26.Qe3 Nc4 27.Qf4 Qxc5 and the double threat Qxf2+ and Rxb2 seems to win a piece.

C) 26.Qb5 Nxf3+ looks winning. For example, 27.Kf1 Nxe1 28.Kxe1 Rxb2 29.Nxe6 fxe6 30.Qxb2 Qxc5 - + [b vs P].

D) 26.Qf1 Nxf3+ followed by Nxe1 wins decisive material.

E) 26.Nxe6 fxe6 only seems to gift the knight.

F) 26.Ba3 Rxe2 27.Bxe2 b6 wins decisive material.

Feb-02-19  saturn2: White is a piece up. After

25...Rd2 26. Qf1 Rxb2

there is material balance but 2 white pieces Bf3 Nc5 are attacked.

..Well 26 Nd3. but this costs the queen.

Feb-02-19  Diademas: I got it on a Saturday!

Mainly because the theme of the week seems to be bindings/deflections. I don't know who picks these out, but he/she deserves credit for this weeks effort.

Feb-02-19  goodevans: 25...Rd2 was, as has already been said, easy to find so I think the point of this puzzle is to notice that after <26.Qe3 Nc4 27.Qf4 Qxc5> (or 27...e5 28.Qh4 Qxc5 as per <5hrsolver>) white can't save his B because of the threat to f2.

Still not quite Saturday calibre though IMHO.

Feb-02-19  malt: Found 25...Rd2 26.Qe3
(26.Q:d2 N:f3+ )26...Nc4
Feb-02-19  vonKrolock: Black's 25th: A bolt out of the blue, and then the ♘ sends a hug (of death) from e5... <viel Spaß> (ky) *!*
Feb-02-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: Hugs, but no kisses.
Feb-02-19  SandyJames: whatsup?
Feb-02-19  ChessHigherCat: Well I'm sure the first move is 25..Rd2, with royal fork if 26. Qxd2, but the optimal sequence if 26. Qe3 is not that clear. Maybe Nf3+ 27. Qxf3 Rxb2
Feb-02-19  ChessHigherCat: Yeah, that was it apparently. Good Thursday puzzle!
Feb-02-19  ChessHigherCat: <HeMateMe: Hugs, but no kisses.>

Hug and kiss of death

Feb-02-19  morfishine: <25...Rd2> is obvious
Feb-02-19  Lambda: Not sure where the Saturday-ness is here. 25...Rd2 isn't that hard to see, it's based on a pretty standard tactic, and even if it's not clear how the game should go after that, it's obvious that at the very least, black is going to get his piece back with a very good position, which is enough to justify the choice.
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