Sergey Dolmatov vs Jonathan Speelman (1989)

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Sergey Dolmatov vs Jonathan Speelman
Hastings (1989/90), Hastings ENG, rd 2
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Panov Attack. Main Line (E54) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Apr-27-12		wordfunph: Dolmatov - Speelman after 17...Re8 click for larger view spectacular 18.Bxh7+!

May-31-13		phil6875: It was very nice attack by Dolmatov and the win was deserved but White made a serious error with 56. Qc5 and Black can force a draw with 56...Rxb7.

Sep-06-17		jphamlore: <phil6875: It was very nice attack by Dolmatov and the win was deserved but White made a serious error with 56. Qc5 and Black can force a draw with 56...Rxb7.> That is probably why other sources such as Glenn Flear's "Practical Endgame Play", position 11.15, discussed on pages 271-273, list the actual move as 56. Qc4+. A correction has been submitted.

Sep-21-21		siggemannen: Pretty incredible how good these guys are. Even after winning the queen, the position is anything but easy, but Dolmatov drives it home nicely

Sep-21-21		whiteshark: <17...gxf6 18.Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. Qh5+ Kg8 20.Qg4+> would have been just another boring GM draw. Fortunately for the chess world this did not happen.

Aug-13-23		mel gibson: I chose 18. Qg4 to take advantage of the pin. Stockfish 16 agrees with me: 18. Qg4 (18. Qg4 (Qd1-g4 g7-g6 h2-h4 Re8-d8 Bf6xd8 Qc5xe5 Bd8-g5 Bc8-d7 Bd3-e4 Bd7-c6 Be4xc6 b7xc6 Qg4-a4 Qe5-b5 Qa4-f4 a7-a5 Rf1-c1 h7-h5 Qf4-f6 Qb5-f5 Rc1xc6) +5.20/44 245) score for White +5.20 depth 44. However - if I force SF to play the game ply 18. Bxh7 it is slightly stronger: 18. Bxh7+ (18. .. Kf8 (♔g8-f8 ♕d1-g4 ♖e8-d8 ♗f6xd8 ♔f8-e8 ♕g4-h4 ♗c8-d7 ♗d8-g5 ♕c5xe5 ♗h7-e4 ♕e5-c5 ♖f1-d1 ♗d7-c6 ♗e4xc6+ b7xc6 ♕h4-h5 ♖a8-b8 h2-h4 ♕c5-f8 ♔g1-h1 a7-a5 ) -6.57/41 206) score for Black -6.57 depth 41.

Aug-13-23		jrredfield: 18 Bxh7+ Kxh7 19 Qd3+ Kg8 was my first hunch, but if Black declines the sac, then I would play 18 Bxh7+ Kf8 19 Qg4 Rd8 20 Qxg7+ Ke8 21 Qh8+. It looks like whether or not Black accepts the sac, White attains a commanding lead.

Aug-13-23		raymondhow: After the first three moves, I wanted to play 21.h4 which apparently only equalizes.

Aug-13-23		al wazir: I found 18. Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. Qh5+ Kg8 20. Qg5 Qf8 21. Rd1 with no trouble, but then I was stuck. Lifting the ♖ doesn't lead to a mating attack. After 26, Qxg4 white has ♕+♙ vs. ♖+♖. Even with the outside passed ♙, it's far from clear that this is an assured win. Indeed, it took some strange maneuvering by black and 40 more moves.

Aug-13-23		Refused: 18.Bxh7+ Kxh7 19.Qh5+ Kg8 20.Qg5 Qf8 21.Rd1 is findable (the Bishop on c8 is clogging up black's development). 21..b6 22.Rd3 was my pick. I found it more logical to put the rook on g3 (a dark square). Probably I am missing some nuance here.

Aug-13-23		King.Arthur.Brazil: 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Qh5 Kf8 (Instead of doing check, the ♕ gets near to f6 and h6. If 19.... Kh8?? 20.Qxh7#, while 19... Kg8 20. Qh6 (Qf8?? 21. Qxh7#) Rd8 (any move) 21. Bxh7+ Kh8 22. Bg6+ Kg8 23. Qh7+ Kf8 24. Qxf7#. If black avoids this plan, with: 20... Qc7 21. Bxh7+ Kh8 22. Be4+ Kg8 23. h4 a5 24. h5 a4 25. Qg5+ Kf8 26. h6 (... Qe7 27. Qg6#) and Black cannot hold h7-h8=♖#. In the case of 19... f5?? 20. exf6+ Kxf6 21. Qxc5 (I catch the enemy's ♕, I love it!). Nevertheless, the other defense: 20... f5 21. exf6 is not good and let White without a winning continuation. That's why it's preferable to continue with 20.Qxh7 when 20... f5 is answered with 21. exf5 e.p. ... with deadly attack. However, after 20. Qh6+ Ke7 21. Qf6+ Kd7 22. Rd1 Re7 23. Bb5+ Kc7... It doesn't convence me. Maybe, the correct line is something like: 18. Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. Qh5+ Kg8 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. Qg5+ Kf8 22. Qf6 Bd7 23. h4 Bc6 24. h5 ... until the ♙ is coronated. I didn't find a clear winner line for White. Maybe there's something I'm missing. Or my move isn't the best.

Aug-13-23		Refused: < King.Arthur.Brazil: 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Qh5 Kf8 (Instead of doing check, the ♕ gets near to f6 and h6. If 19.... Kh8?? 20.Qxh7#, while 19... Kg8 20. Qh6 (Qf8?? 21. Qxh7#) Rd8 (any move) 21. Bxh7+ Kh8 22. Bg6+ Kg8 23. Qh7+ Kf8 24. Qxf7#. > 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qh5 h6 shrug

Aug-13-23		Allderdice83: I had the first three moves, but then I had 21. Rc1. Doesn't that lead to a quick checkmate? It keeps the rook on dark squares the whole way to g3, while the queen covers c1. If either black rook goes to d8, White doesn't take it but instead plays h3, giving the king an escape on h2. Eventually White will play Bxg7 and then Bf6+ and Qg8#. I don't see anything Black can do to stop it. What am I missing?

Aug-13-23		Refused: I think 21.Rc1 is less accurate, as you have one less attacker on d8. This might come in handy for black. e.g. 21.Rc1 b6 (for argument's sake) 22.Rc3 Rd8 Now you have to decide whether to spend a tempo on 23.Bxd8 or playing 23.h3/h4 (mating threat of Rd1 needs addressing). 23.h3 is the weaker move btw. Because after 23.h3 Rd4! (it's important to take h4 away from the queen) 24.Rg3 g6 you can't play h4-h5. I assume you want to play 25.Qh5 here, but here black has 25...Qg7!! This deals with the threat of Qh8# and equally important it breaks the pin, so the queen on h5 is now actually hanging.

Aug-13-23		Cecco: According to the engine the way to win quickly seems 21. Rd1 followed by 22. Rd3, as proposed by <,Refused>.

Aug-13-23		Cecco: 22. Rd4, played in the game, seems a mistake.

Aug-13-23		agb2002: White has a bishop for a rook and a pawn. Black threatens gxf6. The black queen can reach f8 if necessary and the rook on e8 is defenseless. This suggests 18.Qa4: A) 18... Rf8 19.Bxh7+ A.1) 19... Kxh7 20.Qh4+ Kg8 (20... Kg6 21.Qg5+ Kh7 22.Qxg7#) 21.Qg5 g6 22.Qh6 and mate in two. A.2) 19... Kh8 20.Qh4 Rd8 (20... gxf6 21.Bg6+ Kg7(8) 22.Qh7#) 21.Bg6+ Kg8 22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Qh8#. B) 18... gxf6 19.Qxe8+ Kg7 20.exf6+ Kxf6 21.Qh8+ Ke7 22.Bxh7 recovers the material while keeping the better position. C) 18... Qc6 19.Bb5 Qc5 20.Qg5 g6 21.Bxe8 wins decisive material. D) 18... Re7 19.Bxh7+ D.1) 19... Kxh7 20.Qh4+ Kg8 21.Qg5 Kf8 (21... g6 22.Qh6 and mate in two) 22.Qxg7+ Ke8 23.Rd1 Qd5 24.Rxd5 exd5 25.Qg8+ Kd7 26.Bxe7 and Black looks defenseless against the advance of the h-pawn. D.2) 19... Kh8 20.Qh4 gxf6 21.Bg6+ Kg7(8) 22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Qh8#. D.3) 19... Kf8 20.Bxe7+ D.3.a) 20... Kxe7 21.Qh4+ Ke8 (21... Kf8 22.Qd8#; 21... Kd7 22.Rd1+ resumes the king chase) 22.Rd1 Bd7 23.Be4 Qc8 (due to Qh8+ and Bxb7) 24.Qh8+ Ke7 25.Qxg7 wins a pawn with the better position. D.3.b) 20... Qxe7 21.Be4 with a similar conclusion as that in B.

Aug-13-23		agb2002: I didn't pay attention to 18... Bd7. Better luck the next week.

Aug-13-23		Allderdice83: To clarify, after 21. Rc1 Rd8, instead of 22. Bxd8?, which allows 22 ... g6 23. Bf6 Kh7 and if 24. Qh4+, then 24 ... Qh6, or 23. Qh4 Qg7 24. Bf6 Qh7, White has 22. h3! Then if 22 ... Rd3, White has 23. Rc4 Rd1+ 24. Kh2, or if 22 ... Rd4, then 23. Rc3 Rd1+ 24. Kh2. The latter is slightly better, as it prevents White's rook from going to the h file, but White is still threatening 25. Rg3 and 26. Bxg7. If then 24 ... g6 25. Qh4, Black can stop mate only by giving up the queen with Qg7. Then comes 26. Bxg7 Kxg7 27. Qf6+ Kg8 28. Rf3 Rd7 29. Rf4 Kf8 30. Rh4 and 31. Rh8# is coming. Alternatively, 24 ... Bd7 25. Rg3 g6 26. Qh4 Qg7 27. Bxg7 Kxg7 28. Qf6+ Kg8 29. Rg4 Bb5 30. Rh4 Kf8 31. Rh8#

Aug-13-23		chrisowen: I q fright fake it was melon v jury it was Bxh7 ado it was no had affable it was off a duck neck bade u elbow it was duff Bxh7 da x

Aug-13-23		King.Arthur.Brazil: <Refused> h6v is not necessarily a defence... <20... h6> 20. Qg4+ Kf8 21. Qh4. For example: 21... Qe7?? 22. Qxh6+ Kg8 23. Qh7+ Kf8 24. Qh8#. More plausible is: a5 22. Qxh6+ Ke7 23. Rc1 Qd5 24. Qf6+ Kd7 25. Bc4. White situation is not good, attack prospects, as I said before in y comment.

Aug-13-23		King.Arthur.Brazil: I agree with <abg2002> the most effective plan is: 18. Qa4 Rf8? 19. Bxh7+ Kxh7 20. Qh4+ Kg8 21. Qg5 g6 22. Qh6 and check mate next. However, Black can resist with (hard to find): 18... Bd7 19. Qxd7 gxf6 20. Qa4 (if not, 20... Red8 with counterattack) Qxe5. Other possibility is 18. Qa4 Bd7 19. Bxh7+ Kxh7 20. Qh4+ Kg8 21. Qg5 Qf8 22. Rd1 Bb5 23. h4 Rec8 24. Rd4 Rc4 (if 22. Rc1 Rec8).

Aug-13-23		master8ch: White could have saved a whole lot of time with 24. f3, since 24...Qc5+ gets Black nowhere after 25. Kh1, with c1 covered by the White Queen and mate threatened on g7. To stop said mate, Black has two equally miserable tries: 25. Queen back to f8, which is obviously met by 26. Bxg7, and 25...g6, met by 26. Rh4.

Aug-13-23		Refused: <King.Arthur.Brazil: <Refused> h6v is not necessarily a defence... <20... h6> 20. Qg4+ Kf8 21. Qh4. For example: 21... Qe7?? 22. Qxh6+ Kg8 23. Qh7+ Kf8 24. Qh8#. > Why would I or anybody else want to play 21...Qe7?? there, when 21...Qxe5 solves all problems? 22.Qxh6+ Qg7 -+

Aug-14-23		King.Arthur.Brazil: <Refuse> Sorry, I typed wrong... is not Qh4, it is Qh5, when Qxe5 is avoided. But, yes, as I said, Bxg7 is not a good continuation. ("it didn't convince me!").

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