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Leonid Stein vs Isaak Birbrager
"The Binding of Isaak" (game of the day Mar-13-2025)
5th Soviet Team Cup (1966), Moscow URS, rd 6, Sep-29
Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation (B10)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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sac: 12.Qb3 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
Nov-23-05  mrbasso: Absolutely brilliant!
10.Nd4!! and 12.Qb3!
This is too deep for Fritz.
17...Nba6 18.Kc4

Nov-23-05  notyetagm: Such a shame that Stein died so young. He won the USSR championship 3 out of 4 years in the mid '60s!
Nov-23-05  Hesam7: <notyetagm> Yes it was a shame. In total against the World Champions he has an equal score.
Dec-01-05  notyetagm: Wow, this is really a powerful game by Stein.
Mar-06-09  dwavechess: 16/20 concur with Rybka 3 at 3
min. per move for Stein
Dec-04-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: Wow! Romantic nineteenth century style!
Dec-05-09  M.D. Wilson: Stein! Beautiful Stein! Such a shame he died in his late 30s, for he was just starting to come into his own.
Jun-15-17  whiteshark: "This game was played at the 1966 Soviet Team Championship, Avangard (Ukraine) vs Mehnat (Uzbekistan)."

Annotated by Stein himself: https://www.chess.com/blog/Spektrow...

Jun-15-17  Strelets: This is an excellent game and <whiteshark's> unearthing of Stein's notes makes it even more compelling. One of the real tragedies of chess is that we never got to see what he could've done in the 1973-1975 Candidates cycle.
Jun-16-17  ChessHigherCat: The game and notes are great. Incidentally, right below it there's a photo of Tal that reminds of an old engraving I once saw of a typical highly concentrated face (here's a better view: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Games-M...)
Dec-25-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  sleepyirv: <The Binding of Isaak>
Dec-25-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: Brilliant, <irv>, but maybe even better would be:

Kupchik vs Kashdan, 1924

Mar-13-25  areknames: Good job <sleepyirv>. Unlike yesterday's pun, no one can tell me this one isn't biblical! Good game too.
Mar-13-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: I love this video game!!! (I'll leave now... The door is that way)
Mar-13-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: Black never should have played 6...Bh5?, but that doesn't mean Stein has an easy time securing the win. With a sacrifice like this, can't help but wonder if the silicon monsters might find a way to defend better. Perhaps 12...Qxb3.
Mar-13-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: <An Englishman> There is (already) analysis, and it says 12...c5 13.Qxd5 Nxd5 14.N4b3 Nc6 15.Nxc5 O-O-O 16.Bg2 ⩲ +1.40 (24 ply)
Mar-13-25  goodevans: <areknames: Good job <sleepyirv>. Unlike yesterday's pun, no one can tell me this one isn't biblical! Good game too.

WannaBe: I love this video game!!!>

LMAO! 😂😂😂😂

Mar-13-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  Teyss: Amazing game. You have to be very confident to allow 12...Qxh1 and 14...Bd3 followed by 15...Qxf1+ and 16...Qxf2+. Paradoxically on d3 the WK is relatively safe while his counterpart is in great danger on the last rank.

In his notes, Stein gives 17...Nba6 as more resilient: Black threatens 18...Nc5+ so White simply answer 18.Kc4!?! Sure, let's give the King an extra walk.


click for larger view

He then gives the beautiful variation 18...Rb8 19.Rd1! Rxb7 20.Nxc6+ Ke8 or Kc8 21.Rd8#


click for larger view

Mar-13-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  piltdown man: Just beautiful.
Mar-13-25  paavoh: Wonderful finish, but why Black played 8.- f6 beats me. It seems most peculiar to me. Similar e5-e6 pushes are usually followed by fxe6, if I am not mistaken?!
Mar-13-25  Amarande: A nice way to end it after 20 ... Kg6 21 Qe8+ Kh6 is 22 Nf7+ Kg6 23 Nxh8#.

I mean you could just do 22 Qh5#, but why pass up the fun of two double checks in a row ending in the corner like some old timey King's Gambit?

Mar-13-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: <Brilliant, <irv>, but maybe even better would be: Kupchik vs Kashdan, 1924>

Sticking with that.

Mar-14-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: < OhioChessFan: <Brilliant, <irv>, but maybe even better would be: Kupchik vs Kashdan, 1924> Sticking with that.>

Yes, seems like a great fit with the names and the game, too.

Mar-14-25  areknames: <OhioChessFan: <Brilliant, <irv>, but maybe even better would be: Kupchik vs Kashdan, 1924>

Sticking with that.>

You should submit it. After all, <The Binding of Isaak> and <The Binding of Isaac> are not the same pun.

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