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Josef Kupper vs Mikhail Tal
Zuerich (1959), Zuerich SUI, rd 2, May-20
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf. Polugayevsky Variation (B96)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Mar-09-04  Brian Watson: i was browsing in a second hand book store and found this game discussed in a tactics book by Pachman.

16..Nxb2 is speculative.
22.Rb3 is a mistake.
After 22..e5, the knight can't move because of Rxc2 then Qxa2+.

Jul-24-06  chess man: 8.e5 is best. After 8.e5 fxe5 9.fxe5 Qc7! leads to many long and complicated variations.
Jul-20-07  bakunian: Can anyone comment why not 23.. gxf6 ?
Jul-20-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: I think you mean 24. gxf6? In response 24...Rxc2 25. Kxc2 Qxa2+ 26. Rb2 Rc8+ looks decisive.
Jul-20-07  bakunian: But then must 25.Kxc2 because 25.Qxc2 protects a2 pawn?
Jul-20-07  Aspirador: After 24.gxf6 Rxc2 the move 25.Qxc2 is not possible.
Jul-20-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: Bakunian -- maybe you are giving White an extra move? Both gxf6 and Nxd4?
Nov-09-07  isemeria: In <The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal> Tal annotates the sacrifice 16...Nxb2: "In sacrificing the knight I did not calculate variations. It would be strange if, after this sacrifice, White were able to find a defence against Black's overwhelming attack."

According to Tal, White's decisive mistake was 22. Rb3.

Aug-24-08  PAWNTOEFOUR: after 840 million nodes,crafty comes up with this pv 25.Qd2 Qc5 26.Ke2 Qxc2 27.Qxc2 Rxc2+ 28.Kd3 Bf2 29.Kxc2 Bxe1 30.Kd1 Bf2 31.Ke2 Bg1 32.Kd3 Bxh2 -717 Crafty ...but i'm still curious as to why white didn't take the bishop on move 25
Aug-24-08  PAWNTOEFOUR: here it is,after Qxd4 on move 25......25.. Qxe1!! 26.Qe3 Qf1+ 27.Qe2 Bxe4+ 28.Ke3 Qxe2+ 29.Kxe2 Rxc2+ 30.Ke3 Re8 31.Rb6 Rxa2 32.Kd4 Rd2+ 33.Ke3 Rd3+ 34.Ke2 Bf5+ 35.Kf1 Rd1+ 36.Kg2 Re2+ 37.Kf3 -1088 Crafty.
Jul-10-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: This is a duplicate
Jul-10-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: Kupper avoids the main line 8 e5. Tal provided some analysis for 12 Nd5!? saying that it was dangerous although his analysis after either 12..Nxd5 or 12..Qxd4 are not that convincing for White. I doubt even Tal would have played it. After the retreat 12..Nce2 Tal quickly took over the initiative.
Apr-26-11  wordfunph: Tal on 16...Nxb2

"In scarificing the knight, I did not calculate variations. It would be strange if after the sacrifice, white were able to find a defence against black's overwhelming attack."

(The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, RHM 1976)

Apr-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <plang> Just noted-again-the duplication.
Apr-26-11  wordfunph: <plang> <perfidious> i already submitted a "duplication" correction slip.
Jun-08-11  thejack: Abramov gives 21.Rec1 as best defence, calling it an "open question" whether the sacrifice would have succeeded in that case (the idea being to neutralize the threats with 22.Bb3).

22.Rb3 "A feeble move".

Jun-08-12  thejack: A few days ago i read somewhere that Timman has analysed this game in detail somewhere.

Does anybody know where this has been published?

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