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Mikhail Tal vs Alexander Zaitsev
USSR Championship (1969), Moscow URS, rd 17, Oct-01
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation. Open System Main Line (C09)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 28 times; par: 33 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-23-06  Hannibal: Then 22.Qg4!...23.Re7+...24.Rc7+...QxQ+ and the King must go to a7 and give up a rook or get mated in a few moves
Oct-09-06  ToTheDeath: Verily, what benefite doth a man receife from a stolen piece, when his Kinge is thereby mated?
Oct-09-06  RookFile: One sayeth: do not leave thy king in the centre verseth Tal.
Oct-10-06  Boomie: The finish is worthy of one who sat Tal in the saddle.

21...Kd7 22. Re6 Bxe6 23. dxe6+ Ke8 24. exf7+ Rxf7 25. Re1+ Re7 26. Bh5+ Kd8 27. Qf8+ Kd7 28. Bg4+ Kc6 29. Bf3+ Kd7 30. Rxe7+ Qxe7 31. Qxa8

Oct-10-06  ToTheDeath: I saw that line too, Boomie, but I think 22. Qg5 may be even stronger. Black is helpless against all the threats, e.g. 23. Re7+ Qxe7 Rc7+ and Black will soon have to give up more material.
Oct-11-06  Boomie: Yep. Qg5 is a killer but it lacks the Talesque charm of Re6.
Jun-05-07  talisman: zaitsev 6...Q-e2 capablanca's move but not so good. zaitsev died young, 36, noted for his quick play.
Jul-01-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: This game ended on the 21st move ( check ughaibu's link) according to Tal's book: The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal. (page 389)
May-28-12  BlackSheep: <chancho> is correct in his statement about the book and according to Tal 11...Nf6 "This already loses by force" , he was a genius then and he's still a genius now 20 years after his death .
May-28-12  ughaibu: "Check ughaibu's link"? I cant see any posts by me. Have I put myself on ignore??
May-28-12  BlackSheep: <ughaibu> I did wonder where this link was , I just assumed it was on another page that I hadnt yet visited but perhaps you are right , you're on your own ignore list . :)
May-28-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <ughaibu/Blacksheep>

I think (if I remember correctly) the score on the above game was wrong.

<ughaibu> showed another link with the correct game score, and I pointed out the info from Tal's book.

The admin's probably fixed the game score and got rid of the duplicate.

Either that, or I was imagining things. :-)

Nov-02-12  nummerzwei: Tal on 20...Bf5:

<It seems out of place to recommend 20...Bd7 as being slightly better.>

Feb-12-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: 6. Bb5 Qe7+ 7. Be2 = Opening Explorer

The winning line after 21 ... Kd7 22. Re6! Bxe6 23. dxe6+ is quite convincing, and shows how QRB forms a potent attack against QRR. If Black declines the Rook, say 22 ... Qb8, then White has 23. Rf6 hitting the Bf5, and on 23 ... Bg6 24. Bg4+ Ke7 25. Re1+ Kd8 26. Qxf8+ Kc7 27. Re7#.

<Talesque charm> If only we all had that. ;>D

Feb-12-17  Howard: So sad about the way Zaitsev died, especially at such a young age.
Oct-30-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Boomie: Yep. Qg5 is a killer but it lacks the Talesque charm of Re6.>

Agree. Unfortunately in his notes Tal gave 22.Qg5. :-) SF likes the queen move better, though since it is a choice between +10 and +7 that hardly matters.

Tal has an interesting oversight in his notes after 17.Rac1!:


click for larger view

Here Zaitsev played 17....Bxh2+. Tal writes, <Forced, as on 17....Qd7 there would follow 18.Rfe1+ Be7 19.d6 Qxd6 20.Rcd1 Qg6 21.Qe5 Be6 22.Bxb7.> Unfortunately if Black moves his queen the other way on move 20 -- ...Qb6 -- no win is apparent.

Instead 17....Qd7 18.Rfe1+ Be7 19.Qf6! threatening d5-d6 is immediately crushing: 19....Qd8 20.Qe5! (20.d6 wins a little more slowly after ...Be6) Rg8 21.Rc7, etc. (SF). I'm sure Tal would have found 19.Qf6 if this line had been played in the game.

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