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Karen Grigorian vs Mikhail Tal
"Grigorian Chance" (game of the day Sep-11-2008)
USSR Championship (1973), Moscow URS, rd 12, Oct-17
King's Indian Defense: Saemisch Variation (E80)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Aug-19-08  Davolni: such a nice game, and yet no comments!!!
Aug-19-08  aragorn69: Great fight indeed! Any link for comments?
Aug-19-08  ughaibu: No. I think there are times when the greatness of the fight depends on the java applet, if you use sjkbase, you can see that this was mere slaughter.
Aug-19-08  aragorn69: LOL <ugh>
Sep-11-08  dbquintillion: Now that's a good pun.
Sep-11-08  Confuse: 51. Rxf3 by Tal improvement? comments anyone?
Sep-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: <Confuse: 51...Rxf3> 52. Kg4, and black loses a piece.
Sep-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: Why not 23. Rxb6 ? If 23...Rxb6, then 24. Bxb6

Why not 27. Rxe7 ?

Why not 30...Nxb6 ?

Why not 37...Rb6, and if 38. Ra8 then 38...Nb5, heading for d4 ?

Why not 48...Bd4 ?

Why not 54...Bc1 ?

Why not 60...Rc1, and if 61. a5 then 61...Rf1+ 62. Ke2 Re1+ 63. Kf2 Rc1 64. Kg2 Bd2 65. Rxc1 Bxc1 66. Kf3 Ba3, followed by 67...Bc5 ?

Sep-11-08  Dr. J: I've just done an analysis of 30 ... Nxb6 that I find extraordinary in that it seems White can essentially force the play for more than 20 moves! Anyone care to rip it to shreds? Here goes:

30 ... ♘xb6 31 ♘a5 ♖a7 32 ♗xb6 ♖xb6 33 ♖xb6 ♖xa5 34 ♖b7 ♖a8 35 ♗c4 ♖f8 36 ♔b3 (37 ♖a7 ♗c5 is less effective.) ♗c1 (White forces the advance of the a-pawn to a5, but this way Black at least forces the White Rook to leave the 7th rank) 37 a4 ♗d2 38 ♔c2 ♗e1 39 ♔d1 ♗c3 40 ♖b3 ♗a5 41 ♖b5 ♗c3 (41 ... ♖c8 42 ♗xf7+) 42 ♔c2 ♗d4 (else the ♙e5 goes) 43 a5 ♖a8 44 a6 ♖a7 (else 45 ♖b7. But now it becomes a ♔-race that Black loses.) 45 ♖b8+ ♔g7 46 ♔b3 ♔f6 47 ♔b4 ♔e7 48 ♔b5 ♔d6 49 ♖b6+ ♔e7 (49 ... ♗xb6 50 ♔xb6 ♖a8 51 ♗d5, or 49 ... ♔d7 50 ♗xf7, or 49 ... ♔c7 ♖f6) 50 ♔c6 f6 (What else? 50 ... ♔d8 51 ♖b8+ ♔e7 52 ♖b7+ is the same.) 51 ♖b7+ ♔d8 52 ♖xa7 ♗xa7 53 ♔b7 and we're done.

Sep-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: Must admit, when I saw the first name of Karen, I immediately thought of <she>; then I read the bio, quite a sad ending to a marvelous chess player.
Sep-11-08  ChessYouGood: I hate it when Tal loses.
Sep-11-08  Alphastar: A very strong game by white. I especially like the exchange sacrifice resulting from 22. Rxb5. Maybe Tal shouldn't have captured immediately on b5.
Sep-11-08  cyruslaihy: i saw the name tal, and in GOTD, i expect something more thrilling, and most of all, i expect tal to WIN
Sep-11-08  DarthStapler: I hate when Tal loses
Sep-11-08  Once: Of course not 68. Kxf2? when black is stalemated.

We could then have the mildly amusing 68. ... Re2+ 69. Kd4 Rd2+ 70. Ke5

White's king runs to a square that the black rook cannot attack except by Rxd5+ which destroys the stalemate.

But like a number of kibitzers here, I feel a little ... underwhelmed. Great game to be sure, but not what I was expecting with Tal's name above the door.

Sep-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: A very peculiar game.
Sep-11-08  kevin86: A very good game by white. The attack was brilliant and effective against the former WC. Tal tried all of the tricks that he had,but couldn't overcome white's pawn advantage.
Sep-11-08  Whack8888: When i first started out (reading books and stuff I mean) I played the Samisch against the King's Indian but gave it up because for one it is really clunky and for two 6...c5 lines are really annoying (after 5...0-0 6. Be3 c5, not like in the game). Seeing this game makes me want to try it again though. Patience is one of the hardest things to learn in chess, and having constructed that huge center, White must be very patient in protecting (perhaps nourishing!) so it can it grow into a powerful force.

My early games with the Samish generally saw me try the hack attack (h4, h5 etc.) or just sort of playing non positionally and attacking pawns and stuff randomly. The results were mixed, as I wasnt really playing people better than me that often, but whenever I did play someone who knew what they were doing, I would get squashed, more so than with other openings.

I have gotten better since then (I think) and maybe I can work with those knight maneouvers and queenside attack thingys better now a days.

Anyway, good game!

Sep-11-08  JediKush: wow this position would never ever be a win for white.. draw guaranteed..

perpetual check with rook because if rook gets taken game is over

so my rook is actually immune... :) now that i think about it.. 68. Rf3+ Kd4 Rxh3 now the game is alive again.. because the rook can go for the pawn grabbing unless the position of the rook and bishop both change :D

Sep-11-08  Confuse: <al wazir> good point! : )
Aug-12-09  Lyink: If 68...Rf3+ then 69. Kd4 Rxh3 e5
Now black does not have the suicidal check resource because the pawn on h4 can move. And if he tries to promote his pawn white will promote the e pawn first winning blacks rook and the pawn. But, hey, I also hate when Tal loses!!

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