Alexander Tolush vs Yuri Averbakh (1948) Averbakh to Square One

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Alexander Tolush vs Yuri Averbakh
"Averbakh to Square One" (game of the day Apr-25-2007)
USSR Championship (1948), Moscow URS, rd 19, Dec-13
Catalan Opening: Closed Variation (E06) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 63 times; par: 46 [what's this?]

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Apr-25-07		Alphalegacy: beautiful game! white's control of crucial kingside files lead to huge material gains

Apr-25-07		nimzo knight: Whats the finish I don't see it.

Apr-25-07		dragon reborn: Queen takes rook, then checkmate at white's leisure

Apr-25-07		tatarch: I like how white's other rook has no role in this game until the 30th move--I almost forgot it was there during the middle game.

Apr-25-07		outplayer: I didn't get the pun but I think 20...c5 isn't good as Black loses the exchange. It is the first time I see Tolush winning with such a mastery. Glad to see this game. The first Tolush game I saw was a defeat to Tal.

Apr-25-07		Gameoverziggy: the last four letters of Averbakh sound like back, so the pun means bakh to square one

Apr-25-07		Gilmoy: 12 Be3 looks like a deep trap from pre-game preparation. White invites the Knight "sac", which is really just an exchange because of Black's pawn fork riposte. Material stays even, but Black's Q overextends far ahead of its support -- precarious in a congested middlegame. 11 .. Ne8 14 dxe5 forces the Knight to detour laboriously to c7-e6 -- and Black has paid 3-4 moves for less total benefit than White's natural 23 Nd5 in just 2 moves. After 17 Nb3, the Q has no good squares -- retreating along d is just ugly, so Qb4[]. 20 Qg4 had some threats of stealing Black's Q, e.g. poke her onto c4, then Bxh7+. 20 .. c5 counterpins the Be3, but it also help-mates Black's Q, hence 21 Rxe4 Ne4[] the only way to save her. With Black momentarily disorganized, White unleashes tactical shots -- 23 Nd5 fork costs Black an exchange. 25 Qb7 rubs in White's strong e5-pawn vs. Black's woeful development -- the Be7 has nowhere else to go but f8, leaving the Rd8 en prise and the two of them forkable. 26 .. Qb5 the only way out of the pin, 28 fxe6 and the fork collects a piece -- Black chooses to pay the Knight. <tatarch> White's Ra1 is strong even now -- if this game were Rook-odds (i.e. White had no Ra1), 28 .. Nxe6 would be untouchable because of 29 .. Rd1+ and mate in 2. But because it is there, White has "strong back rank", so he's fully ready to attack starting with 26 f5. 30 Rf1 threatened Black's weak back rank: 30 .. cxb3?? 31 Qf7+ Kh8 32 Qxf8+, hence 30 .. h6.

Apr-25-07		outplayer: 8.Bf4 is the novelty here.

Apr-25-07		Chessmensch: Thank you Gilmoy for the excellent commentary.

Apr-25-07		fm avari viraf: I was in cradle when these two Masters trying to outplay each other but now I could relish the battle where Tolush tactically outplays Averbakh in controlling all the vital squares & the game.

Apr-25-07		RandomVisitor: (1) Tolush - Yuri Averbakh [E06] USSR Championship Moscow, 1948 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit] at 90 seconds per move 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 c6 7.Nc3 b6 0.39/14 8.Bf4= [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 8.Qa4 Bb7 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Bf4 Re8 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 exd5 13.Rac1 Bf6 14.Rd2 Re4² 0.39/14 ] 8...Bb7 last book move 9.Nd2 0.25/14 Nbd7 0.31/15 10.e4 0.30/15 Rc8 0.39/13 11.e5 0.37/13 Ne8 0.37/13 12.Be3 0.32/13 Nxe5² 0.43/18 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 12...g6 13.Qa4 a6 14.Qb3 Ng7 15.g4 f5 16.exf6 Nxf6 17.h3 c5² 0.32/13 ] 13.cxd5 0.42/18 exd5 0.48/17 14.dxe5 0.56/14 d4 0.43/15 15.Bxd4 0.48/16 Qxd4 0.39/16 16.Qe2 0.37/15 Nc7 0.38/17 17.Nb3 0.34/18 Qb4 0.38/16 18.Rfe1= 0.06/14 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 18.Rfd1 Rcd8 19.Rxd8 Rxd8 20.Rd1 Ne6 21.Rxd8+ Bxd8 22.Qd3 a6 23.Qd7 Qe7 24.Bxc6 Qxd7² 0.38/16 ] 18...Ne6² 0.26/16 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 18...Rcd8 19.Rad1 a5 20.Nc1 Ba6 21.Nd3 Bxd3 22.Rxd3 Rxd3 23.Qxd3 Rd8 24.Qe3 Ne6= 0.06/14 ] 19.Be4 0.26/15 Rfd8 0.22/15 20.Qg4= -0.06/15 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 20.Bc2 Bf8 21.Rad1 Qe7 22.f4 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 Rd8 24.Ne4 Rxd1+ 25.Qxd1 c5 26.Nd6 g6= 0.22/15 ] 20...c5 -0.06/15 21.f4= -0.19/16 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 21.Rad1 Ba8 22.h3 c4 23.Bxa8 Rxa8 24.Nd4 Nxd4 25.Rxd4 Rxd4 26.Qxd4= -0.06/15 ] 21...Bxe4 -0.29/15 22.Rxe4 -0.22/13 Nd4? 1.59/19 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 22...c4 23.f5 Ng5 24.f6 gxf6 25.exf6 Bxf6 26.Rf1 Qd6 27.Rxc4 Rxc4 28.Qxc4 Bxc3 29.Qxc3= -0.22/13 ] 23.Nd5 1.55/17 Rxd5 1.63/17 24.Qxc8+ 1.62/18 Rd8 1.53/17 25.Qb7 1.54/15 Bf8 1.61/16 26.f5= 0.13/17 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 26.Rf1 Qb5 27.f5 1.61/16 ] 26...Qb5? 4.50/18 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 26...Rb8 27.Rxd4 Qxd4+ 28.Nxd4 Rxb7 29.Nf3 Rd7 30.b3 g6 31.g4 gxf5 32.gxf5 Rd3 33.Kf2= 0.13/17 ] 27.e6? 2.99/15 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 27.Nxd4 cxd4 28.e6 fxe6 29.fxe6 Bc5 30.e7 d3+ 31.Kg2 Qxb2+ 32.Kh3 Bxe7 33.Qxe7 Qf6 4.50/18 ] 27...fxe6? 4.57/17 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 27...Nf3+ 28.Kh1 Ng5 29.e7 Nxe4 30.exd8Q Qe2 31.Qxe4 Qxe4+ 2.99/15 ] 28.fxe6? 2.72/15 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 28.Nxd4 cxd4 29.fxe6 Bc5 30.e7 d3+ 31.Kg2 Qxb2+ 32.Kh3 Bxe7 33.Qxe7 Qf6 34.Qxf6 gxf6 4.57/17 ] 28...Nxe6? 4.64/17 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 28...Nc6 29.Rf1 Be7 30.Ref4 Rb8 31.Qc7 Re8 32.Rf7 h5 33.R1f4 Kh7 34.a4 2.72/15 ] 29.Rxe6 4.73/17 c4 5.15/17 30.Rf1 5.16/16 h6 5.08/16 31.Qf7+ 5.08/16 Kh8 5.28/16 32.Rxh6+ 5.01/1 gxh6 5.16/14 33.Qf6+ 5.31/15 1–0

Apr-25-07		RuyLopezFire: AWESOME!!!

Apr-25-07		RandomVisitor: 22...c4 . 26.f5 was a mistake (26.Rf1 ), but black missed 26...Rb8= and went on to lose.

Apr-25-07		kevin86: A nice attack by white-simple,but effective.

Apr-25-07		RandomVisitor: Here is analysis at 3 minutes per move: (1) Tolush - Yuri Averbakh [E06] USSR Championship Moscow, 1948 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 c6 7.Nc3 b6 0.39/15 8.Bf4= [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 8.Qa4 Bb7 9.Bf4 Nbd7 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Qc2 Nh5 12.Bd2 Nhf6 13.Rae1 c5 14.Bf4 0.39/15 ] 8...Bb7 last book move 9.Nd2 0.25/15 Nbd7 0.30/17 10.e4 0.32/16 Rc8² 0.42/15 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 10...Nxe4 11.Ndxe4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nf6 13.Re1 Qd7 14.Qc2 0.32/16 ] 11.e5 0.45/15 Ne8 0.38/13 12.Be3 0.31/16 Nxe5² 0.48/19 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 12...g6 13.Qa4 a6 14.Qc2 Ng7 15.g4 Qc7 16.Rac1 dxc4 17.Nxc4 b5 18.Nd2 c5 19.Bxb7² 0.31/16 ] 13.cxd5 0.46/19 exd5 0.49/18 14.dxe5 0.43/15 d4 0.46/17 15.Bxd4 0.43/18 Qxd4 0.44/19 16.Qe2 0.36/17 Nc7 0.46/16 17.Nb3 0.36/20 Qb4 0.36/18 18.Rfe1= 0.07/16 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 18.Rfd1 Rcd8 19.Rxd8 Rxd8 20.Rd1 Rxd1+ 21.Qxd1 Bf8 22.Qd8 Nb5 23.Qd7 Nxc3 24.bxc3 Qe7² 0.36/18 ] 18...Ne6= 0.21/18 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 18...Rcd8 19.Rad1 Ne6 20.Be4 Ng5 21.Bc2 c5 22.a3 Qxc3 23.Bxh7+ Kxh7 24.Qh5+ Kg8 25.bxc3= 0.07/16 ] 19.Be4 0.20/17 Rfd8 0.20/17 20.Qg4= -0.06/16 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 20.Bc2 Bf8 21.Rad1 h6 22.h4 Qe7 23.Qg4 Qc7 24.Bd3 b5 25.a3 Qb6 26.Qe4 g6= 0.20/17 ] 20...c5 -0.05/17 21.f4³ -0.33/18 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 21.Rad1 Ba8 22.h3 c4 23.Bxa8 Rxa8 24.Nd4 h5 25.Qe4 Nxd4 26.Rxd4 Rxd4 27.Qxa8+ Bf8= -0.05/17 ] 21...Bxe4 -0.31/17 22.Rxe4 -0.35/16 Nd4? 1.47/20 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 22...c4 23.f5 Ng5 24.f6 gxf6 25.exf6 Bxf6 26.Rf1 Qd6 27.Rxc4 Rxc4 28.Qxc4 Kg7 29.Rf5³ -0.35/16 ] 23.Nd5 1.53/19 Rxd5 1.55/18 24.Qxc8+ 1.56/21 Rd8 1.54/19 25.Qb7 1.61/15 Bf8 1.56/18 26.f5= 0.08/19 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 26.Rf1 Qb5 27.f5 Nxb3 28.axb3 Rd7 29.Qc8 Re7 30.Qa8 g6 31.f6 Re6 32.Qd5 Qe8 1.56/18 ] 26...Qb5? 3.51/20 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 26...Rb8 27.Rxd4 Qxd4+ 28.Nxd4 Rxb7 29.Nf3 Rd7 30.Kg2 c4 31.Rc1 b5 32.a4 a6 33.axb5= 0.08/19 ] 27.e6 3.51/18 fxe6? 5.15/17 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 27...Nf3+ 28.Kg2 Ng5 29.Re5 fxe6 30.fxe6 Be7 31.h4 Qe8 32.hxg5 c4 33.Nc1 Rd1 34.Qf3 3.51/18 ] 28.fxe6? 2.77/18 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 28.Nxd4 cxd4 29.fxe6 Bc5 30.e7 Re8 31.Qd5+ Kh8 32.b4 Qxb4 33.Qd7 h6 34.Qxe8+ Kh7 5.15/17 ] 28...Nxe6? 4.64/17 [Rybka 2.3.1 mp 32-bit: 28...Nc6 29.Rf1 2.77/18 ] 29.Rxe6 4.63/19 c4 5.82/18 30.Rf1 5.82/17 h6 5.97/18 31.Qf7+ 5.97/18 Kh8 5.14/17 32.Rxh6+ 5.01/1 gxh6 5.31/17 33.Qf6+ 5.31/17 1–0

Apr-13-22		cehertan: Not as big a fan of the game as the peanut gallery. I thought black played weakly and got crushed.

Apr-13-22		perfidious: Neither does this impress me; as noted, Averbakh has had better days. Tolush did not have to display his tactical abilities to any great degree to bring the point home.

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