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Siegbert Tarrasch vs Max Harmonist
Nuernberg club (1891)
Spanish Game: Berlin Defense. Rio de Janeiro Variation (C67)  ·  1-0

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White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

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Given 8 times; par: 30 [what's this?]

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sac: 25.Rxd7 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Apr-21-20  ajile: Pretty simple really but I was thinking at first there would be some kind of wild sac attack.
Apr-21-20  Walter Glattke: A) 26.-g6 27.Qxd7 Rcxd7 28.Re8+ Qf8 29.Rxf8+ Rxf8 30.f7# B) 26.-Rxc3 27.Qxd7 g5 (B2) Rxd7 28.Re8#) 28.Qxf7 Rc8 29.Re8+ Rxe8 30.Qxe8+ Qf8 31.Qxf8# C) 26.-Bxg4 27.Re8+ Rf8 28.Rxf8# D) 26.-Rf8 27.fxg7+ Kg8 28.gxf8Q++ Kxf8 29.Qf3+ Kg8 30.Qxd5+ Be6 31.Qxe6+ Qxe6 32.Rxe6 wins. One piece and one pawn.
Apr-21-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: Why didn't white play 24. Rxd7 Qxd7 25. f6, initiating the combination one move earlier? Back can play 24...Qe3+, but that doesn't prevent the loss of the piece.
Apr-21-20  WickedPawn: Totally blind here. Failed to see that after f6 the Queen attacks the d7 square. If you spot this, Rxd7 pops up immediately. This is ridiculous.
Apr-21-20  agb2002: White is a pawn down.

The queen x-rays d7. Therefore, 25.Rxd7 Rxd7 26.f6:

A) 26... g6 27.Qxd7 seems to win much more than a piece (27... Qf4 28.Qxf7).

B) 26... gxf6 27.Qxd7, etc.

C) 26... Rdd8 27.fxg7+ Kg8 28.gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 29.Qd4, etc.

D) 26... Rc7 27.fxg7+ Kg8 28.gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 29.Bg7+ Qxg7 30.Re8+ Kxe8 31.Qxg7, etc.

Apr-21-20  Cheapo by the Dozen: 25 f6 doesn't actually mate, because ... g6 is too good a defense.

Oh wait -- that pawn is pinned anyway. So we'd have more options if the d7 bishop didn't exist.

The puzzle is really easy after one gets that far. :)

Apr-21-20  Granny O Doul: I guess I might as well say it here as anywhere. Most people seem to disapprove of the new look here, with the black bars and all, but I think it captures the 𝑧𝑒𝑖𝑡𝑔𝑒𝑖𝑠𝑡 of the social distancing era.
Apr-21-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <al wazir>
After 24. Rxd7 Rxd7 25. f6, Black would have <25...Rfd8>. This does not work in the game line because White's rook on e1 threatens the back rank: 26...Rfd8 <27. Qxd7>
Apr-21-20  saturn2: After 25. Rxd7 white has a rook more in both lines

25....Rxc3 26. bxc3 or

25....Rxd7 26. f6 Rdd8 27. fxg7+ Kg8 28. gxf8 Kxf8

Apr-21-20  sotto voce meo: I prefer the " old " system, but I allow that things must change if it really is for the better. I wait to be convinced.
Apr-21-20  groog: easier than yesterday
Apr-21-20  Damenlaeuferbauer: Although I have to concede, that 25.Rxd7!,Rxd7 26.f6! is obviously the better solution, the immortal German chess player Dr Siegbert Tarrasch could have also played 25.f6!,Bxg4 (25.-,gxf6 26. Rxd7 +-) 26.fxg7+,Kg8 (26.-,Qxg7 27.Bxg7+,Kxg7 28.Rxc7 and white will win another pawn +-) 27.gxf8Q+,Kxf8 (27.-,Qxf8 28.Rxc7 and black will lose another pawn +-) 28.Rxc7 and white will win another pawn +-. In games like this he was really the "praeceptor Germaniae".
Apr-21-20  Brenin: Thanks, CG, for curing yesterday's hiccups. However, I can't say I like the thick black bars; I agree with <Granny O Doul>, as I'm experiencing quite enough social distancing as it is.

Black had a decent (if cramped) position until 19 ... Rc8 (Be5!, preserving the DSB) and 20 ... c6 (Rg8 was needed), after which he was lost. A good Tuesday puzzle: it took me a few seconds to realise the significance of the hanging piece on d7 and the possible back-rank mate.

Apr-21-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 7.Nc3! is Tarrasch's trademark in this line of Berlin. I have to admit that I am very familiar with this game, not to mention that final combination is very simple, so the puzzle was not a puzzle for me. But the game is pretty and quite instructive, though a bit too onesided.
Apr-21-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: Btw, I wonder why Tarrasch in this game avoided 10.d6!, which he played in Tarrasch vs Metger, 1888 and which is definitely better than immediate recapture of the Pawn.
Apr-21-20  Brenin: <Damenlaeuferbauer>: In your 25 f6 line, after 27 ... Kxf8, instead of 28 Rxc7 White can deliver mate with 28 Re8. Black has to play 27 ... Qxf8; then after 28 Rxc7 White still has some work to do in order to win.
Apr-21-20  jith1207: Just make the black bars back and white alternate squares, which would form a chess themed look.

Would that annoy the eyes? Not sure, but at least it would be not as eye sore as full black, I guess.

Apr-21-20  TheFocus: These heavy black lines are extremely ugly.
Apr-21-20  Damenlaeuferbauer: <Brenin>
Thank you very much for your hint/remark! Concerning the line after 25.f6!,Bxg4 26.fxg7+,Kg8 27.gxf8Q+,Kxf8? 28.Re8# you are absolutely right, I did not "see" this easy mate analyzing the position after 24.-, cxd5 in my mind, but after 27.-,Qxf8 28.Rxc7 I think black's fate is doomed, because all of his pawns are week and he has no counter play, so white's position plays itself.
Apr-21-20  TheaN: <25.Rxd7> seals it, because this wins Bd7 outright. 25....Rxc3 26.bxc3 throws a rook, 25....d4 is too soon, 26.Rxc7. Moving the rook simply wins the bishop and of course <25....Rxd7 26.f6> and now the threat of fxg7+ wins Rd7. Perhaps the trickiest defense is now 26....d4 27.Bxd4 gxf6 28.Qxd7 Qd2, but 29.Bxf6+ Kg8 30.Qg4+ +- forces a queen trade and the game.

Though. These bars. What the hell. :>. CG I get renewing but don't renew what doesn't need renewing. Kibitzing pages, imo, don't.

Apr-21-20  goodevans: It's great to see good old <Olga> back.

As for the black bars of impending doom and other cosmetic 'improvements', I'm not a fan but I can live with them. You've got to let these web designers have their way on some things otherwise...

Maybe I should stop now. ;o)

Apr-21-20  zb2cr: 25. Rxd7 substitutes a Black Rook for a Bishop on d7. This has profound consequences, rendering f6 possible and allowing a double attack, on point of which is a loose piece.

25. Rxd7, Rxd7; 26. f6. Now if Black saves his loose rook, say by 26. ... Rc7, there follows 27. fxg7+, Kg8; 28. gxf8=Q+, Kxf8; 29. Bg7+, Qxg7; 30. Re8+ and White has Queen vs. Rook.

Apr-21-20  goodevans: <TheaN: [...] Perhaps the trickiest defense is now 26....d4 27.Bxd4 gxf6 28.Qxd7 Qd2, but 29.Bxf6+ Kg8 30.Qg4+ +- forces a queen trade and the game.>

Yep, except 30.Qg4+ does a bit more than just force a queen trade!

Apr-21-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Diocletian: < TheFocus: These heavy black lines are extremely ugly.>

Those giant black line bother me too. I can't remember the former design, only that it did not arrest and offend me. I hope chessgames.com can return to normal, otherwise I'm finished with chess! I'll find a nice checkers site with red and black squares.

Apr-21-20  goodevans: "I can see clearly now the [ugly black bar] has gone..."

Now all we have to work on are the inconsistent line spacing (at least on my browser) and the somewhat condescending "Enter your comment here" instruction.

But seriously, thanks for listening CG.com.

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