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Juan Bellon Lopez vs Antonio Antunes
Platja d'Aro Barcino (1994), Platja d'Aro ESP
Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation (D44)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
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Mar-31-19  devere: After 14.Bh5 Rg6 White has only a minor advantage. So this isn't a good problem.

It would make an excellent Tuesday problem at move 20 for White.

Mar-31-19  Walter Glattke: White could play 14.dxe6 Bxc6 15.exd7+ draw with 15.-Bxd7 16.Nd5 Qd8 17.Bh5 Bg7 18.Qf3. Play with risks was 14.dxe6 Bxc6 15.exf7+ Kxf7 16.Bh5+ Ke7? 17.Nd5+ Bxd5 18.Qxd5 attacks 2 rooks. 18.-Kg7 19.Nd5 Qd8 20.Qg4+ Kh8 21.Qe6 uncleasr "very difficult" then
Mar-31-19  goodevans: <devere: After 14.Bh5 Rg6 White has only a minor advantage. So this isn't a good problem.>

I absolutely disagree.

Firstly, the fact that black's best response to 14.Bh5 is to sac the exchange is testimony to how strong 14.Bh5 is. It certainly wouldn't have been clear to me that that was the case, just as it wasn't to GM Antunes.

Secondly, and more importantly, it doesn't matter one iota that 14.Bh5 isn't winning against best defence. CG puzzles are always to find the <best> move which, as far as I can see, this is. If you can come up with a better 14th move then I'll concede the point.

Until then I'm rating it as an excellent puzzle which I thoroughly enjoyed (despite not getting even close!).

Mar-31-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  agb2002: White has a bishop and a knight for the bishop pair and a pawn.

Black threatens Bxc6.

The uncastled black king suggests 14 dxe6, opening lines to attack:

A) 14... Bxc6 15.Nd5

A.1) 15... Bxd5 16.Qxd5 and the double threat Qxa8+ and exf7+ seems to win decisive material.

A.2) 15... Qd8 16.exd7+

A.2.a) 16... Bxd7 17.axb5 Bxb5 (17... axb5 18.Rxa8 Qxa8 19.Nc7+ wins) 18.Qc2 followed by Bxc4, Rad1, Rfe1 very good for White.

A.2.b) 16... Qxd7 17.Nxf6+ wins.

A.2.c) 16... Kxd7 17.Nxf6+ Kc7 (17... Ke7 18.Nxg8+ Ke8 19.Qxd8+ and 20.Nf6 wins decisive material) 18.Qxd8+ Rxd8 19.Nxg8 wins decisive material.

A.3) 15... Qa7 16.exd7+ Kd8 (else 17.Nxf6+) 17.Nxf6 looks very good for White.

B) 14... Qxc6 15.Qxd7+ Qxd7 16.exd7+ Kxd7 17.axb5 looks good for White. For example, 17... axb5 18.Rxa8 Bxa8 19.Nxb5 Bxe4 20.f3 Bd5 21.Rd1 Kc6 (21... Ke6 22.Nc7+) 22.Na7+ Kb7 (22... Kd6 23.Bxc4) 23.Rxd5 Kxa7 24.Rd7+ Kb6 25.Rxd7 followed by Rxh7 or Bxc4.

C) 14... fxe6 15.Bh5+ Rg6 16.Bxg6+ hxg6 17.Na5 Qxa5 18.axb5 Qb6 19.Bxc4 axb5 20.Rxa8+ Bxa8 21.Bd3 unclear.

Mar-31-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  agb2002: 14.dxe6 is inferior to 14.Bh5, according to Stockfish, due to 14... fxe6.

I think I messed up some lines because the white bishop somehow came back to life at move 19.

Mar-31-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  agb2002: <goodevans> I agree: it's an excellent and very instructive puzzle.
Mar-31-19  clement41: 20...Rxa6 21 ef Ke7 22 fg=N#
is one gorgeous line
Mar-31-19  MrMelad: Yhea I was way off. Would probably have missed 19.Rd1 as well if the puzzle started on move 19.

What a great game.

<clement41> Awesome line indeed. Here are some collections of games with useful under promotions

Game Collection: Promotion: Knight

Game Collection: Underpromotions

Mar-31-19  Cheapo by the Dozen: I'm on the side that says this is a bad puzzle. Seeing that Bh5 is the best try isn't much of a challenge.
Mar-31-19  lost in space: Haven’t got it.

What happens after 14, Bh5 Rg7?

Mar-31-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  ChessHigherCat: <lost in space: Haven’t got it. What happens after 14, Bh5 Rg7>

15. dxe with the threat of pawn x N#. Then black plays Qxc6 16. pxd7+ Qxd7 17. and now SF suggests Qf3 with an advantage for white but you're right that the follow-up is far from obvious

This more a thought-provoking position with lots of tactical possibilities than a conventional puzzle but I'm glad I saw it so it's a good choice as far as I'm concerned

Mar-31-19  pdxjjb: Yeah, the question is whether you want traditional closed-form puzzles where the solution is absolutely forced, or whether you want to provoke thinking. This puzzle is weak in the first sense but excellent in the second sense. I'm fine with that as long as I know it's a possibility on any puzzle here.
Mar-31-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  Dionysius1: <goodevans> <...it doesn't matter one iota that Bh5 isn't winning against best defence. CG puzzles are always to find the <best> move which, as far as I can see, this is.> That raises a good point. I THINK I've seen an explanation of what the puzzle selector is looking for, but I can't find it now. I know other puzzle sites are explicit: it might be "the right move will win an advantage of at least 3 pawns" or whatever.

In any case I would like to think cg is able to find positions even towards the end of the week where there would be an advantage with best play, and the advantage would be clear. Optimistic?

Your description would allow cg to put up positions where the best move would allow the player to avoid loss for the longest, but that wouldn't be very satisfying for most of us I think.

Mar-31-19  devere: Stockfish 10 64 BMI2

0.10(depth 47) 14.Bh5 14...Rg6 15.Qe2 b4 16.Bxg6 hxg6 17.a5 Qc7 18.Na4 Bd6 19.Rfd1 Bxh2+ 20.Kh1 Bd6 21.Nb6 Bxc6 22.dxc6 Nxb6 23.axb6 Qxc6 24.b7 Rd8 25.Qxc4 Qxb7 26.Rxa6 Be7 27.Rxd8+ Bxd8

( 0.00 (depth 47) 14.axb5 axb5 15.Bh5 Rg6 16.Bxg6 hxg6 17.Rxa8+ Bxa8 18.b3 b4 19.Na4 Qc7 20.bxc4 Bd6 21.g3 Bxc6 22.dxc6 Qxc6 23.f4 e5 24.Qd5 Qxa4 25.Qxd6 Qa3 26.Qd5 exf4 27.gxf4 Qe3+)

( 0.00 (depth 47) 14.f4 b4 15.a5 Qc7 16.Na4 Bd6 17.Bxc4 Bxf4 18.dxe6 fxe6 19.Bxe6 Bxh2+ 20.Kh1 Rg6 21.Nxb4 cxb4 22.Qxd7+ Qxd7 23.Bxd7+ Kxd7 24.Kxh2 Rag8 25.Rf2 Rg5 26.Rc1 Kd6 27.Rd2+ Ke5)

( 0.00 (depth 47) 14.Qc2 b4 15.a5 Qc7 16.Na4 f5 17.Nb6 Nxb6 18.axb6 Qxb6 19.Na5 exd5 20.Nxb7 fxe4 21.Na5 b3 22.Qd2 Rd8 23.Rad1 Bg7 24.Nxc4 dxc4 25.Qf4 Rxd1 26.Rxd1 Bd4 27.Bxc4 Qb7)

14.Bh5 is the best move, for a +0.10 advantage for White.

Mar-31-19  cormier:


click for larger view

Analysis by Houdini 4 <d 24 dpa done

1. - / + (-0.78): 12...Ne5> 13.axb5 cxb5 14.Bh5 Ng6 15.Nc2 Rd8 16.Ne3 Bg7 17.Rc1 Bh6 18.Re1 0-0 19.b3 cxb3 20.Qxb3 Nf4 21.Qd1 Rc8 22.g3 Ng6 23.f4 Bg7 24.Bf3 f5 25.e5 Rfd8 26.d6 Bxf3 27.Qxf3 Nxe5 28.fxe5 Bxe5 29.Ne2 Qxd6 30.Rcd1 Qc5 31.Rc1

2. = (-0.17): 12...cxd5 13.axb5 dxe4 14.Bxc4 a5 15.Na4 Qd6 16.Nc6 Ne5 17.Nb6 Bxc6 18.bxc6 Rb8 19.Rxa5 Nxc4 20.Nxc4 Qxc6 21.b3 Be7 22.Qg4 Rxb3 23.Nd2 Rd3 24.Nxe4 Rf8 25.Qe2 Rd4 26.Ng3 f5 27.Qe3 Rd7 28.Rc1 Qb7 29.Qh6 Rg8 30.Qxh7 Kf8 31.Qh6+ Rg7

Mar-31-19  eaglewing: Besides 14. Bh5 Rg6 what is wrong with 14. Bh5 e5 as the black reaction? Looks like it won't even lose the exchange.
Mar-31-19  cormier:


click for larger view

Analysis by Houdini 4 <d 23 dpa

1. = / + (-0.35): 12.a5> Qd8> 13.dxe6> fxe6> 14.Nd4>(T) Nc5 15.Qd2 Qd6 16.Qe3 Nd3 17.Rad1 c5 18.Nf3 0-0-0 19.Ne1 Qd4 20.Qg3 Bd6 21.Qh4 f5 22.Nxd3 cxd3 23.Rxd3 Qe5 24.exf5 b4 25.Re3 Qf4 26.Qxf4 Bxf4 27.Rxe6 bxc3 28.bxc3 Bd6 29.Bc4 Kc7 30.Rb1 Rhe8 31.Rh6 Be4 32.Rxh7+ Re7

2. = / + (-0.35): 12.dxe6> fxe6> 13.a5> Qd8> 14.Nd4>(T)

3. = / + (-0.61): 12.Qc2 Rg8 13.Rfd1 Bc5 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.Bf1 Ne5 16.Nxe5 fxe5 17.Kh1 Bd4 18.f3 c5 19.g3 Kf7 20.Qg2 Kg7 21.Qh3 h6 22.Qh4 Raf8 23.axb5 axb5 24.Qh5 Kh7 25.Be2 Rg7

Mar-31-19  Andrew Chapman: <Yeah, the question is whether you want traditional closed-form puzzles where the solution is absolutely forced, or whether you want to provoke thinking. This puzzle is weak in the first sense but excellent in the second sense. I'm fine with that as long as I know it's a possibility on any puzzle here.> My impression over the years has been that Sundays have often been too complex to have a simple defined solution.
Mar-31-19  cormier:


click for larger view

Analysis by Houdini 4 d 24 dpa done

1. = (0.00): 11.Qd2 Nd7 12.Qf4 Rc8 13.Rfd1 Rg8 14.Qh4 Rg6 15.Qxh7 Rh6 16.Qg8 Rg6 17.Qh7 Rh6

2. = (0.00): 11.d5 cxd5 12.exd5 b4 13.dxe6 fxe6 14.Bxc4 bxc3 15.Re1 cxb2 16.Rb1 e5 17.Nxe5 fxe5 18.Rxe5+ Be7 19.Qh5+ Qg6 20.Rxe7+ Kxe7 21.Qe5+ Kf8 22.Qxh8+ Ke7 23.Qe5+ Kf8 24.Qc5+ Kg7 25.Qe7+ Kh6 26.Qh4+ Kg7 27.Qe7+ Kh6

Mar-31-19  devere: < eaglewing: Besides 14. Bh5 Rg6 what is wrong with 14. Bh5 e5 as the black reaction? Looks like it won't even lose the exchange.>

15.f4 gives White a strong attack.

Sep-08-21  Gaito:


click for larger view

BLACK TO MOVE
Black got the better game from the opening, and in this position he missed the strong move 12....Ne5!

Instead he spoiled a good position with 12...c5?!, allowing the rejoinder 13.Nc6! The knight can't be taken, because after 13...Bxc6 14.dxc6 Qxc6 15.ab ab 16.Rxa8+ Qxa8 17.Nxb5 White would have an edge in the ending (see diagram below):


click for larger view

Nevertheless, the engine (SF14) considers this ending to be roughly equal (computer evaluation: +0.30)

Sep-08-21  Gaito: After 14.Bh5! White's knight on c6 should not have been captured. Black missed or overlooked the reply 15.dxe6!!, after which White obtained a winning advantage (evaluation by SF14: +2.18).
Sep-08-21  Gaito: Grandmaster Juan Manuel Bellón is still active in 2021, and I believe he emigrated to Sweden and obtained the Swedish citizenship. He is happily married with Pia Cramling a Swedish woman international master (or maybe woman grandmaster), and both have a daughter who plays chess well. So it is a family of chess players!
Sep-08-21  Gaito:


click for larger view

In this position Black was greedy and wrongly thought that he could get away unscratched with the extra piece, so he played 15...Ne5? The same move that would have been very good on move 12 now proved to be a fatal blunder. Black should have castled, though even after 15...O-O-O he would have had a very bad position, but at least he would have kept some practical chances of saving the game.

Sep-08-21  Gaito: 17.Qd5 was a good enough to secure the win, and it allowed the final combination which was very pretty. But the engine (SF14) believes that 18.exf7+ would have been even stronger (evaluation by SF14: +8.98)
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