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Wolfgang Unzicker vs Lothar Schmid
West German Championship (1959), Nuremberg FRG, rd 15, Oct-??
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation. Main Line (B05)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-15-12  backrank: 23. Bxa5! would be a nice Tuesday or Wednesday puzzle. The game is typical Unzicker - strong positional play with a crisp tactical finish. And his opponent was strong GM himself; but some GMs always look like beginners against Unzicker: Unzicker vs J H Donner, 1971
Oct-12-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  wwall: After 21.Rad1, perhaps the losing move is 21...Rxd2. Safer seems 21...Ne7 22.Rd6 b6.

After 22.Qxd2 Ne7? looks bad. Perhaps 22...h6 to give Black an escape route after 23.Qd8 Qxd8 24.Rxd8 Kh7.

23.Bxa5! looks like the winning move. The bishop can't be taken without Black getting mated on the back rank. If 23...Qb8 or 23...Qc8, then 24 Qb4 looks strong.

After 24.Qd6 Black resigned. But there may be more fight for Black. After 24...Qxd6 (24...Na6 25.Bxb6 Qxb6 26.Qxe7 should win) 25.exd6 (not 25.Rxd6? bxa5) 25...Ng6 (25...bxa5? 26.dxe7 Nb7 27.Rd7 Rb8 28.Rxb7 Rxb7 28e8=Q mate) 26.Bxb6 Nd7 (26...Nb7 27.d7 Nd8 28.a4 should win) 27.c5 (27.Be3 Kf8 28.c5) 27...Kf8 and White still has to do some work to win.

Oct-12-13  parisattack: <backrank: 23. Bxa5! would be a nice Tuesday or Wednesday puzzle. The game is typical Unzicker - strong positional play with a crisp tactical finish. And his opponent was strong GM himself; but some GMs always look like beginners against Unzicker: Unzicker vs J H Donner, 1971>

It is true. Both the Germans in the pack at that time (Unzicker/Uhlmann 1950s-1960s) were extremely strong GMs.

We tend to overlook them (and many other fine players in similar positions) because our familiarity with them is mostly based on losses against the Supers of the particular era. There are probably a dozen or more Soviet GMs in this category.

Sep-07-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  WTHarvey: Back rank/pawn promotion:


click for larger view

23. ?

if 24...♕xd6 25.exd6 ♘g6 26.♗xb6 and the pawn wins material or promotes.

Sep-20-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: This game was played in the final round, with Schmid leading Unzicker by half a point (11 v 10.5) Unzicker had to win the game in order to win the championship, which he did. It was Unzicker's 2nd West German title (after Berlin 1953), and he would win two more - 1963 (Bad Pyrmont) and 1965 (Bad Aibling).

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