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Ruslan Ponomariov vs Veselin Topalov
MTel Masters (2005), Sofia BUL, rd 5, May-16
Indian Game: Anti-Nimzo-Indian (E10)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Given 24 times; par: 66 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 4 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-22-15  SpiritedReposte: As <runners> pointed out one possible variation in the final position is the pretty win ...Kf7 Rxf8+! Kxf8 Kf6! winning the pinned rook.
Sep-23-15  dusk: <Runners> Also I think 40... Rf7 41. Kxg6 is a zugzwang for black.
Oct-10-21  Brenin: After 24 Nh6+ gxh6 25 Bxh6 Rf7 Black's K-side is tied up, but how can White bring in the R on c1 before Black frees himself with Ne7 and Ng6 or Nf5? The best candidates look like 26 Rd8 (e.g. Ne7 27 Rc7 Ng6 28 Rcc8) and 26 Ra8 with a similar continuation, followed by 29 h4 and 30 h5 to drive the defending N away. Black's LSB can drive the White Rs onto dark squares, but otherwise does Black have any defence?
Oct-10-21  mel gibson: I saw that move but I also looked at other moves and was then unsure of what to do.

Stockfish 14 says:

24. Nh6+

(24. Nh6+
(♘g4-h6+ g7xh6 ♗d2xh6 ♔g8-f7 ♗h6xf8 h7-h5 h2-h3 e6-e5 ♔g1-h2 e5-e4 ♗f8-h6 ♔f7-g6 ♖c8-h8 ♘d5xb4 ♖c1-b1 a7-a5 ♗h6-e3 ♗b5-c4 ♖h8-h6+ ♔g6-g7 ♖h6xh5 ♘b4-d5 ♖b1-b2 b6-b5 ♗e3-d2 a5-a4 a2-a3 ♘d5-b6 ♖h5-h4 ♗c4-d3 ♗d2-c3 ♘b6-d5 ♗c3-a5 e4-e3 f2xe3 ♘d5xe3 ♔h2-g1 ♔g7-g6 ♖h4-f4) +2.60/34 172)

score for White +2.60 depth 34.

Oct-10-21  nalinw: The first few moves are quite easy to see - this is a Sunday problem because the follow up is over so many moves with so many choices for Black ...
Oct-10-21  raymondhow: I got the first three moves which made me feel like a contender, but then wanted to play 27.h4, after which the attack flickers out.
Oct-10-21  stacase: About 5 seconds to see the first two moves, the rest, not so much.
Oct-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: Solved enough to claim credit--as with any speculative sacrifice, you have to know when to trust your gut--but did encounter a dilemma at move 29. 29.h4 and 29.f4 looked equally good. 6/7 for the week; flubbed Friday.
Oct-10-21  KevinDenelsbeck: Got the first 4-5 moves, I count it as success for a Sunday.
Oct-10-21  agb2002: White has a rook for a bishop and a pawn.

Black is about to play Kf7, unpinning the bishop.

This leads to consider 24.Nh6+ gxh6 25.Bxh6 Rf7 26.Ra8:

A) 26... Bd7 27.Rd8, with the threat 28.Bxf8 Rxf8 29.Rxd7, looks good for White (27... Bb5 28.Rcc8).

B) 26... Ba6 27.b5 Bb7 (27... Bxb5 28.Rcc8) 28.Rb8 is similar to A.

C) 26... Ne7 (to protect f8 from g6) 27.Rc7 Ng6 28.Rxf7 Kxf7 29.Bxf8 Nxf8 30.Rxa7+ recovers material but unclear.

-----

I don't know. I'd probably play 24.Nxh6+ and cross my fingers.

Oct-10-21  goodevans: I was thinking this was a tad easy for a Sunday but when I delved further I found there was a fine point I'd overlooked. The critical question arises after White's 28.Rcc8:


click for larger view

It's clear that if White can attack the N with h5 (or f5 if Black advances his e-pawn) then Black's position will fall to pieces so the question is whether Black can prevent this.

Well, yes he can but in doing so his B gets forced to the K-side after which White starts operations on the other wing and and Black's pieces are in no position to prevent this.

For example, after <28...Bd7 29.Rb8 e5 40.f3> (the game's move order is less accurate) Black must prevent the pawn chain happening with <40...Bh3> but now White begins sets about the Q-side <41.a4> (or 41.Kf2 f5 42.a4).

In the game White won it on the K-side but if Topalov had found SF's suggested improvement <31...Bg4> then White should delay the Q-side advance until after <32.h4 exf4 33.gxf4 f5> and he'll prevail as above.

Obviously I didn't see all of this from the outset so I'm only claiming a half-solve which after fluffing Friday puts me on 5.5/7 for the week.

Oct-10-21  Stanco: I consider I solved it. My calculation ended with 27.Rc7... (24. Nh6+ gxh6 25. Bxh6 Rf7 26. Rd8 Ne7 27. Rc7) Black is in hold with no hope for escape.
I suspect white had even better moves after in the game.
Oct-10-21  Messiah: It was surprisingly simple.
Oct-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: No defense to 41. RxB+ and 42. K-f6. Nice king walk to finish the combination.
Oct-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: Out it ave Nh6+ hatch accommodate macks a guffy v i quiff quick outs it ave bus v it whicker mec pec vanquish ruffle hit o v jou dangle cake its flaps vehement z on tells risky double its wu v rupture pivoter v iffy huffle hafts v hog flush huff het achtung huffled it awooga v jar it ignoble accost v jacks and general negligent geed it good its ates v i teaks rag arc mag ve i c feel its choice bone v fane gs guv classic le hang i v aced it go fad o nah teb cfo heed it i co u v green Nh6+ add!
Oct-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: Eh bod cad v its fought c led it lines vagrant board it monopoly it vint plans u roof delicate pug on jo v i deck tale its tada it aloof again nh6+ dab no?
Oct-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: Lekky is tyre its ruzed its dapper choice bow it uvray nh6+ no.
Oct-10-21  Messiah: <chrisowen: Eh bod cad v its fought c led it lines vagrant board it monopoly it vint plans u roof delicate pug on jo v i deck tale its tada it aloof again nh6+ dab no?>

Delicate pug? Interesting.

Oct-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: No green no?
Oct-10-21  Chesgambit: Nh6 in 2seconds
Oct-10-21  AlicesKnight: Saw the first 4-5 but stumbled thereafter; it's a surprise that Black's QB cannot prevent the other white R from reaching the 8th rank. Love the final king-walk.
Oct-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: Ointment x for a fly no?
Oct-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  eternaloptimist: Y is this today’s puzzle of the day @ Pono’s 24th move when Stockfish says that 24.♙a4! is better than ♘h6+ ? ?????
Oct-11-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  scutigera: <eternaloptimist>: Which Stockfish are you using, and how do you have it set? My Stockfish-231-64 gives me 24 a3 also on ten seconds per move, but on 60 seconds it gives me Nh6+, just like the game.
Aug-27-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: This was the first time Ponomariov had played the Catalan so Topalov was likely surprised. Ponomariov rejected 9 Ne5..Nfd7 10 cxd..cxd 11 e4?!..Nxe5 12 exd..Ng6! 13 d6..Bf6 14 Bxa8..Nxf4 15 gxf..Qxd6 as too risky. 11..Bb7 would have been sufficient for equality; Topalov, in character, chose the sharper 11..Nc6!? which was a new idea. 13..Nxd4 is Black's only playable move and had been prepared by Topalov. Trying to keep the queen would have led to a strong Black initiative after 15 Kh1..Nxd5 16 Qa4..Bb7 17 Qd7..Rab8. Rather than defend an inferior endgame with 16..Bxf1 17 Bf3..Bb5 18 Rc7..Bc5 19 Rxe7 where he would have been playing for a draw Topalov chose to sacrifice the exchange. Topalov started to go wrong with 20..f6?!; better was 20..a5! 21 Rxc5 (21 b3..f6 22 Nc4 does not give White much) 21..bxc 22 Rxc5..Rb8 23 Bxa5..f6 24 Nf3..Be2 25 Nd4..Rxb2 with equality. After 22..Rd8? Black was lost; 22..Ne7 would have been better with good defensive chances. 34 Rxa7?..Be8! would have spoiled much of White's advantage.
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