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Anatoly Vaisser vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
French Championship (2005), Chartres FRA, rd 7, Aug-22
Gruenfeld Defense: Exchange. Modern Exchange Variation (D85)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
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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Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-13-05  AdrianP: 30 g4!! - zugzwang, or getting there.
Feb-16-06  JohnBoy: At http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail... Monokroussos suggests that this very high quality game turned on an error by MVL. I can't see a clear error nor an obvious improvement. Where was this game decided?
Mar-31-06  notyetagm: Chessbase Magazine 109 Tactics Section gives the position from this game after 30 ... ♖b8-b7? and says:

<How would you make use of Black's last imprudent move?>

The tactical points are 1) 30 ... ♖b8-b7? weakened Black's control of the e8-promotion square and 2) the Black e8-queen is overworked, blockading the dangerous White passed e7-pawn while also defending the Black g8-rook (<blockaders do not defend they blockade>).

The point of the combination is the line 31 ♕xg8! ♕xg8 32 ♖h8 ♕xh8 33 ♖xh8+ ♔d7 34 e8=♕+, the e-pawn promotes because the White h8-rook gains control of the promotion square with the check.

Notice how this combination does not work if the Black b7-rook is instead on b8 because then the e8-promotion square is adequately defended.

This is the second time(!) today I have seen this tactical theme: taking a heavy piece off of the back rank weakens control over a 7th-rank passed pawn's promotion square and makes possible tactics based on this pawn's promotion. Vachier-Lagrave's 30 ... ♖b8-b7? is the exact same type of tactical mistake as 22 ♖d1-d2? in Ljubojevic vs Kasparov, 1990.

Jan-24-09  KingG: This game followed A Chernin vs Stohl, 1992 until 26...Kc8, with the slight move transposition 16.Nf3 instead of 16.Nh3.
Jul-30-17  ChessHigherCat: <AdrianP: 30 g4!! - zugzwang, or getting there.>

That was my first reaction, too, but black has too many options. I think the idea of g4 may have been to prevent Nf5 so he could play e5+e6+Rf7, but then MVL (who was all of 15 at the time) blundered with 30. Rb7 so the slow plan wasn't necessary anymore.

At 2506, Vaisser is what the French call "un petit grand-maître" but he must be underrated judging by all the wins against top players on his profile page.

Jul-30-17  Nerwal: <At 2506, Vaisser is what the French call "un petit grand-maître" but he must be underrated judging by all the wins against top players on his profile page.>

Still, that's pretty respectable at 68 (and in any case, enough to win the senior world championship four times). Actually, in his prime he was in the top 100 or close to it throughout two decades, 80s and 90s.

Jul-30-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Before emigrating, Vaisser's best-known game may well have been his loss to the young Kasparov, but at his zenith, he was no milksop--a tough, professional GM who could give anyone trouble in a given game.

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