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Yakov Estrin vs Victor (Vytas) Palciauskas
10th Correspondence World Championship (1978) (correspondence), ICCF, Jul-01
Italian Game: Evans Gambit. Tartakower Attack (C52)  ·  0-1

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Palciauskas.Facing the former World Champion who is noted for his attacking style and his extensive knowledge of e4 openings was a challenge. I was not going to be foolish and play the two Knights defence, a defence on which he has written extensively. Besides, I had a feeling he would play the Evan’s Gambit against me.Ah! I guessed correctly.My knowledge of the Evan’s being somewhat limited, I head for the simpler lines that return the pawn and offer equality.Keres’ suggestion, but as the game shows, it leads to a slightly better game for Black.A psychological move. Exchanging Queens give Black a very comfortable ending where he might even stand better. So I was not very surprised that Estrin plays for the attack.The only hope for the attack is the advance of the Kingside pawn majority. But, this doesn’t turn out well because I will have a firm control of the square f5. The objective of the next few moves is to exchange White’s best piece, the Knight, and then capiture control of the Q-file.If 21.Nxf5 Bxf5 and White is helpless against the Rook invasion on d3. Now 21. ...Nxe3 losses to 22.Ne7+ At the minor expense of a pawn, I eliminate any possibility of g4, which makes the development of White’s Bishop problematic. If White contests the d-file with 23.Rd1, 23. ...Nh4 leads to a winning position.Keeping the Queen out of play and further dominating d3.There was no way to save the h-pawn. If 26.Kh2 Rxh3+! 27.gxh3 Qg3+ 28.Kh1 leads to mate.Mate is threatened by 29. ...Qh2+ 30.Kf2 Rf3+! 31.Kxf3 Qg3 mate. On 29.Qd5 Re2 leads to mate. So White resigned.0-1

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

Annotations by Victor (Vytas) Palciauskas.

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Kibitzer's Corner
Dec-18-02
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sneaky: In the final position, the threat is 29. ...Qh2+ 30. Kf2 Rf3+! 31. Kxf3 Qg3#
Dec-18-02  Vilkacis: This is from the 10th World Correspondence Championship that was won by Victor Palciauskas.
Dec-19-02  Sabatini: What if white plays 29. Qd5?
Dec-19-02  ughaibu: Re2 is sufficient.
Dec-19-02  Sabatini: Yes, I see that now.
Oct-12-05  Poisonpawns: Awsome game and nice analysis by the winner.
Oct-03-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: A model game against the Evans Gambit by the player of the day. As I understand it 11...d5! was a novelty in a position until then thought promising for White.
Dec-27-06  Haeron: Out of interest, what is a better alternative to 9. Nbd2?
Oct-13-07  CapablancaFan: Excellent annotation by Dr. Victor (Vytas) Palciauskas
Nov-26-08  DrGridlock: Palciauskas writes in the annotation to white’s move 18 f4, “the only hope for the attack is the advance of the kingside pawn majority. But this doesn't turn out well because I will have a firm control of the square f5.”

Fritz sees things differently, evaluating the continuation 18 Qg5 h6, 19 Qxe7 Bxh3, 20 Bg5 Rfe8, 21 Qxc7 Bxg2, 22 Kxg2 Qxg5+, 23 Kh3, Qh5+, 24 Kg3, Qg5+ as a small advantage to White (.16). Fritz sees the game continuation 18 f4 as White’s 16th best move option, shifting the advantage to black (-.50).

Palciauskas gives his move 18 … c5 an (!), but Fritz prefers the continuation Rd8 (-.53) to the game move (-.16). White seems to get into trouble with his move 24 Qa6 (-.66). Fritz prefers white to continue 24 Rb1 (-.31). The acid test of Palciauskas’ line and annotation seems to be whether there is an improvement to the line 24 Rb1 Rd3, 25 c4 Rd4, 26 Qa8+ Kh7, 27 Qa4 Qe6, 28 Rb2 Rxc4, 29 Qd1 h4, 30 Qh5+ Kg8 31 Rd1 which is the position Fritz evaluates as -.31.

Qa4 dug white deeper at move 25 (-1.19), while Fritz preferred white to play a4 at move 25 (-.56). White’s e6 at move 27 is a blunder which brings the game to a quick conclusion (Fritz evaluates the position as -4.06 after e6).

May-22-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Jonathan Sarfati: An important theoretical game, played impeccably by the winner of the World Correspondence Champs that year.
Jan-27-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: 12. exd5 is just begging to be played. If 11...d5 was a novelty, maybe White thought Black had found something to that obvious response.
Jan-27-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: <DrGrid> yeah, I have to agree about 18. f4. White simply has no advantage here to start an attack. The move looks like one of the many f Pawn pushes on this site that leads to a positionally lost game. Very surprising a CC player would try it.
Oct-03-22  Cheapo by the Dozen: Worthy of GotD. Now to think of a pun concept more interesting than just a reference to "Victor" ...
Oct-03-22  Cheapo by the Dozen: Hmm. I do have an Evans-only pun, since the game introduced new Evans Gambit theory.

Tinkering With Evans' Chance

These are the saddest of possible words:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double–
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseb...

Bonus baseball trivia: Johnny Evers made one of the most famous plays in baseball history, namely the put-out in Merkle's Boner.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkl...

Jan-29-23  rwbean: Last move is Mate in 13: 28.... Qg3 29.Qc8+ Kh7 30.Qxe6 fxe6 31.Rb5 Rh2 32.Rf2 h4 33.Rbb2 h3 34.a4 Nh4 35.Kf1 hxg2+ 36.Ke2 g1=Q 37.Be3 Q1xf2+ 38.Kd3 Qfxe3+ 39.Kc4 Rxb2 40.a5 Qe4#

White can force the ♕s off with 22. ♕e4! probably heading for a draw. Then he tries 23. ♕xb7?? and loses.

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