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Viktor Korchnoi vs Robert Bellin
Gibraltar Masters (2007), La Caleta GIB, rd 4, Jan-26
Dutch Defense: Queen's Knight Variation (A85)  ·  0-1

8
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1
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White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
0-1

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

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-29-07  Total Blunder: What a funny but amazing game! Black's light coloured bishop "dancing" back and forth must have irritated Korchnoi so much!
Jan-29-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: Korchnoi was very upset after the game. He was winning easily and Bellin didn't disagree. But it was sweet revenge for Korchnoi's destruction of Bellin at Hastings many years ago. Bellin did play very well at the end.
Jan-30-07  luzhin: Twenty one years is a long time to wait, but then it is said that revenge is a dish best eaten cold.
Feb-01-07  ianD: Korchnoi should have settled for a draw. I would say his ego got in the way of objectivity.
Feb-02-07  Fast Gun: It is a testament to Korchnoi that he
retains great playing strength even at the age of 75!! There surely can't be many other players playing actively at this age who are playing better or as well as Korchnoi: Move 73 Rf6 was typical Korchnoi, trying for too much in the way that Fischer or Larsen would have done: Credit to Bellin for hanging in there and for taking his chance when it came:
Feb-02-07  CapablancaFan: I just can't believe Korchnoi still alive!
Feb-10-07  Plato: Why not? When you consider that Lilienthal is still alive, Korchnoi's still a spring chicken.
Feb-11-07  syracrophy: <luzhin> In fact they are thirty one years! Thirty one years have passed since the loss of Bellin on this game Korchnoi vs R Bellin, 1976
Sep-04-07  savagerules: Double Stonewall Game! This kind of opening was big in the early 20th century but fell by the wayside with the newer Indian defenses. Kind of like the Queen Pawn version of the Four Knights Game.
Jan-03-08  hedgeh0g: At least Korchnoi tried to make things interesting by sacrificing the exchange. Bellin seemed to be content just shuffling pieces around on his back ranks.
Mar-11-08  whiteshark: After 72 moves of manoeuvering, Korchnoi finally played his long-planned exchange sacrifice <73.Rf6>.


click for larger view

Black could just ignore the rook with 73...Qe8 or 73...Kh7, but Bellin had prepared a very interesting defensive idea. <73...f6 74.gxf6 Be8!> A splendid idea. Black offers two pawns to exchange light-squared bishops. <75.Bxh5 Kh8 76.Bxg6 Bxg6 77.Qxg6 Rh7 78.Qg4 Qg8>


click for larger view

For his pawns, Black has a blockade on the light squares, and only Black has winning chances. Round about here, Korchnoi offered a draw, <but after being tortured for over 70 moves, Bellin decided that it was now his turn! <>>

Jan-04-14  jerseybob: EricSchiller: At exactly what point in the game do you feel Korchnoi is "winning easily"? Yes, he commands more space throughout - often true of Korchnoi's games - but is there some tactical shot I'm missing? If Korchy was upset, it should be at himself, for playing the move 7.f4?!, which destroys all dynamism in the center as well as surrendering e4. Later, white might've tried 15.cb, with the idea of working on the weak pawn at b5, but insted he opts for the drawish 15.c5. So a draw seems the logical outcome, and for those posters who think Bellin's bishop shuttling between moves 23 and 72 is somehow dishonest or cowardly, I suggest they get real! The stronger side has to PROVE the win.
Jun-02-21  ulyssesganesh: that is Korchnoi.... an uncompromising fighter ....trying till the end .... often overreaching .... look at the KID games he played with Kasparov ... the short mate he suffered against Rogers ... he couldn't tolerate his loss against Roeder who played a gambit line in the KID at the Goodricke International .Calcutta ...

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