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Lajos Portisch vs Boris Spassky
Spassky - Portisch Match (2007), Heviz HUN, rd 4, Apr-14
Dutch Defense: Classical. Stonewall Variation (A95)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Apr-30-07  MrMelad: 24..Nd3 What a blunder!
Apr-30-07  geraldo8187: Wow, I'm about 1000 elo below these guys and even i don't make mistakes like that any more. still, blundering a piece at this high level is just a temporary moment of blindness. i suppose at 70 i'll forget things now and again too.
Apr-30-07  Marmot PFL: Too bad, after 24...f4 black would have a promising position.
Apr-30-07  AlfieNoakes: Please tell me Spassky didn't do that!!??
Apr-30-07  sezori: Are you guys serious?! I know you guys seen what he was actually looking at. Nd3 exd Rxe1+ winning the rook the only thing is he overlooked the rook on a3. Or better yet he could've simply played c4 then Nd3 which would've then been a ?! or !? move. And yeah because of his age he missed it or it was simply an oversight, besides he's an ex-world champion. For all I care he can blunder for the rest of his life, but in his prime no one in the world could beat him, and I think that's better than one simple slip... :)
Apr-30-07  Cannon Fodder: Every decade or so he makes a move like this:

Spassky vs Karpov, 1988

Still, when you consider all the brilliant chess the man has given the world, these blunders are no more than an amusing footnote. Spassky will always be my hero.

Apr-30-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  alexmagnus: Actually a bit oftener:
H Lieb vs Spassky, 1979
Apr-30-07  Dr.Lecter: Well, it's not the kind of thing that happens everyday, but all players make big blunders every once in a while. Spassky is also getting rather old, so his concentration level might have decreased or something.
May-01-07  Atking: I made this kind of mistake few times too. As Marmot noted 24. ...f4! wasn't a difficult move for Spassky and it gives an advantage to Black. Spassky make on me the impression he must have win this match. 70 years old and still very dangerous. Just remenber the result of Portisch in the last Gausdal. I can imagine Spassky making there 1/2 + better result just behind Carlsen.
May-01-07  MrMelad: Yes, 24..f4 seem to do it for black. If white take the f pawn, black can capture the h4 pawn, and other plans also seems to be at the least equal for black. Like 25. Rc1, or 25. Rd1 black answers 25..fxg3 and if 25.Rf1 black is total control and can choose his plan from various options. If 25. Qa5 black answers 25..Qd6 and he is also in a better position.

I find it hard to beleive that an ex-WC failed to find this simple move and commited a blunder not worthy of a less stronger player.

May-03-07  ahmadov: This game goes to my "great blunders" collection, I understand that age had something to do with it though...
Feb-21-09  WhiteRook48: 24...Nd3?? is just horrible
Feb-28-09  WhiteRook48: CRAZY GAME!
Mar-27-09  WhiteRook48: <24...f4> 25 gxf4, I might be missing something. Definitely better than <24...Nd3> anyway
May-01-09  WhiteRook48: the only reason that I think Spassky played 24...Nd3 is because he thought white would play 25 exd3 so he could play 25...Rxe1+.
Feb-09-13  KingPetrosian: Amusing how Spassky Could play such a move - offering a knight for free. I would think he would have considered all variations instead of being sure Portisch would attck with his pawn!
Jan-27-14  whiteshark: It was only yesterday, that I lost a game this (or in a similar) way.

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