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Irina Krush vs Julio Becerra Rivero
New York Open (2000), New York NY USA, May-10
Slav Defense: Chameleon Variation (D15)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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find similar games 1 more I Krush/J Becerra Rivero game
sac: 36...Qf2 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-21-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  master8ch: 38.Rd8 looks good for White. If, as in the game, 38...Bxe2, then 39.Rh8+ Kg6, and 40.Rh2 wins. If Black thought 38...Qxe2+ 39.Kc3 Qxe3+ 40.Kb4 isn't good enough, then it probably isn't.
Jan-21-21  Granny O Doul: We don't know what Black thought about ...Qe2+ in response to 38. Rd8, because that position never arose. Computer seems to suggest that a draw is likely. I assume White was extremely short of time to play 39. Qc7.

If instead 39. Qa7 (by no means the best, but bear with me), among various possible mating sequences I really like ...Bd3+ 40. Kc3 Qc2+ 41. Kd4 Qxb2+ 42. Kc5 Qb5+ 43. Kd4 Qb4+ 44. Ke5 Qb2+ 45. Rd4 Qh2#.

Jan-26-23  Brenin: White's position looks desperate (R en prise, White's b-pawn close to promotion), but 36 ... Qf2 and 37 ... Bh5 offer hope of a swindle. White's best line seems be 37 Qxb8 Bh5 38 Rd8, e.g. 38 ... Bxe2 39 Rh8+ Kg6 40 Rh2 wins. However, Black has 38 ... Qxe2+ 39 Kc3 Qxe3+ 40 Kb4 Qf2 (threatening Qxb2+ and also e3) with good drawing chances.
Jan-26-23  mel gibson: I got this one wrong -
I thought 36... Ra8 which loses according to SF.

Stockfish 15 is calling this close to a draw
and in fact says Black is losing.

36... Qf2

(36. .. Qf2 (♕g3-f2 ♕c7xb8 ♗g6-h5 ♕b8-c7 ♕f2xe2+ ♔d2-c1 ♕e2xe3+ ♖d6-d2 ♕e3-e1+ ♔c1-c2 e4-e3 ♖d2-h2 ♔h7-g6 ♕c7-f4 ♕e1-d1+ ♔c2-c3 ♕d1-e1+ ♔c3-b3 ♕e1-d1+ ♔b3-b4 e3-e2 ♕f4-e4+ f7-f5 ♕e4xe6+ ♔g6-g5 ♕e6-e7+ ♔g5-g6 ♖h2-g2+ ♗h5-g4 ♕e7xe2 ♕d1-d6+ ♔b4-a4 ♕d6xb6 b2-b4 ♕b6-d4 ♕e2-f2 ♕d4-d3 ♕f2-d2 ♕d3xd2 ♖g2xd2 ♗g4-f3 b4-b5 ♔g6-f6 ♖d2-d6+ ♔f6-e5 ♖d6-g6 f5-f4 ♖g6xg7 ♗f3-e4 ♖g7-f7 f4-f3 ♔a4-b4 ♔e5-d4 ♖f7-f8 ♗e4-b7 ♖f8-f5 ♔d4-e4 ♖f5-f6 ♔e4-e5 ♖f6-f7 ♗b7-d5 b5-b6 ♔e5-d4 ♖f7-f4+ ♔d4-e3 ♖f4-f8 ♗d5-c6 ♔b4-c5 ♗c6-b7 ♔c5-d6 f3-f2 ♖f8xf2) -0.41/48 203)

score for Black -0.41 depth 48.

Jan-26-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Knighthawkmiller: +0.42 (24 ply) 38.Qc7 Qxe2+ 39.Kc1 Qxe3+ 40.Kb1 Qe1+ 41.Qc1 Qg3 42.Qc5 Bg6 43.Ka2 e3 44.Rd1 Qf3 45.Re1 e2 ... 38.Qc7 seems obvious from the sidelines. More likely a draw with this move. 38. b7 ? (we all make these types of moves at one time or another).
Jan-26-23  jrredfield: White made two bad mistakes here. After 36 ... Qf2 37 Qxb8 Bh5, White should have played 38 Qc7 instead of 38 b7. It was premature to think of promoting when the White Q was needed to stave off Black's threat. With 38 Qc7, White would still have had about a pawn lead. Black then miscalculated with 38 ... Bxe2 when 38 ... Qxe2+ would have kept things even. With 38 ... Bxe2, White should have been able to wrap things up quickly with 39 Qxe4+ f5 40 Qd4 Bf3+ 41 Kc3 Qe1+ 42 Qd2. But 39 Qc7 proved disastrous with 39 ... Bd3+ the dagger ending things quickly. Both White and Black erred considerably these last few moves, but White more so.
Jan-26-23  Mayankk: I thought of 36 ... Qf2 and 37 Bh5 but wasn't sure if this will draw by force. Especially since White had two "free" moves to prepare. It was clear to me though that Black had little chances of winning and so my try was instead 36 ... Rc8 37 Qxc8 Qxd6+ 38 Kc2 Qxb6 which I thought gave Black more hope.

Of course White isn't forced to play 37 Qxc8 but if it can play 39 Qc7 under time pressure, one can always hope.

Jan-26-23  cocker: Surely White still had a draw on move 39, with something like Kc3?
Jan-26-23  TheaN: Botched up this one. I was keen to make <36....Rc8?<>> work. Moving the queen allows Black to start a counterattack, ie 37.Qd7? Qe5 ∓ and taking the rook simplifies in Black's favor: 37.Qxc8 Qxd6+ 38.Ke1 Qxb6 ∓. It fails on <37.Rd7! Rxc7 38.bxc7 +-<>> and Black can't stop the pawn.

Bit of a weird puzzle, constructive nonetheless. I saw the concept of Qf2-Bh5 but thought there would be ways for White to get some cavalry back, it's not a definite draw (or win) per SF.

Jan-26-23  Refused: <TheaN: Botched up this one. I was keen to make <36....Rc8?<>> work. Moving the queen allows Black to start a counterattack, ie 37.Qd7? Qe5 ∓ and taking the rook simplifies in Black's favor: 37.Qxc8 Qxd6+ 38.Ke1 Qxb6 ∓. It fails on <37.Rd7! Rxc7 38.bxc7 +-<>> and Black can't stop the pawn. Bit of a weird puzzle, constructive nonetheless. I saw the concept of Qf2-Bh5 but thought there would be ways for White to get some cavalry back, it's not a definite draw (or win) per SF.>

High five!

Jan-26-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: La funny choose it brick q Qf2 go gash it a cog mag diet Qf2 be!
Jan-26-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Teyss: <TheaN> 36...Rc8?!? is a very interesting swindle, didn't consider it. Close to time control you can hope for a mistake like 37.Qd7 or Qe7 which I would have fallen for (not 37.b7?? Rxc7 38.b8=Q Qxd6+). Indeed Black then gets lots of Kside activity with 37...Qe5 despite the confined Bg6.

But alas the cool 37.Rd7!! (don't be modest, put two), would never have found it. Good catch.

Jan-26-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: Good puzzle. I thought it was Rc8. Like others, I didn't see the Rd7 response, which wins.

Black played the move that maximized his chances, not the move that "wins." It was a "black to play" puzzle, not "black to play and win." Then white slipped, maybe under time pressure.

Jan-26-23  outplayer: I have chosen Ra8.
Jan-26-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: I looked at 36...Rc8, but wasn't sure about it. Did not consider the game continuation which, even after seeing it, i wouldn't have been sure works.
Jan-26-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: NoPE it's a wrap x
Jan-26-23  agb2002: Black is a pawn up.

The white rook suggests 36... Rc8:

A) 37.Qxc8 Qxd6+ and 38... Qxb6 - + [2p].

B) 37.Qd7 Qe5

B.1) 38.b7 Qa5+ 39.Kd1 (39.b4 Qxb4+ delays mate one move only) 39... Qa1+ 40.Kd2 Qc1#.

B.2) 38.Ke1 Rc1+

B.2.a) 39.Kd2 Qxb2#.

B.2.b) 39.Kf2 Qh2#.

B.2.c) 39.Rd1 Qa5+ 40.Kf2 (40.Qd2 Rxd1+ and 41... Qxb6) 40... Rxd1 41.B(Q)xd1 (41.b7 Qe1+ 42.Kg2 Qxe2+ and mate in three) 41... Qxb6 - + [2p].

B.2.d) 39.Bf1 Bh5 40.b7 Qg3+ 41.Kf1 (41.Kd2 Rxd1+ 42.Kc2 Rxd6 43.b8=Q Qf2+ and 44... Rxd7 wins decisive material) 41... Qf3+ 42.Kg1 (42.Ke1 Qe2#) 42... Qxe3+ must be winning (43.Kh2 Bxd1 44.b8=Q Rc2+).

C) 37.Qe7 Qh2 looks for Black.

D) 37.Rd7 looks very bad for Black.

-----

Another option is 36... Qf2 but after 37.Qxb8 Bh5 38.Kc3 Qxe3+ 39.Bd3 exd3 40.Rxd3 Black looks in trouble.

Jan-26-23  Brenin: <agb2002: Another option is 36... Qf2 but after 37.Qxb8 Bh5 38.Kc3 Qxe3+ 39.Bd3 exd3 40.Rxd3 Black looks in trouble.> 40 ... Qc5+ looks like a draw to me, e.g. 41 Kb3 Qb5+, or 41 Kd2 Qf2+.
Jan-27-23  agb2002: <Brenin: <agb2002: Another option is 36... Qf2 but after 37.Qxb8 Bh5 38.Kc3 Qxe3+ 39.Bd3 exd3 40.Rxd3 Black looks in trouble.> 40 ... Qc5+ looks like a draw to me, e.g. 41 Kb3 Qb5+, or 41 Kd2 Qf2+.>

You are right, thank you!

I admit I lost interest in the puzzle when I found 37.Qd7 after a lot of work on 36... Rc8. My line for 36... Qf2 was not very thorough.

Jan-28-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: <agb2002> <I admit I lost interest in the puzzle when I found 37.Qd7 after a lot of work on 36... Rc8.>

I know that feeling! I think you mean 37.Rd7, not 37.Qd7.

Jan-28-23  agb2002: <Fusilli: <agb2002> <I admit I lost interest in the puzzle when I found 37.Qd7 after a lot of work on 36... Rc8.> I know that feeling!>

A broad search before a deep search is sometimes a waste of time and sometimes essential. It's annoying to realize that I didn't even pay any attention to decide the most suitable approach after a preliminary scan. And still more annoying to see how recurring is this problem.

<I think you mean 37.Rd7, not 37.Qd7.>

Yep, the editor of my tablet often changes what I have just typed. It is so smart...

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