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Walter Arencibia Rodriguez vs Vladimir Akopian
Biel Interzonal (1993), Biel SUI, rd 11, Jul-28
Sicilian Defense: General (B20)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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sac: 15...Nxf4 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: With 15...♘xf4! the White pawn centre, which looks so imposing, is dismantled, and the Black pawns take over the centre of the board. It is amusing to see the White minor pieces huddled together, and unable to stop the Black pawn advance.
Jan-04-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: As with many another problem in recent months, this POTD is analogous to an actual game rather than constituting a forcing end to the game, as it is clear that Black gets enormous compensation for the piece, but far from obvious how he brings the point home.
Jan-04-25  Mayankk: One of the easier Saturdays.

Black pieces seem to be in a defensive setup and there aren't many attacking options available. Knowing it's a puzzle, 15 ... Nxf4 16 Qxf4 fxe5 and 17 ... cxd4 sprung to mind. It brings the opponent Queen in firing line and Black now has a strong pawn centre, ready to roll forward. Material-wise we have 3 pawns for a Knight which is not too bad.

And now it is quite likely White will have to sacrifice a minor to stop our pawn roller somewhere down the line. One can safely deduce Black has a strong advantage here without calculating everything.

Jan-04-25  mel gibson: I didn't have a clue what to do.

Stockfish 17 says:

15. .. Nxf4

(15. .. Nxf4 (1. ... Nxf4 2.Qxf4 fxe5 3.Qh4 exd4 4.Bd2 e5 5.Bg5 Qc7 6.Rae1 Bf5 7.Na3 d3 8.Bd1 Rb4 9.Qf2 c4 10.Nb1 e4 11.Nc3 Qd6 12.Bc1 exf3 13.Bxf3 d4 14.Bf4 Qd7 ) +3.38/38 251)

score for Black +3.38 depth 38.

Jan-04-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: Sound or unsound (usually unsound), could never resist the temptation of sacrificing a minor piece for a massive pawn center. White doesn't seem to have any means of dealing with the threat of 26...e3.
Jan-04-25  vajeer: A bit straightforward. Black gets three pawns for the knight and a strong position. This feels like the one where one could work out the details later, just play it!
Jan-04-25  mel gibson: < An Englishman: Good Evening: Sound or unsound (usually unsound), could never resist the temptation of sacrificing a minor piece for a massive pawn center. >

Yes but I was looking for a quick material gain.

Still - the Knight sac was clever.

Jan-04-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: I gas its quick its bat pont merry its jah its cuff its z luv Nxf4 its ace me coffin its abe leeway its dub its chi
Jan-04-25  areknames: Really nice potd and solution. Just what I would'have played in my prime (yeah, right). Still, after 15..Nxf4 everything flows naturally.
Jan-04-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: I can't analyze it to mate, of course, but 15...Nxf4! 16.Qxf4 fxe5 is irresistible. Having all those center pawns has to be good. In the words of Debby Boone, ♫♪♫ This can't be wrong, when it feels so right ♫♪♫
Jan-04-25  King.Arthur.Brazil: The king's plan is very simple: explore a b6-g1 pin on the WK, by 15...cxd4, with 16. Ncxd4 (or Nfxd4) Qb6, else for 16. Bxd4 Nxd4 17. Nfxd4 Qb6 18. Kh1 fxe5. Also, it is good the line: 15...fxe5 16. fxe5 cxd4 17. Ncxd4 Nxe5 18. Ne6 Qb6+ 19. Bd4 Nxf3+ 20. Rxf3 Qxe6.. or 18. Nxe5 Bxe5 19. Nf3 Qb6+ 20. Kh1 Bxc3 21. Qxc3 Qxb2... it seems that the tactics are favorable to B.
Jan-04-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  Teyss: As said above, sacking a Knight for two Pawns and a strong centre feels right. Don't really know at which stage we can consider it a solve though.

I like the Pawn T-shape after Black's 20th.


click for larger view

A move after it's a Z.


click for larger view

T, Z, Interzonal, Switzerland, there has to be a pun here.

Jan-04-25  cormier: Stockfish 16.1 depth=33
-2.68 15... Nxf4 16. Qxf4 fxe5 17. Qh4 exd4 18. Bd2 e5 19. Bg5 Qc7
Jan-04-25  cormier: Stockfish 16.1 depth=40
-0.45 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. Bxf6 exf6 17. b3 Qb6 18. Qd2 Re8 19. Rf2 d4 20. Nh4 Ng7 21. Bf3 Ne7 22. Na3 Bb7 23. Nc4 Qd8 24. Re2 Bxf3 25. Nxf3 Nd5
Jan-04-25  cormier: Stockfish 16.1

depth=39
-0.19 14. g3 d4 15. Bd2 f6 16. Na3 fxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. fxe5 Bh3 19. Rxf8+ Qxf8 20. Nc4 Ng7 21. Bf1 Qxf1+ 22. Qxf1 Bxf1 23. Rxf1 Ne6 24. Kg2 Kg7

Jan-04-25  cormier: Stockfish 16.1 depth=44
0.00 13. Ne5 Nb4 14. Ne3 dxe4 15. dxe4 Nxe4 16. Rd1 Qc7 17. Bf3 Nxc3 18. bxc3 Bxe5 19. fxe5 Nc6 20. Bxc6 Qxc6 21. Qh4 Qe6 22. Nd5 Re8 23. Qf2 Rb7 24. c4 Bd7
Jan-04-25  cormier: Stockfish 16.1 depth=40
-0.60 12... a5 13. Kh1 a4 14. Rb1 Be6 15. a3 Bb3 16. Rc1 Re8 17. Ne3 e6 18. Qf2 Nd4 19. Bd1 Bxd1 20. Rcxd1 Nxf3 21. Qxf3 d5
Jan-04-25  cormier: Stockfish 16.1 depth=51
-0.23 11. cxb4 Nxb4 12. Nxb4 Rxb4 13. Kh1 a5 14. Rb1 a4 15. Bd2 Rb7 16. Ba5 Qd7 17. Bc3 Rb8 18. Qh4 Qd8 19. f5 gxf5 20. Bd2 Bd7 21. b3 axb3 22. axb3 Ra8
Jan-05-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Not sure what GM Arencibia was thinking. 15...Nxf4! is obvious, and obviously very strong. The engine assesses it as almost -3. 15.exf6, with an unenviable but not losing position, was much better.

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