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Tom Wedberg vs Gudmundur Sigurjonsson
Lucerne Zonal qual-1 (1979), Lucerne SUI, rd 8, May-29
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B98)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
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Aug-09-09  A Karpov Fan: Could anybody here recommend a good book to improve my tactics? I barely scratched the surface with this puzzle :-(
Aug-09-09  wals: The following may be of help to those seeking help

[Event "Lucerne"]
[Site "Lucerne"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tom Wedberg"]
[Black "Gudmundur Sigurjonsson"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B98"]
[WhiteElo "2498"]
[BlackElo "2463"]
[Annotator "Rybka 3 1-cpu (30m)"]
[PlyCount "73"]

♗98: Sicilian ♘ajdorf: 6 ♗g5 e6 7 f4 ♗e7, sidelines

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4
cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 h6 9. Bh4 Qa5 10. O-O-O Qh5 11. Qxh5 Nxh5 12. Bxe7 Kxe7 13. g3 b5 14. Bg2 (14. a4 b4 15. Na2 e5 ) 14... Ra7 ♗lack is behind in development. (14... Bb7 15. Bf3 g6 16. Rhe1 ) 15. e5 $16 dxe5 16. fxe5 Rd8 (16... Rd7 17. Nce2 g6 18. g4 ) 17. Ne4 White has a king attack (17. Rhf1 Rad7 18. Nce2 g5 ) 17... Bb7 18. Rhf1 f5 19. Nxf5+ (19. exf6+ gxf6 20. Rf2 Ng7 ) 19... exf5 20. Rxd8 Kxd8 21. Rxf5 g5 ?? blunder (21... Nxg3 would hold out 22. hxg3 Bxe4 23. Bxe4 Re7 ) 22. Rf8+ Kc7 23. Rf7+ Kb6 24. Nd6 Bxg2 25. Nc8+ Kc5 26. Nxa7 (♘ot 26. Rxa7 Bd5 ) 26... Bd5 (26... Nc6 27. Nxc6 Bxc6 28. Rh7 ) 27. Rh7 Kd4 (27... a5 28. Rh8 Nc6 29. Nxc6 Bxc6 30. Rxh6 ) 28. Rxh6 (28. Rh8 keeps an even firmer grip Nxg3 29. hxg3 Nd7 30. Rxh6 Nc5 ) 28... Ng7 29. Rh8 (29. Rb6 seems even better Nd7 30. Rxa6 b4 ) 29... Nd7 (29... Nc6 30. Nxc6+ Bxc6 ) 30. Rh7 Nxe5 (30... Nf5 cannot change destiny 31. Rxd7 Kxe5 32. b3 ) 31. Rxg7 g4 32. Nc8 (32. c3+ makes it even easier for White Ke4 33. b3 Kf5 ) 32... Be6 (32... b4 is not the saving move 33. Nd6 ) 33. Ne7 (33. Nd6 and White can already relax Nf3 34. Ra7 b4 35. Rxa6 Nxh2 36. Nb5+ Ke5 ) 33... Nf3 (33... Kc5 does not solve anything 34. Rg5 Kd6 35. Nf5+ Kd5 36. Ng7 ) 34. Rg6 Ke5 35. Rh6 Bd7 36. Kd1 a5 (36... Be8 doesn't get the cat off the tree 37. c3 ) 37. Nc6+ (37. Nc6+ Bxc6 38. Rxc6 ) 1-0

Aug-09-09  wals: <A Karpov fan>

http://chess.emrald.net/

would give you free tactical exercises

Aug-09-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: <Life Master AJ> has raised some excellent points in his reply to my post. Let's take a closer look at his sentence "I think White could have calculated 5 (or more) moves ahead, and then proceeded with the sack on general principles."

I believe your statement is correct, but the irony is that to me, this statement describes the essence of the speculative sacrifice. I must clarify what I mean by "combination." To me, a combination is one where you can calculate every variation to the end and know that no matter what your opponent does, you will realize a tangible gain, as in "leads to mate or loss of the Queen."

I should probably illustrate my thinking with some examples.

Example of a combination: White's 3-mover in Morphy vs Duke Karl / Count Isouard, 1858

Example of a speculative sacrifice: naturally, it's Alekhine: 13.Rd1 in Alekhine vs Book, 1938

Until Wedberg weighs in with his input, we will have to agree that he probably didn't calculate those 10-15 moves you mentioned. To me, that's a speculative sac, but reasonable persons can disagree. I hope this will help you understand my way of thinking.

Aug-09-09  Old Wolf: We found a line not mentioned yet:

Nxf5 ef; Rxd8 Kxd8; Rf5+ g5 (or g6); Rf8+ Kc7; e6

Black king is tied to defending the b8 N, he has to give up a piece to stop promotion.

Aug-09-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  OBIT: <David2009>Now that I know the en passant capture is available, there is little doubt in my mind that I'd play 19. exf6 OTB, since it both saves the knight and eliminates my crappy pawn on e5. I'd say the move leaves White with a slight advantage, mainly because his pawn structure looks a little better. Looking at the combination as played in the game, I wouldn't call it super difficult, but I doubt I'd be looking for it OTB. I think I'd be more concerned about conserving my time for what could easily be a tough endgame.

This gives me a chance to make a soapbox comment about how puzzles are different from games. Posters here are fond of commenting about how they can find key moves in puzzles that they'd never find OTB - since it's a puzzle, they say, they know there must be a flashy move here, but OTB there is no buzzer going off saying "there is a flashy move here, now find it." While I agree with that to a point, at times I still try to find flashy moves in OTB games. From a practical standpoint, however, this can't be done on every move. Frankly, most sacrifices do not work, so if you spend your time investigating every sacrificial possibility that comes up, in most games you will end up in time trouble. Of course, if you don't spend a lot of time on the sacrifice and just "go for it" the first time you see a sacrifice that looks appealing, you will lose a lot.

So, knowing that time management is an issue, when do you decide to spend 15 or 30 minutes looking for a big move? I suppose that comes from experience - knowing when you are at a critical position. I also suppose that, the better the player, the better he is at realizing a critical position has been reached. And, I suppose that, the better the player, the faster he can calculate, which means he can study more big moves during a game. For sure, though, nobody, and I mean NOBODY, can look at every possibility on every move when a clock is running.

Aug-09-09  DarthStapler: I didn't get it
Aug-09-09  tallinn: <OBIT> As CG is known to sometimes present puzzles that are not really some (i.e. no tactical blow available) I can't take your side. I spent some time investigating the position which is ok as a puzzle position is different from an OTB situation in the way that one did not see the situation evolving. OTB a lot of thinking has been done already. CG asks for the best move and I looked for the best move and eventually noticed the odd position of the N on h5. OTB you would think a move before "He can't play f5, I would take it."

And if you feel there is a tactical chance you are obliged to investigate it. One of the most humiliating experiences in analyzing games that did not went as well as you feeled they should do during the game is to notice that you missed the decisive blow. If you miss it more often then not your advantage vanishes just like that.

exf is a move that reactivates the black knight. Not really attractive.

Aug-09-09  dzechiel: <A Karpov Fan: Could anybody here recommend a good book to improve my tactics? I barely scratched the surface with this puzzle :-(>

Early in my chess "career" I read "Chess Traps, Pitfalls and Swindles" cover to cover, and it caused me look at the board in new and different ways. Can't say it will do the same for you (and you will likely have to learn descriptive notation), but that would be my recommendation. Good luck.

Aug-09-09  jheiner: <A Karpov Fan> Also take a look at "Predator at the Chessboard" to get some solid concepts.

http://www.bu.edu/dbin/law/chess/

Aug-09-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: < <An Englisman>

<"Until Wedberg weighs in with his input, we will have to agree that he probably didn't calculate those 10-15 moves you mentioned. To me, that's a speculative sac, but reasonable persons can disagree. I hope this will help you understand my way of thinking."> >

OK, I think I understand what you are saying. You stated your point so clearly, precisely and eloquently, that I will not disagree with you. As you say, it is a pointless argument until Wedberg himself tells ... "his side of the story." :)

Aug-09-09  TheBish: T Wedberg vs G Sigurjonsson, 1979

White to play (19.?) "Insane"

There is only move that makes sense:

19. Nxf5+! exf5 20. Rxd8 and now:

A) 20...Kxd8 21. Rxf5 leads to

A1) 21...Bxe4 22. Rxe4 g5 (22...g6 is similar) 23. Rf8+ Kc7 24. e6! Nc6 (or 24...Ng7 25. e7 and the pawn will cost Black a piece) 25. Rf7+ Kd6 26. Bxc6 Rxf7 27. exf7 Ke7 28. b4! Kxf7 29. Bb7 and White will win easily.

A2) 21...g5 (or 21...g6) 22. Rf8+ Kc7 23. Rf7+ Kb6 (or 23...Nd7 24. e6) 24. Nd6 Bxg2 25. Nc8+ (this move is why this whole line works!) Kc5 26. Nxa7 followed by Rh7 and Rxh6 and White should win the endgame.

B) 20...Bxe4 21. Rxb8 Bxg2 22. Rxf5 g6 23. Rff8 Ng7 24. Rf6 Be4 26. Rbf8 Bd5 27. Rh8 and White will win another pawn and should win the endgame.

This one is "insane" because of all the tactics involved, just to get a winning endgame. You still have to win that!

Aug-10-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: <dzechiel:> <A Karpov Fan: Could anybody here recommend a good book to improve my tactics? I barely scratched the surface with this puzzle :-(>

< "Early in my chess "career" I read "Chess Traps, Pitfalls and Swindles" cover to cover," ...>

I still have that book, its one of my favorites! (I like the stories in it as well.)

Aug-10-09  obender71: I fought hard to make work 19.Rxf5 but overlooked the sac refuse other than g6. BTW I'm happy that my diligent work after 19... exf5 is very right.

This is what I saw:

19 Rxf5

19 ... g6?!
20 Rf2 with the idea of Rfd2 with better pieces.

19 ... exf5
20 Nxf5+

20 ... Kf7 20 ... Kf8 20 ... Ke6 obviously are bad.

20 ... Ke8
21 Ned6+

21 ... Rxd6?
22 Nxd6+ Ke7
23 Nxb7 Nd7
24 Na5 Rc7
25 Nc6+

21 ... Kf8
22 Nxb7

22 ... Rc8
23 Nfd6 Rc7
24 Rf1+ with the idea of g4

22 ... Re8
23 Nfd6 Rxe5
24 Nc8

22 ... Rxd1+
23 Kxd1 g6
24 Nfd6

24 ... Nd7
25 e6 Nf6
26 e7+ Kxe7
27 Nc8+

24 ... Ng7
25 Nc8 Ra8
26 Nbd6

Not bad but wrong :( for 19 ... Bxe4

Aug-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: Wedberg,T - Sigurjonsson,G [B98]
Luzern 1979 [T. Wedberg]

From Informant # 27/ game #484.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 h6 9.Bh4 Qa5 N 10.0-0-0 Qh5 11.Qxh5 [11.Qg3 - 27/(484)] 11...Nxh5 12.Bxe7 Kxe7 13.g3² b5? [13...Nf6] 14.Bg2 Ra7 [14...Bb7 15.Bf3 g6 (15...Nf6?? 16.e5 ) 16.e5 Bxf3 17.exd6+ Kxd6 18.Nxf3+ Ke7 19.Ne5±] 15.e5!± dxe5 16.fxe5 Rd8 17.Ne4 Bb7 18.Rhf1 [. 19. ¤d6, 19. g4] 18...f5 [18...Bxe4 19.Bxe4 Rad7 20.Nc6+ Nxc6 21.Bxc6 Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 23.Kxd1 ; 18...f6 19.exf6+ gxf6 (19...Nxf6 20.Rfe1) 20.Rfe1 Ng7 21.Bh3±] 19.Nxf5+! exf5 20.Rxd8 Kxd8 21.Rxf5 g5 [21...Bxe4 22.Bxe4 g5 23.Rf8+ Kc7 24.e6! Nc6 (24...Ng7 25.e7) 25.Rf7+ Kb6 26.Bxc6 ] 22.Rf8+ Kc7 23.Rf7+ Kb6 24.Nd6 Bxg2 [24...Nc6 25.Bxc6 Kxc6 26.Rh7 ] 25.Nc8+ Kc5 26.Nxa7 Bd5 27.Rh7 Kd4 28.Rxh6 Ng7 29.Rh8 Nd7? [29...Nc6 30.Nxc6+ Bxc6 31.Rh6 ] 30.Rh7 Nxe5 31.Rxg7 g4 32.Nc8 Be6 33.Ne7 Nf3 34.Rg6 Ke5 35.Rh6 Bd7 36.Kd1 a5 37.Nc6+ 1-0

Aug-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: The above analysis differs greatly from mine ... of course, this is largely due to the influence of strong chess programs.
Aug-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: And while Black's 29th move was considered a mistake, Fritz analysis will clearly show that Black was already lost.
Aug-17-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: I got the first move, but had no continuation.

In the game line, what does white do after 24...Nc6 ? Black's position is ssomewhat constipated and the ♗ on h5 can't go anywhere, but after 25. Bf3 black has 25...Nd8.

(I see there were several previous posts suggesting ...Nc6, though not on the 26th move.)

Aug-17-19  mel gibson: I thought the en passant was best & Stockfish 10 was considering it for 3 seconds
but then went with the text line.
The computer gives only a 1 pawn advantage.

19. Nxf5+

(19.
Nxf5+ (♘d4xf5+ e6xf5 ♖d1xd8 ♔e7xd8 ♖f1xf5 ♘h5xg3 h2xg3 ♗b7xe4 ♗g2xe4 ♖a7-e7 c2-c4 b5xc4 ♗e4-d5 ♘b8-d7 ♗d5xc4 a6-a5 e5-e6 ♘d7-b6 ♗c4-b3 a5-a4 ♖f5-f8+ ♔d8-c7 ♗b3-d1 ♖e7xe6 ♖f8-f7+ ♔c7-d6 ♖f7xg7 ♖e6-e1 ♔c1-d2 ♖e1-g1 ♖g7-g6+ ♔d6-c5 b2-b4+ a4xb3/ep ♗d1xb3 ♘b6-c4+ ♗b3xc4 ♔c5xc4 ♔d2-e3 h6-h5 ♔e3-f4 ♖g1-e1 ♖g6-g5 ♖e1-f1+ ♔f4-e4 ♖f1-e1+ ♔e4-f5 ♖e1-f1+ ♔f5-g6 ♖f1-a1 ♖g5xh5 ♖a1xa2 g3-g4 ♔c4-d4) +1.02/40
115)

score for White +1.02 depth 40.

Aug-17-19  devere: I thought this problem was only medium in difficulty. I seldom solve very difficult problems without a computer. Of course 29...Nd7? was a blunder, but even after the better Nc6 White should be able to win.
Aug-17-19  patzer2: If today's Saturday puzzle position had occurred in one of my blitz or rapid games, I think I would've played the simple 19. exf6+ gxf6 20. Bf3 ⩲ to ± (+0.84 @ 32 ply, Stockfish 10).

But since it was a difficult Saturday puzzle, I figured the solution had to be 19. Nxf5+! (+0.88 @ 33 ply, Stockfish 10). However, I soon got lost in the complications of the follow-up.

As the computer evals indicate, the simple 19. exf6+ is almost as good as the complicated 19. Nxf5+!

Of course if you can't see your way through the complications in the follow-up to 19. Nxf5+!, the simple 19. exf6+ is probably better.

Two essential and instructive moves in the follow-up to 19. Nxf6+! are 20. Rxd8+! and 24. Nd6!

The zwischenzug (a.k.a. in-between move) 20. Rxd8+! is essential because 20. Rxd5? and all other moves lose. The clever 24. Nd6! is essential because the best alternative 24. Rf8 = is only good for equality and all other moves lose.

P.S.: So where did Black go wrong? The losing move was 21...g5?, allowing 22. Rf8+! (a third essential and instructive move) 24...Kc7 25. Rf7+ +- (+3.35 @ 35 ply, Stockfish 10).

Instead of trying to save the Knight with 21...g5? and allowing 22. Rf8+! +-, it seems Black can secure practical drawing chances by giving back the piece with 21...Nxg3+ ± (+0.67 @ 35 ply, Stockfish 10) when play might continue 22. hxg3 Bxe4 23. Bxe4 Re7 24. c4! bxc4 25. Bd5 Nd7 26. Bxc4 a5 27. e6! Nb6 28. Bb3 a4 29. Rf8+ Kc7 30. Bd1 Kd6 ± (+0.74 @ 36 ply, Stockfish 10).

In the opening, I don't like the rarely played 9...Qa5?!, allowing 10. 0-0-0 ± (+1.11 @ 33 ply, Stockfish 10), because it gives White too much active play against the under developed Black position.

Instead of 9...Qa5?!, I prefer developing with the rarely played 9...Nc6 ⩲ to = as in Black's win in A Pavlidis vs Damljanovic, 2012. However, the popular move and computer choice 9...Qc7 =, as in Black's win in A Ismagambetov vs Ngoc Truongson Nguyen, 2018, might be the best alternative to 9...Qa5!?

Aug-17-19  malt: Got the first few moves, seeing the Knight on h5 has no escape square.

19.N:f5 ef5 20.R:d8 K:d8 21.R:f5

Aug-17-19  saturn2: The Ne4 is pinned. So there is no alternative to the sacrifice Nxf5. (To see exf6 CG should give a hint of the previous move). After Rxf5 I was expecting g6.
Aug-17-19  gambitfan: 1) +6.56 (32 ply) 37...♔e4 38.♘xa5 ♔e3 39.♘b7 ♘e5 40.♘c5 ♗c6 41.c3 ♗f3+ 42.♔c2 ♘f7 43.♖h5 ♘d6 44.♘e6 ♔f2 45.♔b3 ♗e2 46.♘f4 ♗c4+ 47.♔c2 ♔g1 48.b3 ♗f1 49.♖d5 ♘f7 50.♖f5 ♘d6 51.♖f6 ♘e4 52.♖e6 ♘g5 53.♖g6 ♘h3 54.♖xg4 ♔xh2 55.♖g6 ♘xf4 56.gxf4
Aug-17-19  agb2002: The rook on d1 x-rays the rook on d8. This suggests 19.Nxf5+ (19.Rxf5 Bxe4) 19... exf5 20.Rxd8:

A) 20... Kxd8 21.Rxf5 g6(5) 22.Rf8+ Kc7 23.Rf7+

A.1) 23... Kc8 24.Nd6+ wins decisive material.

A.2) 23... Kd8 24.Nd6 Bxg2 25.Rxa7 with the double threat e6 and Nf7+.

A.3) 23... Kb6 24.Nd6 Bxg2 25.Nc8+ followed by Rxa7, unclear.

B) 20... Bxe4 21.Rxb8 Bxg2 22.Rxf5 g6 23.Rff8 looks advantageous for White [R+2P vs b+n].

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