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Etienne Bacrot vs Igor Lysyj
Aeroflot Open (2009), Moscow RUS, rd 4, Feb-20
French Defense: Classical. Burn Variation Main Line (C11)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1-0

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

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find similar games 1 more Bacrot/I Lysyj game
sac: 17.Ndxf7 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Feb-25-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: "Solved" it in the sense of finding the first few moves, but still have doubts the line is sufficiently sound enough to use as a puzzle.
Feb-25-17  The Kings Domain: Fun puzzle. Missed this one, my choice was 17) Ngxe6. Impressive and farsighted victory by Bacrot.
Feb-25-17  YouRang: After looking at this for several minutes, I figured it had something to do with taking Pf7, but I couldn't satisfy myself that it worked. :-(


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My only idea was <17.Nxb7 Qxb7 18.Be4> (skewer Q+R) <18...Nxe4 19.Qxe4 Qxe4 20.Nxe4>


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With proper technique, white wins by taking advantage of black's isolated a and c pawns! ;-)

Feb-25-17  Abdel Irada: ∞

<<+> File it under "h" <+>>

It seems to be a rule in positions like this: If you have a sacrifice on f7, it's practically guaranteed to be right.

<<+> 17. Ndxf7!, hxg5 >

Black can also play 17. ...Rxf7 18. Qxe6, hxg5 (18. ...Bd5? 19. Bh7+), with transposition to the main line.

<<+> 18. Qxe6, Rxf7▢
19. Bg6, Rf8
20. hxg5, Bc8
21. Qc4, Bd6
22. Qh4 >

Thanks to the open h-file, White has too many threats to parry. Black can delay the end, but that is only horizon effect.

Feb-25-17  Abdel Irada: ∞

<al wazir: <RandomVisitor: 17.Ndxf7 hxg5 needs a refutation.> So does 17.Ndxf7 hxg5 18. Qxe6 hxg5.>

How about calling "illegal move" because Black played ...hxg5 twice?

Feb-25-17  Abdel Irada: ∞

Looking over the game, it appears I underestimated 18. ...Bd5, which allows Black to escape into an only slightly worse ending.

Feb-25-17  AlicesKnight: I tried to make the first capture on e6, as it involved checks and avoided things like ...Bd5 at first, but there was nothing conclusive after 17.Nxe6 fxe6; 18.Qxe6+ Kh8; 19.Nf7+ Rxf7; 20.Qxf7 - Black can offer to exchange Qs and keep the 2 Bs with a long game in view.
Feb-25-17  saturn2: Like on thursday it is an exchange of two light pieces for rook and two pawns. This exchange is in terms of material almost balanced but black got in both cases a worse position.
Feb-25-17  gofer: Hmmm, I went with <17 Nxf7> thinking it was a really strong attack.

But after seeing the game continuation I am not sure at all. I wonder what the engines are saying at this point of the line actually played...


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Wasn't <23 ... Bd8> a better longterm plan. Trying to defend Pa7 and Pc5 rather than losing them really quickly!?

Anyway, what I was looking at was the following...

<17 Nxf7 ...>

17 ... hxg5
18 hxg5 Kxf7 (Rxf7/Ng5 Qh3 )
19 g6+! Ke8 (Kg8 Qh3 )
20 Qxe6

<17 ... Rxf7>
<18 Nxe6 ...>

18 ... Qd7/Qd6
19 Bh7+

So the whole point of taking the e pawn it to allow Qxe7 at some point, because we can pretty easily threaten its ownly protector Rf7, once the queen has been removed from c7.

<18 ... Qc6>
<19 Ng5 ...>


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White continues to ask questions of black's defences on the light squares and opening the h file seems to be terminal for black, due to Rf7 blocking any escape!

19 ... hxg5
20 hxg5


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19 ... Rff8
20 Bc4+ Kh8
21 Nf7+


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Feb-25-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  rodchuck: In common with <late bishop>, <stst> and <The King's Domain> I went for Nxe6, but didn't work it out as far as <stst> did.
Feb-25-17  bubuli55: this puzzle may be cut into different stages to make Tuesday puzzles.
Feb-25-17  ChessHigherCat: Igor back-rowed
The first move was obviously a N sacrifice on e6 or f7, and probably the latter, but the follow-up was far from obvious and the resulting advantage in the best line is not exactly earth-shattering and still requires fine play to win. The trickiest part was the sequence beginning 18...d5.
Feb-25-17  mel gibson: I couldn't work that out -
there are too many lines with little advantage.
The computer says the same as the text move but gives less than a pawn advantage:

17. Ndxf7 (17. Ndxf7 (♘d6xf7 h6xg5
♕e3xe6 ♗b7-d5 ♗d3-h7+ ♘f6xh7 ♕e6xd5 ♘h7-f6 ♘f7-h6+ ♔g8-h8 ♕d5-e6 g5-g4 ♘h6-f7+ ♔h8-h7 ♘f7-g5+ ♔h7-h8 h4-h5 ♖a8-b8 ♕e6-f5 ♗e7-d6 b2-b3 ♖b8-e8 h5-h6 g7-g6 ♕f5xg6 ♗d6-f4 ♖d1-e1 ♗f4-e5 c2-c4 ♕c7-d7 f2-f4) +0.44/18 171)

score +0.44 depth 18

Feb-25-17  RandomVisitor: After 17.Ndxf7


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Komodo-10.1-64bit:

<+0.03/38 17...hxg5 18.Nxg5 Qb6> 19.Qxe6+ Qxe6 20.Nxe6 Rfc8 21.Bc4 Kh8 22.Rhe1 Bd8 23.Re5 Bb6 24.Rg5 Re8 25.b3 Re7 26.f3 Rae8 27.Rd6 Bd5 28.Rgxd5 Rxe6 29.Rxe6 Rxe6 30.Rg5 Re3 31.a3 Kh7 32.Kb2 Nd7 33.Bd3+ Kg8 34.Rd5 Nf6 35.Rf5 Kf8 36.Bc4 Ke7 37.c3 a5 38.Rg5 Ne8 39.f4 Nd6 40.Rxg7+ Kf6

+0.62/38 17...Rxf7 18.Qxe6 Bd5 19.Bh7+ Nxh7 20.Qxd5 Raf8 21.Nxf7 Rxf7 22.Rhe1 Bf8 23.Re3 Qb6 24.Rb3 Qa6 25.Ra3 Qb6 26.Rf3 Nf6 27.Qc4 Qb4 28.Rf4 Qxc4 29.Rxc4 Nd7 30.f3 Nb6 31.Re4 Be7 32.c3 Bf6 33.h5 Rc7 34.g3 c4 35.f4 Rc5 36.g4 Rb5 37.Kc2 Na4 38.Rb1 Nb6 39.Rf1 Kf7

Feb-25-17  Carlos0012358: Black's critical error was to take the white N with the R on 17.....Rxf7. By moving the R off the 8th rank it cleared the eventual 21.Qxa8 and black's downfall.

After exchanging the Queens (24.Rxd7) white is up two pawns, soon to become four, and R for B and N, clearing white's Q side to promote a pawn.

The better move was 17.....hxg5, leaving the f8 Rook to guard a8.

Feb-25-17  RandomVisitor: On 17...hxg5 18.Qxe6 there is 18...Bd5

+0.10/37 17...hxg5 18.Qxe6 Bd5 19.Bh7+ Nxh7 20.Qxd5 Nf6 21.Nh6+ Kh8 22.Qe6 g4 23.Nf7+ Kh7 24.Ng5+ Kh8 25.h5 Rab8 26.Qf5 Bd6 27.Rhe1 Rb7 28.b3 Qb8 29.Re6 Bf4 30.h6 Bxg5 31.Qxg5 Nh7 32.Qxc5 Qf4 33.hxg7+ Rxg7 34.Re2 Rgf7 35.Rd6 Qg5 36.Qd4+ Qg7 37.Qd2 Nf6 38.c4 Qh7+ 39.Kb2 Qg7 40.Qc3 Nd7 41.Qxg7+ Kxg7 42.Rd4 Nf6 43.Re6 Rd7

Feb-25-17  morfishine: Fun position that offers multiple solutions making it attractive for the imaginative player student

*****

Feb-25-17  JASAHA: Yes I agree with the computer intuitively. The capture on f7 is not Winning! Black had to return material.
Feb-25-17  agb2002: White has a bishop and knight for the bishop pair.

Black threatens Bxd6, hxg5, Bxg2 and c4.

White has Nxb7, Ndxf7, Ngxf7, Nxe6, Nde4, Nge4, Nb5, etc.

-----

In the case of 17.Nxe6:

A) 17... Qxd6 18.Bxh7+ Nxh7 19.Rxd6 Bxd6 (19... fxe6 20.Rxe6 +/ - [Q+2P vs 2B+N]) 20.Nxf8 Bxf8 21.f3, unclear [Q+P vs 2B+N].

B) 17... fxe6 18.Qxe6+ Kh8 19.Nf7+

B.1) 19... Kg8 18.Ne5+ (18.Nxh6+ Kh8 19.Qg8+ Nxg8 - +) 18... Kh8 19.Ng6+ Kh7 20.Nxf8+ Kh8 21.Ng6+ Kg8 22.Nxe7 wins a rook and two pawns.

B.2) 19... Rxf7 20.Qxf7 Bd5, unclear.

-----

In the case of 17.Ndxf7:

A) 17... hxg5 18.Nxg5

A.1) 18... c4 19.Qxe6+ Kh8 20.Bxc4 and White has more than enough compensation for the piece.

A.2) 18... Bd5 19.c4 looks very good for White. For example, 19... Bxg2 20.Qxe6+ Kh8 21.Rhg1 Bb7 22.Nf7+ Kg8 23.Ne5+ Kh8 24.Ng6+ Kh7 25.Nxf8+ wins decisive material.

A.3) 18... Bc8 19.Nxe6 Bxe6 20.Qxe6+ again with enough compensation for the bishop.

B) 17... Rxf7 18.Nxf7 Kxf7 19.Bc4 with a more or less balaced material but better position.

-----

I don't know. I think I'd play 17.Ndxf7.

Feb-25-17  Cheapo by the Dozen: I spent little time on the position, and went with Nxe6. What I missed in the game line was actually pretty simple, namely the threat of Rd7.
Feb-25-17  Moszkowski012273: 6...gxf6 looks a bit better.
Feb-25-17  Olsonist: 17.Ndxf7 hxg5 18. Qxe6 hxg5

19. hxg5 Bd5 (not N-any, g6)
20. Qf5

N-any, snap the Bishop
N-not, snap the Knight

Feb-25-17  Abdel Irada: ∞

<Olsonist: 17.Ndxf7 hxg5 18. Qxe6 hxg5>

How does Black take the same piece on g5 twice?

Feb-25-17  RandomVisitor: A final look after 17.Ndxf7


click for larger view

Komodo-10.1-64bit:

<0.00/40 17...hxg5 18.Nxg5 Qb6 19.Qxe6+ Qxe6 20.Nxe6 Rfc8> 21.Bc4 Kh8 22.Rhe1 Bd8 23.Re5 Bb6 24.Rg5 Re8 25.b3 Re7 26.f3 Rae8 27.Rd6 Bd5 28.Rgxd5 Rxe6 29.Rxe6 Rxe6 30.Rg5 Re1+ 31.Kb2 Kh7 32.a4 Re3 33.Rf5 Nd7 34.Bd3 Kg8 35.Bb5 g6 36.Bc4+ Kh8 37.Rd5 Ne5 38.Bb5 Kh7 39.f4 Ng4 40.Bd3 Nf2 41.Bc4 Kh6 42.f5 Ne4 43.fxg6

+0.69/40 17...Rxf7 18.Qxe6 Bd5 19.Bh7+ Nxh7 20.Qxd5 Raf8 21.Nxf7 Rxf7 22.Rhe1 Bf8 23.Re3 Nf6 24.Qc4 Qb7 25.f3 Qb4 26.Qe6 Qb6 27.a3 Qxe6 28.Rxe6 Nh5 29.Rc6 Nf4 30.Rd2 Re7 31.Ka2 Re8 32.c3 Be7 33.g3 Nh5 34.g4 Nf4 35.Rd7 a5 36.Ra6 Bxh4 37.Rxa5 Ne6 38.Ra4 Rf8 39.Re4 Ng5 40.Re5 Rxf3 41.Rxc5 Rf4 42.b4 Rxg4

Feb-26-17  Olsonist: Abdel, argh. Thanks.
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