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Johan Salomon vs Maxim Rodshtein
European Team Championship (2017), Hersonissos GRE, rd 1, Oct-28
Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (D45)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-11-20  Granny O Doul: Just casting a vote for 32...Re4+.
Jan-11-20  Cheapo by the Dozen: Once you realize that Black has a lot of potential action on the f-file, but White has a latent pin on the e-file, the general idea is easy to see. ... Nxf2 is a forking sacrifice that, starting from a position of material equality, can't be refused. ... f3 will blast open the f-file. ... Qc5 will take some of the sting out of White's likely ability to exchange at d4, including with a forking check winning the b2 knight in some variations.

Where I failed was in calculating precisely enough to overcome the fact that White can secure three pieces for his queen (the knight at f2 and two more at f3), which implies that Black's attack has to remain forcing despite his only having a queen and maybe a rook remaining.

Jan-11-20  Walter Glattke: Black always wins, the Nb2 can be taken for material advantage in many variations. 29.-Nxf2 30.Kxf2 or Nxh3+, even by 30.-Rxd1 31.Nxd1 Qc5+ 32.Kf1 f3 33.g3 f2 34.Re2 Qd4 35.Rxf2 Qxd1# /35.Nb2 Qc3 36.Qe6+ Kh8 37.Qd6 Bg2+ 38.Kxg2 f1Q+ wins.
Jan-11-20  Nullifidian: I always feel quite pleased when I get the difficult weekend problems.

Here the obvious solution is 29. ♘xf2 with a fork of the queen and rook. The sacrifice has to be accepted with 30. ♔xf2—all other options seem worse. Then 30... ♕c5 is played with all sorts of threatened discovered checks. So 31. ♔e2 is best, after which 31... ♙f3+ keeps up the pressure. ♔e3 and ♔f2 are unacceptable because they simply walk back into the discoveries and lead to mate (♔e3 is mate in one). So the pawn is taken with 32. ♙gxf3.

Now black has two ways to win. If 32... ♗xf3+ then white has to give up the queen to stay in the game because ♔f2 and ♔e3 again lead to mate. Play continues 33. ♕xf3 ♖xf3 43. ♖xd4 ♕xd4 44. ♔xf3 ♕xb2 and now black is up a pawn and has the queen while white only has a bishop and rook. This is a clearly winning endgame and probably the line I'd play because taking all these pieces off the board simplifies the calculations.

Alternatively, 32... ♖e4+ also wins. The rook can't be taken because 33... ♖f2+ is mate on the next move. The move I'd play were I white would be 33. ♔d2 instead of 33. ♔d3 because the latter forces the loss of a queen after 33... ♖xf3+ 34. ♕xf3 ♖d4+ 35. ♔c2 ♗xf3. With the former move, white goes down the exchange after 33... ♕a5+ 34. ♔c2 ♖xe1 35. ♖xe1 ♕xe1, but at least the queen is preserved, although white's pieces are poorly coordinated while black's are excellently placed.

Jan-11-20  malt: Got the first few moves
29...N:f2 30.K:f2 Qc5 31.Ke2 Bc8 32.b4

(32.Qf3 e4 ) (32.Qc3 Bg4+ )

missed 31...f3+

Jan-11-20  agb2002: The pawn on f2 and the defenseless knight are two weaknesses which suggest 29... Nxf2:

A) 30.Kxf2 Qc5

A.1) 31.Na4 Rd2#.

A.2) 31.Rxd4 Qxd4+ 32.Ke2 Qxb2+ 33.Kd1(3) Rd8+ and mate next.

A.3) 31.Ke2 f3+ 32.Kxf3 (else 32... Rxd1+ wins decisive material) 32... Bxf3+ 34.Qxf3 (else 34... Rxd1+) 34... Rxf3

A.3.a) 35.Kxf3 Rf4+ 36.Ke2 (36.Kg2(3) Qf2+ and mate follows) 36... Rf2+ 37.Kd3 Qd3#.

A.3.b) 35.Rxd4 Rxf1 (probably better than 35... Qxd4 36.Kxf3 Qxb2 37.Re2) 36.Rd1+ Rf8 - + [q+p vs R+N].

A.4) 31.Qe6+ Kh8 doesn't seem to improve anything for White.

B) 30.Qc3 (threatens Qxd4) 30... Qxh4

B.1) 31.Rxd4 exd4 32.Qxd4 Ng4 with the double threat Qh2# and Qxe1.

B.2) 31.Rxe5 Rxd1 32.Nxd1 Ng4 with the double threat Qh2# and Nxe5.

B.3) 31.Qc2 Rxd1 32.Rxd1 (32.Nxd1 Ng4 as above; 32.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 33.Rxf2 Rxe1 - + [r+2p vs N]) 32... Nxd1 - + [r+2p vs N].

Jan-11-20  RandomVisitor: After 14...c5 white is ok after 15.dxc5, and in the line below white gains a tempo with the recapture on f4, rather than having to make a separate move to relocate the Queen from h4


click for larger view

Stockfish_19121008_x64_modern:

<55/86 2:23:56 +0.27 15.dxc5 Bxf4 16.Qxf4 Qxc5 17.Ne5> 0-0 18.Rd4 Rad8 19.Rad1 Rxd4 20.Qxd4 Qxd4 21.Rxd4 Rc8 22.g3 Bc6 23.Nxc6 Rxc6 24.Rd8+ Kh7 25.Kg2 Rc7 26.Bd3+ g6 27.f4 Kg7 28.Kf3 Nd7 29.Ke3 Kf6 30.b4 Ke7 31.Ra8 g5 32.h4 gxf4+ 33.gxf4 Nf6 34.a4 Rd7 35.Be2 Ne8 36.a5 bxa5 37.bxa5 Nd6 38.Bd3 Rc7 39.c5 Ne8 40.Kd4 Ng7 41.Be4 Nh5 42.Ke3 Nf6 43.Bf3 Nd7 44.c6 Nc5 45.f5 exf5 46.h5

Jan-11-20  RandomVisitor: After 7...Bb7 white has the usual small opening advantage, playing the computer-approved 8.Qc2


click for larger view

Stockfish_19121008_x64_modern:

<50/71 1:56:14 +0.25 8.Qc2 Be7 9.b3 0-0> 10.Rd1 Rc8 11.Bb2 Qc7 12.Rac1 Qb8 13.Qb1 Rfd8 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.Bd3 Bb4 16.a3 Bf8 17.a4 h6 18.Qa1 Ne4 19.a5 bxa5 20.Qxa5 a6 21.Ne2 Qd6 22.h3 Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Rc8 24.Ra1 Qc7 25.Qa2 Qd8 26.Ba3 Qa5 27.Bxf8 Qxa2 28.Rxa2 Kxf8 29.h4 Nc3 30.Ra1 Nxe2+ 31.Bxe2 Rc2 32.Bxa6 Bxa6 33.Rxa6 Rb2 34.Ne5 Nxe5 35.Ra8+ Ke7 36.dxe5

Jan-11-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: Ark of the covenant?
Jan-11-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Breunor: After 30 . Qc5 I didn't see how to stop 32 Na4. But the refutation is Rd2 checkmate!

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