Sep-30-21 Alekhine vs Lasker, 1934
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| Lambda: This was Alekhine's only win against Lasker, but Lasker had beaten Alekhine three times previously. (And while Lasker was indeed very old by this point, he was still one of the strongest players in the world. Just a year later he went undefeated at Moscow, only half a point behind ... |
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Sep-22-21 M Sibarevic vs M Pavlov, 1988 
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| Lambda: Didn't see the fork at the end, was happy winning with 24. Rh8+ instead, emerging with two rooks and a knight against the queen once the bishop has to give itself for the f-pawn. |
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Sep-12-21 Vaganian vs G Botterill, 1975
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| Lambda: You've completely solved this one once you get to Nxh8. With a rook and two pawns for 1-2 pieces plus an attack, Bxf7+ is already obviously the right decision, and decisions about how to carry out the later stages of the attack would be made later on. |
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Sep-08-21 A Caoili vs B Yildiz, 2002
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| Lambda: I think in a position with a forced mate, winning queen for rook and knight (both attacking pieces, winning a queen which isn't really doing very much) is failing the puzzle. That's a nice material advantage but it's hardly an assurance of victory. |
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Aug-17-21 Kengis vs Gufeld, 1983
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| Lambda: Missed this one. I calculated that 46.Rxf8+ led to a perpetual, and failing to have any brighter ideas, concluded that it was white to play and draw. |
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Jul-14-21 G Abrahams vs Flohr, 1939
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| Lambda: 24...Nf3+ 25.gxf3 (Kh1 Qxh2 is mate, Kf1 Nxh2+ and we're clearly doing very well, probably mating here too) 25...Rg5+ and 26.Kf1 Qh3+ 27.Ke2 Re5 or 26.Kh1 Qxf2 and the mate threats at g2 and f3 cannot be answered. |
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Jul-13-21 Lilienthal vs Eliskases, 1934
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| Lambda: 41.Rxg8+, and black has a few choices as to how to get mated. 41...Kxg8 42.Qg6+ Kf8 43.Bc5, or 42...Kh8 Qg7, or 41...Bxg8 42.Qxh6+ and Qg7, or 41...Kh7 42.Nf6 is the aesthetic choice. |
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Jul-12-21 Garry Kasparov
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| Lambda: Well, obviously it doesn't stop him being arguably the greatest player in history, but I do think it shifts things at least a couple of iotas. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to regard, for instance, Lasker returning to the game in the mid-1920s and shrugging off the hypermoderns as if ... |
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Jul-12-21 Kholmov vs Jan Turner, 2001
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| Lambda: 39...Kf8 40. Qg8+ I assume you meant.
I chose 40. Bf4 there. |
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Jul-08-21 M Rodin vs A Belozerov, 1998
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| Lambda: I got distracted by a nice idea that doesn't quite work: 32. Rxf6? Rxf6 33. Ne7 Qd8 34. Qxb7 Rxf1 and I thought 35. Nc6+ was just picking up the queen for free, but 35...Rf7 attacks the white queen. |
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Kibitzing
