Jul-25-21 Jeremy Lim 
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| plang: I have already reached my limit of anti-Yankee posts for the season so I won't comment on their current travails. |
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Jul-23-21 Bondarevsky vs Kotov, 1948
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| plang: 11..Nf6 and 11..cxb are usually played; 11..Bb4!? was new and has been repeated only once. While it wins a pawn it gives White a dangerous lead in development. Bondarevsky chose to further sacrifice the exchange which Kotov acknowledges is very dangerous for Black. Kotov recommended ... |
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Jul-23-21 Bologan vs Naiditsch, 2003
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| plang: The two main lines against the Marshall Gambit are 15 Re4 and 15 Be3; Bologan instead chose the very rare 15 Qf3 which must have surprised Naiditsch. In the few previous games with this line Black had played 15..Bg4; 15..Be6!? was new but has not been repeated. Bologan later thought ... |
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Jul-22-21 FIDE World Cup (2021)
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| plang: <After all, you don't just have to win one minimatch, you have to win <seven> of them. That's 14 classical games. Or 16 in case of best of 4 finals.> ...but you don't have to win Classical games to win a mini-match - just survive to the tie-break. My post was not intended ... |
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Jul-22-21 Fedorov vs Timman, 1999
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| plang: For a sharp player like Fedorov playing for a draw can easily backfire - maybe he felt it was better to play his usual game. |
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Jul-21-21 Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1954
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| plang: Botvinnik repeates the quiet system with 6 e3 that he had used with success in Game 14. In that game Smyslov had played 7..e5; here he varies with 7..a6. Botvinnik suggestion of 12 dxe..Nxe5 13 e4..a5 looks more consistent. 17..Nh7 would have avoided the pin while preparing ..f5. ... |
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Jul-19-21 Bruzon Batista vs Sasikiran, 2003
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| plang: Smyslov had used this White setup twice previously winning against Gufeld in 1961 when Black played 8..a5 and drawing Boleslavsky in 1962 when Black played 8..e4; 8..Nh5 was new. After 25 e4! White had a nice positional edge. 37 Nd3?! allowed the clever 37..Bf1! confusing White in his |
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Jul-17-21 L Dominguez vs Kudrin, 2003
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| plang: In a little known 1981 game in the USSR Black had played 14..hxg; 14..Qa5 was new. Dominguez thought ne missed an opportunity to obtain a clear endgame edge with 31 f4!..exf 32 Rf1..Ne8 33 Rxf4..Nc7 34 Rf6..a4+ 35 Kc2..Nxd5 36 Rxd6..Ne3+ 37 Kc1. Black would have had the advantage ... |
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Jul-16-21 S Kotlerman vs Geller, 1949
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| plang: 9 g4 had been played in Prokop-Eliskases Prague 1937 and Black went on to win; 9 Nd2 was new. 25 Bxe4..Nxe4 26 Bxb4..Nxg2# is another pretty variation. Nice tactical game by Geller. |
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Jul-16-21 Bologan vs M Roiz, 2003
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| plang: 8..b6 leads to interesting play with potential sharp counterplay for Black; instead Roiz's 8..c4?! was positionally suspect. 11 g3 was a new move; 11 Nh4 had been played previously. Perhaps Black should have tried 16..f6; as it is he was doomed to passivity. Two moves later however ... |
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Kibitzing
