Chess 05 Nov 1959, Thu The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Chess
Problem No. 549 By Dr S. Subrahmanyam (India)
Black (6)
White (9)
White mates in two moves.
FEN B7/B6P/3pp1N1/R1n3K1/2pkp3/P3R3/5P2/8 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Ne5 Kxe5 2. h8=B#
Tal's decisive game
If any single-game in the candidates' tournament was decisive it was surely the one given below, which enabled Tal to establish a clear lead over Keres. The game has several remarkable features, not the least being the very different verdicts about it by distinguished annotators.
Paul Keres vs Mikhail Tal
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 17, Oct-06
Sicilian Defense: Kan. Modern Variation (B42) 0-1
- Better than 6. … NPxN; with which Tal got into difficulties against Smyslov two rounds earlier.
- If 8. … N-B3; 9. N-B4 N-Q2; 10. P-QR4 R-QN1; 11. P-R5, followed by B-K3, White would have a tremendous positional advantage owing to his stranglehold on the queen's wing; but after the text move Black can meet 9. N-B4 by P-QN4.
- Signalling his intention of a king's side attack, but the positional treatment with 10. P-R5 B-QB4; 11. N-B4, followed by B-K3 still seems more promising.
- White probably already has his following plan in mind, but simpler if less ambitious is 27. B-N5 R-Q1; 18. QR-Q1.
- Here the annotators begin to disagree with each other. O'Kelly (in the Belgian “Le Phare”) claims that White is left without counterplay by 19. P-B3, overlooking the reply 19. … NxP; 20. QxPch K-R1; 21. B-K3 BxB; 22. PxB R-Q3; 23. Q-N3 N-B4; 24. Q-B2 K-N2 with at least equality for Black, Pirc (in “Schach-Echo”) also condemns 18. RxR and prefers 18. B-N5, but White's actual move is probably playable, even though Keres has clearly miscalculated its consequences.
- Both sides are now playing with fire (Black could still equalise by 19. … Q-B2). The threat is 20. … QxPch; 21. QxQ BxQch; 22. KxB NxPch; so the reply is forced.
- The only defence to the threatened 22. R-Q7 B-K2; 23. RxB.
- Again threatening 23. P-B3 BxP; 24. R-Q7 but Trifunovic in the Swiss “National Zeitung” points out the preferable 22. P-N4! (intending 23. B-B1 and 24. P-N5), QxP; 23. RxB PxR; 24. P-K5, and White has the game continuation with the important improvement that his king has the square KN2 available.
- After this move all the grandmasters and seconds in the tournament hall considered Tal to be lost. Keres's second, Mikenas, was even noticed humming Wagner's death march.
- It was this fine resource which Keres overlooked and which Tal had already foreseen with 19. … Q-Q5. O'Kelly and Pirc note that if now 25. BxN Q-B8ch wins the knight. But Trifunovic goes further: 26. K-R2 QxN; 27. B-N5 Q-N2 (27. … Q-R4; 28. P-N4); 28. B-B6 Q-R3 (if 28. … Q-N1 the queen is permanently boxed in); 29. B-N5 with a draw by repetition of moves.
- Now Black is on top, for White cannot permit the exchange of queens (e.g. 26. Q-B4 Q-K8ch; 27. K-R2 Q-K4) because of the onrushing black pawns.
- An inaccuracy which jeopardises the win; much better is 36. … P-R4.
- Overlooking the resource of 37. Q-B4 (threatening both 38. Q-B8ch R-K2; 39. Q-N7 and 38. B-B4). the point is that if in reply 37. … P-Q7; 38. BxP! QxB; 39. Q-B8ch R-K1; 40. Q-B5ch and White mates. Now, however, Black wins easily.
