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Lev Psakhis
Alexei Vyzmanavin
Moscow 1981
White to move
Unity Chess Club
Lev Psakhis Alexei Vyzmanavin Moscow 1981 White to move
It is obvious that in the current pawn battle, White has the better chances. However, after an exchange of one pair of pawns on the queenside and the appearance there of the black knight, the win would be problematical. White’s solution is elegant and convincing:
49.b6! Kg5 50.Nxb7! Rxb7 51.Rxg4+!
The pawn on b6 is defended, the Rb7 passive, and the only other blockader of the white pawns is eliminated on g4. There is no way to stop the white pawns, so Black resigned.
Jeroen Piket
John Nunn
Wijk aan Zee 1990
Black to move
Unity Chess Club
Jeroen Piket John Nunn Wijk aan Zee 1990 Black to move
The motif of advancing the pawns closer to queen strikes one at first glance. And certainly, with his knight so far away, the white queen has trouble coping with the excellently-coordinated black pieces, supporting their passed pawn.
30...Qxg2! Qxg2! 31.Rg1 f3 32.Nb5 Nxb5 33.Rxg2+ fxg2 34.cxb5?
Now, the black bishop can support the passed pawn from f1 rather than h3, which facilitates the bringing up of additional help in the form of the h-pawn.
It was essential to play 34.Qg1! Bh3 (34...Nd4 35.Qxg2+ Kf7 36.f3 h5 leads to something close to a positional draw –
34...Bxb5 35.Qg1 Bf1 36.Qh2 Bxh4 37.Qxh4 g1=Q 38.Qd8+ Kg7 39.Qxc7+ Kh6 40.Qxb6+ Kh5 41.b4 Bd3+ 42.Kd2 Qxf2+
White resigned, since after 43.Kd3, there follows 43...c4+.
Marat Makarov 2523
Konstantin Sakaev 2649
Russia 2002
Black to move
Unity Chess Club
Marat Makarov 2523 Konstantin Sakaev 2649 Russia 2002 Black to move
The white e-pawn cannot advance, because the d4-pawn would be hanging. This means that it needs to be blockaded, so as to leave White with a bad bishop. Obviously, to do this, we need the knight. The route to e4 is obvious:
22...Ne7! 23.h4 Nf5
The attack on the rook is extremely useful for Black, as it effectively shortens by one tempo the route to e4.
24.Rh3 Nd6 25.h5 Be4!
Definitely the right move, forcing the exchange of bishops. The superiority of the knight over the remaining white bishop will be overwhelming.
26.Bxe4 Nxe4 27.Qg2 Qd5 28.g6
This desperate attempt at counterplay does not give any chances – the advance of the pawn is not supported by the white pieces. Black reacts in the simplest possible way, keeping the position closed, which suits him.
28...fxg6 29.hxg6 h6 30.Qh1 0-0 31.Rxh6
The queen alone cannot give mate, but it was hard to recommend anything to White – Black is already prepared to break in down the c-file.
31...gxh6 32.Qxh6 Rc7 33.0-0-0 Nf2 34.Rg1 Rg7 35.Be1 Nd3+ 36.Kd2 Nxe1 37.Kxe1 Qe4 38.Kf2 cxd4 39.cxd4