34.Rg3??
Praggnanandhaa doesn't notice the point of his opponent's last move (33...Rb6).
34.Bg4 -/+
34....Rd8 0-1
Praggnanandhaa doesn't notice the point of his opponent's last move (33...Rb6).
34.Bg4 -/+
34....Rd8 0-1
66... Re4??
A blunder. He should have played: 66... Bh5!
67. Be5 Rf1+ 68. Ke6 Bg4+ 69. Kd5 Rd1+ 70. Kc5 Bd7 71. Rd8 Rc1+ 72. Kd6 Ba4 73. e8=Q Bxe8 74. Rxe8 Kg6.
The endgame is theoretically drawn, however it can get tricky.
67. Be5 Re2 68. Ke6 1-0
A blunder. He should have played: 66... Bh5!
67. Be5 Rf1+ 68. Ke6 Bg4+ 69. Kd5 Rd1+ 70. Kc5 Bd7 71. Rd8 Rc1+ 72. Kd6 Ba4 73. e8=Q Bxe8 74. Rxe8 Kg6.
The endgame is theoretically drawn, however it can get tricky.
67. Be5 Re2 68. Ke6 1-0
12...h6
An innocuous-looking but clever little move. Twelve moves into the game and still Petrosian doesn't commit his king, not giving White a target at which to aim his pieces. Of course, it's important to note that this strategy only really works because the center is closed. In Chapter One we saw examples of the king not surviving in the center, but here Petrosian correctly realizes it's okay to keep it there.
13.b4 g5
With such a move Black finally commits... to queenside castle!
14.Bg3 h5
Forcing White to move his h-pawn to save his bishop, and this will then become a target for the pawn storm.
15.h4 gxh4 16.Bf4
If 16.Nxh4 0-0-0 Black has the g-file to work with and the e5-pawn as a target.
16...0-0-0.
An innocuous-looking but clever little move. Twelve moves into the game and still Petrosian doesn't commit his king, not giving White a target at which to aim his pieces. Of course, it's important to note that this strategy only really works because the center is closed. In Chapter One we saw examples of the king not surviving in the center, but here Petrosian correctly realizes it's okay to keep it there.
13.b4 g5
With such a move Black finally commits... to queenside castle!
14.Bg3 h5
Forcing White to move his h-pawn to save his bishop, and this will then become a target for the pawn storm.
15.h4 gxh4 16.Bf4
If 16.Nxh4 0-0-0 Black has the g-file to work with and the e5-pawn as a target.
16...0-0-0.
20.Nd3!
I like this move a lot. The knight avoids being swapped off and stops any counterplay, mainly through the ...c5 break. White aims to play Bc1, f4 and then g5 to prise open the black king position (that pawn on h6 is once again the culprit!), and what can Black do in the meantime? It's not clear what plan there is for him.
20...Rfe8 21.Rhe1 Qb6 22.Be3 Qb5 23.f4!+/-
Helping the g5 idea, but more importantly clamping down on the ...e5 pawn break. Now Black cannot play ...c5 or ...e5 at all, and can only sit and wait! This situation is very similar to the Spassky-Petrosian game earlier in this chapter, where only one side has chances to attack and the opponent is in the unenviable position of only being able to defend.
I like this move a lot. The knight avoids being swapped off and stops any counterplay, mainly through the ...c5 break. White aims to play Bc1, f4 and then g5 to prise open the black king position (that pawn on h6 is once again the culprit!), and what can Black do in the meantime? It's not clear what plan there is for him.
20...Rfe8 21.Rhe1 Qb6 22.Be3 Qb5 23.f4!+/-
Helping the g5 idea, but more importantly clamping down on the ...e5 pawn break. Now Black cannot play ...c5 or ...e5 at all, and can only sit and wait! This situation is very similar to the Spassky-Petrosian game earlier in this chapter, where only one side has chances to attack and the opponent is in the unenviable position of only being able to defend.
Unity Chess Multiple Choice 557
public poll
B: Rg1 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 44%
@mehrchess, @SteveWongso, @MerissaWongso, Zhenrui
A: Kb1 – 3
👍👍👍👍👍 33%
Gavin, @Afshin3333, Vincent
C: Bd3 – 2
👍👍👍👍 22%
Ehsan, @RichardPeng
👥 9 people voted so far.
public poll
B: Rg1 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 44%
@mehrchess, @SteveWongso, @MerissaWongso, Zhenrui
A: Kb1 – 3
👍👍👍👍👍 33%
Gavin, @Afshin3333, Vincent
C: Bd3 – 2
👍👍👍👍 22%
Ehsan, @RichardPeng
👥 9 people voted so far.
Unity Chess Multiple Choice 558
public poll
A: Rd2 – 5
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 56%
@mehrchess, Gavin, Vincent, @K_mosaddegh83, @RichardPeng
B: Nd5 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍👍 44%
@Afshin3333, @SteveWongso, @MerissaWongso, Zhenrui
C: h4
▫️ 0%
👥 9 people voted so far.
public poll
A: Rd2 – 5
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 56%
@mehrchess, Gavin, Vincent, @K_mosaddegh83, @RichardPeng
B: Nd5 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍👍 44%
@Afshin3333, @SteveWongso, @MerissaWongso, Zhenrui
C: h4
▫️ 0%
👥 9 people voted so far.
Duda-Kovalev lasted almost 7 hours, but in the end all four games were drawn in Round 1 of Dortmund 2018!
https://bit.ly/2upreGn
https://bit.ly/2upreGn
Lasker, Chigorin, Steinitz, and Pillsbury examining the Two Knights Defense.
Chigorin is also watching from the picture frame. St. Petersburg, 1895-6.
#chesshistory
@UnityChess
Chigorin is also watching from the picture frame. St. Petersburg, 1895-6.
#chesshistory
@UnityChess
"Chess is like a language. The top players are very fluent at it. Talent can be developed scientifically, but you have to find first what you are good at."
🔹 Vishy Anand
@UnityChess
🔹 Vishy Anand
@UnityChess