The Great Kotov

(1) Averbakh,Yuri L - Kotov,Alexander [A55]
Candidates Tournament Zuerich (14), 23.09.1953
[NAVALGUND NIRANJAN]
A55:Old Indian Defence with Nf3 and e4 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nf3 Nbd7 4.Nc3 e5 5.e4 Be7 6.Be2 0–0 7.0–0 c6 8.Qc2 Re8 9.Rd1 Bf8 10.Rb1 [RR 10.Be3 a6 11.a3 Qc7 12.Rac1 b6 13.b4 Bb7 14.d5 c5 15.Nd2 Reb8 16.Rb1 Bc8 17.Rb2 Be7 18.Rdb1 Bd8 19.Nb3 Nf8 20.Bd2 Bd7 21.Qd3 Ne8 22.Nd1 Ng6 23.g3 Ne7 24.Ne3 cxb4 Panno,O-Granda Zuniga,J/Santiago 1987/EXT 2002/1–0 (46); RR 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 g5 12.Bg3 Nh5 13.d5 Nxg3 14.hxg3 c5 15.Nh2 Nf6 16.Rdb1 a5 17.Rf1 Bg7 18.Qd1 Qd7 19.Bd3 Qe7 20.Qe2 g4 21.Nd1 h5 22.Ne3 Bh6 23.f3 gxf3 24.Rxf3 Ng4 Kistella,R-Meyer,F/Germany 2004/CBM 098 ext/1–0 (65)] 10...a5 11.d5N [RR 11.Be3 Qc7 12.h3 exd4 13.Rxd4 Nc5 14.Rbd1 Nfd7 15.R4d2 Ne5 16.Nd4 Qe7 17.Nf5 Bxf5 18.exf5 Qh4 19.b3 Na6 20.Na4 Nd7 21.Nb6 Nxb6 22.Bxb6 Nc5 23.Bf3 Qf6 24.Bc7 h6 25.g4 a4 Wirthensohn,H-Dominguez,J/Thessaloniki 1988/TD/1–0 (57)] 11...Nc5 12.Be3 Qc7 13.h3 A typical Benoni Fight between the two strong Grandmasters 13...Bd7 14.Rbc1 Getting Ready for the Queen side attack 14...g6 15.Nd2 The kings Indian Idea! 15...Rab8 16.Nb3 Nxb3 17.Qxb3 In this position Black has 2 blocs. Which one to choose, is in his hand! One is queen side, Another is Kingside Whereas White only have o concentrate on Queenside. So Now Black plays a solid and best move having certain strategy involved 17...c5! Trying to close the Queenside! And attack the Kingside.... 18.Kh2! White smelled The idea And now taking some special care for the King 18...Kh8! 19.Qc2! Trying to co-ordinate forces 19...Ng8? [19...h6 20.Nb5 Qb6 21.b3 Ra8 22.a3 Rec8 23.Kh1 Bg7 24.b4 axb4 25.axb4 Ra6 26.bxc5 dxc5 27.Rb1 Rca8+-; ¹19...Qd8 20.a3 Ng8 21.Qd2 h6 22.Nb5 a4 23.Rf1 Nf6] 20.Bg4 Nh6 21.Bxd7 Qxd7 22.Qd2 Ng8 23.g4 f5 Its very passive move! [23...h6 24.Rg1 Bg7 25.Nb5 Ra8 26.g5 hxg5 27.Bxg5 Kh7± by Fritz; 23...Bg7 24.Nb5 Ra8 25.Rg1 Rf8 26.Rcf1 f5 27.gxf5 gxf5 28.f3 f4 29.Bf2 Rf6÷] 24.f3 [Active move was 24.gxf5 gxf5 25.exf5 Qxf5 26.Rg1±] 24...Be7 25.Rg1 [25.gxf5 was Better! 25...gxf5 26.Rg1 f4 27.Bf2 Nf6 28.Nb5 b6 29.a3 Rg8 30.b4 axb4 31.axb4 Ra8 32.Qb2 (32.Rb1 Nh5 33.Rg4 Nf6 34.Rxg8+ Rxg8=) 32...Ra4²] 25...Rf8 26.Rcf1 [Still the move 26.gxf5 is better for White.] 26...Rf7 But Fritz suggests f4!? [26...f4 27.Bf2 Nh6 28.Nb5 Ra8 29.h4 Nf7 30.Rh1 a4 31.Qd3 h6 32.Rfg1 Rfe8 33.Kg2 Rg8 34.Rf1 h5 35.Qd1 Rgf8 36.Rfg1 hxg4 37.fxg4 f3+! 38.Kf1 Kg8=] 27.gxf5 gxf5 28.Rg2?³ [28.f4! was better for White! 28...Bf6 29.fxe5 Bxe5+ 30.Bf4 Bd4 31.Rg5 fxe4 32.Nxe4 Rbf8 33.Rg3 Rf5 34.a3 a4 35.Ng5 R8f6 36.Ne6²] 28...f4 29.Bf2 Rf6! 30.Ne2?? [30.h4 Rh6 31.Rg4 Nf6 32.Rg2 Rg8 33.Rfg1=] 30...Qxh3+!! Fritz spots it in 0.00 seconds 31.Kxh3 Rh6+ 32.Kg4 Nf6+ 33.Kf5 Nd7!! Mating threat! [33...Nh5 is one and the same] 34.Rg5 [34.-- Threat is 34...Rf8+ 35.Kg4 Rg8+ 36.Kf5 Rf6#] 34...Rf8+ 35.Kg4 Nf6+ 36.Kf5 Ng8+ 37.Kg4 Nf6+ 38.Kf5 Nxd5+ 39.Kg4 Nf6+ 40.Kf5 Ng8+ 41.Kg4 Nf6+ 42.Kf5 Ng8+ 43.Kg4 Bxg5! Coolly Capturing the piece 44.Kxg5 [44.Be1 Rf7! 45.Nd4 Rg7! 46.Ne6 Rxe6 47.Kh3 Be7! Clearance 48.Bh4 Rh6 49.Qe1 Bxh4 50.Qxh4 Rg3+! 51.Kh2 Rxh4#; Fritz gives 44.Qxd6 as only best move available for White 44...Rxd6 45.Bxc5 Be7 46.Bxd6 Bxd6 47.Rd1 Rf6 48.Rd3 Rh6 49.Rb3] 44...Rf7!! Mating Threat!! 45.Bh4 Rg6+ 46.Kh5 Rfg7! 47.Bg5 Rxg5+ 48.Kh4 Nf6 49.Ng3 Rxg3 50.Qxd6 R3g6 51.Qb8+ Rg8 The cool Rh6 mate is threatened 0–1