GM M. Tchigorin (2675) - GM H.N. Pillsbury (2725)[C31]
International Chess Tournament
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But the dark squares are weakened as a result.
[
Probably better is the move:
>/= 10.Nbc3,
"+/=" {Diagram?}
and White is just a little better.
]
10...Nbd7;
11.Bb3!?,
A very intriguing idea from Tchigorin ... who said in the tournament book that
he evolved the idea of c4, followed by a "ganging-up" on Black's e-Pawn.
Pillsbury finds a striking reply.
[ After the simple moves:
>/= 11.Nbc3 Nb6; 12.Bb5 Bb7;
13.Ng3,
"+/=" {Diagram?}
White is at least a little better. ]
11...c4!!;
(line-opening)
{Diagram?}
A truly amazing move - the full consequences of this pawn advance
are not immediately apparent.
I remember - as a teen-ager ... racking up mates by the score.
(But these lines were probably a little unsound, and did not stand up
to computer analysis.)
*******
[ Or
11...Re8; 12.c4,
"+/=" {Diagram?}
and White is just a tiny bit better.
]
12.Bxc4 Bc5+;
13.Kh1 Nb6; 14.Bb3 Ng4!;
The most energetic move for Black.
[ Interesting was: 14...a5!? with some pressure. ]
15.Qe1,
This is almost definitely forced.
Black threatened both ...Nf2+; and the less obvious ...Nxh2! as well.
[ Just one possible line was:
</= 15.h3?! Qh4!?; 16.Nec3? Qg3!?;
('?!')
The most aggressive, but the simple move of
(>/=) ...Nf2+;
... ... ...
- winning material - was probably better.
17.hxg4?
Qh4# ]
15...Nxd5;
16.h3?!,
{See the diagram ... just below.}
This is almost assuredly inferior, but I do not know if anyone has pointed this out.
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White looks to be forcing Black back, but he is in for a really bad shock.
[ Much better was:
>/= 16.Bxd5, ('!')
16...Qxd5; 17.h3!,
{Diagram?}
This is probably best.
( Also good was: 17.Nbc3, "=" (with almost complete equality). )
17...Nf6;
"~" {Diagram?}
and the position is very vague ...
hours of analysis failed to reveal who is better.
]
16...Nde3!!;
A brilliant move ... leaving the Knight on g4 hanging.
It even looks like a blunder to some of my students.
[ After the moves:
16...Ngf6;
17.Qg3,
"~" {Diagram?}
Black's initiative appears to have faded.
]
17.Bxe3,
This could be forced.
[ Much worse for White was:
</= 17.hxg4 Nxf1; 18.g5,
{Diagram?}
Practically the only move.
( Not </= 18.Qxf1?? Qh4# )
18...Ne3;
"/+" {Diagram?}
And Black stays an exchange ahead,
and White has many weaknesses.
]
17...Nxe3;
18.Nbc3!,
White finds the most stubborn defense.
(Sergeant and Watts also applaud this move.)
[ After the moves:
18.Rg1 Rb8!?;
{Diagram?}
Black has many interesting and playable alternatives at this point.
( Very interesting was: 18...Be6!? "=/+" )
19.Nbc3 Re8; 20.a3!? Qc7;
"=/+" {Diagram?}
and Black is definitely better - (maybe
- "/+") -
White's position is
very congested, ... and it is unclear how he will unravel this mess.
]
18...Nxf1; 19.Nxe4 Bb6!?;
The seemingly correct move, but Black actually may have had
a better move here.
Sadly - in one of his greatest games ...
Pillsbury does not find the best continuation.
*******
[ The following is an idea I had when I was just a young puppy,
(around 14); but could never convince anyone of the soundness
of my idea.
>/= 19...Ne3!!;
20.Nxc5 Bxh3!!; 21.gxh3 Qc8!;
22.Kh2, {Diagram?}
This could be forced.
***
( Interesting was: 22.Qg3!?,
{Diagram?} although after ...Qxc5;
Black is
clearly better here.
But of course Black could not play: </= 22.Ne4?? Qxh3+; 23.Kg1 Qg2# )
***
22...Qxc5; 23.Qc3!? Ng4+!;
24.hxg4 Qf2+; 25.Kh1 Qxe2; 26.Qg3,
26...Qe4+; 27.Kh2 Qd4; 28.c3!? Qd2+;
29.Kg1, {Diagram?}
This is nearly forced.
( Or </= 29.Qg2?! Qxf4+; ("-/+") )
29...Qxb2;
"/+" (Maybe "-/+") {Diagram?}
Had the great Pillsbury won this way, I am convinced this would have been
one of the greatest games of chess history.
]
*******
20.Qxf1 Bb7;
21.N2c3 Qh4!?;
Very aggressive - I liked this move
very much as a young lad.
(I very clearly remember giving it an exclam as a youngster.)
But now I am not even completely convinced that this is the correct move.
*******
[ Black could play:
21...Bxe4; 22.Nxe4 Qd4;
"=/+" {Diagram?}
with a solid advantage;
***
or even the move:
21...Qc7;
"=/+" {Diagram?}
also looks to be a little better for Pillsbury here.
]
*******
22.Nd5 Rae8!?;
I guess it is a matter of taste which Rook move is the best to use at this
point in this game.
[ Also good is:
22...Rad8!?;
"=/+" {Diagram?}
with a clear edge for Black. ]
23.Ng5 h6!?;
('!')
This looks very attractive ...
[ But a good alternative was:
23...Qg3!?;
"=/+" {Diagram?}
with advantage to Black. ("/+")
]
The great Russian Master continues to defend admirably ... but Pillsbury
is like a bull-dog when he has a good grip on the position.
24.Nf3 Qg3;
25.Ne5 Be3; 26.Nd3!?,
White hangs on to everything.
[ Interesting was the line:
26.Nxe3!? Qxh3+; 27.Kg1 Qxe3+;
28.Qf2 Qxf2+; 29.Kxf2 Rd8;
"=/+"
{Diagram?}
but Black is still on top. ]
26...Re4!?;
{See
the diagram, just below.}
This is most interesting ... and also very aggressive.
But Black also had other ideas in this position.
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White has to be careful here ... he stands on the edge of the precipice, and one
false move - he plunges to his doom on the rocks below.
[ An alternative was: 26...a5!?, "=/+" (Black is still better.) ]
27.Qf3!,
Brilliant defense!! Tchigorin allows his King-side Pawns to be broken
up to alleviate some of the pressure.
[ After the continuation:
27.Rd1!? Rfe8!; 28.Nxe3!? Rxe3;
29.Ne5,
29...Qxh3+; 30.Kg1 Bxg2!!;
31.Bxf7+ Kh8!?; 32.Qxg2 Rg3; 33.Rd2,
33...Rxg2+; 34.Rxg2 Rd8;
"-/+" {Diagram?}
Black is simply winning. ]
Pillsbury continues to keep the
pressure on his opponent.
27...Qxf3; 28.gxf3 Ree8;
{See
the diagram just below.}
Black has made progress, yet White's position is much more
durable than you might think at a casual first glance.
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Now by centralizing his Rook, White probably had good chances to draw.
(maybe)
29.Kg2?!, (Maybe - '?')
{Diagram?}
After a long and difficult defense - and running low on time - the great player,
and the Father of the 'Russian School of Chess,' finally commits a real error.
After the move: "Rook-to-the -Queen's-One-square," Pillsbury will probably win,
but it could take a long, long time. (Re1 also might have been better than the text.)
[ Better was:
>/= 29.Rd1!,
"~" {Diagram?}
when Black's edge is held to an absolute minimum.
]
The rest is pretty simple ... Pillsbury always had very good technique.
29...Bd4; 30.c3 Bxd5; 31.Bxd5 Re2+; 32.Kg3 Rd2!; 33.cxd4!?,
White is sliding downhill, yet it is probably too late to save the game.
[ Or 33.Be4 Bb6; "/+" {Diagram?} and Black is clearly better. ]
Now Pillsbury begins to wrap things up.
33...Rxd3; 34.Rc1 Rxd4; 35.Rc5 Rd8; 36.Bc4 Rd2;
37.b4 g6; 38.b5 Kg7!;
39.a4 h5!;
At first glance, this appears to be a completely innocuous advance.
But watch what happens now.
[ Also good was: 39...R8d7; "=/+" ]
40.a5, ('!?')
Understandably, White wishes to try to whip up some counterplay on the
Queenside. (Before Black whips out the "Executioner's Axe.")
But now his King suddenly ... and very unexpectedly ... comes under fire.
[ The move
>/= 40.h4,
{Diagram?} was probably a wise precaution ...
but would not have changed the end result.
]
40...h4+!; White Resigns. 0 - 1
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[
It is a forced mate after the following moves:
40...h4+; 41.Kxh4,
{Diagram?}
This could be forced.
(Even worse was: </= 41.Kg4?! Rg2+; 42.Kxh4 Rh8+; and mates.)
41...Rg2!; 42.Rh5,
{Diagram?}
This is forced to prevent a mate, but after "Pawn-takes-Rook,"
it is obviously time to resign.
(</= 42.b6? Rh8+; 43.Rh5 Rxh5#)
42...Rd4!;
{Diagram?}
This is best, and leads to mate.
( Or simply: 42...gxh5; ("-/+") )
The rest of the moves make no sense ...
until you realize it has turned into a chess problem.
(Black to move and mate. Of course, White works to prevent
the 2nd player from achieving his goals.)
43.Rf5 Kh6!; 44.Rh5+ gxh5; 45.Be6 fxe6; 46.b6 Rxf4# ]
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One of Pillsbury's very best games.
And while Pillsbury's effort versus Halprin carried off FIRST
Brilliancy Prize,
this game is deeper and perhaps more brilliant. (IMOHO)
{Pillsbury tied for first in this event, but lost a tough play-off to the one
and only GM Siegbert Tarrasch.}
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Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I.
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby.
Copyright (c) A.J.G; 2003 and 2004.
0 - 1
For this game, the HTML code was initially generated ... by the program, ChessBase 8.0
The chess diagrams were generated by the program: Chess Captor 2.25.
