Thesing,Matthias 2393

Filip,Lucian 2400 1
Mihail Sadoveanu 2007
A very clever idea. Black clears the 7th rank in
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 order to make possible the arrival of the second
5.Nc3 Qc7 6.g3 a6 7.Bg2 Nf6 8.0-0 Nxd4 rook in attack.
9.Qxd4 Bc5 10.Bf4 d6 11.Qd3 Nd7 12.Na4
e5 13.Bd2 Bd4 14.Nc3 Nb6 15.Rad1 Bg4 34.Rg2 hxg4 35.Rxg4 Qh5 36.Be4 g6
16.Bf3 Be6 17.b3 Nd7 18.Nd5 Bxd5 37.Qg2 Rg7 38.Ra1 g5 39.Ra2 Nd7!
19.exd5 0-0 20.c4 f5 Diagram Black prepares to bring the knight on f6 after
Rf6-h6, but he has to be careful to the move
XABCDEFGHY order.
8r+-+-trk+( [After 39...Rh6 White can obstruct the
movement of black knight with: 40.Bf5 ]
7+pwqn+-zpp' 40.b4 Be3 41.Bc3 Rh6 42.Bf5 Nf6 Diagram
6p+-zp-+-+& XABCDEFGHY
5+-+Pzpp+-% 8-+-+-+k+(
4-+Pvl-+-+$ 7+-+-+-tr-'
3+P+Q+LzP-# 6-zp-zp-sn-tr&
2P+-vL-zP-zP" 5zp-+PzpLzpq%
1+-+R+RmK-![ 4-zPP+-zpR+$
xabcdefghy 3zP-vL-vlP+-#
Black plans an attack on the kingside. From this
2R+-+-+QzP"
moment on, we will see how he brings all his 1+-+-+-+K![
pieces in attack with the maximum possible
speed (...20 moves!). xabcdefghy
21.Be2 a5 22.Kg2 Qd8 23.f3 Qf6 24.Qb1
b6 25.a3 Ra7! In more than 20 moves, Black succeeded to
A typical maneuvre. Black intends to bring his bring all his forces on the kingside.
rook on the other side on g7 or h7, after the
advance of those pawns. 43.bxa5 Nxg4 44.fxg4 Qe8 45.a4 bxa5
46.Rb2 Qxa4 47.Rb8+ Kf7 48.Bc2 Qxc4
26.Bd3 Qf7 27.Bc1 Qh5 28.Bb2 Bc5 49.Bxa5 Qa6 50.Bc3 Rg8 51.Rxg8 Kxg8
29.Qc2 f4 30.g4 Qh4 31.Bf5 Rf6 32.Kh1 52.Bf5 Qc4 53.Be1 Kg7 54.h3 Qc1 55.Qe2
Nf8 f3
Black has no a large space for maneuvers, so 0-1
he has to keep the harmony between his pieces
with 2 objectives in his mind:
- to bring all the pieces in attack without
blocking one of them out of play
- to create threats or pressure in this time, not
giving White time for counter-play.

33.Rd2 h5!
 2

E68 21.Nac3 b5 22.Nb1?!

Kotov,Alexander [White should have played:
Geller,Efim P 22.e5! Bxe5 23.f4
URSch17 Moscow 1949 in order to activate his pieces and disrupt a bit
the harmony between black pieces. ]
In this game we will see one of the greatest
players of the past, Efim Geller, making a 22...b4 23.Nf4 Bb3 24.Rd6 c4 25.Rxc6 c3
brilliant positional sacrifice. Black threatens Bb3-a4-b5 and then b4-b3 and
c3-c2, so White's next move is almost forced:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0
5.Bg2 d6 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e4 exd4 26.Nd5 Bxd5 27.exd5 Qxd5 28.f4 Qd4+
9.Nxd4 Nc5 10.f3 Nfd7 11.Be3 c6 12.Qd2 29.Kh1 Ra2 30.Bf3 Rb2 31.f5 Be5 32.Qe1
a5 13.Rad1 Ne5 14.b3 a4 15.Nde2 Rd8 33.Be4 Kg7
White threatens to capture the c5-knight now, Black provokes the next move after which the
but ....surprise! g6-pawn will be no more in trouble.
[Better was 15.f4 ]
34.f6+ Kg8 35.Ra6 h5 36.Ra5 h4 37.Bxg6
Diagram Rxh2+ 38.Kxh2 Bxg3+ 39.Qxg3 hxg3+
XABCDEFGHY 40.Kh3 fxg6
0-1
8r+lwq-trk+({
7+p+-+pvlp'
6-+pzp-+p+&
5+-sn-sn-+-%
4p+P+P+-+$
3+PsN-vLPzP-#
2P+-wQN+LzP"
1+-+R+RmK-!
xabcdefghy
15...axb3!!
Black sacrifices the c5-knight for the initiative.
In exchange for the knight, Black will get 2 free
pawns on the queenside and, very important, an
excellent collaboration between his pieces.

16.Bxc5 Nxc4 17.Qc1 bxa2 18.Nxa2 Qa5

19.Qxc4 Be6 20.Qc1 dxc5
White's moves were almost forced until now. As
a result of the sacrifice, Black got 2 free pawns
on the queenside, very well sustained by all his
pieces.