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... Beliavsky's Gold Coin?This is one of my favorite games, I have started to annotate it more times than I care to admit. (But I have always gotten sidetracked by other things.) Then - while I was working on my column for another site - I decided that I had to finish this game ... as part of my tribute to a truly great player.
GM Alexander Beliavsky ... has long been one of the world's best players. He won a World Junior Championship in 1973 and then tied for first (with TAL) at the 1974 USSR Championships. (Leningrad) He has (almost) won more tournaments than I can count, and he has also participated in the FIDE Candidates cycle numerous times. [more] While perhaps he is past his peak, he remains a respected competitor and chess teacher. Now take a look at the image (cross-table) below. Just about everyone in this event is a chess legend, note that way down the cross-table, a young Garry Kasparov was working hard ... just to finish at fifty per cent. Beliavsky won clear first, and only lost one game ... to the ever dangerous GM L. Portisch. I have studied just about all of his games from this event, he played some stellar & entertaining chess. The contest below ... is from this tournament. Click HERE to see an explanation of the symbols that I use when annotating a chess game. [replay]
[A.J. Goldsby I]This could be one of GM A. Beliavsky's greatest games, it is also an example of his extraordinary ability to make the chess pieces do something special.
I also bring a unique insight into this clash, as I have studied it repeatedly over the years. (I also have shown it You might want to buckle up ... this is going to be one heck of a ride!!! ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
{The ratings are those of FIDE, and were assigned to this game in the ChessBase
database.}
[ For another example of Beliavsky's superb skill when on the offensive,
After the moves:
1.d4 d5; 2.c4 c6;
3.Nf3 Nf6; 4.Nc3 e6; 5.Bg5,
{Diag?}
GM Alexander G. Beliavsky (2618) - GM Suat Atalik (2598);
[D43] If you happen to have the "MEGA" database, this game is deeply and thoroughly annotated. ]
1...c6; Larsen has used this opening many times. For example, see the contest: GM Boris Spassky (2640) - GM Bent Larsen (2620) / [B16] / ICT, Clarin Masters {Inv.} / Buenos Aires, ARG; (R7) / 1979. {Black won a crisp game, 0-1 in 39 total moves.}
2.d4 d5;
(Strategic concept?)
3.Nc3 dxe4;
4.Nxe4 Bf5;
[ Today the following continuation is probably Black's most popular choice:
4...Nd7; ('!')
{delayed dev.}
An interest (recent) example was: FM Alexander Lukjanenko (2388) - GM Alexander Galkin (2599);
What follows now has long been a part of standard opening theory.
So far, we have a 'book' line.
*****************************************
*****************************************
10...Qc7; is often played here, but the lines can easily transpose into one another.
[ After the following moves:
10...Qc7; 11.Bd2 e6;
12.0-0-0 Ngf6; 13.Ne4 0-0-0;
11.Bf4,
('!?')
[ The most common way of handling this position would have to be: White has a slight advantage, and went on to win a model game. (1-0, 61 moves.) GM S. Karjakin - GM K. Asrian; 6th EICC / Warsaw, POL; 2005. [ See also the reference work: MCO-14, page # 170; column # 01, & all relevant notes. ] ]
11...e6!?;
hmmm (OK ......)
At one time, it was a given that both sides would castle Queen-side in this particular variation. Almost needless to say ... this leads to some very interesting chess.
[ By playing the continuation:
11...Qa5+; ('!')
12.Bd2 Qc7;
12.0-0-0 Be7;
13.Ne5,
(Maybe - '!')
However, theory sees no clear-cut consensus about which play is White's absolute best here.
[ White can also play:
13.Rhe1!? a5; 14.c4 b5!;
15.c5!? Nd5; 16.Be5 0-0; 17.Ne4 N7f6;
GM M. Tal - GM B. Larsen;
ICT, Masters / Tilburg,
NED; 1980.
(1/2, 37 moves.)
See the book: "The Caro-Kann Defense,"
by GM Alexei Suetin.
13...a5;
('!?') {Premature?}
{See
the diagram given - just below.}
Black should have castled ... or possibly tried Fritz's suggestion of playing
13...Nd5 here.
*****************************************
*****************************************
A critical position has been reached ... how should White proceed from here?
[ Black should have played the following continuation here:
GM V. Topalov - GM E. Bareev; FIDE Candidates
Semi-Final, (sf2) / Dortmund, GER; 2002.
14.Rhe1!?,
(Maybe - '!') {See
the diagram given - just below.}
*****************************************
*****************************************
The tension is reaching a fever pitch.
[ For whatever reason, Fritz 8.0 (after about 20 minutes), greatly prefers
14...a4?!;
('?' - many authors) {See
the diagram given - just below.}
*****************************************
*****************************************
Black's concept is based on the idea that if White plays cautiously, (say with 15.a3); Black plays the simple move, 15...Nb6; with an excellent game.
But ... can you guess what White's next move will be? (It is White's turn to play and make his 15th move.) *****************************************
*****************************************
Now Black finds himself in a real dilemma, and must answer the question, "To take ... or not to take?"
[ Fritz (6.0) wants to play:
(</=) 15.Nxd7 Qxd7;
16.Be5, ("+/=")
but this is hardly as
15...Nd5; ('!?')
(counterplay?)
I have also analyzed this position out to a forced win ... ... ...
[ After the "obvious" continuation, (which some pundits have stated was much better than the game): And ... just for the record ... GM A. Beliavsky gives this play, (15...fxg6?) a full question mark!
( For the record, I give the main line of Beliavsky's analysis: ( </= 19...Re8?; 20.Rxe7! Rxe7; 21.Bd6 Nd5; 22.Nf5, ("+/-") {A.J.G.} )
20.c3 Nd5; 21.Bd2 Ba5;
22.c4! Bxd2+; 23.Kxd2 N5f6;
24.Re7, "+/-" {Dg?} ************************************************************************************************************
Several illustrious annotators - to include Beliavsky - have all said that
15...a3; ('!') would Once more, we follow the main line of Beliavsky's analysis, (the sidelines are my own work).
15...a3!;
16.b3!, ( (</=) 16.Nxh8!? axb2+; 17.Kb1 Ra3!; "<=>" )
16...Nd5!?,
(Maybe - '!')
( Probably inferior would be:
17.Nf5!! exf5; 18.Nxe7 Nxe7;
19.Bd6 Ne5[]; 20.dxe5 0-0!?;
21.e6,
"+/-" {Diagram?}
16.Nf5!!,
(Yowzers!)
[ A lot less convincing was:
</= 16.Nxh8!? Nxf4; 17.Qf3 Bg5;
16...Bf8[];
(Box?) {See
the diagram given - just below.}
*****************************************
*****************************************
Black looks to be holding ... or is this all just a misconception?
[ </= 16...Nxf4?; ('??') 17.Nxg7#. *********************************************************************
Also of no real help was: </=
16...fxg6?; 17.Nxg7+,
"+/-" *********************************************************************
Nor would the following continuation be any real improvement:
Now - how does White proceed from here? *****************************************
*****************************************
Note that the d6-squre is often a big problem for Black in many lines of the Caro-Kann Defence. [ The play of: </= 17.Nxh8!?, '±' also gives White a good game. ]
17...Rg8[];
(100% forced.) {See
the diagram given - just below.}
*****************************************
*****************************************
White obviously has his opponent in a tremendous bind, but what is the correct method of execution? 18.c4!!,
(Shock and awe!!!)
[ Beliavsky could have (also) tried:
18...Nb4;
(hmmm) {The best?}
{See
the diagram given - just below.}
*****************************************
*****************************************
Now almost no one that I have ever studied this game with has found the correct continuation from here.
[ The following continuation:
(</=) 18...N5b6!?; 19.d5 Nc5;
20.Qg3, ("+/-") {Diag?}
White to move ... what move would YOU play in this position?
[ Less convincing would have been:
</= 19.Qg3 ('!?')
19...Qf6; ('!') -
A. Beliavsky.
19...fxg6!?;
('?!' ... maybe - '?') Yet Larsen later wrote (in a Danish chess magazine) that he saw no harm in testing White's concept, as he had already seen a win for White in all variations.
[ Bent Larsen was the first to point out that after the simple moves in the following continuation:
20.Rxe6+ Kf7;
(Ouch!)
[
After the following moves: </=
20...Be7?!, ('?')
21.Nxe7, "+/-"
21.hxg6+!,
(Do you see it yet?)
[ Beliavsky could have also tried:
</= 21.Ne7,
("+/-") {Diagram?}
21...Kxe6[];
{BOX!!}
{See
the diagram given - just below.}
*****************************************
*****************************************
Now study this position carefully ...
White to play in this position, what is the correct way to finish Black off from here? [ Less effective was: </= 22.Kb1!?, but it is also still winning. ("+/-") ]
22...Ne5[];
[ After the following continuation:
(Or if: 25...Kxg6; then 26.Qf5#. Or 25...Qa5; 26.Re6+ Kg5;
27.f4#.)
26.f4+ Kf6;
27.Qf5#.
(Study the basic mating positions, see if you can 23.Bxe5!,
("+/-") Black
Resigns. (1-0)
[ After the following continuation:
23.Bxe5 Nd3+; Taking the WP on a2,
24.Kb1 Nxe5[];
Forced.
(</= 24...Nxe1?; 25.Nxg7+! Ke7; 26.Qe6#.)
25.Rxe5+ Kd7; 26.Nxg7+ Kc7;
27.Ne6+, ("+/-")
and White wins
*****************************************************************************************************
The following continuation:
It is - seemingly - the more natural continuation, and the one that my friends and
Perhaps Beliavsky's greatest game, it is - without question - a fantastic game of chess, and also one of my ***********************************************************************************************************
This game is annotated in many books. ***********************************************************************************************************
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 2006. All rights
reserved. The analysis for
this page was prepared with the excellent program,
ChessBase
9.0. The HTML was
polished with several different tools and programs, (mostly
FP) ... the text was checked for spelling
with MS Word. The diagrams
were created with the program, Chess
Captor 2.25.
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