A. Shashin (2350) - GM V. Korchnoi; (2650) 
[E57]
City Championship 
Leningrad, U.S.S.R.  1973

[A.J.G.]

Maybe one of the finest  ...  <NON - GM>  games ever played. 

A young Master - whom no one has ever heard of - plays one of the most brilliant games 
of chess ever played ... and against a World-class opponent too! 

***

My annotations here are based mostly on:  GM A. Soltis's book,  "The 100 Best." 
(Game # 59, page # 163.) 

1.d4 Nf6;  2.c4 e6;  3.Nc3 Bb4;  4.e3 0-0;   
This is one of the main lines of ... 'The Nimzo-Indian Defense.'    

5.Bd3 c5;  6.Nf3 d5;  7.0-0 Nc6;  8.a3 cxd4!?;   
Black plays an extremely complex line. (With an unusual move order.) 

9.exd4 Bxc3;  10.bxc3 dxc4;  11.Bxc4 Qa5!?;   
Black plays a slightly off-beat line. (For that time) 

12.Bb2! e5;  13.Re1 Bg4;  14.h3 Bxf3;  15.Qxf3 Rad8;  
Black appears to have nearly equalized. At any rate, he has strong pressure 
against White's d-pawn in this position. 

16.Ba2! Rd7;  17.Re2 Rfd8;  18.Rae1 exd4;  19.cxd4 Qb6;   
If I had to choose a side here, I would rather be Black. 

     [ Soltis points out the amusing: 
       19...Nxd4?;  20.Bxd4 Rxd4;  21.Re8+! Rxe8;  22.Rxe8+ Nxe8;  
        23.Qxf7+,  and White wins. (It is mate next move.) ].  

20.Qc3! Nxd4;  21.Re7 Rxe7;  22.Rxe7 Nf5!;  "~" {See the Diagram just below.}    
Black appears to have defended against all of White's threats.  

 The actual game position after Black's 22nd move. 

***

Now White plays a combo ... that allows his King to be kicked over half the board.  
23.Rxf7!! Rd1+;  24.Kh2 Qd6+!?;  {Diagram?} 
A move that appears to be a decisive shot - at least at a casual, first glance. 
I am sure that Korchnoi probably thought he was winning here. 

Believe it or not - this is the first move usually chosen by computers in this position. 
It is also ... The LOSING move?!?!? 

     [ Apparently Black had to take the draw with the following line:  
        24...Ng4+!!;  25.hxg4 Qd6+;  26.Qg3 Nxg3;  27.Rd7+ Kf8;  28.Bxg7+ Ke8;  
        29.Rxd6 Nf1+;  30.Kg1 Nd2+;  31.Kh2 Nf1+;  32.Kg1 Nd2+; ("=") {Diagram?} 
        with a draw by repetition. (Line by - NM A. Shashin.) ].  

25.g3 Ng4+;  26.Kg2 Nh4+!;  
Black basically cannot afford to wait. 
(White has too many threats.) 

27.gxh4 Qh2+;  28.Kf3 Qxf2+;  29.Ke4,  
Looks ugly, but it is forced. 

     [ 29.Kxg4? Rg1+; 30.Kh5 g6+; 31.Kh6 Qxh4# ].  

29...Qe2+;  
'Fassssss - cinating.'  (As Spock used to say.) 

     [ Soltis gives the line: 29...Re1+!?;  30.Kd5!! Ne3+!;  31.Kd6 Nc4+;  32.Qxc4 Qb6+;  
       33.Kd7 Rd1+;  34.Bd4!! Rxd4+;  35.Qxd4, {Diagram?}  Now this is forced. 
       (35.Kc8?? Rd8# )   35...Qxd4+;  36.Kc8!, ("+/-") {Diagram?} 
      & strangely ... Black has no defense to the coming discovered check!!! 
      (This line probably originated with Korchnoi in his 'Informant' analysis.) ].  

Now it looks like White has been forced into a DEADLY series of checks, 
 ... which will ruin him.  
30.Kf4[] Rf1+;  31.Kg5 h6+;  32.Kg6 Ne5+;  33.Qxe5 Rg1+;  

34.Qg5!! Qxb2; ('!?')   
Black - in a bad way, and very short of time - tries to be tricky. 
(Going for a swindle?)  

It seems ...Rxg5+; and then ...Qe8; was the only way to prevent an immediate mate. 
  --->   But Black is still lost. 

     [ A strange line is:  34...Rxg5+;  35.hxg5 Qe4+?!;  36.Rf5+ Kh8;  37.Bxg7# ].  

35.Rxg7+,  
Black Resigns. (If 35...Kf8; then 36.Rg8, is mate.)  

One of the more brilliant - - - and very unusual games of the whole of the 20th Century. 
(White's King was the hunted one ... yet he prevailed!!) 

Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2002.

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