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G. Idigoras - GM Oscar Panno;

Mar del Plata, 1955.

GM Reuben Fine wrote that this was a very rare game of  'un-matched brilliancy.'

The legendary GM Sammy Reshevsky said it was a great game - one of the best of the whole of the 1950's.

Hans Kmoch - in the pages of the U.S.'s chess magazine, Chess Review - also praised this game and the beauty of the combination.

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Someone once gave me an old book in Spanish. Supposedly it was a book about the great chess of South American Chess Masters. In it was a victory by a player called "Idoras-Lushin."

A reader recently (March of 2003) pointed this game out to me and asked me if it belonged in my shrine to:  "The Great Games that have been played by NON-GM's." Of course the answer is yes!!  23.Nxg6!!!  is a slow-motion sacrifice ... the strength of this move does not really become apparent until 10 or 15 moves later, according to Kmoch

***

This great contest is also in the book,  "The 100 Best,"  by  GM Andy Soltis.  (Game # 85.)

See also the book:  "Great Brilliancy Prize Games Of The Chess Masters," by the incomparable  Fred Reinfeld.   Copyright (c) 1961 by the author. 
Reprinted in 1995 by Dover books.  ISBN: # 0-486-28614-2

Gregorio Idigoras (2250) - GM Oscar Panno (2550) 
[E63]
Mar del Plata, ARG.
South America, 1955.

[A.J.G.]

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Reshevsky called this one of the best  games of the whole of the decade of the 1950's ... 
yet most players have never seen it. (It won first brilliancy prize at this tourney!) 

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1.d4 Nf6;  2.c4 g6;  3.Nf3 Bg7;  4.g3 0-0;  5.Bg2 d6;  6.0-0 Nc6;  7.Nc3 a6;   
Black plays a variant of the KID ...  that is today named after him. (The 'Panno Variation.')

8.h3!?, 
This method of development was popularized by many different players, mostly the Russians.

     [ Maybe  8.e4!? ]  

8...Rb8;  9.b3,  
This is an older method  ...  where sometimes White actually places his QB on the long diagonal as well.  

     [ The modern lines are: 9.e4 b5;  10.e5!?, "/\"  etc. ]  

9...b5;  10.e3!?,  
Soltis calls this solid - but a slow method of development. (Modern theory has ignored these lines.)  

     [ Maybe 10.e4!? ]  

10...Na5!?;  11.cxb5 axb5;  12.Bb2 b4;  13.Ne2 Ba6; "~"  
Black looks to be doing well with his Queen-side play.  

     [ Also a good idea for Black might have been: 13...c5!?;  with good play.  ]  

14.Re1 Qd7;  15.Rc1 Rfc8;  16.Nf4 c6!?;  
This looks a little slow and awkward to me. (Soltis does not comment.) 

     [ Maybe 16...Bb7!? ]  

17.h4!,  
Soltis awards this an exclam.

White decides to launch an offensive on the King-side ... and starts with the advance h3-h4-h5xg6 ...  which is designed to soften Black up on key K-side squares.

One of the reasons this sacrifice {in this game} works is because Black has nearly all of his pieces on the Queen-side.  

     [ 17.e4!? ] 

17...Qa7!?;  
Black re-positions his Queen. 

     [ Possibly Black should play: 17...h5!?;  to try and stop White from opening the h-file? ] 

18.Rc2! Nb7;  19.h5 c5;  20.hxg6 hxg6;  21.Bh3 Rf8;  22.Ng5!,  
Soltis awards another exclam ...  and notes that White now threatens a 'sack' on g6 or f7. 

     [ The computers pick: 22.e4!?;  or 22.dxc5!?;  or 22.Qc1!? ]  

22...Bh6!?;  {See the diagram just below.}  
Black looks to chase the Knight. 

It is not clear how White is to proceed from this position.  

     [ 22...Nd8!?;  23.dxc5 dxc5;  24.Qc1, "+/="  - GM A. Soltis. ]  

 23.Nxg6!!,   (Maybe - '!!!/!!!!')  {Diagram?}  
Truly a thunderous shot. I wish I could have been there to see the look on Panno's face!! 

     [ Did Black expect:  23.Nge6 ? ]  

23...fxg6;  
This could be forced. 

     [ The continuation of: 23...Rfe8!?;  24.dxc5 Nxc5;  25.Nxf7!?, allows White to continue his assault.  

***

        Clearly bad was: 23...Bxg5?;  24.Nxe7+! Kh7;  This appears forced.  

          (Worse is: 24...Kh8?; 25.dxc5 Nxc5?; 26.Qh5+ Kg7;  27.Qxg5+ Kh7; 28.Bf5+ Kh8; 29.Bxf6#.)     

       25.Bf5+ Kh6;  26.dxc5 Nxc5;  27.Nc6 Qc7;  28.Nxb8 Rxb8;  29.f4, "+/-"  {Diagram?}  
       and Black's game looks pretty close to resignable. ]    

24.Be6+ Kg7;  25.f4 Nd8;   
Black tries to defend.  

     [ </=  25...Bxg5?;  26.fxg5 Nh5?;   
        It is a mistake to try and keep the material in this position. 

         (>/= 26...c4!?; 27.bxc4 Nd8; 28.gxf6+ exf6; 29.Bd5, "+/=")    

       27.dxc5+ Kh7!?;  28.Rh2,  "--->"  {Diagram?}   
       and White has a winning attack.  

***

       Maybe better was:  25...Rh8!? ]  

White will now methodically increase the pressure. 
26.d5! Bc8!?;  27.Rh2! Bxe6;  28.dxe6! Qa6!?;   
Black tries to get his Queen back into play.  

     [ </=  28...Bxg5?;  29.fxg5 Nxe6;  30.gxf6+!? exf6;  31.Qg4! Qf7;  32.Rf1, '±'  

        Again, maybe    28...Rh8!?     

        Or maybe:   28...Qa8!?  ]  

29.Qg4!,  
The best move, although it is not immediately clear what White 
 is trying to accomplish in the long term.  

GM A. Soltis does NOT give this move an exclam, but I do.  

     [ Maybe 29.Ne4!? ]  

29...Rh8;   
This was forced. 

     [ The threat was something like: 29...Nc6?!;  30.Rxh6! Kxh6?;  
        Looks natural, but ...  

         (>/= 30...Nd4)   

       31.Bxf6 Rxf6;  32.Qh3+,  and White will mate shortly.  ]  

30.Nf3 Qd3 ;  31.e4! ,  
"White coolly takes his time."  - Soltis. 

   '!' - GM Andrew Soltis.  

     [ 31.Bxf6+!? ]  

31...c4!?;  
It is not clear if there is anything that is better for Black.  

     [ 31...Nxe6!?;  32.Qxe6 Rbe8;  33.e5! dxe5;  34.Bxe5! Qf5;  35.Qd5!, '±' ]  

32.bxc4 Qxc4;  33.f5 g5;  34.Qh5 Kf8;  
Black tries to run away.  

     [  </=  34...Nxe6?;  35.Qg6+! Kf8;  36.fxe6 Qxe6;  37.Rxh6, "+/-" ]  

35.Qg6 Bg7;  36.Rxh8+ Bxh8;  37.Nxg5,   
"White sets up  38.Nh7+, Nxh7;  39.Bxh8,  and wins." - Soltis.  

     [ </= 37.Qxg5 Qxa2; "-/+" ]   

37...Bg7!?;  
"This allows a quick finish."  - GM Andrew Soltis.  

     [  A better finish to the game would have been: 
        37...Qc5+;  38.Kf1! Qb5+;  39.Re2 Qe8;  40.Nh7+ Nxh7;  41.Qh6+! Kg8;  42.Qxh7+!! Kxh7;  43.Rh2+,  and White quickly mates.  ]  

38.Nh7+ Kg8;  39.Bxf6 exf6!?;   
The equivalent of resignation. 

Black has decided the end is inevitable ... and hurries things along.  

     [  Better was:  >/=  39...Nxe6;  but White will still deliver a check-mate in under 10 moves. ]  

40.Nxf6+ Kf8;  41.Qe8#.  

***

<< In Chess Review Hans Kmoch was MOST impressed by 23.Nxg6: "The power of the sacrifice appears ONLY (!!!) gradually, some ten or fifteen moves later - - - 
      and herein lies the beauty of this game." >> - GM Andrew Soltis.  (In his book:  "The 100 Best.") {My emphasis.} 

A game of great beauty ... it is not even clear where Black went wrong.

   Copyright (c)  A.J. Goldsby I.  Copyright (c) A.J.G;  2003.   

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Game (first) posted: Tuesday;  June 10th, 2003.
  (Last modified/updated on:  July 01, 2003.)  

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  Copyright (c) {LM} A.J. Goldsby I 

  Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 1995-2008. 
  Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2009.  All rights reserved.