[Event "Skopje Olympiad Final-A (1972)"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/FneTIwG3/kbSGCtAq"] [Result "1-0"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/KinoKing"] [FEN "4kb1r/1pr2ppp/p2p1q2/3Qp3/4P3/8/PPP1BPPP/R4RK1 w k - 1 1"] [SetUp "1"] [UTCDate "2022.04.24"] [UTCTime "21:06:52"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/FneTIwG3/kbSGCtAq"] [Orientation "white"] { Amazingly, the engine already argues this position is winning. White has more space, and his bishop is clearly going to be more active than Black's dark squared bishop. Still, good technique must follow. Let's see what the Magician from Riga can do. } 1. Bc4 Be7 2. Qd3 O-O 3. Bd5 g6 4. a4 a5 5. Ra3 Bd8 6. Rb3 Qe7 7. Rd1 { All of white's pieces have targets, while all of black's pieces are tied up. Despite the material equality, the b-pawn is forced to move up because the light squares are weak. } 7... b6 8. Qd2 Kg7 9. Rd3 Qg5 10. Qe2 f5 { f5 is a bit too committal, now the pawn structure for black will always be slightly worse in two pawn islands vs three. } 11. exf5 Rxf5 12. Be4 Rf6 13. Rxd6 Rxd6 14. Rxd6 Be7 15. Rd1 Bc5 16. Kh1 Rf7 17. f3 { Ignoring the fact white is a pawn up here, he still has a better game since he has the open file and better heavy pieces. White's bishop is targeting more meaningful squares in black's camp than the black bishop is. } 17... Rf8 18. g3 Rd8 19. Bd3 Qe3 20. Qxe3 { Tal argues that he can win this despite trading queens, a big decision. Indeed white is better just from his extra material and the capability to operate around the isolated e-pawn. } 20... Bxe3 21. Re1 Bd4 22. b3 Bc3 23. Re2 Kf6 24. Kg2 Rd4 25. h4 h6 26. Kf1 Rd6 27. g4 Bb2 28. Rh2 Bc1 29. h5 g5 30. Re2 Bb2 31. Re3 Rd4 32. Kf2 Bc1 33. Re1 Bd2 34. Rd1 Bc3 35. Ke3 Bb4 36. Be2 { Black's rook on d4 is a nuisance, so Tal wants to trade it off and argues his more active king will be enough to win. } 36... Bc5 37. Rxd4 exd4+ 38. Ke4 Ke6 39. Bc4+ Kf6 40. Kd5 Kf7 41. Ke5+ Kg7 42. Bd5 Kh7 43. Kf6 Bf8 44. Be4+ { The difference in king activity is decisive. } 44... Kg8 45. Kg6 Bg7 46. Bd5+ Kh8 47. Be6 Bf8 48. Bc4 Bg7 49. Kf7 Kh7 50. Bd3+ Kh8 51. Be4 { White would like to teleport his king to c7 without allowing the black bishop to get back to c5 in time. } 51... Be5 52. Ke6 { This tempo on the bishop ensures he can get his king to c7 in an opportune time. } 52... Bg7 53. Kd5 Bf6 54. Kc6 Bd8 55. Kd7 Bf6 56. Kc7 { The black bishop can no longer defend b6. } 56... Be7 57. Kxb6 Bb4 { The game ends here, but for non-obvious reasons. White's king will be able to break black's blockade on the dark squares and the black king can't help his position. A sample line may follow: } 58. Kc6 Kg7 59. Kd5 Bc3 60. b4 Bxb4 61. Kxd4 Bd2 62. c4 Kf6 63. Kd5 Kf7 64. Kd6 Bf4+ 65. Kc6 Ke8 66. Kb6 Bd2 67. c5 Be3 68. Kb5 Ke7 69. c6 { Using the c-pawn to overwork the bishop. } 69... Bf4 (69... Kd8 70. Kxa5) 70. Kxa5 Bc7+ 71. Ka6 Bd8 72. Kb5 Kd6 73. a5 Kc7 74. a6 Kb8 75. Kc5 Bc7 76. Kd5 Ka7 77. Ke6 Kxa6 78. Kf7 Ba5 79. Kg7 Kb6 80. Kxh6 Kb5 81. Kg6 Kc5 82. h6 Kd6 83. Kxg5 Be1 84. h7 Bc3 85. f4 Bd4 86. f5 Bc3 87. Kg6 Be5 88. f6 { At long last, a pawn promotes! } { [%cal Gh7h8] } 1-0