Paul Keres – Miroslav Filip It is noteworthy that Keres remained loyal to his favourite move in such an important game. Paul Keres Miroslav Filip Result: 0-1 Metadata » Click to open. Date: April 27, 1956 Location: Amsterdam NED Tournament: Amsterdam Candidates Round: 17 Opening: C97 Spanish - Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin Defence Submitted by: Published on: June 11, 2023 [Event "Amsterdam Candidates"] [Site "Amsterdam NED"] [Date "1956.04.27"] [Round "17"] [White "Paul Keres"] [Black "Miroslav Filip"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C97"] [PlyCount "181"] [EventDate "1956.03.27"] {It is noteworthy that Keres remained loyal to his favourite move in such an important game.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 {[pgndiagram] Another Chigorin Ruy is on the board.} Re8 {And anither way of handling the position is chosen by Filip} 13. Nf1 Nc4 14. a4 Bd7 15. b3 Na5 16. Ne3 Bf8 17. Rb1 bxa4 18. bxa4 g6 19. Qe2 cxd4 20. cxd4 exd4 21. Nxd4 Bg7 22. Bb2 Nb7 23. Qf3 Qd8 24. Nc4 Qc7 {[pgndiagram] I will go through the middlegame phase of the game more briefly. White has built up a nice position and enjoys the advantage, mainly due to the activity of his pieces.} 25. Ne3 (25. e5 {Here for instance this tactical blow, leading to a large advantage was perfectly possible.} dxe5 (25... Qxc4 26. exf6) 26. Nxe5 Rxe5 {This is not good, but I want to illustrate why not} 27. Rxe5 Qxe5 28. Nf5 {[pgndiagram] And wins}) 25... Qd8 26. Nb3 {Losing the thread slightly. This knight retreat was not a must} (26. Ba1) (26. Ndf5 {Was also possible.} gxf5 27. Bxf6 Qxf6 28. Rxb7) 26... Bc6 (26... Bxa4 $5) 27. Nc4 Rc8 (27... d5 $5) 28. Nd4 Bxe4 29. Bxe4 Nxe4 30. Rxe4 Rxe4 31. Qxe4 d5 {[pgndiagram] Keres has lost a big part of his advantage. It is evident even here that he didn't play his best that day. But the real miracle is yet to come.} 32. Qf3 Rxc4 (32... dxc4 $5 33. Ne6 fxe6 34. Bxg7 Nc5) 33. Ne6 $1 {A pretty blow, leading to .. an equal position.} fxe6 34. Bxg7 Nd6 35. Be5 Rc8 36. Qf4 {[pgndiagram] Now objectively the game should end in a draw.} Nf7 $4 {But Filip immediately makes the decisive mistake.} (36... Nf5) (36... Rc4) 37. Rb7 Qf8 38. Kh2 $4 {An amazing oversight, losing all advantage. By his own admission Keres saw three winning lines, but then thought that the fourth one is even better.} (38. Qf6 Nxe5 39. Qxe5 {Would immediately conclude the game. Black can't defend against all the threats (Qc7, Qxe6 and Qg7 mate)}) (38. Bb2 {Would also retain most of White's advantage} Qe8 39. Qf6 e5 40. Re7 Qf8 41. f4 {And White is winning}) 38... Rc4 {[pgndiagram] Now suddenly there is the threat of Qf4+ with the queen exchange, and White has to go to a rook endgame where he will be material down. Keres prefered to give up the piece, but he went on to lose all the same. Trully a tragic blunder at the moment where he gained some real chances of qualifying for a match against the Patriarch.} 39. Qf6 Nxe5 40. Qxe6+ {Game over} Nf7 41. g3 Rxa4 42. Qxd5 Rb4 43. Ra7 Rb5 44. Qa2 Rf5 45. Rxa6 Qc5 46. Ra8+ Kg7 47. Qb2+ Kh6 48. Qd2+ Ng5 49. Ra2 Kg7 50. Qb2+ Rf6 51. h4 Nf3+ 52. Kh3 Nd4 53. Kh2 Nb5 54. Qd2 Nd4 55. Qb2 Nc6 56. Kg1 Ne5 57. Qb7+ Rf7 58. Qb2 h5 59. Ra8 Kh7 60. Rd8 Qa5 61. Rd1 Qa4 62. Rd8 Qe4 63. f4 Qe3+ 64. Kh2 Ng4+ 65. Kh3 Nf6 66. Rb8 Qe6+ 67. Kh2 Qe1 68. Qg2 Re7 69. Rb7 Nd7 70. Rb2 Qe6 71. Rb7 Qg4 72. Rb2 Nc5 73. Qd2 Qe6 74. Qg2 Nd7 75. Rb7 Kg8 76. Rc7 Kf7 77. Ra7 Qc4 78. Kh3 Qe6+ 79. Kh2 Qe2 80. Ra2 Qxg2+ 81. Kxg2 Re3 82. Ra7 Ke7 83. Ra6 Nf6 84. Ra7+ Ke6 85. Ra6+ Kf7 86. Ra7+ Re7 87. Ra3 Rc7 88. Kf3 Rc5 89. Re3 Nd5 90. Re2 Rc3+ 91. Kf2 0-1 [Event "Amsterdam Candidates"] [Site "Amsterdam NED"] [Date "1956.04.27"] [Round "17"] [White "Paul Keres"] [Black "Miroslav Filip"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C97"] [PlyCount "181"] [EventDate "1956.03.27"] {It is noteworthy that Keres remained loyal to his favourite move in such an important game.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 {[pgndiagram] Another Chigorin Ruy is on the board.} Re8 {And anither way of handling the position is chosen by Filip} 13. Nf1 Nc4 14. a4 Bd7 15. b3 Na5 16. Ne3 Bf8 17. Rb1 bxa4 18. bxa4 g6 19. Qe2 cxd4 20. cxd4 exd4 21. Nxd4 Bg7 22. Bb2 Nb7 23. Qf3 Qd8 24. Nc4 Qc7 {[pgndiagram] I will go through the middlegame phase of the game more briefly. White has built up a nice position and enjoys the advantage, mainly due to the activity of his pieces.} 25. Ne3 (25. e5 {Here for instance this tactical blow, leading to a large advantage was perfectly possible.} dxe5 (25... Qxc4 26. exf6) 26. Nxe5 Rxe5 {This is not good, but I want to illustrate why not} 27. Rxe5 Qxe5 28. Nf5 {[pgndiagram] And wins}) 25... Qd8 26. Nb3 {Losing the thread slightly. This knight retreat was not a must} (26. Ba1) (26. Ndf5 {Was also possible.} gxf5 27. Bxf6 Qxf6 28. Rxb7) 26... Bc6 (26... Bxa4 $5) 27. Nc4 Rc8 (27... d5 $5) 28. Nd4 Bxe4 29. Bxe4 Nxe4 30. Rxe4 Rxe4 31. Qxe4 d5 {[pgndiagram] Keres has lost a big part of his advantage. It is evident even here that he didn't play his best that day. But the real miracle is yet to come.} 32. Qf3 Rxc4 (32... dxc4 $5 33. Ne6 fxe6 34. Bxg7 Nc5) 33. Ne6 $1 {A pretty blow, leading to .. an equal position.} fxe6 34. Bxg7 Nd6 35. Be5 Rc8 36. Qf4 {[pgndiagram] Now objectively the game should end in a draw.} Nf7 $4 {But Filip immediately makes the decisive mistake.} (36... Nf5) (36... Rc4) 37. Rb7 Qf8 38. Kh2 $4 {An amazing oversight, losing all advantage. By his own admission Keres saw three winning lines, but then thought that the fourth one is even better.} (38. Qf6 Nxe5 39. Qxe5 {Would immediately conclude the game. Black can't defend against all the threats (Qc7, Qxe6 and Qg7 mate)}) (38. Bb2 {Would also retain most of White's advantage} Qe8 39. Qf6 e5 40. Re7 Qf8 41. f4 {And White is winning}) 38... Rc4 {[pgndiagram] Now suddenly there is the threat of Qf4+ with the queen exchange, and White has to go to a rook endgame where he will be material down. Keres prefered to give up the piece, but he went on to lose all the same. Trully a tragic blunder at the moment where he gained some real chances of qualifying for a match against the Patriarch.} 39. Qf6 Nxe5 40. Qxe6+ {Game over} Nf7 41. g3 Rxa4 42. Qxd5 Rb4 43. Ra7 Rb5 44. Qa2 Rf5 45. Rxa6 Qc5 46. Ra8+ Kg7 47. Qb2+ Kh6 48. Qd2+ Ng5 49. Ra2 Kg7 50. Qb2+ Rf6 51. h4 Nf3+ 52. Kh3 Nd4 53. Kh2 Nb5 54. Qd2 Nd4 55. Qb2 Nc6 56. Kg1 Ne5 57. Qb7+ Rf7 58. Qb2 h5 59. Ra8 Kh7 60. Rd8 Qa5 61. Rd1 Qa4 62. Rd8 Qe4 63. f4 Qe3+ 64. Kh2 Ng4+ 65. Kh3 Nf6 66. Rb8 Qe6+ 67. Kh2 Qe1 68. Qg2 Re7 69. Rb7 Nd7 70. Rb2 Qe6 71. Rb7 Qg4 72. Rb2 Nc5 73. Qd2 Qe6 74. Qg2 Nd7 75. Rb7 Kg8 76. Rc7 Kf7 77. Ra7 Qc4 78. Kh3 Qe6+ 79. Kh2 Qe2 80. Ra2 Qxg2+ 81. Kxg2 Re3 82. Ra7 Ke7 83. Ra6 Nf6 84. Ra7+ Ke6 85. Ra6+ Kf7 86. Ra7+ Re7 87. Ra3 Rc7 88. Kf3 Rc5 89. Re3 Nd5 90. Re2 Rc3+ 91. Kf2 0-1 White to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Black to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Warning: This game can only be seen if JavaScript is enabled in your browser. No related posts.
