(The annotations to this game, by L. A. Polugaevsky and his second in the Riga Interzonal, O. M. Averkin, are from the Soviet tournament book Mezhzonalnye turniry Riga ‘79, Rio de Zhaneiro ‘79, edited by V. I. Chepizhny and published by Fizkultura i Sport, Moscow in 1980. The translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin.) Kuzmin – Polugaevsky 8rd round, FIDE Interzonal Tournament, Riga, 15th September 1979 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 d5 5.0–0 e5 After the game Kuzmin said that he had completely forgotten about the possibility of this move for Black, and had reckoned only with 5...e6 or 5...g6. 6.cxd5 (Translator’s note: The critical test of Black’s last move is considered to be 6.Qa4, and on 6...Bd6, 7.Ng5.) 6...Nxd5 7.Nc3 Be6 XIIIIIIIIY 8r+-wqkvl-tr0 7zpp+-+pzpp0 6-+n+l+-+0 5+-zpnzp-+-0 4-+-+-+-+0 3+-sN-+NzP-0 2PzP-zPPzPLzP0 1tR-vLQ+RmK-0 xabcdefghy The Maróczy Variation in the Sicilian Defence has been obtained, but with reversed colours and, of course, a tempo less for Black; however, practice shows that White’s extra tempo is only enough for equality. 8.Nxd5 This is already a questionable decision. White chooses a path in which the extra tempo is not felt. Much more substantive is 8.Ng5, beginning tempo play. After 8...Qxg5 9.Nxd5 Qd8, quite good appears 10.e4 followed by a2–a3 and b2–b4. Black does not have time to do this in the analogous position, and this makes the such a plan unacceptable for him. 8...Bxd5 9.d3 Be7 10.Bd2 0–0 11.Bc3 f6 12.a4 In this position too a more aggressive plan was possible: 12.a3, 13.Rb1 and then b2–b4. Had Black prevented this set-up and played ...a7–a5, then the manoeuvre a3–a4 and Nf3–d2–c4, occupying an ideal stance with the knight, gains in strength. 12...Qd7 13.a5? A clear mistake. Naturally, on the condition that Black reacts to it in the necessary way. Otherwise after 14.Qa4 White has quite good play on the light squares on the queen’s flank, and the knight aims at the transfer f3–d2–c4. White ought to have held back from the chosen plan and continued 13.Nd2, trying to exchange the light-squared bishops and to become active on the queen’s wing. In the case of the removal of the bishop from e6, as Black intended to play, White would have placed the knight on c4, intending a4–a5 or, perhaps, even f2–f4 with complicated play. XIIIIIIIIY 8r+-+-trk+0 7zpp+qvl-zpp0 6-+n+-zp-+0 5zP-zplzp-+-0 4-+-+-+-+0 3+-vLP+NzP-0 2-zP-+PzPLzP0 1tR-+Q+RmK-0 xabcdefghy 13...b5! White now is now deprived of the outpost on c4, and consequently, of any play on the queen’s flank. 14.axb6 axb6 15.Nd2 A recognition of his mistake, but too late. 15...Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Qd5+ 17.Kg1 In the case of 17.f3, the whole time the threat of ...Nc6–d4 would have had to be reckoned with. After Bc3xd4, ...e5xd4, along the e-file there is created a gaping hole on e3 and a backward pawn on e2. 17...Rxa1 18.Qxa1 b5 19.b3 Nd4 Only at the most suitable moment does the knight occupy this key square. 20.Bxd4 Ra8! An important intermediate move. In this way the only open file is seized. 21.Qc3 The queen sacrifice is clearly insufficient. After 21.Bxe5 Rxa1 22.Bxa1 Qa8 23.Bc3 Qa2 material loss for White is unavoidable. Nor is the creation of a ‘fortress’ with 23.Bb2 Qa2 24.Rb1 succesfull on account of 24...c4! with the threat of 25...Bb4. 21...cxd4! What to take with? This is the whole question. 21...Qxd4 22.Qc2 gave White a defensible position, while in the case of 21...exd4 there could have followed 22.Qc2 Ra3 23.Rb1, and Black cannot extract anything from the activity of his pieces. 22.Qc7! Bd8 White suggested to the opponent that he should ‘get to know’ the b3, pawn, in return for which he would have gained a steady initiative: 22...Bb4 23.Nf3 Qxb3 24.Qb7 Ra5 25.Rc1 Bf8 26.Rc8 etc. But Black does not shy away from his intended plan, associated with an offensive of the central pawns. 23.Qc2 f5! 24.Nf3 24.Rc1 is not good in view of 24...Bg5. 24...Bf6 25.Rd1 XIIIIIIIIY 8r+-+-+k+0 7+-+-+-zpp0 6-+-+-vl-+0 5+p+qzpp+-0 4-+-zp-+-+0 3+P+P+NzP-0 2-+Q+PzP-zP0 1+-+R+-mK-0 xabcdefghy 25...h5! White had temporarily defended against ...e5–e4. For instance: 25...e4 26.dxe4 fxe4 27.Nxd4 Bxd4 28.Qd2 (28.e3 Qc5) 28...Rd8 29.e3, and although after 29...Qxb3 30.exd4 Qd5 White cannot expect an easy life, nonetheless he has escaped the immediate threats. Black’s last move not only creates a useful escape square for the king before the decisive attack, but also threatens to advance the rook’s pawn further, which practically forces White to weaken the king’s flank. 26.h4 Re8 27.Kf1? Kuzmin loses his composure too early. Of course, the break ...e5–e4 already could not be prevented. There was threatened: 27...e4 28.dxe4 fxe4 29.Nxd4 Bxd4 30.Qd2 Bxf2+ 31.Kxf2 Qxd2 32.Rxd2 e3+ (this is why the rook is needed at e8), but it was still not too late to go over to ‘deep defence’ with 27.Ne1, and if 27...e4, then 28.Ng2. After 27.Ne1 it would not have been so simple to breach White’s position, although he is doomed to complete inaction. Such a defence is not in the spirit of Kuzmin, and he decides on the sacrifice of a piece for two pawns, reckoning on gaining some saving chances with the limited material remaining. 27...e4 28.dxe4 fxe4 29.Nxd4 Bxd4 30.e3 30.Qd2?? loses instantly on account of 30...e3 31.Qxd4 Qh1#. 30...Qc5 31.Qxc5 Bxc5 32.Rd5 Bf8 Another way is 32...Rc8 33.Rxh5 (no good is 33.b4 Bxb4 34.Rxb5 Bc5, and the rook does not have time to pick up the h-pawn) 33...b4 34.Re5 Bf8 35.Rxe4 Rc3, and White will hardly be able to stop the passed b-pawn. 33.Rxb5 g6 34.g4 hxg4 35.Kg2 XIIIIIIIIY 8-+-+rvlk+0 7+-+-+-+-0 6-+-+-+p+0 5+R+-+-+-0 4-+-+p+pzP0 3+P+-zP-+-0 2-+-+-zPK+0 1+-+-+-+-0 xabcdefghy 35...Bd6! Not giving the white king the possibility of coming into play. 36.Rg5 Kh7 37.Rxg4 Weaker is 37.h5 gxh5 38.Rxh5+ Kg6, and the g4–pawn cannot be approached. 37...Kh6 38.Kh3 Re5 39.Rf4 Kg7 40.Rg4 Kh6 41.Rf4 Moves were repeated to gain time. 41...Rf5! The quickest path to victory! 42.Rxe4 Rxf2 XIIIIIIIIY 8-+-+-+-+0 7+-+-+-+-0 6-+-vl-+pmk0 5+-+-+-+-0 4-+-+R+-zP0 3+P+-zP-+K0 2-+-+-tr-+0 1+-+-+-+-0 xabcdefghy The exchanges have not made things easier for White, since the remaining black pawn, the g-pawn, is all the same unapproachable, while the white h-pawn sooner or later falls. 43.Kg4 In the case of 43.Re6 there follows 43...Bc7! (threatening not only 44...Rh2+ 45.Kg4 Bd8 winning the h-pawn, but also 44...Kh5 with mate on h2). The attempt to pursue the bishop with 44.Re7? fails in view of 44...Rh2+ 45.Kg4 Rxh4+ 46.Kxh4 Bd8. The only defence against the immediate threats is 44.Re8, but it then becomes clear that this is only a reprieve for a few moves: 44...Rh2+ 45.Kg4 Rg2+ 46.Kf3 (46.Kh3 Rg3+ 47.Kh2 Rxe3+) 46...Rg3+ 47.Kf2 Rh3 48.Re4 Bg3+ 49.Kg2 Rxh4. 43...Rg2+ 44.Kf3 Rg3+ 45.Kf2 Rh3 46.Kg2 Rh2+ 47.Kf3 Kh5! Finally, the tempo for the exit of the black king has been won! 48.Rd4 Be7 49.Kg3 Rxh4 50.Rd7 Re4 51.Kf3 Re6 52.e4 g5 53.Rd1 g4+ 54.Kf4 Bg5+ White resigned. (Times: 2:58–3:27.) .