[Event "URS-ch33 Final"] [Site "Tallinn"] [Date "1965.11.30"] [Round "6"] [White "Lepeshkin, Vladimir"] [Black "Vasiukov, Evgeni"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C78"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "71"] [EventDate "1965.11.22"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "19"] [EventCountry "URS"] [SourceTitle "URS-ch"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] {[%evp 0,71,16,13,13,16,16,16,24,1,19,3,33,12,21,0,7,-28,-1,-1,-1,-21,-15,-36,-41,-46,-26,-34,-23,-45,-28,-33,-13,2,5,38,30,18,47,64,56,74,74,71,64,103,87,66,66,74,66,66,87,57,98,57,47,5,24,30,288,173,617,422,435,464,464,296,2287,577,558,570,570,611]} {This is a game from the finals of the Soviet Championships which showed the great strength in depth that country had for several decades. Although the event was won by Stein , there were many very high class and equally famous players, well down the final table such as Korchnoi, Bronstein and Keres. The game selected is one, and a very good one, of just two wins by the player who finished in last place but in it he beats another famous and strong player in Evgeni Vasiukov.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 {this early b5 line, less common in the 1960s, has often been played by Carlsen in recent years amongst a large number of other World-class players, along side the perennial Closed and Open Ruy Lopez which follows after} (5... Be7 {and}) (5... Nxe4 {respectively.}) 6. Bb3 Bb7 (6... Na5 {is occasionaly played aiming to remove the powerful king's bishop but White has simply} 7. Nxe5 {with an advantage as in Walther-Ebmeyer, EU-corr. ch 1967 but not the speculative} (7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Nxe5+ Kg8 {and White does not have enough for the sacrifice.})) 7. Re1 (7. d3 {is the alternative method of securing e4. One recent example being Dominguez-Firouza, Zagreb SuperUnited BlItz 2022}) 7... Bc5 8. c3 d6 {By far the most common and sensible move securing e5.} ({Instead} 8... Ng4 {is a sharp but premature idea since after} 9. d4 exd4 10. h3 $1 (10. cxd4 {allows Black the blow} Nxd4 11. Nxd4 Qh4 12. Be3 Qxh2+ 13. Kf1 Qh1+ 14. Ke2 Qxg2 {with at least equality. One early game of mine continued (as have several later games)} 15. Nc3 $2 b4 (15... Nxe3 16. Kxe3 Qg5+ {is very good for Black as in Vann-Howard, England corr 1994.}) 16. Rg1 Nxe3 17. Rxg2 $2 (17. Bxf7+ Kxf7 18. Qb3+ Ke8 19. Rxg2 Nxg2 20. Rg1 {gets White out of jail with an edge.}) 17... Nxd1 18. Rxd1 bxc3 19. bxc3 O-O 20. Rdg1 g6 21. Rg4 Rae8 22. f3 {and White is totally lost but by some sort of reverse miracle White won in the very wild time scramble following} d5 23. Kd3 dxe4+ 24. fxe4 Bxe4+ 25. Rxe4 Rxe4 26. Kxe4 h5 27. Rxg6+ Kh7 28. Rf6 Kg8 29. Rf5 Re8+ 30. Kf3 Bb6 31. Bxf7+ {1:0 Donnelly-Father Gillgallon, St.Peter's Club Ch. Middlesbrough 1967-8.}) 10... Nxf2 11. Kxf2 dxc3+ 12. Kf1 {White is much better as, for example, was played in Peine-Malcher, GER U-20 ch Hamburg 1969 (and also several subsequent games).}) 9. d4 Bb6 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 O-O (11... g5 {looks a poor move but Black is actually OK after} 12. Bg3 ({not} 12. Nxg5 hxg5 13. Bxg5 Rg8 14. h4 Rg6 {which is good for Black.}) ({similarly} 12. d5 gxh4 13. dxc6 Bxc6 14. Nbd2 h3 $17 {Stoikovska-Nunes, EU-ch Girls U-16 Rimavska Sobota 1996.}) ({and also} 12. dxe5 gxh4 13. exf6 Qxf6 $15 {Gould-Markus, Soest op 1996.}) 12... O-O {when White has tried numerous moves but has only achieved equality.}) 12. a3 {Fine but slightly more emphatic was} (12. a4 {which immediately pressures Black's queen's-side as in Vachier Lagrave-Wei, PRO League prelim Chess.com 2023.}) 12... Re8 (12... Qe7 13. Qd3 Na5 14. Bc2 c5 {is also perfectly acceptable for Black as in Zupe-Osterman, YUG Team Cup Pula 1983.}) 13. Bc2 Qe7 14. b4 a5 {Black begins to drift here with this attack on b4. Safest seems} (14... g5 {with similar play to the lines given earlier.}) 15. d5 Na7 16. Nbd2 c5 17. Nf1 Bc8 {A retreat that covers the key square f5 but a retreat nevertheless.} 18. Ne3 Bd7 {This wastes time in attempting to untangle the uncoordinated queen's-side pieces, Best was the counter-intuitive} (18... g6 {despite enhancing White's pin on the knight.}) 19. Nf5 {It is often a bad sign for Black if a white knight reaches f5 in the Ruy Lopez. If Bxf5 is then forced White has an extra pawn on the kings-side and can conduct a king's-side pawn storm. In addition, White gains access to the e4 square from which White may bring a rook or knight, for example, towards the king's-side to assist in an attack.} Bxf5 (19... Qf8 {is very bad after either} 20. Nxh6+ ({or} 20. Bxf6 gxf6 21. N3h4)) 20. exf5 Rec8 $6 {Leaving the Black king more exposed in moving pieces towards the queen's-side. A little more hopeful was} (20... axb4 21. axb4 cxb4 22. cxb4 Reb8 {when Black can at least play Nc8.}) 21. bxa5 {Forcing another piece off-side.} Bxa5 22. Re3 {Now due to the threat of Nd2 and Rg3 in conjunction with Ne4 Black is forced to retreat once more.} Bd8 23. Bxf6 Qxf6 24. Nd2 Qe7 (24... Rcb8 {leaves the Black queen as the sole defender against the attack of several White pieces and play may go} 25. Rg3 Nc8 26. Ne4 Qxf5 27. Nxc5 Qf6 ({or} 27... Qf4 28. Rg4) 28. Nd7 {winning.}) 25. Ne4 f6 (25... Rcb8 {doesn't hold the kings-side together due to} 26. f6 Qd7 (26... gxf6 27. Qg4+ Kf8 28. Rh3 $18) 27. Qh5 Nc8 28. Rg3 {with an overwhelming attack.}) 26. Rg3 Rc7 27. Qh5 Kf8 {Otherwise Qxh6.} 28. Rg6 Qd7 {Black has to defend d6 but this at least attacks f5. However, White can in fact ignore this with strong attacking play.} 29. g4 Nc8 30. g5 Qxf5 ({Black loses even more quickly after} 30... hxg5 31. Qh8+ Ke7 32. Rxg7#) (30... fxg5 31. f6 $18) 31. Nxc5 {This fine move wins outright and is a logical outcome of White's play.} Qxc2 32. Ne6+ Kg8 33. Nxc7 Bxc7 {although Black has won two pieces for a rook White next is killing.} 34. Qxh6 Qxg6 35. Qxg6 Ne7 36. Qd3 1-0