This game is annotated by Kapengut in 'Shakhmaty v SSSR' ( 1, 1972). The translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin. Stein Kapengut 12 th round, 39 th USSR Championship, Leningrad, 02.10.1971 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.e4 Weaker is 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.e3. After 6...Nh6 7.Be2 Nxd4 8.exd4 Nf5 or 6.Nc2 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Nf6 8.f3 Qa5 Black has good prospects (Stein-Matulović, Interzonal Tournament, Sousse 1967). 5...Bg7 For Black there was a choice between the continuation in the game, for which the Kiev grandmaster* has a predilection, and the more fashionable 5...Nf6 6.Nc3 Nxd4 7.Qxd4 d6, which leads to a position which already ten years ago served as the subject of theoretical debate. (*Translator s note: In those years Stein was a resident of the Ukrainian capital.) 6.Nc2 Stein had played this way more than once and not without success. On 6.Be3 I intended to continue 6...Nf6 7.Nc3 Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 Ne6 on the model of my game v. Polugaevsky from the same tournament. 6...d6 7.Be2 Nf6 The original move 7...Nh6 has long sunk into oblivion (8.g4!), but besides the move in the game, theoretical handbooks draw attention to the variation 7...f5 8.exf5 Bxf5 9.0 0 Nh6 10.Nd2 0 0 11.Nf3 Kh8 with complicated play. It seems to me that the chronic weaknesses that are created in Black's position after 7...f5 do not compensate for the piece play. The variation chosen by Black appears more reliable. 8.Nc3 0 0 Boleslavsky, in a book published in East Germany, examines the continuation 8...Nd7 at this move. But then White has a good retort - 9.h4. 9.0 0 Nd7 Now the standard plan - 9...Bd7 - would have been weaker. For example, 10.Be3 a6 11.f3 Rb8 12.Qd2 Ne5 13.Nd4 Qa5 14.Nb3 with advantage for White (Stein-I. Zaitsev, 37th USSR-ch, Moscow 1969). After the move in the game Boleslavsky gives the following variation: 10.Qd2 Nc5 11.f3 f5 12.exf5 gxf5 13.Ne3 Nd4 with active play for Black. The idea of the move Qd2 is to develop the bishop at b2. In recent times more often encountered has been 10.Bd2 Nc5 11.f3. In games v. Shmit (USSR Young Masters' Championship, Odessa 1968) and Dzindzichashvili (37th USSR-ch
Semi-final, Rostov-on-Don 1969) I, by analogy with the recommendation of Boleslavsky, continued 11...f5 12.exf5 Bxf5. Although the final results were favourable, the opening showed that Black runs into difficulties. It seems to me that Black ought to continue 11...a5. 10.Be3 8r+lwq-trk+0 7zpp+nzppvlp0 6-+nzp-+p+0 5+-+-+-+-0 4-+P+P+-+0 3+-sN-vL-+-0 2PzPN+LzPPzP0 1tR-+Q+RmK-0 10...Bxc3! Janošević, in a game v. my opponent (Vrnjačka Banja, 1971) continued, 'from inertia', 10...Nc5. After 11.f3 f5 12.exf5 gxf5 13.Qd2 Be6 14.Rad1 Qe8 15.b3 the advantage proved to be with White. After the capture at c3 in White's camp there are created doubled pawns on the c-file, and Black begins to systematically besiege them. The shortcoming of the exchange at c3 is that Black is deprived of the bishop at g7, which permits White to obtain a dangerous attack. 11.bxc3 Qa5 12.Qd2 Nc5 13.f3 It is of course desirable not to spend time on the move f2 f3. But on 13.Bh6 Re8 (13...Nxe4? 14.Qe3) 14.Qe3 Black would have replied 14...Na4 winning a pawn. 13...Be6 On the tempting 13...Na4 there could follow 14.Bh6 Re8 15.Nb4 followed by Nc3 d5. If immediately 14.Nb4, then 14...Nxc3 15.Qxc3 Qxb4. (Translator s note: in fact, after 13...Na4 14.Nb4, the continuation 14...Nxc3 cannot be recommended in view of the reply 15.Nxc6! Nxe2+ (15...bxc6 16.Bd1!) 16.Kf2!.) 14.Nd4 Rac8 15.Rab1 b6 I did not want to cut off the path of the queen to the rear, but this move is necessary to free the knight at c5 from the defence of the b7 pawn, and also for additional control over the square c5. 16.Bh6 Rfe8 17.Rb5 Qa3
8-+r+r+k+0 7zp-+-zpp+p0 6-zpnzpl+pvL0 5+Rsn-+-+-0 4-+PsNP+-+0 3wq-zP-+P+-0 2P+-wQL+PzP0 1+-+-+RmK-0 Precisely to a3, in order to have the possibility, in the case of the transfer of the enemy queen to the king's flank, of taking at c3 to establish control over the long diagonal. And although superficially the position of the queen at a3 provokes concern, it significantly ties down the white pieces. 18.Nxe6?! A committal decision. In order to neutralise Black's pressure on the c-file, a knight is necessary as well as the pair of bishops. Now he takes upon himself an increased obligation - to mate the opponent, since otherwise the weaknesses will tell. 18...fxe6 Naturally. Bad is 18...Nxe6 on account of 19.f4 with a dangerous attack. Now though on 19.f4 there follows 19...a6! 20.Rxb6 Nxe4 21.Qe3 Qc5. 19.h4 Nd8 Only with the transfer of the knight to f7 is it possible to defend the black king. Bad is 19...Ne5 on account of 20.Qd4. 20.h5 Nf7 21.hxg6 hxg6 22.Be3 Kg7 Defending the g6 pawn, Black prepares a counter-operation along the h-file. 23.Rf2 Rh8 24.Bf1 e5 White is preparing the transfer of the bishop to g2, in order to then play f3 f4. After this it will be essential for him to defend the e4 pawn and the square h1. Black fixes the opponent's pawns on the light squares, in passing preparing a position for a knight at e6. 25.g3 Nd7 The square e6 is intended for the other knight, while this one hurries to f6, where it radically parries the threat of f3 f4, in passing defending the square d5 from the invation of White's heavy
pieces. On the interesting sacrifice of a pawn - 26.c5!? Nxc5 27.Bc4 - with the aim of broadening the sphere of action of the bishops - possible is 27...Qa4. 26.Qc2 White turns his eyes to the other flank. In passing he creates a threat to the enemy queen (27. Bc1). However, Black ignores the threat. 26...Rh7! 27.Rb4 Qa6 8-+r+-+-+0 7zp-+nzpnmkr0 6qzp-zp-+p+0 5+-+-zp-+-0 4-tRP+P+-+0 3+-zP-vLPzP-0 2P+Q+-tR-+0 1+-+-+LmK-0 Now on 28.c5 there follows 28...Rch8, and the queen cannot be taken on account of the mate in two moves. 28.Qa4? Incorrect! After the exchange of queens, Black's advantage is undisputed. He ought to try to develop activity on the queen's flank, involving the advance of the a-pawn. 28...Qxa4 29.Rxa4 Rc7 30.Rd2 Nd8 31.f4 White tries to open the position, but after this his pawns become more vulnerable. 31...Ne6 32.Bg2 Nec5 33.Rb4 Nf6 34.fxe5 dxe5 35.Bxc5 Rxc5 36.Rb5 Rh8! Naturally, not 36...Rxc4 37.Rxe5, and the bishop soon comes to life. After the move in the text White manages to close the c-file, on which his weak pawns stand. However, the helplessness of the bishop at g2 leaves him with no chances of salvation. 37.Rxc5 bxc5 38.Rb2 Rd8 39.Rb5 Rd1+ Presenting White after 40.Kf2 Rd2+ 41.Kf1 Nh5! with an unpleasant choice: 42.g4 Nf4 43.Bf3 Kf6, or 42.Bf3 Nxg3+ 43.Ke1 Rxa2 44.Rxc5 Kf6. In both cases mating threats are created. 40.Kh2 Ng4+ 41.Kh3 Nf2+
'Testing' the opponent: 42.Kh4 Rg1 43.Bf3 Kh6. 42.Kh2 Here the game was adjourned, and Black sealed his move. Straightforward analysis demonsrated that White's situation is hopeless. 8-+-+-+-+0 7zp-+-zp-mk-0 6-+-+-+p+0 5+Rzp-zp-+-0 4-+P+P+-+0 3+-zP-+-zP-0 2P+-+-snLmK0 1+-+r+-+-0 42...Ng4+ 43.Kh3 Ne3 44.Rxc5 Nor is White saved by 44.Bf3 Rf1 45.Bg2 Rc1. Also cheerless is 44.Rb2 Rc1. 44...g5! The simplest. Now on 45.g4 there follows 45...Rd2 46.Bf3 Nf1 47.Bg2 Rd3+. 45.Rxe5 Kf6 46.Rc5 g4+ 47.Kh4 Rd2 White resigned. 8-+-+-+-+0 7zp-+-zp-+-0 6-+-+-mk-+0 5+-tR-+-+-0 4-+P+P+pmK0 3+-zP-sn-zP-0 2P+-tr-+L+0 1+-+-+-+-0 (Translator s note: An interesting postscript to the present game is the encounter between Leonid
Stein and Vladimir Tukmakov, played on 1st board in the match between Kiev and Odessa in the Ukrainian Team Championship at Odessa the following year. There, Black left his king in the centre and played 8...Nd7, on which there followed 9.0-0 (rather than 9.h4!?, as indicated by Kapengut). After 9...Bxc3 10.bxc3 Nc5 11.f3 Qa5 12.Bd2 Qa4 13.Qb1 Be6 14.Ne3 Na5 15.Qb5+ Bd7 16.Qb4 b6 17.Bd1 Qc6 18.Bc2 8r+-+k+-tr0 7zp-+lzpp+p0 6-zpqzp-+p+0 5sn-sn-+-+-0 4-wQP+P+-+0 3+-zP-sNP+-0 2P+LvL-+PzP0 1tR-+-+RmK-0 Black went in pursuit of the c4-pawn with 18...Na6 19.Qb2 Nxc4, but after 20.Nxc4 Qxc4 21.Bb3 Qc7 22.Bd5 Rc8 23.c4 f6 24.Bh6 Bc6 25.Bg7 Bxd5 26.exd5 Rg8 27.Bxf6 exf6 28.Qxf6, White s attack crashed through.)