Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian vs Iosif Pogrebissky - URS-ch sf 1949.05.??

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Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian vs Iosif Pogrebissky
URS-ch sf Tbilisi round 7 1949.05.??
Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation 1-0

[Event "URS-ch sf"]
[Site "Tbilisi URS"]
[Date "1949.05.??"]
[EventDate "1949.04.00"]
[Round "7"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian"]
[Black "Iosif Pogrebissky"]
[ECO "D74"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "55"]

1. d4 {Notes by Peter Clarke} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3
{In the last few years this fianchetto has lost ground as a
means of combating the King's Indian, being replaced by
systems involving a more immediate and aggresive occupation of
the center. Petrosian's part in this trend is clear to see in
later games. Here, of course, White may have been prepared for
the Gruenfeld anyway.} O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 {The basic
idea behind Black's play, as in the Alekhine Defence, to
provoke his opponent into making premature pawn
advances. Inevitably there is a considerable element of risk
in such a policy, for nobody can predict the outcome with
certainty and pawns which prove weak in one game may, given
some new finesse, become a crushing force in the next. All
this is typical of the modern approach to the openings -a
willingness to make concessions of some sort in the belief
that real counter-chances will be obtained in return.} 7. O-O
c5 8. e4 Nf6 {8...Nb6 went out of favour with the game
Botvinnik - Novotelnov, Chigorin Memorial Tournament, 1947,
which continued 9.d5 e6 10.Bg5 f6 11.Be3 Na6 12.Nc3 Nc4 13.Bc1
e5 14.Nb5 Bd7 15.a4, etc.} 9. e5 Nfd7 {Tempting fate a little
too far. He should play 9...Nd5, to which White normally
replies 10.dxc5, with an intense struggle ahead.} 10. Ng5 {! A
very useful opening principle refers to the danger of moving
the same piece twice before completing one's development. In
this game Black's whole strategy has so far been a negation of
this - yet it cannot be condemned as wrong - and now White
'errs' as well. Knowing principles is good; knowing how to
break them is better! The Knight move is the only way to
obtain the advantage. It fulfill two functions; permits him to
consolidate his e-pawn by f4 and at the same time threatens
the disruptive e6.} cxd4 {He has no choice. After 10...e6
11.f4 White has secured his spatial advantage and Black's play
has failed accordingly.} 11. f4 {Too slow now. 11.e6 gives
excellent chances; for instance, 11...Ne5 12.exf7+ Nxf7 13.Qb3
e6 14.Bxb7 Bxb7 15.Qxb7 Nxg5 16.Bxg5 Qxg5 (though 16...Qb6 is
better, White still has the upper hand after 17.Qxb6 axb6)
17.Qxa8 Qb5 18.Na3 Qxb2 19.Qxa7 Nc6 20.Qd7 Ne5 21.Qxe6+
(Donner-Bouwmeester, Munich, 1954).} Nc5 {If 11...Nc6
(reckoning on 12.e6 Nc5 13.exf7+ Kh8!) White could probably
get away with 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Qxd4, the initiative and command
of the center being his.} 12. b4 {This is really the decisive
moment. White realises he must play with the outmost
vigour-having failed to do so on the previous move! His idea
here is that after 12...Ne6 (not 12...Nca6 13.a3!) 13.Nxe6
fxe6 Black's KB would be shut out of the game for good while
his other one would be a little better off. And the d-pawn
would be sure to fall. So what is Black to do? He must play
vigorously himself and instead of ...fxe6 be ready to
sacrifice the exchange by 13...Bxe6 14.Bxb7 Bd5; if he
accepts, White is left desperately weak on the white
squares. Petrosian, who pointed out this possibility
afterwards, would probably have exchanged Bishops and tried to
make something out of the temporary isolatin of the
d-pawn. The likelyhood of his succeeding would not appear to
have been very great. But Pogrebyssky panics and in a vain
attempt to drive back the enemy Knight gets his King position
compromised.} f6 13. exf6 {!} exf6 14. Nxh7 Kxh7 15. bxc5 Nc6
16. Bb2 Qc7 {Defending the d-pawn indirectly, e.g. 17.Bxc6
Qxc6 18.Qxd4 Bh3 19.Rf2 Rad8, etc. However, since there was
not that much to lose now, he might have boldly played
16...Bf5 and hoped for some counterplay if White took the
pawn.} 17. Nd2 Be6 18. Ne4 Rad8 19. h4 {! By this energetic
thrust White shows up the true weakness of his opponent's K
side. Though Black has got all his pieces out, they are
powerless to stop the onslaught.} Qd7 20. h5 Bg4 {Seeming to
block the way, but White has a small combination ready.}
21. hxg6+ Kxg6 22. f5+ Bxf5 {If 22...Qxf5, then 23.Qb1! forces
Black to expose himself to a deadly discovered check; while if
22...Kh5, there is the drastic finish 23.Qxg4+! Kxg4 24.Rf4+
and mate next move.} 23. Nd6 {The quiet point. Petrosian
concludes the attack with a series of elegant strokes.} Bg4
24. Be4+ Kh5 25. Rf4 {! An echo of a previous idea; if
25...Bxd1, then Rh4+ Kg5 27.Bc1 mate.} f5 26. Rxg4 fxg4
27. Qd2 {Threatening mate in two by Qh2+.} Rh8 28. Kg2 {!} 1-0

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Updated: 23 January, 2022
Created: 23 January, 2022