A Tactical Battle

 A frequent correspondents brings out attention to the following game, played in 1959, a really sharp tactical battle. The diagrams show positions not often reached in master games. 

Giora Pilshchik - Ya'akov Mashian

Four Knights' Defense [B00]

Histadrut Championship singles, Rd. 9, 18.3.1959.

Source: Davar, 27.3.1959, p. 8.

Annotator: A. A. Mendelbaum

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Nxe5 

5. d5 Ne7 6. Nxe5 d6?! (6...O-O 7. Qd4 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Re8 9. Bg5 Persitz - Alexander, 1955) 7. Bb5+ c6?! 8. dxc6 O-O 9. Nd7 Persitz - Silverberg, 1955. 

5... Nxe4?! A sharp continuation. 

5... Qe7 6. Qd3 Nxe5 7. dxe5 Qxe5 8. Bd2 O-O 9. O-O-O d6! with equality. 

6. Qg4 Nxc3 7. Qxg7 Rf8 8. a3 Nxd4!?

 8... Qf6? 9. Qxf6 Ne4+ 10. axb4 Nxf6 11. Nxc6 And White remains a pawn to the good. Relatively best is 8... Ba5 9. Nxc6 dxc6 10. Qe5+ Qe7 11. Qxe7+ Kxe7 12. Bd2 Bf5 13. Bxc3 Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 Bxc2 with a slight advantage for White. 

9. axb4!! Nxc2+ 10. Kd2 Nxa1 11. Kxc3 

The first stage of the face-to-face combat, starting before development ended, has reached a time out. Black is a pawn and exchange to the good, but due to threats like Bg5 or Bh6 and action on the open e-file, Black must immediatelly take counter-measures. 

11... a5! With the idea of exploiting the exposed position of the white king and also protecting the a1 knight. 

11... d6? with the idea of finishing development with Be6, Qd7, and 0-0-0 fails to 12. Bb5+! with a quick mate. 

11... c5? 12. Bc4 and the white king will find safety on d3.

12. bxa5! 

12. Bg5 f6 13. Be2 Qe7 14. Bh5+ Kd8 15. Nf7+ 

15... Rxf7 16. Bxf7 axb4+ 17. Kd3 Qd6+ 18. Ke2 fxg5 19.Qg8+ Ke7 20. Rd1 (20. Re1 Nc2!) 20... b6 21. Qe8+ Kf6 22. Rxd6+ cxd6 23. Qh8+ Kxf7 24. Qxh7+ and Black has three pieces for the queen and counter chances. 

12... Qe7 

12... Rxa5 13. Bg5! f6 14. Bh6 Qe7 15. Qxe7+ Kxe7 16. Bxf8+ Kxf8 17. Nc4! with a better ending for White.

13. Bc4 d5 14. Bxd5? More in the spirit of aggression and the position is 14. Bh6!, keeping the initiative and good winning chances. 

14... Qc5+ 15. Bc4? The crucial mistake. 15. Nc4 is necessary. If 15... Qxd5 16. Bh6 

15... Be6 16. Rd1 Qxa5+ 17. b4 Qa4 18. Rd2 Bxc4 19. Nxf7 Qb3+ 20. Kd4 Bxf7 21. Re2+ Kd7 22. Rd2 Rae8 23. Kc5+ Kc8 24. Qd4 Qe6 

24... Re5+ 25. Qxe5 Qc4# would have been quicker, but this oversight doesn't change the result. White resigns (0-1).