[Event "Candidates Tournament"] [Site "Zuerich"] [Date "1953.08.31"] [Round "2"] [White "Geller, Efim P"] [Black "Euwe, Max"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E28"] [Annotator "Llewellyn, Alan"] [PlyCount "52"] [EventDate "1953.08.30"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "30"] [EventCountry "SUI"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] {This tournament (The Zurich 1953 Candidates) was to decide who should play Mikhail Botvinnik for the World Championship. Max Euwe was 52 at the time and few people gave him a hope of defeating the Soviets. Efim Geller was one of them and although the Soviets started a period of hegmony over the World Title solidified by this tournament, here Max the Dutchman gets the better of the Soviets in spectacular style. Incidentaly, Smyslov won the right to challenge Botvinnik in this tournament.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {The Nimzo-Indian Defence, notice how the c4 pawn becomes weak but Efim tries a Kingside attack, it looks for all the World like Efim has a winning advantage but then blam.} 4. e3 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. f3 Nc6 9. Ne2 O-O 10. O-O Na5 11. e4 Ne8 12. Ng3 cxd4 13. cxd4 Rc8 14. f4 (14. c5 bxc5 15. dxc5 Rxc5 16. Be3 Rc6 17. Bxa7 $11) 14... Nxc4 15. f5 f6 16. Rf4 b5 $3 {This move is essential in Blacks counter attack which must be accurate to succeed. See if you can see the point behind it. See Blacks next move.} 17. Rh4 Qb6 $1 {The point of Blacks last move.} 18. e5 Nxe5 19. fxe6 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 (20. exd7 Rxc1 21. Rxc1 Nxc1 22. dxe8=Q Rxe8 23. Qxc1 g5 24. Rg4 Qe6 25. h3 Qe3+ 26. Qxe3 Rxe3 $19) 20... Qxe6 21. Qxh7+ Kf7 22. Bh6 Rh8 $3 {oh wow} (22... Qd5 23. Re4 Rc6 24. Rae1 Re6 $17) 23. Qxh8 Rc2 $1 24. Rc1 $4 (24. d5 {the only defence- the point is it prevents Maxs Queen from infiltrating to the c4 square by attracting the Bishop in front of it.}) 24... Rxg2+ 25. Kf1 Qb3 $1 26. Ke1 Qf3 $1 {There is no defence to the Qf2+ and Rg1# or if 27.Rf4 Qe3+ and if 28.Kd1 Qd2# or if 28.Kf1 Qxc1#.} 0-1