Want to save the Game? Play ....Rd5!

Sometimes perusing through a chess book or two can help to find patterns that are similar. 

Recently, leafing through Bronstein's book, "Secret Notes"....

I discovered a pattern in one of Bronstein's training games with Korchnoi from the year 1970, a pattern that was an echo of a game from the Tal-Botvinnik match in 1960!

The positions are quite different, but here's the rub: in both cases, Black could have drawn the game playing ....Rd5! 

Here we go, first with the Bronstein-Korchnoi game:

Here is the example from the 1960 World Championship Match between Tal and Botvinnik:

Here is a video where Seirawan analyses a game from the 1960 WC Match, and talks

about this book:

And here is a little bonus: Radjabov teaching the King's Indian Defense:

Botvinnik's failure to move his rook from f5 to d5 lands him in a passive position:

I hope you have enjoyed the notes by Bronstein and Tal. When I thought of this post, I did not realize how many hours it would take to type Black's comments! Tal's notes are extensive, deep and illumining; he uncovers for us all the secrets of this great game, the game that gave him great creative satisfaction, because in it he beat Botvinnik in Botvinnik's "positional" style!

Enjoy!

Wishes of good health, peace and joy to all!