Stein Portisch 1962 -- Your move...

Thank you!

I'm a fan of the late Stein for his attacking flair. I'm a little surpised Portich didn't see that coming, it wasn't that hard to spot even for an amateur (the Knight and Bishop pattern in the corner is reasonably common).

Nice tactic, thanks for posting.

I agree that it's a real oversight for a player of Portisch's ability; it's a not a very deep combination. (I only post puzzles I can solve or think I should have been able to solve... crazy mate in 17 things annoy me... who wants to be reminded of his inadequacy?) Well, Portisch is a total stud. One of my favorite players since forever. He's 73 y.o., still active and a solid +2500 FIDE, his rating has been going up lately!

For the record, Portisch has an overall plus score against the unfortunate Stein who died with a lot chess left to play.

I'm pretty sure that Bishop and Knight mate in the corner combination is as old as time -- does it have a name? I'd be shocked if El Greco or Damiano or some other old timer hasn't got something like that in one of his games.

As for the opening, it's not a Najdorf, it's a Kan (specifically a modern Kan -- although Anderssen played it the 1859!) an old variation that by 1905 had showed up in a lot of top players' games. The kan has an early a6 which makes it look Najdorf-y) -- I'm not sure where it stands theoretically now -- At the elite level it seems to get most of it's play in rapids and blindfolds -- 

Kan Sicilian

And here's a Kasparov and Short fooling around with it in an entertaining tactical fun-fest just a couple of months ago:

A couple of Stein's later games, making monkeys out of strong opposition:

Thanks. I never heard of Stein before. 

Ljubojevic looks pretty bad there... he leaves his Q on d4 and I'm thinking: Ok, he's a GM so he can get away with that because he can accurately calculate any tactics arising from the obvious discovery threat and... DOH!

The Tal game is nice... that whole sequence from 18.Nd2 on is a case of who's zooming who? I picture the two of them talking like blitz hustlers in the park: "oh no you didn't it" -- "oh yes I did" -- "not like this you didn't" -- "oh yes I did" -- "just a-like-a dat?" -- "just a-like-a dat!"

Is this KID variation named after Leonid Stein: http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/E92_Kings_Indian_Defense_Petrosian_Variation_Stein_Defense

?

nice combination

I thought, like me, you sometimes post hastily without paying careful attention to what has been said previously. My mistake.

I do not understand what Najdorf Sicilian had to do with the Stein v Portisch game -- you are welcome to explain it to me, I don't promise to understand but I'm sure your chances are better than zero. 

I also don't think 1962 was that long ago -- geez -- I was born in 1962!

From the introduction of my old book (The Sicilian Flank Game -- I think it's the first monograph on the variation in English) on the Najdorf

"This book gives you an insight into the theory of the Najdorf Variation together with new ideas and variations that are to be found in it. The first time I came across this defence was in a game I played as white against the Czech master, Karel Opocensky, at Arbon in Switzerland during 1946. The Czechs had analysed and played this defence before Najdorf, but were not as successful with it. Najdorf appears to have learnt the variation at the time of playing in the Prague International Tournament of 1946. Therefore in his book on the openings Ludek Pachman, the Czech grandmaster neither credits Najdorf with the variation nor gives an alternative name, but simply writes 'the variation 2 ... P-Q3, 5 ... P-QR3!'."

Alberic O'Kelly de Galway 1969

... So the Czechs were working with it pre-46... , and Pachman gives 5...a6! an exclamation point by the time he publishes his multivolume opening book (Modern Chess Theory -- not sure when this four (?) vol work was first published -- not to be confused with Modern Chess Strategy, which is also by Pachman)

Although de Galway has Najdorf 'apparently' learning the opening in Czechslovakia in '46 -- Chessgames.com has Miguel Najdorf playing the line as Black in 1937 at Warsaw against Lajos Steiner -- MN wins in style too.

de Galway mentions later that "the name Najdorf was bestowed on the variation"  but he neglects to say when. I've been unable to google up an answer.

By the mid 1950s we get stories like "the Goteborg Variation...

"The birth of this variation took place at the Interzonal Tournament in Goteborg Sweden, during1955...  The day before the three competing Argentine Players (Najdorf, Panno, and Pilnik), all playing Black, were due to meet three Soviet players (Spassky, Geller, and Keres), the Argentinians together with Julio Bolbochan and Guimard got together to prepare a surprise in the Najdorf Variation. They found something new, but as always with a line, be it good or bad, that has not been fully tested, counter-shocks were possible and all three lost badly next day."

-- moral of the story, don't test your novelties on Spassky Geller and Keres!

Seems pretty clear that by 1955 top GMs were exploring the Najdorf Sicilian quite fervently.

"Are you sure you didn't mixed me with PrawnEatsPrawn? I exactly made my post in solely attempt to refute this logic."

Listen fellah, don't bring me into this. I've deliberately ignored you so far, simply because you don't seem to have a single clue what you're talking about.

Give my regards to Rybka.

Look, maybe your reading age is much lower than I gave you credit for.

Let me try this again:

I (an amateur, as I intimated in my first post) spotted the tactic. This surprised me because Portisch is/was a great player and obviously didn't know what hit him.

Do you get it now? is that simple enough for you? or do you need me to post some pictures?

Whatever your agenda is "Mr. 1400 blitz", take it elsewhere. Every time you open your silly mouth you display a lack of understanding and knowledge for a player of your supposed rating.

I see through you, so slink away now, like a good little doggy.

"Forgive me, i incorrectly understood your original post, that is my bad, but after your so nice answer i have zero repentance in it now."

The really galling part was that although you had completely misunderstood me (and I chose to ignore it), you saw this as a green light to continue taking the piss.

Your lack of understanding is absolutely breath-taking... Knight and Bishop mating patterns in the corner are a modern concept? Hahahaha! what a prize plum.

2600+?  pffff!