This match was somewhat different that the usual team matches in that it was what Chess Review magazine called a Virginia reel match, so named after a dance that was most popular in America from 1830 to about 1890.
In a Virginia reel match, rather than being paired against just one player, each player meets every member of the opposite team one time. As in regular matches, substitutions are allowed.
The match was played between teams of four with one reserve. The USSR's 20-12 win confirmed what everybody already knew...the Russians were the world's best players.
In this game it was Keres who pulled off the double Rook sacrifice. In a very sharp variation of the SIcilian, on his 9th move, Szabo played a routine move often seen in the Sicilian, but in that particular position it wasn't correct and Keres pounced.
Keres got a strong attack going and on move 18 sac'd a R for positional considerations and then on move 21 he delivered the knockout blow by sacrificing the other Rook.
Paul Keres–Laszlo Szabo1–0Sicilain, Richter-Rauzer AttackUSSR-Hungary Team Match, BudapestBudapest HUN1955Stockfish 14.1
1.e4 c5 2.f3 c6 3.d4 cxd4 4.xd4 f6 5.c3 d6 6.g5 e6 7.d2 e7 8.0-0-0 0-0 9.f4 a6
Although this is a popular move in many variations, in this particular
position it has disappeared. Keres' reply is the reason. 9...xd4 Was the
correct move. 10.xd4 a5 11.c4 d7 10.e5 Sharp and forceful, this move
creates a dark squared weakness in black's position. 10.f3 is a routine
move that fails to take advantage of black's last move. a5 11.b1 d8 12.d3 b5 13.e1 b4 14.e2 b6 15.e5 dxe5 16.xe5 g6 17.h4 d5 18.xc6 xg5 19.xg5 White has a significant advantage. Kupper, J-Kelly,T Amsterdam 1954 10...dxe5 11.xc6 bxc6 12.fxe5 12.xd8 allows black to avoid more
serious difficulties. xd8 12...xd8 13.fxe5 does not win the B. xd1+ 14.xd1 d5 15.xe7 xe7 But here white's P-formation and better B gives
him the advantage. 13.fxe5 h6 14.h4 d7 15.xd8 xd8 16.e2 White is
better. 12...d7 12...d5 It looks like this is a good outpost for the N,
but after 13.xe7 xe7 14.e4 White's N finds a good square for his N on
d6 while black's N on d4 is window dressing. 13.h4 Typical of Keres.
Rather than exchanging Bs and having a positional advantage, he prefers to
attack. b8 The plan of ...Qb6 attacking b2 is not going to come to fruition.
13...h6 is met by 14.xh6 and if gxh6 White has a winning attack.
Just one line... 15.xh6 c7 16.d3 f5 17.h3 xe5 18.e3 g7 19.xe6+ f7 20.xc6 b8 21.c4 White is clearly winning. 14.e3 Countering the
planned ...Qb6 e8 The B has to be defended before he can continue his
Q-side counterplay. 14...xg5 doesn't work. 15.hxg5 b6 16.xb6 xb6 17.d3 g6 18.e4 and white is left with active play and what amounts to a
winning positional advantage. 15.h3 This R lift gets it into action. a5 15...b6 The exchange of Qs does not help black because after 16.xb6 xb6 17.xe7 xe7 18.e3 white maneuvers his N to d6 with a decisive positional
advantage. 16.xe7 xe7 17.g3 White does not have to worry about his
e-Pawn. e8 With this move Szabo defends against the back rank mate and now
he does threaten the e-Pawn. Hopefully, Keres will defend it with 18.Re1 17...xe5 18.xe5 xe5 19.d8+ e8 20.xe8# 18.xd7 Stockfish prefers
defending the P and does not especially care for this move which does not
generate any deadly threats. However, what it does is 1) eliminate all threats
to his e-Pawn and 2) free his pieces to attack black's K. That's reason enough
for Keres. Plus, it eventually leads to a pleasing finish to the game! xd7 19.d3 White intends Qg5 and h5 with a strong attack. Of course,
Stockfish ferreted out a good defense, but Keres was not playing Stockfish! h6 This prevents 20.Qg5, but costs black the game. 19...b4
would eventually lead to a loss. For example... 20.xh7+ xh7 21.g5 g6 22.h5 xb2+ 23.d2 g8 24.h3 g7 25.hxg6+ g8 26.h5 f8 27.h8+ g8 28.h6+ g7 29.f3 e8 30.h8+ e7 31.xg7 19...b4 This leads to black
getting equality. 20.g5 20.xg7+ likely draws. xg7 21.g5+ h8 22.f6+ g8 23.g5+ is an immediate draw. 23.h6 and black can wriggle out
of danger with careful play. xh4 24.xh7+ h8 25.xh4 g7 26.f6+ xh7 27.xf7+ h6 28.xd7 23...f8 24.h6+ e7 25.g5+ 20...g6 21.h5
Continuing the attack in this way is answered by d8 22.e3 h4 and all
danger on the K-side is past. 20.f4 20.xh6 is tempting but very wrong. xe5 White's attack is over and it's black who is winning. 21.g5 xg5+ 22.xg5 f6 with a material advantage. 20...f8 21.xg7 Decisive. xg7 22.f6+ f8 23.g6 Szabo resigned. A nearly perfect attacking game by
Keres. 23.g6 g8 24.xf7+ h8 25.h7# 1–0
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