Rook Bombs, Part 2

     Here is another game in which both Rooks are sacrificed. The game was played in 1955 in Budapest as part of a Hungary vs. USSR team match. 

     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.

[Event "USSR-Hungary Team Match, Budapest"] [Site "Budapest HUN"] [Date "1955.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Paul Keres"] [Black "Laszlo Szabo"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "Sicilain, Richter-Rauzer Attack"] [Annotator "Stockfish 14.1"] [PlyCount "45"] [EventDate "1955.??.??"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 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... Nxd4 {Was the correct move.} 10. Qxd4 Qa5 11. Bc4 Bd7) 10. e5 {Sharp and forceful, this move creates a dark squared weakness in black's position.} (10. Nf3 {is a routine move that fails to take advantage of black's last move.} Qa5 11. Kb1 Rd8 12. Bd3 b5 13. Qe1 b4 14. Ne2 Qb6 15. e5 dxe5 16. Nxe5 g6 17. Qh4 Nd5 18. Nxc6 Bxg5 19. Qxg5 {White has a significant advantage. Kupper, J-Kelly,T Amsterdam 1954}) 10... dxe5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. fxe5 (12. Qxd8 {allows black to avoid more serious difficulties.} Bxd8 (12... Rxd8 13. fxe5 {does not win the B.} Rxd1+ 14. Nxd1 Nd5 15. Bxe7 Nxe7 {But here white's P-formation and better B gives him the advantage.}) 13. fxe5 h6 14. Bh4 Nd7 15. Bxd8 Rxd8 16. Be2 {White is better.}) 12... Nd7 (12... Nd5 {It looks like this is a good outpost for the N, but after} 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Ne4 {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.} Rb8 {The plan of ...Qb6 attacking b2 is not going to come to fruition. } (13... h6 {is met by} 14. Bxh6 {and if} gxh6 {White has a winning attack. Just one line...} 15. Qxh6 Qc7 16. Bd3 f5 17. Rh3 Qxe5 18. Re3 Qg7 19. Qxe6+ Rf7 20. Qxc6 Rb8 21. Bc4 {White is clearly winning.}) 14. Qe3 {Countering the planned ...Qb6} Re8 {The B has to be defended before he can continue his Q-side counterplay.} (14... Bxg5 {doesn't work.} 15. hxg5 Qb6 16. Qxb6 Rxb6 17. Bd3 g6 18. Ne4 {and white is left with active play and what amounts to a winning positional advantage.}) 15. Rh3 {This R lift gets it into action.} Qa5 (15... Qb6 {The exchange of Qs does not help black because after} 16. Qxb6 Rxb6 17. Bxe7 Rxe7 18. Re3 {white maneuvers his N to d6 with a decisive positional advantage.}) 16. Bxe7 Rxe7 17. Rg3 {White does not have to worry about his e-Pawn.} Re8 {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... Nxe5 18. Qxe5 Qxe5 19. Rd8+ Re8 20. Rxe8#) 18. Rxd7 {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!} Bxd7 19. Bd3 {[%mdl 128] White intends Qg5 and h5 with a strong attack. Of course, Stockfish ferreted out a good defense, but Keres was not playing Stockfish!} h6 {[%mdl 8192] This prevents 20.Qg5, but costs black the game.} (19... Qb4 { would eventually lead to a loss. For example...} 20. Bxh7+ Kxh7 21. Qg5 g6 22. h5 Qxb2+ 23. Kd2 Rg8 24. Rh3 Rg7 25. hxg6+ Kg8 26. Qh5 Kf8 27. Qh8+ Rg8 28. Qh6+ Rg7 29. Rf3 Be8 30. Qh8+ Ke7 31. Qxg7) (19... Rb4 {This leads to black getting equality.} 20. Qg5 (20. Rxg7+ {likely draws.} Kxg7 21. Qg5+ Kh8 22. Qf6+ Kg8 23. Qg5+ {is an immediate draw.} (23. Qh6 {and black can wriggle out of danger with careful play.} Rxh4 24. Bxh7+ Kh8 25. Qxh4 Kg7 26. Qf6+ Kxh7 27. Qxf7+ Kh6 28. Qxd7) 23... Kf8 24. Qh6+ Ke7 25. Qg5+) 20... g6 21. h5 { Continuing the attack in this way is answered by} Qd8 22. Qe3 Rh4 {and all danger on the K-side is past.}) 20. Qf4 (20. Qxh6 {is tempting but very wrong.} Qxe5 {White's attack is over and it's black who is winning.} 21. Qg5 Qxg5+ 22. Rxg5 f6 {with a material advantage.}) 20... Kf8 21. Rxg7 {[%mdl 576] Decisive.} Kxg7 22. Qf6+ Kf8 23. Bg6 {Szabo resigned. A nearly perfect attacking game by Keres.} (23. Bg6 Kg8 24. Qxf7+ Kh8 25. Qh7#) 1-0