But, sometimes imperfection can be fascinating.
Former World Champion Mikhail Tal's games were often full of tactics and intuitive sacrifices and he once said, "There are two types of sacrifices: correct ones, and mine."
Engines will show many incorrect sacrifices and sometimes even a clear, if not decisive advantage, for his opponent.
No matter if they were correct or not, Tal's games were played on his territory and his tactical play earned him the nickname "The magician of Riga".
Tal made many quotes concerning sacrifices. Two for example:
* "You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one."
* "Of course, errors are not good for a chess game, but errors are
unavoidable and in any case, a game without errors, or as they say
'flawless game' is colorless."
In that vein, the following imperfect, but captivating game, was played in the 1933 Marshall Chess Club Championship which was won by Reuben Fine.
Psychologist, university professor, chess book author and from the mid-1930s until his retirement from chess in 1951, Reuben Fine (October 11, 1914 – March 26, 1993) was one of the strongest players in the world.
Fine was a player with a universal style who won games in a variety of ways. "My chief objective," Fine once wrote, "was always precision, wherever that would take me."
Tartakower wrote that, like Capablanca, Fine "could make something out of nothing" That's pretty high praise for a player who remains pretty much unknown today.
Besides his opening knowledge, accurate positional play and endgame knowledge, Fine could also play grandiose and risky tactical chess as seen in the following game against the 1932 New York state champion and Natioanl Master Nathan (Nate) Grossman.
The Marshall women's champion in 1933 was Marjorie Luce (aka Mrs. William Seaman) who mopped up the competition with a perfect 11-0 score.
Reuben Fine–Nathan Grossman1–0D50Marshall CC Chp, New YorkNew York, NY USA1933Stockfish 15
Queen's Gambit Declined 1.d4 f6 2.c4 e6 3.c3 d5 4.g5 b4 5.e3 This was a relatively new move at the time. Fine played it to avoid
prepared analysis. 5.a4+ c6 6.e3 d7 7.b3 followed by Rc1 intending
to put pressure on the c-file was the usual line in 1933. 5...c6 Fine did
not care for this move, preferring instead a more energetic approach by 5...
Nbd7 followed by ...c5 or even 5...c5 at once. 6.b3 xc3+ 6...a5 7.xf6 gxf6 8.c1 d7 9.cxd5 xc3+ 10.xc3 xc3+ 11.xc3 cxd5 White has a slight
advantage. Botsari, A (2309)-Krasser,M (2180) Batumi 1999 7.bxc3 bd7 8.cxd5 Played In order to avoid the exchange of Qs said Fine. In any case, it's
probably the best move. 8.f3 h6 9.f4 b6 10.d3 xb3 11.axb3 0-0 12.c5 White is better. Berezka,A (2184)-Ugolkov, A Alushta 2008 8.d3 dxc4 9.xc4 b6 10.d3 d5 was the line given by Fine and he believed that an
exchange of Qs was inevitable which is something he wanted to avoid. Actually
white seems to be doing quite well after 11.f3 e4 12.xe4 xe4 13.0-0 8...cxd5 In his notes Fine gives us a little lesson here when he wrote:
Generally it is wise to capture with the c-Pawn when the open c-file can be
seized or challenged quickly, or when white may make a P-brake with b5. Here
the prospect of occupying the c-file, if not remote, is at least not
threatening, and white's P-formation is such that a break by b5 is not
possible. Therefore, 8...exd5 freeing the B seems preferable. 9.d3 0-0
10.e2 White is preparing the advance of
his e-Pawn. a5 10...b6 was preferred by Fine. 11.0-0 b7 12.f3 e5
But here white stand well. 10...h6 11.h4 e5 12.xf6 xf6 13.dxe5 g4 14.f4 xe5 would also leave white slightly better. 11.f3 Now, for
better or for worse, black had to try 11...e5 b6 11...e5 12.xf6 xf6 13.dxe5 d7 14.f4 c5 but here, too, white is better. 12.0-0 This routine
move allows black to equalize. 12.b5 xb5 13.xb5 a6 14.d3 h6 15.xf6 xf6 16.a4 d7 17.d2 and positionally white stands slightly better. 12...a6 13.c2 xd3 14.xd3 This position is completely equal now that black
has gotten play on the c-file and white's c-Pawn is under pressure. fc8 15.h4 b5 16.e4 c4 Here, and for the next few
moves black plays too passively. 16...b4 According to Fine this move to
open the c-file is the proper plan. 17.e5 e8 18.f4 bxc3 19.f5 and white
has the initiative. 16...b6 This looks to be black's best because after 17.xf6 dxe4 18.fxe4 xf6 white can claim no advantage. 17.e5 e8
18.f4 Now f5 is a strong threat. g6 Which black prevents,
but the proper way to do it was with 18...f5! 19.g4 Renewing the threat and now there is no good way for black to prevent it. b6 20.h1 Just a safety precaution getting the K off the Q's diagonal, but
he is over finessing and should have played 20.f5 at once. g7 Still trying
to prevent the advance of the f-Pawn. 20...f5 This takes advantage of
white's failure to play the immediate 20.f5 21.exf6 exf6 22.f5 e4 23.fxg6 hxg6 24.e3 g7 and black's K is safe and there is no effective way for
white to get at it. 21.f5 exf5 22.gxf5 xe5 22...xf5
leads to an immediate catastrophe. 23.xf5 gxf5 24.g1+ f8 25.xf5 h6 26.xd7 xh4 27.d6+ e7 28.h6+ e8 29.g8+ 23.h3 23.dxe5 allows black
to equalize after xh4 24.fxg6 xg6 25.xd5 e4+ 26.xe4 xe4 23...c6
Fine mistakenly claimed this is forced, but it is not.
Nevertheless, this move leads to an instant loss. 23...xf5 loses to 24.xf5 gxf5 25.dxe5 g4 26.d4 g6 27.f3 Here the best tactical sequence is xh4 28.xf5 Threatening a fork on e7 28.g1 g4 and black is winning. 28...h5 29.g3+ g4 30.xg4+ xg4 31.h6+ with a won ending. 23...c6 Puts up a stiff defense. 24.dxe5 d4+ 25.f3 xf3+ 26.xf3 dxc3 27.f6 ac8 28.e6 c2 29.xg7 xg7 30.f6+ f8 31.e7+ e8 32.c1 White is better,
but there is no forced win and the prospective ending looks arduous. In
Shootouts white only scored +1 -0 =4 24.f6 h5 25.fxg6 hxg6 26.f4 xf6
Fine now pulls off an amazing finish. 27.xg6 g7 Everything loses! 27...h7 28.xf7 xf7 29.d7+ xg6 30.g1+ g5 31.e6+ h5 32.g4+ g6 33.xg5+ f7 34.f5+ mates in 4 27...fxg6 28.e6+ h7 29.f7+ h6 30.xf6 e5 31.dxe5 etc. 28.g1 Oh,
no! This not only misses the win, it allows black to completely equalize! 28.xf6 is the only winning move. xf6 29.f1+ g7 30.f5 fxg6 31.f6+ h7 32.f3 and black is completely busted. 28...fxg6 Now Fine finds the only
moves to avoid a lost position. 29.xg6+ xg6 30.e6 An extraordinary
position. Black is a R and two Ns ahead, but has nothing more than a difficult
draw. Time pressure accounts for the blunder on black's next move. xd4
Blundering into a mate in 5. 30...e5 Only this move saves the
game. Now white has only one move that avoids defeat. 31.g1+ h6 32.xe5
Once again the only move that does not lose. 32.h3+ loses to h5 33.e3+ h7 34.xe5 h6 35.f5+ h8 36.g6 c1+ 37.g1 g3+ 38.hxg3 h6+ 39.g2 f8 and wins 32...g8 33.f4+ h7 34.h4+ h5 35.xh5+ h6 36.f7+ g7 37.f5+ g6 38.g3 and black has to take the draw... c1+ 39.g2 d2+ 40.f1 40.h3 loses to h6+ 41.g2 xc3 A R that might be easily forgotten
about since it has played no part in the K-side action. 40...d1+ etc. 31.g1+ h6 32.e3+ h7 33.e7+ h6 34.g7+ Facing mate next move,
Grossman resigned. 1–0
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