What’s intuition? It’s the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. Viswanathan Anand explained it when he said, "Intuition is the first move I think of."
For chess players intuition comes from the knowledge of chess and experience. In simple or familiar positions we often play automatically, but when things get complicated we have to calculate variations.
It happens that some times our calculations don’t go very deep and we make a decision based on other factors. The strong English GM John Nunn said of a game he played that aside from checking a few minor things he had calculated almost nothing the entire game.
When the following game was played the Queen sacrifice instigated at move 11was known, but whenever it was first played in pre-engine days its soundness had to be based on intuition. When this game was played in 1999 engines had reached the level where even GMs had a hard time beating them. Still, at that time the soundness of white’s Queen sacrifice was open to question.
The little known GM (title award in 1978) Adrian Mikhalchishin (born in 1954) was born in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, around 43 miles from the border with Poland.
His opponent was GM (title awarded in 1999) Dusko Pavasovic (born in 1976). He was born in Split, Croatia, but he plays for Slovenia and was the Slovenian champion in 1999, 2006 and 2007. He is also an FIDE Trainer.
The game was played in the 1999 Nova Gorica (Slovenia) Open. It was won by GM Zdenko Kozul a half point ahead of seven others, including Pavasovic. In spite of winning this fantastic game Mikhalchishin only scored 4 points and finished in 50th place.
[Event "Nova Gorica"]
[Site "Nova Gorica"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adrian Mikhalchishin"]
[Black "Dusko Pavasovic"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D45"]
[WhiteElo "2518"]
[BlackElo "2539"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 17"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
{D45: Semi-Slav: e3} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. e4 Nxe4 8. Nxe4 dxe4 9. Qxe4 e5 10. dxe5 O-O {This is a well known position and white has now tried developing both Bs to different squares, but his next move surrendering the Q is the most popular.} 11. exd6 {Even though white does not quite get full material compensation for the Q there are other factors to be considered so the position is considered to be one that offers equal chances to both side.} Re8 12. Qxe8+ Qxe8+ 13. Be3 {For the Q white has a R+B+P which is very neary enough compensation materially, but he has problems with his development and K safety. Engines evalaute the position as equal, but practically speaking GMs differ. Some think the position is good for black while other maintain that the P on d6 is a valuable weapon and white should have a good game.} b5 {Thus move is a novelty, but mot an especially good one. even though white's K might come under attack.} (13... Ne5 {is black's black's best move and it was Stockfish's top choice after about 20 minutes of analysis.} 14. O-O-O Nxf3 15. gxf3 Bd7 16. Bd3 Qe5 17. Rhg1 g6 {is equal as was played in Mikhalchishin,A (2490)-Flear,G (2320) Mexico 1980}) 14. O-O-O {This is quite risky as it plays into black's hands by exposing his K to attack. A safe course was 14.Be2 and then castling K-side.} Nf6 15. Bd4 {The idea behind this move is to eliminate the black pieces that are blockading the d-Pawn. Nevertheless, it might have been a better idea to support the d-Pawn with 15.c5. And now black might have better played 15...c5 himself to prevent white from protecting the d-Pawn.} Be6 16. Bxf6 {According to plan, but 16.c5 was still a good option.} gxf6 {Oddly, the doubled Ps are not a serious weakness here because white his more important things to tend to.} 17. c5 {Finally. The protected passed P is a bone in black's throat. Still, Black has a Q vs, R+N+P, so the chances remain about equal/} b4 {Black finally makes a bad move!} (17... Bxa2 18. Bd3 a5 19. Rhe1 Qd7 20. Nd4 {Technically the position is even, but practically speaking you have to like white's centralized pieces and extra space. Still, it's interesting that Shootouts lead to some interesting play, but white only managed to score +0 -1 =4!}) 18. Kb1 {Now that his K os safe and the P is protected white can claim a bit pf an advantage.} Qd8 (18... Bf5+ {was better because after} 19. Ka1 Qe4 20. Ba6 {Threatening Bb7} Bd7 21. Rhe1 Qf5 22. Rc1 {Black has sufficient defensive resources.} Kf8) 19. Nd4 {Of course he wants to eliminated the B...see the next note.} Bd5 20. Rc1 {This somewhat odd looking move is actually quite brilliant..it prepared the exchange of Bs. Black's B is hindering the advance of the d-Pawm. Refer to the note back on move 15!} Qa5 21. Nb3 Qd8 {Black has no really satisfactory move.} (21... Bxb3 22. axb3 Kf8 23. Bd3 h5 24. Rhe1 Re8 25. Be4 Qa6 26. Rc4 {and white is winning; black cannot defend everything.}) 22. Bc4 Be4+ {Naturally black wants to keep his B.} 23. Ka1 Qd7 24. f3 {White is clearly winning.} Bf5 25. Nd4 Re8 (25... Bg6 {keeps the B, but it's way out of place on h6. After} 26. Rce1 Qd8 27. Re7 {The P on d6, the attack on f7 and the control of the e-file assure white of the win.}) 26. Rhe1 (26. Nxf5 Qxf5 27. Rhd1 {would also be a win for white.}) 26... Re5 27. Rxe5 fxe5 28. Nxf5 Qxf5 29. Rd1 Qd7 {Holding up the d-Pawn. or so ot seems.} 30. Bb5 {[%mdl 512] This problem like move made black resign.} (30. Bb5 Kf8 (30... cxb5 31. c6 Qxc6 32. d7 {and the P queens.}) 31. Bxc6 Qd8 32. Bb5 {clearing the way for the c-Pawn.} Qa5 33. c6 Qxb5 34. d7) 1-0
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