All players know that in the opening the f7-square is the weakest
point in black’s camp and catastrophes on that square can happen. Catastrophes on f7 aren’t limited to the opening though; they can happen in the middlegame. And, and they don;t just happen to amateurs; even masters can fall victim as Tan did in this game when the Brazilian Grandmaster pulled off a stunning coup starting with a Bishop sacrifice on f7 and then following it up with a Rook sacrifice on c7. The game was played in the Interzonal at Petropolis, Brazil in 1972.
Henrique Mecking (b. 1952) was born in Santa Cruz do Sul, a city of about 130,000 in southern Brazil.
He learned chess at the age of 6 at by age 11 he won his state championship at the age of 11. The in 1965, at the age of 13, he was the Brazilian champion. A long series of successes followed until 1979, when he was attempting his third consecutive Interzonal victory...he was forced to withdraw having been stricken with myasthenia gravis.
Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes muscle weakness, particularly affecting the muscles responsible for eye movement, facial expression and swallowing. Over the long term, the symptoms usually progress, reaching maximum or near-maximum severity within one to three years. Most people, when properly treated, find they can remain physically active.
It tool years, but he was eventually able to return to chess, but, naturally, not at the top levels. Mecking authored a bool telling his story and how Jesus Christ saved his life.
His opponent was Tan Lian Ann (b. 1947) from Singapore who was awarded the IM title in 1963.bHe was six times champion of Singapore.
[Event "Petropolis Interzonal"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Henrique Mecking"]
[Black "Lian-Ann Tan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A29"]
[Annotator "Stickfisg 17.1"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "1973.07.23"]
{A29: English Opening: Four Knights Variation} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 (
3... e4 {is, of course, premature...} 4. Ng5 Qe7 5. Qc2 {and the e-Pawn is
lost,}) 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O e4 {Black usually plays 6...h6 or 6...Re7.
The advance of the e-Pawn doesn't accomplish much.} 7. Ng5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Re8 9.
d3 exd3 10. exd3 d6 11. Rb1 {Hindering the develoipment of black's B.} h6 12.
Ne4 {The N goes here and not f3 because it invites the exchange of Ns.} Nxe4
13. Bxe4 {Black is in no danger yet, but note that he has no pieces defending
his K.} Ne5 {Black has tried 13...Qf6 a few time, but the text is perfectly
satisfactory.} 14. f4 {Sharp play! The safe 14.Bd4 is not for Mecking. Black
should play 14...Bg4 with a good game.} Nxc4 15. f5 d5 16. Bg2 Ne3 17. Bxe3 $1
Rxe3 18. f6 {Technically this position is equal, but white obviously has the
initiative which is a dangerous thing in Mecking's hands.} g6 19. Qd2 Re6 20.
Qxh6 Rxf6 21. Rxf6 Qxf6 22. Bxd5 {Black is facing some difficulty here oner
how to defend against an attack on f7. Tan mkaes the bold, and correct
decision) to offer up his b-Pawn and shield f7 and at the same timeget his R
on a8 into play.} Bf5 23. Rxb7 {Mecjing has reached a tricky position! How
does black defend?} Rd8 (23... Bxd3 {Threarening mate on f1} 24. Qf4 Qe7 25.
Rxc7 Qe1+ 26. Kg2 Bf1+ 27. Qxf1 Qd2+ 28. Kg1 Qxd5 {and it;s doubtful white can
win even with the extra P}) (23... Qe5 {is the correct defense because after}
24. Bxf7+ (24. Bc4 Qe1+ 25. Kg2 Re8 26. Rb2 Re2+ 27. Rxe2 Qxe2+ 28. Kg1 {
Black draws} Qe1+ (28... Bxd3 {leads to a lost B+P ending} 29. Qxg6+ Bxg6 30.
Bxe2) 29. Kg2 Qe2+) 24... Kxf7 25. Rxc7+ Ke6 26. Qh7 {Black can draw with 26...
Qe1+ or he can try} Qe3+ 27. Kg2 Qe2+ 28. Kg1 {but he still has to take the
draw.}) 24. Bc4 Qxc3 {[%mdl 8192] This loses outright. After 24...Bxd3 the
chances would be equal.} (24... Bxd3 $15 {keeps the upper hand.} 25. Bxd3 Qf3
26. Rxc7 Qxd3) 25. Bxf7+ {[%mdl 512] An excellent example of a B sacrifice the
point of which appears next move.} Kxf7 26. Rxc7+ {[%mdl 512] This second
sacrifice is a decoy.} Qxc7 27. Qh7+ Ke6 28. Qxc7 Rxd3 29. Qxa7 Rd1+ 30. Kf2
Rd2+ 31. Kf3 Rd3+ 32. Kf4 Kf6 33. Qa6+ {Black resigned.} 1-0
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