In the following game Boleslavsky sacrifices a Pawn in order to maneuver his Knight into a blockading position that is so strong it leads to winning the game.
Isaac Boleslavsky (191901977) learned to play chess at the age of nine, but it was not until after World War II that he first made a name for himself and in the 1950s he was one of the leading Soviet players. He died in Minsk at age 57 after a fall on an icy sidewalk. He suffered a fractured hip and could not overcome an infection acquired during his hospitalization. Georgy Lisitsin (1909-1972) was was Leningrad Champion in 1933-34 (jointly), 1939 and 1947 (jointly) and was awarded the IM title at its inception in 1950.
[Event "USSR Champ, Leningrad"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1956.02.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Isaac Boleslavsky"]
[Black "Georgy Lisitsin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 19"]
[ECO "B76"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[BlackFideId "-1"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[GameId "2367641511301139"]
[EventDate "1956.??.??"]
{B76: Sicilian Dragon} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O Nxd4 {With this move black enters a line that has not enjoyed much success. Better wpuld have been 9...d5} (9... d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bd4 e5 {But even here although the position is technically equal, in practical play white has enjoyed considerable success.}) 10. Bxd4 Qa5 {A poor choice. Much better would have been 10...Be6} 11. Kb1 (11. Bc4 {is the thematic move, but it can safely be met by} Be6 {Capturing the B only strengthems black's center, so...} 12. Bb3 b5 {with good play.}) 11... e5 (11... Be6 {is often met with the incorrect 12.g4 which allows black to get good play. Much better for white is} 12. Nd5 Qd8 (12... Qxd2 13. Nxe7+ {and white is practically winning}) 13. h4 h6 14. g4 {White has a very dangerous attack brewing.}) 12. Be3 Be6 {Inhibits Bc4.} 13. a3 ({Stronger than} 13. Qxd6 Bxa2+ 14. Nxa2 Rfd8 {forcing} 15. Qxd8+ Rxd8 16. Bc4 {and white only has a R+B for his Q.}) 13... Rfd8 {Black's plan is to prepare the advance ...d5.} (13... a6 {Black apparently thought he was setting a trap in Matsuura,E (2460)-Assumpcao,R (2305) Sao Paulo 2006 when he played this, but...} 14. Qxd6 {and white found the refutation.} Rfd8 15. Bb6 Rxd6 16. Bxa5 Rc6 {White has won the P cleanly and eventually won the game.}) 14. Nb5 {A clever retort. Black can't afford to trade Qs and there is no really good square to which the Q can retreat.} Qa4 {After the previous error 14 . , Q x Q; 15 Rx Q is no longer sufficient, since both 16 Rtx QP and 16 Kt—B7 are threatened.} (14... Qxd2 15. Rxd2 d5 16. Nc7 Rac8 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Bxa7 dxe4 19. Rxd8+ Rxd8 20. fxe4 Nxe4 21. Be2 {The ending is greatly in white's favor.}) 15. c4 {This surprising P sacrifice allows white to force the exchange of both the black pieces that cover the important strategic square d5. It's interesting strategy that was praised by GM Ludek Pachman in one of his otherwise excellent book, but it misses the crusher.} (15. Nc7 {Attacking the R and threatening Bb5.} Qc6 16. Nxa8 d5 17. Bb5 Qxb5 18. Nc7 Qc6 19. Nxe6 Qxe6 20. exd5 Rxd5 21. Qe2 {1-0 Alonso,S (2500)-Campeon,M (2020) Villa Tehuelches CHI 2019}) 15... Bxc4 {[If black declines the P offer he will still end up with a vastly inferior position.} (15... Rac8 16. Qc2 Qxc2+ 17. Kxc2 Bxc4 18. Bxc4 Rxc4+ 19. Kb3 Rc6 20. Nxa7 Ra6 (20... Rc7 21. Bb6) 21. Nb5 d5 22. exd5 Nxd5 23. Rd3 {White's position is vastly superior.}) 16. Nc3 Qb3 17. Bxc4 Qxc4 18. Bg5 Qe6 19. Bxf6 {gaining complete control of d5.} Qxf6 20. Nd5 Qh4 {The result of white's 15.c4 is that he is left with a strong N in the center and black has a bad B. Black's extra P on d6 is actually a disadvantage, because it hinders black's pieces. White's next plan is to prepare the opening of files on the K-side for an attack on black's K.} 21. Qe2 {[%mdl 1024] White has strong compensation.} Bf8 {Were it not for the pawn at (23, the Bishop could come into play this way!} 22. Qf1 $1 (22. g3 {at once would be wrong because after} Qh3 {the advance of the white Ps is held up.}) 22... Rac8 23. g3 {[%mdl 32]} Qg5 24. h4 Qh6 {Capturing the g-Pawn loses the Q.} (24... Qxg3 25. Rh3 (25. Rd2 {Curiously, in Modern Chess Tactics Pachman claimed this move wins the Q after ...Rg2, it does not. Still, after} Bh6 26. Rg2 $4 (26. Rd1 $1 {wins after 27.Rh3}) 26... Rc1+ {black has equalized.}) 25... Qxh3 26. Qxh3) 25. g4 {Threatening the winning advance of the g- and h-Pawns.} g5 26. hxg5 Qxg5 27. Rh5 Qg6 28. g5 {The decisive move. Black has no defense.} h6 29. Rxh6 $1 {[%mdl 512]} Qxg5 (29... Bxh6 30. Ne7+) 30. Rh5 $3 {[%mdl 512] Black resigned. Except for the tactical hiccup on move 15 this game is an excellent example of strategic play.} (30. Rh5 Qxh5 31. Nf6+ Kh8 32. Nxh5) 1-0
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