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Lilienthal — Kan ​

Moscow, 1935

  • Andor Lilienthal (1911–2010)Hungarian and Soviet grandmaster (1950), 1940 USSR co-champion, and a Candidate in 1950. He is famous for the queen sacrifice that beat Capablanca at Hastings 1934/35.
  • Ilya Kan (1909–1978)Soviet international master (1950) and international arbiter (1956). He played in ten USSR Championship finals, finishing third in 1929, and the Kan Variation of the Sicilian bears his name.

In this position the pawns stand almost the same way as in the game Rossetto — Bobekov, but here White can carry out the breakthrough on the queenside flank much faster. The bishop on f2 plays a big part in this — it is stronger than its "opponent" on g7:

  1. 14.
  2. Preventing 15. b4
  3. 15.
  4. With the threat of ♗c8-h3. Pushing the g- and h-pawns right away promised more
  5. 16.
  6. 17.
  7. This could have been played right away too
  8. 17.
  9. To clear the way for the g-pawn
  10. 18.
  11. 19.
  12. 20.
  13. 21.
  14. 22.
  15. 23.
  16. 24.
  17. The breakthrough is complete. White is now completely in control on the queenside, while Black has achieved nothing real on the kingside
  18. 25.
  19. 26.
  20. 27.
  21. The trade of the light-squared bishop cannot be avoided. If it retreats to d7 or c8, 28. ♘b6 could follow
  22. 28.
  23. 29.
  24. Black's pawn advance on the kingside was not properly backed up by the pieces, and as a result White seizes the open g-file. An example of seizing the initiative on both flanks
  25. 29.
  26. 30.
  27. 31.
  28. 32.
  29. 33.
  30. 34.
  31. Now White carries out a combination, but there was no satisfactory defense left anyway
  32. 35.
  33. A beautiful move
  34. 35.
  35. and Black must resign
  36. 36.
  37. 37.
  38. 38.
  39. The queen has played its part on the queenside and now heads for the kingside
  40. 38.
  41. 39.
  42. 40.
  43. Black resigned in view of the threat of 41. ♖h8+ and 42. ♕g8#
  44. ()