Contradictory Advice On Chess Position

[towforce]

Just a bit of fun: does anyone know of a chess position where two (or more) different experts gave contradictory advice?

I thought about this because there's so much contradictory advice in everyday life that it would be surprising if it hadn't happened in chess. When you get contradictory advice in every day life, I offer 3 remedies: (1) work it out for yourself (2) choose the one that looks best (3) choose the one that suits you best

[syzygy]

Some experts advise 1.e4, others advise 1.d4. Since you can't play both in the same game, this is contradictory advice.

[Ajedrecista]

Hello:

Sure! These frames do not need presentation:





Source: https://en.chessbase.com/post/fischer-v ... -years-ago

Exactly! The famous 29. ... BxKRP?! (descriptive notation thanks to the page 538 of September 1972 issue of Chess Life & Review magazine) of the first game of the WCC 1972. Many info can be found online; I want to point to The New York Times coverage:

Edge Is Given to Spassky In Adjourned First Game (July 12, 1972).

Fischer Walks Out, Comes Back, Loses (July 13, 1972).

[...]

Had Spassky miscalculated? Or had Fischer misjudged, giving up the bishop for two pawns and a tenuous position?

It will not be known until Fischer talks whether he miscalculated or decided to take Spassky's dare, the devil take the consequences.

[...]

"Perhaps Bobby will draw," said Dragolub Janosevic, the Yugoslavian master.

"Probably a draw," said Nikolai Krogius, the Russian grandmaster and psychologist for the Soviet team. The Yugoslav player, Svetozar Gligoric, one of the world's strongest players, however, said he did not think Fischer had any chance at all.

Another powerful player had no comment. "I am not thinking—I am drinking my coffee," said Efim Geller, Spassky's second.

[...]

[...]

Opinion Changes Overnight

Before the adjournment last night, Fischer had given up a bishop for two pawns. At the time, it was not known whether he had blundered on his 29th move, or whether he had a continuation so deep that no body could see it.

A night of analysis convinced the experts that Fischer's move was indeed one of the strangest lapses in grandmaster history."

Fischer's magic is such that even some grandmasters thought, directly after adjourned position, that he might be able to draw, but that was yesterday. This morning at breakfast, Spassky was smiling and appeared confident and relaxed. Fischer was not to be seen at all.

[...]

There were doubts about 1—0 or ½—½ after the game was adjourned, then overnight analysis agreed on 'black is lost'. Time had solved the issue... or not: this position has been analysed a lot since then, and modern top engines think that 29. ... BxKRP has non-losing evals (please do not take this last sentence as the ultimate truth). The first true blunder came on the second-to-last move before the adjournment according to SF 16:

[d]8/1p4p1/pP2pp2/2B5/P3k3/4P1K1/8/8 b - - 0 39

Code: Select all

FEN: 8/1p4p1/pP2pp2/2B5/P3k3/4P1K1/8/8 b - - 0 39

Stockfish_16-windows-x86-64-modern:
[...]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 41/68	06:23	 672.580.710	1.755.704	-5,28	a6a5 Kg3g4 g7g6 Bc5e7 f6f5+ Kg4g5 Ke4xe3 Kg5f6 f5f4 Kf6xe6 f4f3 Ke6d7 Ke3d3 Be7h4 g6g5 Bh4g3 Kd3e2 Kd7c7 Ke2f1 Kc7xb7 Kf1g2 Bg3e1 Kg2f1 Be1xa5 f3f2 Kb7a7 Kf1g2 b6b7 f2f1Q b7b8Q Qf1d1 Qb8b7+ Kg2g3 Ba5c7+ Kg3h4 a4a5 Qd1e1 Bc7b6 Kh4g4 Qb7d7+ Kg4h5 a5a6 Qe1e5 Qd7h7+ Kh5g4 Ka7b7 Qe5d5+ Kb7b8 Qd5b5 Qh7b7 Kg4h5 Qb7f7+ Kh5g4 Kb8b7
 41/31	06:23	 672.580.710	1.755.704	-0,43	Ke4f5 Kg3h4 g7g6 Bc5f8 e6e5 Bf8g7 Kf5e6 Kh4g4 Ke6e7 e3e4 Ke7f7 Bg7h6 Kf7e6 Bh6d2 Ke6f7 Kg4f3 Kf7e7 Bd2b4+ Ke7d7 Bb4c5 Kd7e6 Bc5f2 Ke6d7 Bf2h4 Kd7e6 Kf3g4 Ke6e7 Bh4e1 Ke7d6 Be1b4+ Kd6d7
 41/35	06:23	 672.580.710	1.755.704	-0,29	e6e5 Kg3g4 g7g6 a4a5 f6f5+ Kg4g5 f5f4 e3xf4 e5xf4 Bc5d6 Ke4d5 Bd6xf4 Kd5e6 Bf4e3 Ke6e7 Be3c5+ Ke7e6 Bc5f2 Ke6d7 Bf2g3 Kd7e7 Bg3e5 Ke7d7 Kg5f4 g6g5+ Kf4e4 g5g4 Ke4f5 Kd7d8 Be5c7+ Kd8e7 Kf5xg4 Ke7e8 Kg4g5 Ke8e7
 41/46	06:23	 672.580.710	1.755.704	-0,29	g7g6 Kg3g4 e6e5 a4a5 f6f5+ Kg4g5 f5f4 e3xf4 e5xf4 Bc5d6 Ke4d5 Bd6xf4 Kd5e6 Bf4e3 Ke6e7 Be3c5+ Ke7e6 Bc5f2 Ke6d7 Bf2g3 Kd7e7 Bg3e5 Ke7d7 Kg5f4 g6g5+ Kf4e4 g5g4 Ke4f5 Kd7d8 Be5c7+ Kd8e7 Kf5xg4 Ke7e8 Kg4g5 Ke8e7 Kg5f5 Ke7d7 Kf5e5 Kd7c8 Ke5d5 Kc8d7 Bc7e5 Kd7d8 Kd5d6 Kd8c8 Kd6e6

There were only three moves out of nine that had not got losing evals at black's 39th move, this is, ten moves later than the famous bishop sac.

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

[towforce]

Some experts advise 1.e4, others advise 1.d4. Since you can't play both in the same game, this is contradictory advice.

[towforce]

Hello:

Sure! These frames do not need presentation:





Source: https://en.chessbase.com/post/fischer-v ... -years-ago

Exactly! The famous 29. ... BxKRP?! (descriptive notation thanks to the page 538 of September 1972 issue of Chess Life & Review magazine) of the first game of the WCC 1972. Many info can be found online; I want to point to The New York Times coverage:

Edge Is Given to Spassky In Adjourned First Game (July 12, 1972).

Fischer Walks Out, Comes Back, Loses (July 13, 1972).

[...]

Had Spassky miscalculated? Or had Fischer misjudged, giving up the bishop for two pawns and a tenuous position?

It will not be known until Fischer talks whether he miscalculated or decided to take Spassky's dare, the devil take the consequences.

[...]

"Perhaps Bobby will draw," said Dragolub Janosevic, the Yugoslavian master.

"Probably a draw," said Nikolai Krogius, the Russian grandmaster and psychologist for the Soviet team. The Yugoslav player, Svetozar Gligoric, one of the world's strongest players, however, said he did not think Fischer had any chance at all.

Another powerful player had no comment. "I am not thinking—I am drinking my coffee," said Efim Geller, Spassky's second.

[...]

[...]

Opinion Changes Overnight

Before the adjournment last night, Fischer had given up a bishop for two pawns. At the time, it was not known whether he had blundered on his 29th move, or whether he had a continuation so deep that no body could see it.

A night of analysis convinced the experts that Fischer's move was indeed one of the strangest lapses in grandmaster history."

Fischer's magic is such that even some grandmasters thought, directly after adjourned position, that he might be able to draw, but that was yesterday. This morning at breakfast, Spassky was smiling and appeared confident and relaxed. Fischer was not to be seen at all.

[...]

There were doubts about 1—0 or ½—½ after the game was adjourned, then overnight analysis agreed on 'black is lost'. Time had solved the issue... or not: this position has been analysed a lot since then, and modern top engines think that 29. ... BxKRP has non-losing evals (please do not take this last sentence as the ultimate truth). The first true blunder came on the second-to-last move before the adjournment according to SF 16:

[d]8/1p4p1/pP2pp2/2B5/P3k3/4P1K1/8/8 b - - 0 39

Code: Select all

FEN: 8/1p4p1/pP2pp2/2B5/P3k3/4P1K1/8/8 b - - 0 39

Stockfish_16-windows-x86-64-modern:
[...]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 41/68	06:23	 672.580.710	1.755.704	-5,28	a6a5 Kg3g4 g7g6 Bc5e7 f6f5+ Kg4g5 Ke4xe3 Kg5f6 f5f4 Kf6xe6 f4f3 Ke6d7 Ke3d3 Be7h4 g6g5 Bh4g3 Kd3e2 Kd7c7 Ke2f1 Kc7xb7 Kf1g2 Bg3e1 Kg2f1 Be1xa5 f3f2 Kb7a7 Kf1g2 b6b7 f2f1Q b7b8Q Qf1d1 Qb8b7+ Kg2g3 Ba5c7+ Kg3h4 a4a5 Qd1e1 Bc7b6 Kh4g4 Qb7d7+ Kg4h5 a5a6 Qe1e5 Qd7h7+ Kh5g4 Ka7b7 Qe5d5+ Kb7b8 Qd5b5 Qh7b7 Kg4h5 Qb7f7+ Kh5g4 Kb8b7
 41/31	06:23	 672.580.710	1.755.704	-0,43	Ke4f5 Kg3h4 g7g6 Bc5f8 e6e5 Bf8g7 Kf5e6 Kh4g4 Ke6e7 e3e4 Ke7f7 Bg7h6 Kf7e6 Bh6d2 Ke6f7 Kg4f3 Kf7e7 Bd2b4+ Ke7d7 Bb4c5 Kd7e6 Bc5f2 Ke6d7 Bf2h4 Kd7e6 Kf3g4 Ke6e7 Bh4e1 Ke7d6 Be1b4+ Kd6d7
 41/35	06:23	 672.580.710	1.755.704	-0,29	e6e5 Kg3g4 g7g6 a4a5 f6f5+ Kg4g5 f5f4 e3xf4 e5xf4 Bc5d6 Ke4d5 Bd6xf4 Kd5e6 Bf4e3 Ke6e7 Be3c5+ Ke7e6 Bc5f2 Ke6d7 Bf2g3 Kd7e7 Bg3e5 Ke7d7 Kg5f4 g6g5+ Kf4e4 g5g4 Ke4f5 Kd7d8 Be5c7+ Kd8e7 Kf5xg4 Ke7e8 Kg4g5 Ke8e7
 41/46	06:23	 672.580.710	1.755.704	-0,29	g7g6 Kg3g4 e6e5 a4a5 f6f5+ Kg4g5 f5f4 e3xf4 e5xf4 Bc5d6 Ke4d5 Bd6xf4 Kd5e6 Bf4e3 Ke6e7 Be3c5+ Ke7e6 Bc5f2 Ke6d7 Bf2g3 Kd7e7 Bg3e5 Ke7d7 Kg5f4 g6g5+ Kf4e4 g5g4 Ke4f5 Kd7d8 Be5c7+ Kd8e7 Kf5xg4 Ke7e8 Kg4g5 Ke8e7 Kg5f5 Ke7d7 Kf5e5 Kd7c8 Ke5d5 Kc8d7 Bc7e5 Kd7d8 Kd5d6 Kd8c8 Kd6e6

There were only three moves out of nine that had not got losing evals at black's 39th move, this is, ten moves later than the famous bishop sac.

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

Impressive work - thanks for putting that together!