This game is a classical example of Keres' strategic mastery.

Keres played solidly with black pieces and achieved a positional advantage that led to victory.

Game Information:

• Event: Vancouver
• Date: 1975.05.25
• Round: 10
• White: Walter Shawn Browne
• Black: Paul Keres
• Result: 0-1 (Keres won as Black)

In this game where Paul Keres, playing as Black, defeated Walter Shawn Browne, we can identify a few key moments where Keres demonstrated strategic mastery, leading to his victory. Here's a detailed breakdown of critical moves and potential sacrifices:

Key Moments and Critical Moves:

1. Opening Phase:

   • The game began with a Queen's Pawn Opening, where Keres employed a classical structure and developed his pieces harmoniously. He avoided any immediate sacrifices but built a solid defensive foundation.

   Moves:

   • 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 d5 4. e3 Be7 5. Nc3 c6

2. Midgame:

   • Around move 17-22, Keres started to gain more control over the center. He skillfully exchanged pieces, maintaining equal material while gaining positional advantage, particularly by forcing White's pieces into passive positions.

   Notable Moment:

   • Move 18: Keres accepts the exchange of queens, simplifying the game. This showed his willingness to go into an endgame where he had positional advantages rather than tactical fireworks.

   Move:

   • 18... Qxd6 (Exchange of queens)

3. Sacrificial Idea:

   • Move 23-26: While no major sacrifices occurred, Keres maneuvered his knight and rook in a way that created indirect pressure on White's king. His piece activity increased after forcing the opponent's knight into a defensive position.

   Moves:

   • 23. Rxe1 Rd8
   • 25. ...Ng6

4. Endgame Mastery:

   • By move 38, Keres advanced into a superior endgame where his active king and passed pawns dominated the board. The subtle exchange sacrifice of the knight on f4 allowed Keres to create a powerful passed pawn, which became decisive in the endgame.

   Move:

   • 42. ... c2 (A key pawn move that leads to victory)

5. King March and Pawn Advantage:

   • Keres began marching his king towards the center and advanced his pawns. His opponent was left trying to hold off the unstoppable black pawns, leading to Keres’ victory.

   Final Moves:

   • 54... Nxa5 (Keres wins the final battle of passed pawns)

Summary:

Keres did not perform any dramatic sacrifices in this game, but his positional understanding was flawless. He took control early, simplified the game to his advantage, and converted his slight material edge into a win with methodical precision. This is a prime example of how Keres preferred winning through steady pressure rather than aggressive sacrifices.

Download:

Paul Keres, 1571 games