The English Language

[Roger de Coverly]

it is hard to imagine that such a move can occur in this position, devoid as it is of any tactical flavor

The actual position and move might help place it in context, but the likely meaning is that it's a quiet move in a position that is otherwise full of tactical blows and forcing variations.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

I guess the position is not tactical.
Here is the game:
[Event "London Classic Rapidplay"] [Site "London"] [Date "2013.12.15"] [Round "2"] [White "Gelfand, Boris"] [Black "Adams, Michael"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E06"] [WhiteElo "2777"] [BlackElo "2754"] [EventDate "2013.12.14"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "6k1/p1r2pp1/b3pn2/2p1N2p/2P5/5BPP/Pr2PP2/R3K2R b KQ - 0 24"] [Source "ChessBase"] [PlyCount "60"] [Eventtype "k.o. (rapid)"] [Eventrounds "3"] [Eventcountry "ENG"] [Sourcedate "2014.01.16"] [CurrentPosition "6k1/p1r2pp1/b3pn2/2p1N2p/2P5/5BPP/Pr2PP2/R3K2R b KQ - 0 24"] {So far, Michael Adams has been playing a fantastic game, reaching a very comfortable endgame. Black has several ways to maintain the pressure: 24...g5 or 24...Bb7 come to mind. Instead, Adams decided on a seemingly more logical course of action: White has only one active piece (the knight), so why not take it out of commission?} 24... Nd7 $4 {Played instantly, according to Gelfand. What could possibly be wrong with this move? After both 25.Nxd7 Rxd7 and 25.Nd3 Rc2, White is in deep trouble. What Adams failed to do was switch on his tactical detector, assuming that in such a dominant endgame there is nary a possibility for a tactical blow. Boy was he wrong!} (24... Bb7 $5) (24... g5 $5) 25. O-O-O {Boris says it best: "I don't think there is a lot more to say about this game (I won the endgame after winning the exchange.), but I would say that it is a fantastic feeling to be able to play this move, after seeing so many positions with this theme since I was a little boy. To some people it might seem unbelievable that this could happen to a top grandmaster, but it is important to understand that the reduced time control matters. Of course, it is possible to play a great game in rapid chess, but here we have a positional game drifting into an ending. Not having time to do everything, he [Adams] forgot that chess also includes tactics. It might be hard to believe, but it happened" (Gelfand 50). There is little I can add! I'm sure that Adams saw equally many puzzles where one side castles with devastating effect, but it is hard to imagine that such a move can occur in this position, devoid as it is of any tactical flavor. And yet, it is precisely this assumption that brings one down the primrose path.} 25... Nxe5 26. Kxb2 {Obviously, the game is not over yet; Black will have a pawn for the exchange, and Adams seriously cripples White's kingside pawn structures with his next move. Nonetheless, the open d- and c-files give White's rooks plenty of breathing room, and -- rapid game or not -- Gelfand's technique is nothing short of impressive.} 26... Nxf3 27. exf3 Bxc4 28. Rd8+ Kh7 29. Rc1 Bd5 30. Rc3 Kg6 31. h4 Kf6 32. a3 Ke5 33. Rh8 g6 34. g4 $5 {Crashing through on the kingside. Black's stronghold on h5 falls, and White will have the opportunity to create a passed pawn at his leisure.} 34... hxg4 35. fxg4 Kd4 36. Re3 f5 37. gxf5 gxf5 38. h5 f4 39. Rh3 Rb7+ 40. Kc1 Be4 41. Rd8+ Ke5 $2 {Too cooperative. Black withdraws his king from the center and forfeits any possibility to orchestrate last-ditch counterplay against White's king.} (41... Kc4 {was more tenacious, although after the alert} 42. Kd2 $1 (42. h6 $2 {is far less clear after} 42... Bf5 $1 {and White is forced to abandon the h-file, since} 43. Rh4 $4 Kc3 $1 44. Kd1 f3 $1 {loses!}) 42... Rb2+ 43. Ke1 Bf5 44. h6 $1 {I would rate White's winning chances as higher than Black's drawing chances. The computer gives the crazy line} 44... Bxh3 45. h7 Rb1+ 46. Kd2 Rb2+ 47. Kc1 Rb1+ $1 48. Kxb1 Bf5+ 49. Kc1 Bxh7 50. Rd7 {and White wins the all-important a-pawn when I doubt that a human will be able to hold the draw.}) 42. h6 c4 43. Kd2 Rb2+ 44. Ke1 Rb1+ 45. Rd1 Rb7 46. Rh5+ Kf6 (46... Bf5 47. h7 $1 Rxh7 48. Rxh7 Bxh7 49. Rd7 {transposed to a favorable version of the long line given in the note to Black's 41st move. White should have no probems converting his advantage.}) 47. Rd4 $1 {Crushing.} 47... Rb1+ 48. Kd2 Rb2+ 49. Kc3 Rc2+ 50. Kb4 Bh7 51. Rxf4+ Kg6 52. Rh3 e5 53. Rxc4 Rxf2 54. Rc7 1-0
My post is, as you can see, a part of the comment to White's move 25

[Roger de Coverly]

My post is, as you can see, a part of the comment to White's move 25

I think the comment is related to the sudden appearance of the O-O-O idea with a threat. It can be easy to overlook that a piece on b2 can be vulnerable if long castling is legal. Korchnoi once even asked whether it was legal to move a Rook through a threatened square.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

askedd who? When?

[Roger de Coverly]

askedd who? When?

The arbiter during his 1974 Candidates Final against Karpov.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

How do u k now that?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Korchnoi himself admitted it later.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

Korchnoi himself admitted it later.

Where?

[Matt Mackenzie]

In his biography "Chess Is My Life", amongst other places.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

What's the difference between 'well done' and 'excellent'?

[soheil_hooshdaran]

In his biography "Chess Is My Life", amongst other places.

Do you buy all biographies?Aren't they expensive?

[soheil_hooshdaran]

What does it mean that

The key is to notice that the combination of Black's misplaced

knight on a5, loose knight on d7, and flimsy pawn on e5 give White ample opportunity to use his strong piece coordination to get effect.
My problem is the meaning of "get effect".

[Mike Truran]

It's a misprint for "to good effect".

[soheil_hooshdaran]

Hoq are you sure?

[E Michael White]

It's a misprint for "to good effect".

That requires 3 insertions and 2 deletions. So it might be a misprint for "to great effect" which requires only 2 insertions.