Do you remember 'the blunder of the century'?

[Ajedrecista]

Hello:

I saw R. Rapport (2621) Vs. E. Romain (2686), 1 - 0 at Tata Steel B, and the end of this game is a repetition of Deep Fritz (1 - 0) V. Kramnik, 2006.

[pgn][Event "Tata Steel (Group B)"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2013.01.13"]
[EventDate "2013.01.12"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "R Rapport"]
[Black "R Edouard"]
[ECO "D20"]
[WhiteElo "2621"]
[BlackElo "2686"]
[PlyCount "84"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 Nf6 4. Bxc4 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Qe2 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5
8. O-O b5 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. a3 O-O 11. b4 Bd6 12. Bb2 Bb7 13. Nbd2 Qe7 14.
Rac1 Rfd8 15. Rfd1 h6 16. h3 Rac8 17. Bb1 Nd7 18. Ne4 Bb8 19. Rxd7 Rxd7 20.
Nc5 Nd8 21. Nxd7 Rxc1+ 22. Bxc1 Qxd7 23. Bb2 Qc7 24. Qd3 f5 25. Ba2 Be4 26.
Qd2 Kh7 27. Be5 Qc8 28. Bxb8 Qxb8 29. Nd4 Qe5 30. Qc1 Bd5 31. Bxd5 Qxd5 32.
Qc7 Nb7 33. h4 Nd6 34. Qe7 f4 35. Nxe6 Nf5 36. Qf7 Qd1+ 37. Kh2 Qg4 38.
Nf8+ Kh8 39. Ng6+ Kh7 40. Nf8+ Kh8 41. Qg6 Nxe3 42. Qh7+ 1-0

[Event "Kramnik vs Deep Fritz"]
[Site "Bonn, Germany"]
[Date "2006.11.27"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Deep Fritz (Computer)"]
[Black "Vladimir Kramnik"]
[ECO "D20"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "69"]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 b5 4.a4 c6 5.Nc3 b4 6.Na2 Nf6 7.e5 Nd5
8.Bxc4 e6 9.Nf3 a5 10.Bg5 Qb6 11.Nc1 Ba6 12.Qe2 h6 13.Be3 Bxc4
14.Qxc4 Nd7 15.Nb3 Be7 16.Rc1 O-O 17.O-O Rfc8 18.Qe2 c5
19.Nfd2 Qc6 20.Qh5 Qxa4 21.Nxc5 Nxc5 22.dxc5 Nxe3 23.fxe3 Bxc5
24.Qxf7+ Kh8 25.Qf3 Rf8 26.Qe4 Qd7 27.Nb3 Bb6 28.Rfd1 Qf7
29.Rf1 Qa7 30.Rxf8+ Rxf8 31.Nd4 a4 32.Nxe6 Bxe3+ 33.Kh1 Bxc1
34.Nxf8 Qe3 35.Qh7# 1-0[/pgn]

Two Queen's Gambits Accepted that end suddenly for black after a fatal mistake, exactly with the same pattern (knight on f8 and queen checkmates in h7). It is incredible that a 2686 (!) rated player missed it without time pressure IIRC in a complex position for him, but not totally lost yet! By the way, I wish I had a rating of only 2686 Elo...

Maybe Romain thought about 42.- fxe3?, Qxh4+; 43.- Kg1, Qe1+ and draw by perpetual check in e1 and h4 squares (just a quick analysis by myself without using engines).

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

[Sven]

The position was totally lost IMO: 41...Qxg6 42.Nxg6+ Kh7 43.Nxf4 (otherwise white is two pawns ahead) Nxh4 44.e4 g5 45.Kh3 Kg7 46.Kg4 Kf6 47.g3 winning the pawn ending. Of course a mate in one is slightly worse, but Nxe3 might have been a move like "I resign unless you take my knight" which would of course be a joke on that level.

Sven