Can you think like a Grandmaster ? (updated)

In the position above, Averbakh-Kotov Kotov sacs his Queen on h3 forcing a Kings March. There are a series of precise moves that black makes to keep up the pressure and turn this to a win.

I am playing this against Fritz to help understand what moves need to be made and when. I give the move order below so you can toy around with it as well.

This is a classic case where a side has a material advantage but can't use it. Given this exact position in the game, I hope I would make that Queen sac as black could force a draw if the game appear to be a loss.


(4401) Yuri Averbakh - Alexander Kotov [A55]
Zurich Zurich, 1953
A55: Old Indian Defence with Nf3 and e4 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nf3 Nbd7 4.Nc3 e5 5.e4 Be7 6.Be2 0–0 7.0–0 c6 8.Qc2 Re8 9.Rd1 Bf8 10.Rb1 a5 11.d5 Nc5 12.Be3 Qc7 13.h3 Bd7 14.Rbc1 g6 15.Nd2 Rab8 16.Nb3 Nxb3 17.Qxb3 c5 18.Kh2 Kh8 19.Qc2 Ng8 20.Bg4 Nh6 21.Bxd7 Qxd7 22.Qd2 Ng8 23.g4 f5 24.f3 Be7 25.Rg1 Rf8 Black prepares the advance f4 26.Rcf1 Rf7 27.gxf5 gxf5 28.Rg2 f4 29.Bf2 Rf6 30.Ne2 Qxh3+

Updated: Fritz saw this line that it liked when it analysed the info last night. The play is a series of checks with some of inbetween move to better blacks attacking position. ( I still need to further study this)

31.Kxh3 Rh6+ 32.Kg4 Nf6+ 33.Kf5 Nh5 34.Rg5 Rf8+ 35.Kg4 Nf6+ 36.Kf5 Ng8+ 37.Kg4 Bxg5 38.Qe1 Nf6+–+ -6.41/19 Line

This is a rather famous game and can be found here and with detailed annotation here at Life Masters AJ site ( an interesting site). It also appears in the Art of Attack chapter 2.