Rafael Vaganian
Notable Games

Rafael Vaganian

16 celebrated games · 1307 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1307 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1971.09.16 Vaganian, Rafael A vsKarpov, Anatoly 1-0 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense 27 moves URS-ch39 Final The 39th USSR Championship of 1971, the year he became a grandmaster at nineteen, against the twenty-year-old Anatoly Karpov. 19.Rc7 and 20.Rxb7 take the seventh rank, 22.Rxa7 wins a pawn, and 27.Bb7 ends it in 27 moves.
  • 1973.04.26 Vaganian, Rafael A vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation 38 moves Moscow 3teams A three-team tournament in Moscow, 1973, against Vasily Smyslov, the former World Champion. The queens are off at move 12; 20.Rb6 and 23.Rxb7 win a pawn, and the rook, bishop and knight hunt the black pieces until 38.Bc5.
  • 1974.12.02 Vaganian, Rafael A vsKupreichik, Viktor D 1-0 Indian Defense 22 moves URS-ch42 Final The 42nd USSR Championship, 1974, where he shared third place, against Viktor Kupreichik. Black takes the b-pawn with 4...Qxb2, and White attacks: 12.e6, 19.Qxg6, 21.Rxf6, and 22.Bxd7 ends it in 22 moves.
  • 1975.01.04 Vaganian, Rafael A vsBotterill, George Steven 1-0 Indian Defense 17 moves Christmas Congress 1974/75-50 Premier Hastings 1974/75 against George Botterill. 11.Bxf7+ Kxf7 12.Qb3+ drives the king out, 13.Nxg6 and 14.Nxh8 take a rook, and 17.Ne7 ends it in 17 moves.
  • 1975.08 Vaganian, Rafael A vsBronstein, David Ionovich 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation 58 moves Zonal Vilnius The Vilnius Zonal of 1975 against David Bronstein. 19.Nd5 cxd5 20.Rxb3 opens the game, Black gives his queen for rook and bishop with 23...Qxa1+, and White promotes twice: the d-pawn with 40.d8=Q and the c-pawn with 50.c8=Q.
  • 1976.03.05 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsVaganian, Rafael A 0-1 French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation 28 moves Skopje Solidarnost-06 Skopje 1976 with Black against Samuel Reshevsky. A Tarrasch French in which 16...Bh4+ 17.Kxh4 Rxf3 gives up a bishop to draw the white king up the board, and 25...Ng6+ keeps it there.
  • 1976.12.16 Petrosian, Tigran V vsVaganian, Rafael A 0-1 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense 30 moves URS-ch44 Final The 44th USSR Championship, 1976, with Black against Tigran Petrosian, the former World Champion. 23...fxe4 and 24...Rxf1+ open the f-file, 26...Nf3+ drives the king to the corner, and 30...Rf2 ends it in 30 moves.
  • 1977.07.06 Tal, Mikhail vsVaganian, Rafael A 0-1 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation 40 moves October Revolution 60years The tournament for the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution, 1977, with Black against Mikhail Tal, the former World Champion. 18...e4 and 19...exf3 open the white king, 24...Nxf2 25.Kxf2 Qxe6 strips it, and 37...Qxh4+, 38...Rxe3 and 40...Qh1+ finish it.
  • 1980.09.04 Vaganian, Rafael A vsSveshnikov, Evgeny 1-0 King's Indian Attack 35 moves Chigorin Memorial-14 The Chigorin Memorial, Sochi 1980, against Evgeny Sveshnikov. A King's Indian Attack: 22.Bxh6, 25.Nxf7+ and 26.Bxg7+ strip the king, 30.Rxg7 gives back the exchange, and 32.Qxe8+ wins a rook.
  • 1983.10.12 Vaganian, Rafael A vsHuebner, Robert 1-0 Queen's Gambit Accepted 28 moves Interpolis-07 Tilburg 1983, round one, against Robert Hübner. A Queen's Gambit Accepted with the white rook lifted to e4 and g3: 20.h4, 22.h5 and 24.hxg6, and 28.Qxf4 wins a knight, because 28...Rxf4 29.Rxe8+ costs Black the queen.
  • 1983.10.17 Vaganian, Rafael A vsSpassky, Boris Vasilievich 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Yugoslav Variation, Advance Line 117 moves Interpolis-07 Tilburg 1983, round five, against Boris Spassky, the former World Champion, in 117 moves. The queens come off at move 23; for more than sixty moves White manoeuvres, then 86.b6, 87.b7 Rxb7 88.Rxa6 opens the a-file, and 111.Nxf5 and 112.Nxd6 decide.
  • 1985.10 Korchnoi, Viktor Lvovich vsVaganian, Rafael A 0-1 Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Classical Line 49 moves Candidates Tournament Montpellier The Montpellier Candidates Tournament of 1985, which he shared with Artur Yusupov and Andrei Sokolov, with Black against Viktor Korchnoi. A Catalan in which Black gives up the exchange, 10...Bxg5 11.Bxa8 Qxd4, for a pawn and the initiative; the queens come off at move 44 and the a- and b-pawns run to a3 and b3.
  • 1991.09.15 Vaganian, Rafael A vsHjartarson, Johann 1-0 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense 36 moves EU-Cup 08th round of 16 The European Club Cup of 1991 against Jóhann Hjartarson of Iceland. 28.Bxd6 Bxd6 29.Rxd6 opens the centre, 33.dxe6 and 34.exd7 push a pawn through, and 35.d8=Q+ and 36.Rxh6+ end it.
  • 1993 Van der Wiel, John vsVaganian, Rafael A 0-1 Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Main Line 27 moves Ter Apel Ter Apel 1993 with Black against John van der Wiel. An Alekhine Defence Four Pawns Attack in which 16...Qh3 keeps the white king in the centre, and 25...Qc2+, 26...Qd2+ and 27...Rd5 hunt it on e4.
  • 2004.02.25 Lautier, Joel vsVaganian, Rafael A 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation 28 moves Moscow Aeroflot op-A The Aeroflot Open of 2004, which he shared at fifty-two, with Black against Joël Lautier. 17...Rxf3 18.Bxf3 Nxg4 gives up the exchange, the knights break in with 19...Nxe3 and 25...Nxg2, and 28...Nf6 ends it.
  • 2004.10.24 Vaganian, Rafael A vsPonomariov, Ruslan 1-0 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights Variation 51 moves Olympiad-36 The Calvià Olympiad of 2004, where he won the gold medal on third board, against Ruslan Ponomariov, the former FIDE World Champion. 20.Rxg7 Kxg7 gives up the exchange, the d-pawn queens with 42.d8=Q, and 47.c8=Q wins the race.
EXPLORE ALL 1307 GAMES