Viktor Kupreichik
Notable Games

Viktor Kupreichik

20 celebrated games · 1182 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1182 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1964 Anishchenko vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Fianchetto Variation, Bg4 Line 40 moves BLR-ch30 Belarusian Championship 1964 — the earliest game in an archive of more than a thousand wins, and Kupreichik is still in his mid-teens, playing the Albin Countergambit with Black. The d-pawn he gambits on move three is the pawn that wins it: 33.Nh6 d3+ 34.e3 Rxh6 35.Bxh6 Nxh6, and 37.Rf4 Nxe3+ 38.Kh3 d2 39.Rf2 Nxc4 40.Re2 e3.
  • 1966.01.04 Larsen, Bent vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 Hungarian Opening: Symmetrical Variation 42 moves Larsen sim A Bent Larsen simultaneous display in January 1966 — Larsen, a study player here, was about to win four supertournaments in a single year, and this is one board of many. Kupreichik castles long, runs the d-pawn, and finishes with checks: 37.dxe4 d3 38.b5 d2 39.Qxd2 Qg4+ 40.Kh2 Qg1+ 41.Kh3 Qh1+ 42.Qh2 Qf1+.
  • 1968.12.19 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsBeliavsky, Alexander G 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation 43 moves URS-chT Cup 06th Soviet team cup, December 1968 against a fifteen-year-old Alexander Beliavsky, five years from the World Junior title and four Soviet championships. Kupreichik trades the queenside off at 22.Rxa4 Rxa4 23.Qxa4 and then works the knight round to the kingside — 25.Nd2, 26.Nf1, 39.Nd2, 40.Ne4 — until 43.Ng5 forks the position apart.
  • 1969.05 Kholmov, Ratmir D vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation 56 moves URS-ch37 Semifinal USSR Championship semifinal 1969 with Black against Ratmir Kholmov — also a study player here, and one of the hardest men in the Soviet Union to beat. Fifty-six moves: 41.Kd2 Rxc1 42.Kxc1 f4 gives the rook back to free the pawns, and 44.Rxe5 Kxh3 45.Rf5 Kg4 46.Rf7 Re8 47.Rxh7 Rxe4 leaves Black three connected passers.
  • 1969.10.02 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsZaitsev, Igor A 1-0 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Open Variation 57 moves URS-ch37 Final USSR Championship final 1969 against Igor Zaitsev — a study player here, and later Karpov's long-serving trainer. Queen against rook and bishop for the last twenty moves, and the g-pawn decides it: 42.g4 h5 43.g5 Rf5 44.g6 Rf8 fixes the black pieces, and 51.f4 Be6 52.Qxe6 Rd3+ 53.Kf2 Rd2+ 54.Qe2 gives the queen back into a won pawn ending.
  • 1970.08.18 Andersson, Ulf vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Modern Bc4 Variation 40 moves Ivan Parcetic Memorial-04 Ivan Parcetić Memorial 1970 with Black against Ulf Andersson, soon one of the hardest players in the world to beat — in a Dragon. Kupreichik trades the queens at 22.Qxe4 Qxe4 23.Rxe4 and still wins the endgame by attacking: 33.Ba4 Rc4 34.c3 bxc3 35.bxc3 Bd2 36.Ra3 gxh4 37.Rb3 Rxb3 38.Bxb3 Rc8, and the bishop pair takes everything.
  • 1970.10.26 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsTal, Mikhail 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation, Anti-Sozin Variation 31 moves Sochi GM vs Young Masters Sochi 1970, Grandmasters against Young Masters — Mikhail Tal, a former World Champion, and Kupreichik twenty-one years old. A knight goes on d5 for the initiative: 16.Nd5 exd5 17.exd5 Nb8 18.Bd4 g6 19.Rf3, and once 25.f5 cxd4 26.fxg6 fxg6 27.Bxg6 opens the king it is over — 28.Qxf8+ Ng8 29.Bf5 Rb8 30.Re8 Qf7 31.Rh3.
  • 1970.10.27 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsKorchnoi, Viktor Lvovich 1-0 French Defense: Advance Variation 27 moves Sochi GM vs Young Masters The very next day of the same event — Viktor Korchnoi, later twice a World Championship challenger, in twenty-seven moves. Korchnoi castles queenside into a French Advance and the a-file opens onto him: 19.Nb3 axb4 20.a5 Kb8 21.axb6 cxb6 22.Ra6 Kb7 23.Rba1 bxc3 24.Qxc3, and 26.Qb5 Nb4 27.R1xa5 doubles on the pinned bishop.
  • 1970.10 Korchnoi, Viktor Lvovich vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation 73 moves Sochi GM vs Young Masters Sochi again — Korchnoi beaten twice in one event, this time in seventy-three moves with Black. A pure rook ending from move forty: Kupreichik gives the a-pawn to activate everything — 66.Rxa3+ Kg2 67.Kd3 Rf2 68.Ra8 Kxh2 — and the h-pawn walks home behind the king, 70.Re8 Rg3+ 71.Kd2 Rg4 72.Re7 Kg2 73.Re2+ Kg3.
  • 1974.12.01 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsSavon, Vladimir A 1-0 French Defense: Paulsen Variation 64 moves URS-ch42 Final USSR Championship final 1974 against Vladimir Savon — a study player here, and the reigning Soviet champion's immediate predecessor as title-holder in 1971. Sixty-four moves: 54.Nxb5 Rh6 55.h4+ Kg4 56.Nd6 Bd5 57.Re7 f4 58.Rg7+ Kh3 chases the black king to the edge, and the c-pawn runs 59.c4, 63.c5, 64.c6.
  • 1976.11.27 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Ruy Lopez 92 moves URS-ch44 Final USSR Championship final 1976 against Vasily Smyslov, a former World Champion — ninety-two moves, and the last twenty a king-and-pawn ending. 74.c5 Ne5 75.Qd6+ Ke8 76.Bxe5 Qxe5 77.Qxe5+ fxe5 trades into it a pawn up, and 83.Kc3 g4 84.hxg4 Kd5 85.g5 Ke5 86.g6 Kf6 87.Kd4 wins the race by exactly one tempo.
  • 1976.12.14 Geller, Efim P vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Bird Variation 33 moves URS-ch44 Final The same championship two weeks later, with Black against Efim Geller, six times a Candidate. Thirty-three moves in which the a-pawn simply runs: 25.Qg3 Qxa4 takes it, and 28.c5 a4 29.Rb1 Qc6 30.Qf4 Qd5 31.Qg3 a3 32.Rf1 a2 33.c6 Nxc6 leaves it one square from a queen with everything defended.
  • 1977.01.14 Christiansen, Larry Mark vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 English Opening: King's English Variation, Closed System, Full Symmetry 42 moves Hoogovens-B Wijk aan Zee 1977 with Black against Larry Christiansen, three times US champion. Kupreichik answers a passed pawn on the sixth by walking his king at it: 37.f5 dxe5 38.Qe2 Qb6+ 39.Kh2 e4 40.Bxe4 Qd4, and 41.fxg6+ Kh6 42.g7 Kxg7 simply collects it with the queen dominating the board.
  • 1980.02.23 Byrne, Robert Eugene vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation 46 moves Reykjavik International-09 Reykjavik 1980 with Black against Robert Byrne, US champion and a 1974 Candidate — a Richter-Rauzer in which Black gives the exchange back for the initiative. 31.Bd4 Rxd4 32.Rxd4 Rc5 33.Qf4 Qxg5 34.Qxg5 Rxg5 reaches an ending where the e-pawn is unstoppable: 38.Nxa7 e4 39.Bc4 Ba4 40.Rd2 e3 41.Re2 Re5.
  • 1980.02.29 Miles, Anthony John vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 Queen's Indian Defense: Miles Variation 41 moves Reykjavik International-09 The same tournament, six days later, against Tony Miles — England's first grandmaster, in his own Queen's Indian line. Kupreichik's d-pawn reaches the second rank and buys a piece: 33.Ra1 Nd5 34.Ra2 Rc2+ 35.Rxc2 dxc2+ 36.Kxc2 Nxe3+, and 38.a5 Nd5+ 39.Kb3 Rb8 40.a6 Rxb5 41.a7 Nb6 stops the last pawn dead.
  • 1981.12.30 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsSzabo, Laszlo 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed 17 moves Christmas Congress 1981/82-57 Premier Hastings 1981/82 against László Szabó, three times a Candidate — seventeen moves, the shortest win in the archive. A Closed Ruy Lopez in which the black queen steps out once too often: 15.a5 Qc8 16.Bg5 Qc5 17.Be3, and there is no square left for her.
  • 1986 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsIvanchuk, Vassily 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed 40 moves URS-ch otbor Soviet Championship qualifier 1986 against a seventeen-year-old Vasyl Ivanchuk, later a world number two. Kupreichik gives a rook for the queenside — 28.Rxb3 Rxb3 29.Bxb3 Nd3 30.Qf1 Qxb2 31.Bc4 — and runs the a-pawn behind it: 33.a5 Rd7 34.a6 Ra7 35.Rb1 Qd4, with 37.Qc8+ and 40.Rb7 finishing on the seventh.
  • 1989 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsBischoff, Klaus 1-0 Sicilian Defense: French Variation 133 moves Vidmar Memorial Vidmar Memorial 1989 against the German grandmaster Klaus Bischoff — 133 moves, the longest game in the archive. A queen ending in which Kupreichik's king absorbs more than twenty consecutive checks, walking from c8 down to a2 — 115.Kc8 Qf8+ … 125.Ka2 Qc2+ 126.Qb2 — and only then does the a-pawn go through: 132.a7 Qb7 133.Qe5+.
  • 2015.05.07 Kupreichik, Viktor D vsGaprindashvili, Nona 1-0 Owen Defense 26 moves EU-ch Seniors 65 15th European Senior Championship 2015 against Nona Gaprindashvili, Women's World Champion from 1962 to 1978 — and at sixty-five Kupreichik still sacrifices on move sixteen. 16.Bxg5 hxg5 17.Nxg5 Nf5 18.f4 Bh6 19.Nxf5 exf5 20.Rf3 Bxg5 21.Rg3 drags the black king out, and 23.Qg3 Ke7 24.Qa3+ Nc5 25.dxc5 Ke6 26.Qh3 catches it on e6.
  • 2017.01.08 Moiseenko, Vladimir vsKupreichik, Viktor D 0-1 King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation 22 moves Tula Suetin Memorial Suetin Memorial, Tula, January 2017 — the last game in the archive, fifty-three years after the first, and four months before Kupreichik died. Twenty-two moves with Black, and he is still giving pieces away for the attack: 16.Rhf1 Nb4 17.Nxd4 Rxd4 18.Qf4 Nxd3+ 19.Rxd3 Rxd3 20.Qxf7+ Kh8 21.Qxe7 Rxc3+ 22.Kb1 Qd8.
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