c/o Collin Holson

This week, we’ll be looking at a position taken from a game played between two Soviet grandmasters, Yuri Averbakh and Alexander Kotov, in the 1953 Soviet Chess Championships. After a long positional struggle, the following position was reached. Both kings are somewhat vulnerable, and the pawn structure is totally fixed in place. Can you find the move Kotov played, disregarding material balance and exploiting the weak White king? (Black to move)

Collin Holson can be reached at cholson@wesleyan.edu.