Saturday’s winning 5-second tactics
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gm Suba,M
im Lederman, Leon (2233)
World Seniors Katerini 2014.10.26 Position after 44 moves. A fascinating position, even though Black is dead lost, because there are many hidden tactical themes to make LIFE difficult for White. In particular, watch out for the Bishop on a8: it is a MONSTER!
How should White proceed? Let’s start analyzing something obvious, but wrong:
45.PxB? Rbxd4! 46.RxR RxR
Black threatens to infiltrate (…d2 or d1, depending on what White plays) White can not take the Rook because of 47…e3+ wins the Queen. 47.Kg2? goes off to 47…Rd2+!; even worse is 47.h3? Qxg3!! ; White has nothing better than 47.Rg1!? Rd2! 48.Rg2 (48.h3 Qf2!) 48…Qxh6! (See diagram)
A brilliant idea that seems to win, but infact only draws. Wrong now is 49.Qa7? Rd8! winning, as the threats are numerous (…Qc1+ or …e3+). Even worse is 49.QxR? QxQ 50.RxQ e3+ winning. The only good defence is 49.RxR!! QxR 50.Rd8+ Kg7 51.Rd7+
51…Kf8! 52.Nxh7+ with a perpetual check with the Rook and Knight.
Brilliant tactics! There are several other similar tries for both sides, but most everything returns to the perpetual with the Rook and Knight.
So from the first diagram, it transpires that Black’s threat is Rxd4. White can win by simply moving his Bishop:
45.Bc3!
Attacking the Rook on d8 and b4, as well as maintaining the threat to take the Bishop on h6. Black runs out of tricks: 45…RxR 46.BxR! for example: 46…Bxg5!? 47.RxB QxR (what else? Black tries to dislodge the Queen so the Bishop on a8 can throw in a check!) 48.QxQ (48.Qa7! does the trick also!) 48…e3+ 49.Kg1 PxB 50.Qxd2 etc.
It should also be pointed out that 45.c3, defending the Bishop, also wins, but is less convincing than 45.Bc3
IN THE GAME CONTINUATION WHITE BLUNDERED:
45.Rh3?
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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El Gheiadi, I. (2085)
im Filipenko, Alexander V
World Seniors Katerini 2014.10.26 Position after 24 moves. Black had just played 24…Rb8, attacking the White Queen.
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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