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OVERLOOKING THE THREAT

gm  Fedorchuk, Sergey

 gm  Postny, Evgeny

TCh-FRA Top 12  Montpellier  2015.6.3  Position after 33 moves.  A complex and uncompromising fight is underway, with Black having sacrificed an exchange earlier to get passed centre pawns. White should now play 34.Rb2, to start to contain Black’s pawns, and if 34…Bxh6?! then 35.Nxd4! with advantage.  INSTEAD, not realizing that Black actually had a real threat, played the calm 34.Kg2…

34.Kg2

BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!

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THE DILEMMA

gm  Nezar,Mustapha

gm  Tregubov, Pavel

TCh-FRA Top 12  Montpellier  2015.6.3  From the analysis of the game played yesterday. This position did NOT occur, but could have.  It is a strange position, Black having sacrificed a Rook but as the White Queen, Knight on e4 and Rook on c6 are all under attack Black is going to win back his investment.

The problem is how should White play, and it is not evident. If 23.Qg5 Nxc6 24.Qxh5 dxe4 25.Rxe4 h6  and White has only a symbolic edge. The same thing is  23.Qe5 Nxc6 24.Qxh5. Poor is 23.Ne5? Nxf4 24.Nxd7 Nxc6 when Black comes out ahead. Finally, 23.Rc7 Nxf4 24.Rxd7 Nxd7 25.Nd6 Nf6 can only be good for Black. (Note that 23.Qh4 Nxc6 24.Qxh5 dxe4 would transpose into the first note above.)  The solution is not simple…

WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!

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TCh-FRA Top-12  Montpellier  2015.6.3 Postny, Evgeny–Fedorchuk, Sergey: 34…f5!  0-1 If the Queen retreats then he loses his Rook on e2.

TCh-FRA Top-12Montpellier 2015.6.3 Tregubov, Pavel–Nezar,Mustapha: 23.Nf6+!! Nxf6 ( 23…gxf6 24.Qh6! Nxc6 25.Bb1 f5 26.b5 Na5 27.Qxh5 f6 28.Qh4 ) 24.Rxf6! gxf6 25.Nd4! and there is no defence on the kingside, for exemple, 25…Nc6!? 26. Nf5 Ne5 27.RxN! etc.