Today’s ‘eagle-eye’ tactic
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
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ANOTHER EXAMPLE FROM TODAY!
POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 31st MOVE
GM S. MOVSESIAN
GM VUCKOVIC
32.Bxg6!!
What makes the eagle so feared a predator is its uniquely keen eyesight. This allows it to spot its prey from a far distance and go in for the kill without warning. Similary, in chess tactical vision can not be under rated. The player who has the ‘eagle-eye’ will almost always emerge victorious.
Today’s example is taken from the game Cheparinov vs Salgado, played earlier today (!) at the prestigious Aeroflot tournament in Moscow.
POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 18th MOVE
GM SALGADO
GM CHEPARINOV
The young Spanish grandmaster risked the Blumenfeld Gambit against Topalov’s second, Ivan Cheparinov, but did not succeed in flustering the Bulgarian. In the position above Black has enough assets in the position to satisfy him (Bishop pair, strong centre), but he has no timing : his Knight on b8, his Rook on a8 and his Bishop on f8 have yet to move! Plus, the Black Queen is off-side.
This gives the Bulgarian the opportunity to force the game with a brutal sacrificial attack!.
19.Rxe6ch!!
First Cheparinov breaks thru the centre and forces the Black monarch into the open.
19…dxe6; 20.Qd8ch Kf7;
21. Ng5ch!!
19.Rxe6ch!!
First Cheparinov breaks thru the centre and forces the Black monarch into the open.
19…dxe6; 20.Qd8ch Kf7;
Ok, now what you ask? This is where the eagle-eye comes in: Cheparinov had spotted a cute tactic before entering into this attack:
21. Ng5ch!!
Black can not take the Knight because of mate in three after 22.Ne5ch. Now the Black monarch is forced into the open and finds himself defenceless. With Black’s pieces on the other side of the board–mere spectators–Salgado could now resign, but preferred to play on for the crowd with 21…Kg6. The reader is invited to see how the game concluded in the pgn-viewer directly below.
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ANOTHER EXAMPLE FROM TODAY!
POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 31st MOVE
GM S. MOVSESIAN
Black has been defending for a long time against White’s threats, and now seems to have everything under control. White should now not take twice on e6 and try to win the Knight on a5 with a check on c7 because of the reply …Qe1mate! But a cruel surprise awaits Black:
32.Bxg6!!
White hits the nail on the head, and it is not even with a check! Black can not take on e1 because of White’s taking on f6, with a quick mate. Black now has no choice
32…KxB; 33.Qf5ch! Kg7; 34.d5!
Black resigned!
The whole point of White’s sacrifice, and one which the eagle-eye should never miss! Black can now exchange Queens but he will not only be down an exchange (after taking on e8) , but White will still have a raging attack on the Kingside with the 2 Rooks.
Black resigned!