Today’s Tartakower tactic!
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 8th MOVE:
gm TARTAKOWER
gm RETI
Probably from a 1910 blitz game played in Vienna between the two budding superstars link. White had just castled long, leaving his Knight dangling in the air on e4. How should Tartakower take it? Clearly 8…QxN loses the Queen to 9.Re1. That leaves taking it with the Knight…BUT WAIT: what if it is a trap? Tartakower could simply decline the greek gift with 8…Be7 and then castle quickly. But that would leave the position boring and uninteresting….
Studying the position for a short while, Tartakower returned to the idea of capturing the Knight. He could see no immediate harm to it… and the clock was ticking! SO Tartakower took the Knight with his Knight and –unwittingly–became part of Chess’ great moments. THERE FOLLOWED:
8…NxN? 9.Qd8-ch!!!!
IT IS FORCED MATE!