Odds and ends…
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
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Here David jumps from the frying pan into the fire…
Odds and ends from the most recent 4NCL weekender. I will add more examples as the day goes on. The San Sebastian tournament has ended and I have nothing better to do while I wait for the train to bring me home…enjoy!
1.
gm Mathew Turner
Ryan Griffiths
Ofcourse, Black is better. White was expecting 19…Qh4 when 20.Bf3 would have made a fight of it. Mathew , instead, made a move that shocked his opponent into resigning on the spot.
DO YOU SEE IT?
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2.
gm Rowson
im Ledger,A
The position is balanced. White should now defend his pawns with 26.Qe3! INSTEAD, White played the natural 26.e3?? , thinking that this would be the same thing.
WHAT MOVE DID BLACK PLAY THAT FORCED WHITE TO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY?
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3.
POSITION AFTER 12 MOVES:
gm Arakhamia-Grant
Adam Musson
The game has barely exited from the opening stage of play. A blocked-benoni, this type of game often leads to obscure and difficult to evaluate positions. In practice the more enterprising player usually wins…White should now consider moves such as 13.a5, or first the exchange on f5.
INSTEAD, White became fascinated by the idea of trying to put a Knight on e6….
13. Ng5 ?
This move loses material and , with it, the game.
DO YOU SEE HOW BLACK WINS?
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4.
”To resign, or not to resign.”
gm John Emms
”To resign, or not to resign.”
gm John Emms
David Buckley (elo 2245)
Something has gone very wrong with White’s opening and it appears that Black will win atleast the pawn on c4. Such nonsense often happens in morning games (games played when normally one is still asleep in bed) and I can give a number of embarrassing examples from my own games! I HATE morning games…let us see what happens here:
Here David jumps from the frying pan into the fire…
13.Bxe4? Rxc4!
OUCH!!
Just when you think it can not get any worse…!…White must have overlooked this! Black is now threatening a discovered check winning the Queen. Curiously, the Queen can not escape anywhere!
White decides to give a check before dealing with the problem…
14.Bxh7 ch Kh8
Well, the problem has not gone away! Now White must decide what to do about the coming discovered check. Probably the best solution is to just resign and apologize to the opponent for you being such an idiot for getting out of bed that day…BUT in team championships resigning early on in the match is bad for team morale and for this reason it is always advisable to resign later than sooner!
BUT WHAT TO DO?
The Queen can not escape from its fate and the White King also needs to find a safe haven (there is none, either!)
So, given the dilemma facing David, I really like the gutsy move he played:
15. Ke3!!
If there was ever a move that said ”Fuck you! I don’t give a shit!”, then this move would be a serious candidate for it!
Quite naturally, Black took the Queen and soon won another piece because of the awkward position of the White King!
MORAL OF THE STORY: Some days it is better to stay in bed!
SOLUTIONS:
1.: Mathew played 19…Rxh2!!. If White takes the Rook then it is mate in 6 beginning with 20…Qh4!. White threw in the towel.
2.: Rowson played 26…Nxd4!! which not only wins an important pawn, but gives a decisive attack to Black! White resigned.
3.: Black replied with the strong 13…Nb6! hitting the c-pawn. White made things worse by trying to defend it with 14.b3?, allowing Black to win a piece with 14…f4! After 15. PxP PxP 16.Bxf4 Bxc3! White lost a piece!
3.: Black replied with the strong 13…Nb6! hitting the c-pawn. White made things worse by trying to defend it with 14.b3?, allowing Black to win a piece with 14…f4! After 15. PxP PxP 16.Bxf4 Bxc3! White lost a piece!