offramp: <Me: I am baffled by Bird's totally irrational 31.Bg6+.> I was a bit harsh, there. This is the position after Falkbeer played 30...♕d4x♕d2:
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White would prefer to play 31.Bg5xd2, but of course he can't because the bishop is pinned. But if he plays the only other recapture, 31.Rf2xd2, then 31...Rg8xg5+...
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...causes real problems. The ♗f5 is lost and there are mate threats as well. So Bird came up with an inventive idea; an interference. He played, in that first diagram, 31.Bg6 double check. Black cannot capture with the rook, as it is double check. So he plays 31...Kxg6 and now the ♗g5 is NOT pinned and can recapture: 32.Bxd2. The trouble is that after just a few moves,
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...white cannot reasonably prevent checkmate. That bishop on b7 is very powerful. But in that first diagram, before Bg6+, Bird DID have a viable defence. Can you see what it is? This is a two-star problem. |