May-05-16
 | | Penguincw: Hearts and prayers go out to the people of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada who are having to deal with a wildfire. And it's interesting to note that yesterday (May/04) was International Firefighters' Day. Anyway, 18.Nxd5 exd5 19.Qg6+ Kh8 seemed obvious to me, clearing the 6th rank for a queen check. In game, I'd probably take the perpetual, as there are a number of ways to proceed, but not all of them work. |
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May-05-16
 | | An Englishman: Good Evening: The only game in the database with 11...g5 and methinks I know why. Although the second most common move for White after 2...Nc6 or 2...d6 in the Sicilian, it seems that 3.Bb5 should get even more use than it does. Not only does White avoid several tons of theory, 3.Bb5 also seems to grant the first player plenty of opportunity for brilliancies. If the move was aggressive enough for Nezhmetdinov and Rossolimo, it must be right for White. |
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| May-05-16 | | nalinw: Oh dear - got the first two moves but simply didn't see the power of e6 - opening the killer diagonal for the White Bishop. |
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May-05-16
 | | Jimfromprovidence: Black flinched after 18 Nxd5 (seeing 19 Nxe7+)
He had 18...Bd8, below, attacking two pieces.
click for larger viewNow white has to find 19 Qd6, below, to keep his 2 pawn edge. 
click for larger view |
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| May-05-16 | | agb2002: White has a bishop, a knight and a pawn for the bishop pair. The advanced pawns of the black castle suggest 18.Nxd5: A) 18... exd5 19.Qg6+ Kh8 20.e6
A.1) 20... Bxe6 21.Bd4+ B(R)f6 22.Bxf6+ R(B)xf6 23.Qxf6+ followed by 24.Rxe6 + - [R+P]. A.2) 20... Be8 21.Bd4+ B(R)f6 22.Bxf6+ R(B)xf6 23.Qxf6+ wins decisive material. For example, 23... Kh7 24.Qxf5+ Bg6 25.Qxg5 Bxc2 26.Qxh5+ + - [R+4P vs B]. A.3) 20... Rf6 21.Bd4 Be8 (21... Bxe6 22.Bxf6+ transposes to A.1) 22.Bxf6+ Bxf6 23.Qxf6+ + - [R+2P vs B]. A.4) 20... Bf6 21.Qxh5+ followed by 22.exd7 and 23.Bxg5 wins decisive material. For example, 21... Kg7 22.exd7 Qxd7 23.Bxg5 Rh8 24.Bxf6+ Kxf6 25.Qf3 + - [3P]. B) 18... Qd(e)8 19.Nxe7+ Qxe7 20.Bc5 with two extra pawns. For example, 20... Rfb8 21.Bxe7 Rxb6 22.b3 g4 23.Rad1 followed by Rd6, Red1, c4, etc. C) 18... Rf7 19.Nxe7+ Rxe7 20.Qd6 (probably better than 20.Bxg5 Rg7 followed by Bc6 with some counterplay) + - [2P]. D) 18... Bd8 19.Qd6
D.1) 19... exd5 20.Qg6+ is similar to A.
D.2) 19... Bc6 20.Ne7+ (probably simpler than 20.Nf6+) Bxe7 21.Qxe7 with two extra pawns and threatening Black's g- and h-pawns. |
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| May-05-16 | | gofer: White is already one pawn up, time to turn up the heat... <18 Nxd5 ...>
White is threatening Nxe7+ winning the queen...
Ignoring the knight sacrifice seems to be a slow painful death, being two pawns and a position down. 18 ... Qd8/Qe8
19 Nxe7+ Qxe7
20 Bc5 Qd8
21 Qd6 
18 ... Bd8
19 Qd6 Rf7
20 Nb6 Bxb6
21 Bxb6
<18 ... exd5>
<19 Qg6+ Kh8>
<20 Bxg5 ...>
click for larger viewAt this point it is important to get more than just the three pawns for our knight a fourth
pawn should "seal the deal"...
...the point being that black cannot defend Ph5 and protect Be7. So all paths lose one more
pawn.
20 ... Rg8?
21 Qh6#
20 ... Be8
21 Qh6+ Kg8
22 Bxe7
20 ... Bxg5
21 Qxh5+!
<20 ... Qe8>
<21 Qh6+ Kg8>
<22 Bxe7 Qxe7>
<23 Qxh5 ...>
So in all likelihood we reach a position where white is 4 pawns up for its knight AND threatens the
pawn push e6 AND threatens swinging its rooks into the action by playing f4 + Re3 or Rd1 + Rd3, which
all looks pretty horrible for black's king, not terminal, but horrible. 
click for larger view~~~
Doh! Didn't see the key theme of the sequence... <20 e6> ...Nil Point! |
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| May-05-16 | | AlicesKnight: 18.Nxd5 looks possible; .....exd5 allows Qg6+ and perhaps e6 with threats of Bc3, and if ....Re8 to cover the bishop without losing the exchange, take it and win the g-pawn. Let's see - hmmmm - close. |
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| May-05-16 | | stacase: <nalinw: Oh dear - got the first two moves but simply didn't see the power of e6 - opening the killer diagonal for the White Bishop.> That makes two of us. |
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| May-05-16 | | dfcx: missed 20.e6 as well. |
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| May-05-16 | | morfishine: I thought this was an error, a re-post of a recent POTD, but its just similar, not the same game |
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| May-05-16 | | User not found: Surely.. 20..Be8 was best. The queen has another check on h6 but that looks about it. Maybe if.. 20.. Be8. Qh6+ ..kg8 then Be4 black has Be6. I'm only scanning the game on the train so I'm probably wrong :) |
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| May-05-16 | | mel gibson: I saw it in 20 seconds.
Nice game. |
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| May-05-16 | | CHESSTTCAMPS: White has N+B+P for a bishop pair, but the bishop pair is passively placed, while white's queen is active. Black's king-side pawn advance looks threatening, but it opens up an attacking opportunity for white: 18.Nxd5! (threatening 19.Nxe7+) wins a second pawn and leaves no good option for black. A. 18... exd5 19.Qg6+ Kh8 20.Bxg5! (a finesse opening the door for a rook lift) Bxg5 21.Qxh5+ Kg7 22.Qxg5+ Kf7 23.Qf6+ Ke8 24.Qg6+ Kd8 (Rf7 25.e6 wins) 25.Rd1 Kc7 26.Qd6+ Kd8 27.e6 wins A.1 20... Qd8 21.Bxe7 Qxe7 22.e6! Be8 23.Qh6+ Kg8 (Qh7 24.Qxf8+) 24.Re5! and 25.Rg5+ is unpreventable. A.2 23... Kg8 24.Qg6+ Kh8 25.e6 Be8 26.Qh6+ Kg8 27.Re5! wins, similarly to A.1 B. 18... Bd8 19.Qd6 (threatening Ne7+) exd5 20.Qg6+ transposes to A with fewer options for black. C. 18...Rf7 19.Nxe7 Rxe7 20.Bxg5 leaves white 3 pawns up and the black king position shattered. Time for review... |
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| May-05-16 | | CHESSTTCAMPS: I also chose the path that <gofer> found, 20.Bxg5 over an immediate 20.e6. Also intended to cover the defense 20... Qe8 in this line, but forgot. |
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May-05-16
 | | Sally Simpson: The opening.
click for larger viewA few days ago some lad played 6...Na5 here. I knew of this move but never thought I'd meet it. (I've been playing this 3.Bb5 stuff since the 80's. First time was v a good player and I suddenly thought he probably knows more about the opening than me so I refrained from playing 3.d4 and played 3.Bb5 for the first time in my life and won! I did not even know it had a name. The Rossolimo. I was probably thinking it's the Lopez Attack v the Sicilian....the first three moves are the same. 1.e4. 2.Nf3 3.Bb5.) anyway....back to the game.
Best I could come up with was 7.d4 taking back with Qxd4 meeting the eventual with a6 with Bf1. Then came Nac6. I got nothing from the opening. Moves like 6...Na5 should be illegal.
Moving a piece thrice in the opening, Knights on the rim.....Where is Freddy Reinfeld when you need him. Sorry to interrupt....just sailing by.
Oh and a PS:
You may be wondering what happened in the game. Well as I never mentioned the result I think you can guess. (I lost). |
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| May-05-16 | | Patriot: Sally - Na5 seems very dubious but I guess the threat is ...c4 to trap the bishop? Nc3 looks playable and ...c4 can be met with d3 or b3. |
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| May-05-16 | | Patriot: But Bb5 doesn't look right either because of ...a6. |
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| May-05-16 | | kevin86: The knight sacrifice enabled the queen to get to g6- where the game ended quickly. |
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May-05-16
 | | NM JRousselle: 17 ... f5 loses very quickly. Rb8 comes to mind as an improvement. If White replies, Qd4, Black plays Rb4 (Rb2 is answered by Nd5). It still looks bad for Black after Qd2, hitting g5. Black probably has to play f6 and hope for compensation for the pawn loss. |
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| May-05-16 | | Marmot PFL: 18 Nd5 clears a path for the queen, 18...ed5 19 Qg6+ Kh8 20 e6 to open the diagonal: 20...Bxe6 21 Bd4+ Bf6 22 Bxf6+ Rxf6 23 Qxf6+ Kg8 24 Rxe6 20...Bf6 21 Bxg5 Qd8 (Bxg5 22 Qxh5+ etc) 22 Qxh5+ Kg8 23 Qg6+ Kh8 24 Bxf6+ Rxf6 25 Qh5+ and 26 exd7...not seeing a forced win here but 3 extra pawns should do it. |
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| May-05-16 | | Virgil A: Did not see 21.Bg5
I have 21.e7 |
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| May-05-16 | | posoo: GO fort mcmurrus GO! |
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| May-05-16 | | King.Arthur.Brazil: I see: 18.Nxd5 exd5, 19.Qg6+ Kh8, 20. e6+ (threats ... Bd8 21. Bd4+ Bf6 22. Bxf6+ Rxf6 23.Qxf6+...) Qd8 21.exd7 (Threats 22.Rxd7 followed by 23.Bd4+ again).
Maybe, black would refuse to take the N, playing 23... Bd8 19.Qd6 Bc7 20.Ne7+ K moves 21.Nxc8 Bxd6 22.Nxd6 win the piece or even good: 22.Nb6 (now not Rb8 due to 23. Nxd7), but Ra7 23. exd6 and white is a piece up and position. |
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| May-05-16 | | TheBish: L Christiansen vs J M Bellon Lopez, 1976 White to play (18.?) "Medium"
Nice to see a POTD featuring my old friend Larry C. Even better that he is on the winning side! Already a pawn up, if he (White) is able to win even one more pawn, that would be clearly winning. 18. Nxd5! exd5
Or else White is just two pawns up. As the Be7 is attacked, there is no time for 18...Rb8 19. Nxe7+ and 20. Nxc8. 19. Qg6+ Kh8 20. e6!
Now 20...Bxe6 fails to 21. Bd4+ Bf6 22. Bxf6+ Rxf6 23. Qxf6+ followed by taking the bishop on e6, netting a rook. (Failing are both 20...Be8 and 20...Qe8 for similar reasons.) Other options also leave Black behind: A) 20...Bf6 21. exd7 Qxd7 22. Qxh5+ Kg7 23. Bxg5 followed soon by Re1-e3 and the rook will join the attack after either Rg3 or Rh3. B) 20...Qd8 21. exd7 Bf6 22. Re8! and Black is in serious trouble, as he loses his bishop after either 22...Rxe8 23. dxe8=Q+ Qxe8 24. Qxf6+ or 22...Qxd7 23. Rxa8 Rxa8 24. Qxf6+. |
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| May-05-16 | | TheBish: 21. Bxg5! is clearly an improvement over 21. exd7 in my line. The point is that it threatens 22. Bxf6+, and 21...Bxg5 22. Qxh5+ Kg8 (or 22...Bh6 23. Qxh6+ Kg8 24. Qg6+) 23. Qxg5+ Kh8 24. Re3 leaves the king helpless against 25. Rh3+. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 18.Nxd5