| Oct-30-05 | | ughaibu: Here's an hilarious pawn sacrifice to open the f-file. |
 |
Mar-19-06
 | | notyetagm: 13 ...  xf2! and the Black rook cannot be taken.
If the White g1-king takes the Black rook (14  xf2), then he is mated by the Black queen (14 ...  e3#). And if the White f1-rook takes the Black rook (14 xf2), then it is <deflected> from defending the back rank e1-square and White is mated on the back rank beginning with 14 ... e1+. 14 xf2 e3#
14 xf2 e1+ 15 f1 dxc3+ 16 h1 xf1# |
|
Mar-19-06
| | notyetagm: White resigns in the final position due to the punishing continuation 20 e2 e8+ 21 d2 (21 d1 b1=+)  b4+ 22 c2 xe1 23 xb2, winning a whole rook. |
|
Mar-19-06
| | notyetagm: The tactical shot 13 ... xf2! played by Bird in this game bears a striking resemblance to Keres' 25  xf7! in Keres vs Fine, 1946.In both games the enemy king cannot capture the sacrificed piece because he would be mated by Q-K6 (14 xf2?? e3#, 25 ... xf7?? 26 e6#), both queens supported by pawns on Q5 (Bird's d4-pawn, Keres' d5-pawn). Also in both games the defending rook cannot capture the sacrificed piece because it is <overworked>, having primarily to meet a threat along the first rank.
Boden's f1-rook has to defend the e1-square from a back rank mating attack (14 xf2?? e1+ mates) while Fine's f8-rook must defend the c8-rook from the threat of capture by the White queen (25 ... xf7? 26 xc8+). |
|
Sep-29-07
 | | playground player: It may be a small statistical sample, but I've won three games in a row using Bird's Defense against the Ruy Lopez. I wonder if a lot of club players just haven't seen it before. |
|
| Apr-04-08 | | Knight13: <playground player: It may be a small statistical sample, but I've won three games in a row using Bird's Defense against the Ruy Lopez. I wonder if a lot of club players just haven't seen it before.> I lose like 75% of my games when I use Bird's Defense, most of them against lower-rated players. And yeah I do know how to play it. It's a dumb opening. |
|
| Oct-15-08 | | YoungEd: I agree that the rook sacrifice on f2 is beautiful. But isn't 11. Bxf6 just a lemon? |
|
| Apr-14-09 | | WhiteRook48: just thought 20. Ke2 Re8+ 21 Kd2 Rxe1 22 Kxe1 b1Q+ |
|
| May-01-09 | | fabozzo21: Hello ladies and gentlemen
I'm just studying the Bird defense and Fritz told me that the sacrifice Rxf2 is uncorrect and loosing !
watch this :
14- Rxf2 Qe1+ 15-Rf1 dxc3+
and now 16- d4! Bxd4 17- Kh1
and now the Bc4 defends the Rf1
and black loose ! |
|
May-02-09
 | | Calli: <fabozzo21> perhaps 14.Rxf2 Bg4! - defends the back rank - 15.Qxg4 Qe1+ 16.Rf1 dxc3+ 17.d4 Qxf1!+ 18.Bxf1 cxb2 19.dxc5 bxa1Q draw? |
|
| May-13-09 | | Craigokat: Boden is done in by a near "Boden's mate! |
|
and 
buttons, but it's much easier to simply use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.