J Klovans vs O Kalinin, 1986 (24…?)

Black to play and win.

Material: B for N. The White Kh1 is stalemated. The Black Bb7 is on the a8-h1 diagonal with Kh1, obscured by the White Pf3 and Pg2, suggesting removal of the Ps as a plan for Black. The Black Qe3 controls critical dark squares near Kh1 and pins Nd3 to Qa3, which is loose. The Qe3 is under attack from Nf1, however. The Black Nf4 is in the area, able to move Nxg2 to remove Pg2. It can move …Nh3 or …Ne2 to set up the mate threat …Qg1#. Both Black Rs require activation. The Black Kg8 is the semi-open a2-g8 diagonal, but presently secure from checks.

Candidates (24.): Qxf3, Bxf3, Nxg2, Ne2, Nh3

24.Qxf3 (threatening 25.Qxg2#)

Black cannot accept the sacrifice:

(1) 24…gxf3 25.Bxf3+ Kg1 26.Nh3#

The White Kh1 cannot flee and there is no interposition. Black must therefore defend g2 against the mate threat.

(2) 24…Ne1 25.Qxf1#

(3) 24…Qb2 [or Rd2] 25.Nxg2

24. ... Qxf3 25. Rd2 Nxg2 26. Qb2 Ne3+ 27. Kg1 Qh1+ 28. Kf2 Qg2+ 29. Ke1 Qxf1#

7. d4 and 9. dxe5? cause White to lose the center. Re1 would have been better. 16. Qa3? just hands the initiative to Black.

A way better line than what I've highlighted is 27...Qe3+ 28. Rf2 Nf3+ 29. Kf1 (Beautiful for Black is 29. Kg2?? Ng5+! 30. Kg1 Nh3#) 29...Nxe5 with a tremendous attack.

black to play - Medium/Easy

24... Qxf3! if 25 gxf3 Bxf3+ 26 Kg1 Nh3+#

Instead of taking Queen white may try Rd2 ..

25 Rd2 Ne2! if again .. 26 gxf3 Bxf3+#..

white can exchange Rook with Knight but then..

26 Rxe2 Qxe2 and now 27 Nf4 Qf2 28 Qg3.. which should be good for black.. as he is pawn and a exhange up plus white king castle is all broken..

...Qxf3
gxf Bxf3+
Kg1 Ne2

Then in about 2 minutes I saw the possibility of Nh3....

Then played it through with the right moves to the resignation.

Time: 2:00
Par: 3:00

Result; Success!!!

This move threatens mate of course. A response like 25. Nxf4 would allow black to capture the white queen with ...Qxa3. Capturing the black queen with 25. gxf3 and the following takes place ...Bxf3+; 26. Kg1 Nh3#.

So what else can white do? Ne1 won't work because of the same queen capture described above. That leaves either 25. Rd2 or 25. Qb2

A) 25. Rd2 Nxg2

And white is in serious trouble. White can't capture the knight because it will be mate with ...Qxg2. Perhaps the only thing to do is to play 26. Kg1 but then black has ...Ne3 and if 27. Nxe3 then ...Qh1+ and the black queen can grab the rook on a1 next turn. And who knows, there may be something better than that.

B) 25. Qb2

Well perhaps black could still play ...Nxg2 but black could also play 25 ...Nxd3 and win the rook if the white rook recaptures on d3 and if 26. gxf3 then 26 ...Nxb2 to regain the queen. Also the f3 pawn is threatened with capture by the bishop. (Note: I don't think 26 ...Bxf3 should be played because then the white queen can come over to g2 - black still wins material that way and very likely the game as well, just not as much material).

I think he's off in the numbering by one, and on Qe2 the rook lift to d2 wins the Queen (the sack no longer works) while his White move to "avoid" mate allows mate in two.

click for larger view

But 25. ...Nxg2 seems stronger obviously. At least, I found White' s correct defense. It' s just that I missed Black' s (more) accurate move after 25.Rd2.

<24....?>

Material: /-\ /

Candidates: Nxg2, Bxf3, [25.Nxe3 ]...?; <[Qxf3]>

-ML-
Okay, it should be obvious when viewing my candidates that Qxf3 did NOT flash my mind at all in the beginning. It was until I noticed 25.Nxe3 on my second look that Black should do something with his Queen. And then, the move becomes obvious.

<24....Qxf3!> now that is a strike, optimally utilizing the long diagonal for the diagonal pieces. White cannot take, making his work hard.

/A\
<25.gxf3 Bxf3† 26.Kg1 Nh3‡ 0-1> what a pretty pure mate. This pattern was unknown to me.

/B\
So, well, then what? The Knight on d3, pretty vital for White's defense, is pinned on his Queen, making 25.Ne1 and 25.Nxf4 impossible due to 25....Qxa3. The strange defense 25.Ne3?! is met by the calm 25....Qxe3!, just going back and winning a Knight, where the threat of 26....Bxg2 is pretty much unavoidable. No, White should try to protect g2 otherwise, either with Rd2 or Qb2.

<25.Rd2> now things become tricky. 25....Ne2?! fails due to 26.Ne1!. No, Black's only gaining move is:

<25....Nxg2 > and if we look at the remaining position objectively, Black is up two pawns for nothing, has an attack that is not very easy, if at all, to stop and the White moves narrow down to a few useless tries.

- The Knight is still pinned so it can't defend,
- 26.Qb2 making it a combination of both defensive moves fails on 26....Nf4† 27.Rg2 (Kg1 Nh3‡ 0-1) Qxg2† . - 26.Rf2 fails on 26....Nf4†! with the exact same Queen sac as in the starting position. - 26.Kg1 wastes a tempo, as Black can just retreat the Knight and threaten Nh3‡, as in: 26.Kg1 Nf4 27.h4 (Nxf4 Qxa3 ) Ne2† 28.Rxe2 Qxe2 , and an easy endgame for Black, IF the attack is stopped altogether.

So, 25.Qb2?

/C\
<25.Qb2 Nxg2> and the only significant difference is that White may play:

<26.Nd2> ironically looking to threaten the Black Queen and removing the mating pattern, but:

<26....Qxd3 > forgets that a Knight is completely in due to the Knight blocking the Rook.

After 24. ...Qxf3 25.Rd2 Ne2 26.Ne1, Black has 26. ...Qxf1 mate (diagram).

click for larger view