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Alexander Onischuk vs Magnus Carlsen
Biel Blitz Playoff 2007  ·  Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation. English Hybrid (E10)  ·  0-1
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sac: 40...Qxg1+ PGN: download | view Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-30-08  general607: Candidaye moves were Qxg1, d2, and Qf6. The potential for promotion of my passed pawn was the key, and it wins material if you take the rook. White really cannot do anything much since after the promotion, he is now down a rook. I questioned myself for a few seconds until I found Bc2, forcing the promotion. Not a hard problem, but I have respect for the speed with which it was played in the actual game.
Jan-30-08  general607: Funny thing about yesterday's problem... I am a competent player, but it took me forever to work it out. My two strongest students got it in about 5 minuites with some coaxing. The champion yesterday was one of my youngest kids, rated USCF 546, no I did not forget to put a 1 in front of the 546. He looked at it and played the winning combo on the board in avout 10 seconds. Go figure...
Jan-30-08  griga262: I agree with the board, this one was much easier than yesterday's puzzle.
Jan-30-08  Tactic101: Felt easy. Qxg1 is a move that immediately springs to mind. A nice combination of removal of the defender and the threat of a passed pawn.
Jan-30-08  Civhai: I also got it rather quickly.

First, I tried out d2 directly, but after Rd1, there is not much left.

Then, I found out, that Qxg1 both eliminates the rook and puts the king away.

Afterwards, I tried to find a more forcing way to cut the queen off of the promotion field, but since nothing worked, I found the simple Bc2.

Jan-30-08  TheaN: 3/3

40....Qxg1+! is a very strong RtG problem solver.

41.Kxg1 (Kf3 d2) d2 42.Qh5 (Qd8 d1=Q+) Bc2 with the idea d1=Q 0-1

Jan-30-08  ruyv: I guess the dificulty of this combination was significantly higher when it was actually played because of the rythm of play. Armageddon if I recall correctly.
Jan-30-08  just a kid: I am 100% sure it is 40.Qxg1!+.After 41.Kxg1 d2 42.Qh5 Bc2! wins for Carlsen.Time to check.
Jan-30-08  just a kid: This was really easy. I'm 3 for 3!
Jan-30-08  zb2cr: The key here is that White's King is inside the square of the passed Black d-Pawn, and the Rook is the only piece currently guarding the Queening square. 40. ... Qg1+ takes care of both those objections in one move. After 41. Kxg1, d2 followed by ... Bc2. Black will force a Queen, and after White swaps Queens, Black will remain a Rook ahead. Well done by the young lad.

I have to add that I'm feeling deflated. Here I was proud of myself for this--being able to see Queening combinations has always been a a weak spot in my game. And I saw this one very quickly, no more than 10-12 seconds at most. Then everybody here comes in disparaging this puzzle, claiming it was "too easy". Humph. Definitely feeling deflated.

Jan-30-08  Sim1: Oh chessgames, chessgames, chessgames. When will you release all of your puzzles in a big fat book to while away my life with?
Jan-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  DarthStapler: Hey, got it!
Jan-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: I saw this one as very easy. Black lends his queen at g1-then uses the advanced pawn to make a new queen or capture the adverse queen.

I think chessgames.com is using an ironic theme this week-I won't say now,but in a day or two,I may find that I am correct in guessing said theme.

Jan-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  YouRang: Fastest Wednesday puzzle in a while. :-)

It smelled like a promotion tactic, and it was. White has a king and a rook to defend against the promotion, but both are removed (and a rook gained) with 40...Qxg1! 41. Kxg1. Now we can advance the pawn and, if necessary, guard the promotion square with the bishop. :-)

Jan-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  MostlyAverageJoe: <kevin86: I think chessgames.com is using an ironic theme this week-I won't say now>

You expect a queen sac on every day but Monday, right?

Jan-30-08  wals: So much talk. Is Raymond Chandler's observation about chess players correct? Observing closely I see that black is to move. Got that right. Diverting the white king and pushing the passed pawn seems the go. Try out 40...Q x g1+ 41.K x g1..d3-d2
42.Qh4 no its too late old girl
PM =
Of course,...
I didn't see 42.Qh5 but the brave bishop came to the rescue. A good exmple of my play and why Ratty the rat(that has no cerebral cortex) can beat me at chess.
Jan-30-08  TheEnterprise: 3/3 this week. Took me aboout 45 seconds to get this one.
Jan-30-08  wals: Alexander Onischuk - Magnus Carlsen, Biel Blitz Playoff 2007


click for larger view

Analysis by Fritz 11: depth 22/40 10916kN/s time 11min

1. (-6.77): 40...Qg6xg1+ 41.Kf2xg1 d3-d2 42.Qh4-h5 Bf5-c2 43.Bd4-e5 Rc7-d7 44.Be5-d4 d2-d1Q+ 45.Qh5xd1 Bc2xd1 46.Kg1-f2 Rd7-f7 47.Bd4-e5 g7-g5 48.Kf2-g3 Kh7-g6 49.h2-h4 g5xh4+ 50.Kg3xh4 Kg6-f5 51.Kh4-g3 a7-a5 52.c3-c4 2. (-2.58): 40...Qg6-e6 41.Qh4-h5 a7-a5 42.Qh5-f3 Rc7-e7 43.Kf2-e1 Qe6-a2 44.Rg1-g2 Qa2-b3 45.Bd4-e5 Qb3-b1+ 46.Qf3-d1 Qb1-b5 47.Qd1-d2 Bf5-e4 48.Rg2-g1 a5-a4 49.Ke1-f2 a4-a3

(, 31.01.2008)

Jan-30-08  jovack: straightforward example of remove the defender ... in this case, queen sacrifice removes both defenders and subsequently makes a new queen (henry XIII playing as black?). the pawns advance blocks enemy queen from coming to the rescue. Perhaps white can create a double threat qh5? White comes up with a double answer, bishop c2, covers the square, and black will be up a rook. I read some people talking about whie bishop coming to d5 (which I think is a computer generated move meant on prolonging the game with no idea other than potentially taking the rook) and after the rook moves the bishop will have to come back.

Whenever I look for double threats, I make sure that they cannot save each other. Double attacks are only useful if after your opponents next move will 1 target still be available... but this is straightforward tactics. This is what white missed (perhaps due to time pressure). White's major mistake was 35 e3. (he was completely out of ideas by this point I think and probably playing for draw). This created a useful hole for blacks knight to come to. And what does carlsen do later? Nb2 then Nd4. Bxd4 was a mistake. Moving his king in line for a bonus knight check was a mistake. White should have taken the offer of queen trade on his 37th because carlsen also looked out of ideas. After the pawn reached d4, white should have concentrated all efforts on stopping it. It also didnt help that his light squares were in black's control. White's dark bishop was a "bad" bishop too and had nothing useful to contribute to the attack or defense.... that's all for now i believe.

Jan-30-08  Halldor: Got it fast, but luckily I didn't stop until I had seen 42... Bc2. Yesterday's puzzle was much more difficult.
Jan-30-08  JG27Pyth: <Jovack: White's major mistake was 35 e3. (he was completely out of ideas by this point I think and probably playing for draw).>

Check the very first kibitz... this was Armageddon blitz, so it's quite the opposite. White could _not_ play for draw.(IMO 37 Qxg6 would have solved some problems, but without the Queens this starts becoming drawish.)

I agree that e3 is not a great move -- but he wasn't out of ideas, just playing under blitz time pressure.

Jan-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  johnlspouge: <wals: "Is Raymond Chandler's observation about chess players correct?">

"Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find outside an advertising agency." – Raymond Chandler

I never could resist a good quote. Thanks, <wals>!

Jan-30-08  jovack: <jg27pyth>
watching the game from the start, it looked to me as if white was constantly changing course of action..that is why i commented it "he was completely out of ideas" i agree that the queen trade would have made things drawish potentially
Feb-01-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  patzer2: For the Wednesday Jan 30, 2008 puzzle solution, Carlsen's decoy sham sacrifice 40...Qxg1+! sets up a winning passed pawn combination.
Jul-20-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  mollyboo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOL_...

this is the match on you tube - the speed with which he saw the tactic is quite amazing.

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