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Jacek Pyrowicz vs Aleksander Latocha
Polanica-Zdroj op-B (2009), Polanica-Zdroj POL, rd 5, Aug-22
Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit. Forgotten Variation (D31)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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sac: 26...Nxh3+ PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-29-16  Modulo: 26. ...?
Black to play, "Medium/Easy".

The very first thing to strike your mind is that, if both black Knights move away from the b8/h2 diagonal,suddenly White's king is in a huge danger. Let's try that:

26. ... Rxd4 (to stop Rxd8+ or Bd6 later down the line) 27. cxd4

Else Black is way ahead in material

27. ... Nxh3+
28. Kh1

Only move. Both gxh3 and Kh2 are met by Nf3+ followed by Qh2#.

28. ... Ng4
29. g3

29. f4 will just be taken by the Queen

29. ... Nhxf2+

And here, White has to give up his queen for 2 knights as he otherwise will lose the queen for less:

30. Kg1

If Kg2, then Ne3+ wins the queen

30. ... Qxg3+
31. Bg2 Nh3+
32. Kh1

Kf1 again loses the queen to Ne3+

32. ... Ngf2+

And White has to give the queen for a knight on f2.

Time to check.

Whoops. For some reason I completely blanked the Bg2 at the 32nd move; obviously 32. Kh1 is followed by Qh2#. Looks good otherwise though.

Jun-29-16  Cybe: 26. R:d8+ seems to be drawish.
Jun-29-16  Checker2: Got it, except the interesting C.1.b) above.
Why not 15 ... Bxf3? With the trade happening anyways 2 bishops moves later and the black knight getting to f4 on the powerful queen's diagonal, why didn't black disrupt the kingside pawns?
Jun-29-16  leRevenant: 3/three
Jun-29-16  The Kings Domain: Although the double knight attack can make one feel a little crosseyed, a good and simple puzzle to represent the day.
Jun-29-16  morfishine: I had <26...Nxh3+> 27.gxh3 Nf3+ and mate next move

Thanks <agb2002> and others for the fillers

*****

Jun-29-16  stacase: Two Knights in the middle of the board ready to pounce are a force to be reckoned with. White didn't have a chance.
Jun-29-16  Kasparov Fan: The only thing to keep in mind is the motif "clearing the diagonal"
Jun-29-16  saturn2: I considered the two knight moves Nxh3 followed by Nf3 rather quickliy.
Jun-29-16  Virgil A: White not forced to take Nh3.
Jun-29-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  gawain: I saw the winning combination pretty soon.

But what if White declines the offer on h3? A surprisingly quick loss that way, too. White has various desperate moves to try but they all end horribly.

Jun-29-16  Once: This one is trickier than it looks. The first move is fairly obvious. 26...Nxh3+ starts to open up the diagonal from b8 to h2 to allow the black queen into the action.

After 26...Nxh3+, clearly both 27.gh and 27. Kh2 are going to feel like a Brexit after 27...Nf3+., so we have to look at 27. Kh1:


click for larger view

Now this is not so easy. We could simply move our Nh3 out of harm's way and we've snaffled a safe pawn. But that doesn't seem like much of a reward for a good position.

So I looked at a more aggressive continuation of 27...Nxf2 28. Qxf2 Ng4


click for larger view

And black can feel smug that he is attacking the White queen and threatening Qh2#. But 29...Rxd8+ is annoying. Rewind, start again. Let's trade rooks first: 27...Rxd4 28. cxd4


click for larger view

Now what? Fritzie is saying that there is only one move which continues Black's attack and that is 28...Ng4. Then we get 29. g3 Nhxf2+ 30. Kg2 Ne3+


click for larger view

Black forks the white king and queen and we can finally call it complete.

So let's recap. Our "best play" line is 26... Nxh3+ 27. Kh1 Rxd4 28. cxd4 Ng4 29. g3 Nhxf2+ 30. Kg2 Ne3+

Not what I would call a medium/ easy! In human mode, I went all Icelandic and scuffed the ball somewhere around 29. g3

Jun-29-16  YouRang: Got it almost immediately :-)


click for larger view

Thought process:

- My (black's) Q is aimed at h2, albeit blocked by my two N'ss.

- It would be nice to move those two N's such that one is successfully hitting h2, creating a mate threat.

- Only Ne5 is readily able to hit h2, but it has get to f3 or g4 and both of those squares are defended by pawns.

- However, I can use my Nf4 to ensure the removal of one of those defending pawns with <26...Nxh3!>. Nice team work, as one N sets up the other.


click for larger view

If white takes <27.gxh3>, then f3 is unguarded, allowing <27...Nf3+>, with nothing to stop the planned ...Qh2#

~~~~~

If white declines with <27...Kh1>, then I have to think about how to continue. White still can't play gxh3 due to above tactic, but without a way to give check, I have to worry about Rxd8+ Qxd8, which would allow gxh3.

So, I eliminate that worry by exchanging rooks myself: <27...Rxd4 28.cxd4>


click for larger view

Now, with Ph3 removed, g4 is unguarded allowing <28...Ng4>, which threatens ...Qh2#.

About all white can do is <29.g3>


click for larger view

But this is a Monday puzzle! Once again, we can use one N to set up the other: <29...Nhxf2+ 30.Kg2 Ne3+> forking K+Q .

Jun-29-16  YetAnotherAmateur: 26. ... Nxh3+ seems like the obvious place to start.

A) 27. gxh3? Nf3+ 28. Kg2/Kh1 Qh2#

B) 27. Kh2? Nf3+ (double check) 28. Kxh3/Kh1 Qh2#

So that leaves:
C) 27. Kh1 Rxd4 28. g3 Rd8 29. Bxh3

Jun-29-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: I have never really liked these puzzles in which, in the game continuation, the losing side plays a very weak move in response to the winning move.

This one almost has the feel of a helpmate, although White would only have prolonged his suffering with 27. Kh1.

Jun-29-16  kevin86: I saw this one-except the result after white declining the sacrifice is a bit unclear.
Jun-29-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <An Englishman: Good Evening: I just like the name. The "Forgotten Variation." Pretty cool.>

And whilst we are discussing opening variations with interesting names, let's not forget the unaccountably out-of-fashion "Compromised Defense" to the Evans Gambit. See: Fischer vs Fine, 1963.

Jun-29-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Jimfromprovidence: Another line I found interesting is 26 ... Nxh3+ 27 Kh1 Rxd4 28 f4?!, leaving white with three pieces under attack.


click for larger view

Jun-29-16  Once: There is something a little weird about the "forgotten variation". I mean, if we've got round to giving a name, then surely it isn't forgotten any more?

Maybe a more accurate title would be the "not very well remembered variation". But that's not very snappy, is it?

Jun-29-16  YouRang: <Once> <An Englishman> Re: "The Forgotten Variation"

It does make me wonder who was in charge of assigning nicknames to openings. This particular nickname seems overly subjective.

Perhaps someone reminded him that this variation hadn't been named yet, and he said "Oh yes! I had forgotten about that one! Let's see, what shall I name it?....".

Or perhaps he named it such because he didn't think it was much good. But then "The Forgettable Variation" would have been more appropriate.

Jun-29-16  YouRang: <Jimfromprovidence: Another line I found interesting is 26 ... Nxh3+ 27 Kh1 Rxd4 28 f4?!, leaving white with three pieces under attack.>

Just for laughs, I plugged the position after <26...Nxh3+ 27.Kh1 Rxd4> into my engine.

Result:
- Both 28.cxd4 and 28.f4 are mate-in-14.
- Three moves (g3, f3, Be2) are mate-in-11.

So, your 28.f4 looks just as "good". For black's reply, I like 28...Rd1!


click for larger view

If 29.Qxd1, then ...Nf2+ (fork K+Q )

If 29.Qe2, then black still plays ...Nf2+!, since 30.Qxf2 is met by 30...Ng4


click for larger view

White has nowhere to move the Q such it can defend against ...Rxf1# and ...Qxf4 (with mate to follow).

Perhaps most fun is 31.Qe2 Qxf4 32.g3 Rxf1+ 33.Kg2 Qh6!


click for larger view

Mate next move:
- If 34.Qxf1 Qh2#
- Otherwise 34...Qh1#

Jun-29-16  gars: I found this one too easy for a Wednesday POTD, don't you agree?
Jun-29-16  Once: <gars> The first couple of moves were easy. The full solution involves finding this line:

26... Nxh3+ 27. Kh1 Rxd4 28. cxd4 Ng4 29. g3 Nhxf2+ 30. Kg2 Ne3+

Some of these are "only" moves where the alternatives aren't so good, including 27...Rxd4, 28...Ng4 and 29...Nhxf2+

I thought that was tough for a Wednesday.

Jun-29-16  BOSTER: Sometimes such indecision like moves Rd1-Rd2 -Rd4 wins the battle two knights vs two bishops.
Jun-30-16  agb2002: <morfishine: ...

Thanks <agb2002> and others for the fillers>

Thanks to you!

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