notyetagm: Position after 37 ... ♕h2-g2! 38 f3-f4??
 click for larger viewWhite has played the blunder 38 f3-f4?? to avoid losing his f-pawn. Black (Short) had previously provoked this blunder by playing 37 ... ♕h2-g2!, attacking the White f3-pawn and leaving White with no good method to meet the simple threat of 38 ... ♕g2xf3 because of the <PIN> of the White e2-knight against the <UNDEFENDED> White d2-queen. But White has forgotten that <EVERY TIME YOU PUSH A PAWN IT WEAKENS A SQUARE>. Here 38 f3-f4?? has fatally weakened the e4-square, allowing the Black f6-knight to access this square. Black now strikes with a wicked tactical shot, 38 ... c4-c3+!  click for larger viewputting the Black c-pawn on a square where it is undefended and appears to have three(!) White pieces attacking it! What did Black see?
39 ♔b2xc3?? ♘f6-e4+ <FORKS> ♔♕ 39 ♕d2xc3 ♕g2x♘e2+ hangs White e2-knight
39 ♘e2xc3?? ♕g2x♕d2+ drops ♕ to <PIN> So although the c3-square appears to be defended three(!) times, actually it is not defended at all(!) since taking with the White b2-king creates a <KNIGHT FORK ALIGNMENT> with the White d2-queen, taking with the White d2-queen puts the White e2-knight <EN PRISE>, and taking with the White e2-knight breaks a <LATERAL PIN> and drops the White d2-queen. A tremendous tactical blow by Short, winning ♘ for ♙. |