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Henrique Mecking vs Michael Basman
"A Knight of Sorrow" (game of the day Apr-03-2024)
Hastings (1966/67), Hastings ENG, rd 5, Jan-01
Benoni Defense: Old Benoni (A43)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Oct-03-04  nikolaas: 26...Rxa3! Amazing! The point is 27.bxa3 Kf8! with the fantastic threat Qg7#.
Oct-03-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  ray keene: actually i think the idea is qh4 and qf6

if kf8 f5! prolongs the struggle

i watched this game being played

Oct-03-04  nikolaas: You might be right. You're also lucky that there is such a great tournament in your own country. Of niet soms?
Nov-04-04  AgentRgent: Indeed Mecking obviously overlooked 26...Rxa3 which is possible because of 27. bxa3 Qh4! and 28...Qf6 will be fatal. IM Basman is well known for startling tactics and creative play.
Jun-24-05  biglo: To quote Brian Karen a chess coach: "If I were a knight this would be my favorite game."
Jul-17-06  The Diamond: What about 23. Nxe6? That looks like it might cause Black more problems than taking the rook.
May-23-07  Raginmund: what's wrong with 9. 0-0???
Mar-01-12  Eduardo Bermudez: nikolaas: 26...Rxa3! Amazing! The point is 27.bxa3 Kf8! with the fantastic threat Qg7#.
Mar-01-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Two really tricky knights. They forked pretty much every white heavy piece.
Jan-05-17  Eduardo Bermudez: 50 years ago !!
Jan-06-17  Bruce Graham: Bob Seeger: Working on a Night Move
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgO...
Jan-06-17  SpiritedReposte: Basman the unorthodox master.
Apr-03-24  goodevans: If I'd been White after 19 moves I'd have been salivating at the prospect of a devastating K-side attack.


click for larger view

A semi-open file directly onto Black's K (surely one of the Rs belongs there) and the possibility to storm his fortress with either the f-pawn or the h-pawn. Or both! My only quandry would have been which of these to do first.

Instead Mecking chose to operate on the other wing, presumably in an attempt to snuff out counterplay there first, allowing Basman back into what was undoubtedly a lost game. Of course, it took the highly imaginative exchange sac <22...Rxe4!> to achieve this.

With so many plaudits, rightly, for the brilliant <26...Rxa3!> let's not forget that this game featured TWO fabulous exchange sacs.

Apr-03-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp:
<TOP MECKING TENSE>

The final attack is truly brilliant. I kept thinking, "The queen is stuck out of play... She CANNOT get back into the game...." And then - she wasn't really needed.

The two ideas of ....Kf8/...Qg7+ or ...Qh4-f6+ were not actually played, but very clever.

Apr-03-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  Yuridmi: Good Evans you are all over it. White's immediate 20. f5 sends old FRITZ into convulsions of (+ -4.15) and White is Winning

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