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James E Berry vs Arin Madenci
"Can't a Berry Fail?" (game of the day Jul-10-2010)
105th US Open (2004), Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA, rd 2, Aug-08
French Defense: McCutcheon. Lasker Variation (C12)  ·  1-0

8
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1
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White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-10-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: A little uncertain about the pun today. Is it supposed to be a take-off on "Canterbury Tales"?

That being said, an interesting game. The MacCutcheon often looks like White should be able to chew it up and spit it out, but it's not often treated as severely as here.

I should probably check this out, but I assume the plan of releasing the tension with 12...cxd4 and 13...Qa5+ was a mistake.

Jul-10-10  ajile: I didn't understand the last 2 puns either. Too advanced for my pun-y mind.
Jul-10-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: Yeah, but what if black had played 21...Qe7 ? How does white win then?
Jul-10-10  Once: Maybe CG is inventing a sliding scale for puns? Really easy ones on Monday, working up to impossibly obscure ones on Saturday. I am utterly stumped by this one.

<al wazir> Yup, the position after 21. Qxe6+ is pretty interesting


click for larger view

Fritzie reckons that 21...Ne7 is the worst of the four possible ways of getting out of the check, with an eval of +4.46

Next is 21...Qe7, when 22. Qxc6+ gives white an advantage of +2.28. White is threatening Qxa8 and will probably get to play Ne5+. Lots of attacking going on.

Second best is 21...Kd8 (+1.79).

But the winner of Miss World 2010 is.... <drum roll> ... 21...Kf8 when Fritzie sees nothing more than a perpetual check draw.

Nice attack by white.

Jul-10-10  The Famous Chess Cat: <A little uncertain about the pun today. Is it supposed to be a take-off on "Canterbury Tales"?>

Yes, it's a reference to Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Pretty brilliant, I think.

Jul-10-10  Once: Ah, I see it now! "Can't a berry fail" = Canterbury Tale.

Awful, and yet strangely appealing at the same time.

I recall a stand-up comedian saying that he had once had some advice from an older and wiser comic. "Son, there are just two rules in comedy. 1. don't do puns. And 2. don't do puns."

Jul-10-10  goodevans: How would white continue the attack after 19 ... Qc8?
Jul-10-10  Cercatore: Omg, 2 rooks sacrifice!
Jul-10-10  David2009: Fun game! <goodevans: How would white continue the attack after 19 ... Qc8?> With great difficulty. Crafty brushes aside the obvious try 20.Bb5 with 20...Kf8 21.Rxe6 Ne7!


click for larger view

and White loses more material. The other try 20...Bxg6 is met with 20...Kd7 and White seems to have nothing e.g. 21 Bf5 Qg8. Crafty End Game Trainer link: http://www.chessvideos.tv/endgame-t...

Jul-10-10  kevin86: An unusual two rook sac-usually they are done rooks on their home squares.

The mate doesn't even look like one-but it is.

Jul-10-10  lost in space: What is wrong with 15...Ba6 (the only ggod reason for 14...b6).

I can not see any chance for White to establish an attack after 15...Ba6.


click for larger view

e.g. 16. Bb5 Rc8 17. Qf4 Kf8 18. Qf6 Rh7 19. Bxc6 Rxc6 20. Qd8 + Kg7 draw


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Jul-10-10  goodevans: <lost in space: What is wrong with 15...Ba6> I imagine black rejected this line because after <16 Bb5 Rc8> his queen would be stuck. White needs to be a bit careful about the c3 pawn, but otherwise he can slowly strangle black (e.g. Ne1/Qe2/Nc2/Nb4).
Jul-10-10  1. h4: <lost in space>, <goodevans>

Actually, Black must keep tabs on his e6-f7-g6 pawn complex, which is subject to a quick demolition if he's not careful. Thus he put his bishop on d7 to continue protecting e6.

15...Ba6? runs into the quick 16.Bxg6, after which 16...fxg6 is met by 17.Qxe6+ and picks up the Nc6 with more to come, while 16...Rg8 loses the same way, as the pin on the e8-h5 diagonal allows 17.Qxe6+ anyways. 14...b6 was meant to ease the pressure down the b-file and the b7-pawn, allowing the bishop to develop. Hope that helps.

Jul-10-10  screwdriver: What a crushing victory for white.
Jul-10-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  scormus: <Once, Fritz .... nothing more than a perpetual check draw> Now you spoilt it for me. There was me thinking what a fabulous brilliancy, W saw the sequence all the way when he played 17 Rxd5. Yet 21 ... Ne7 was a stroke of luck, cutting off the BQ from defence of f7, g7, h7.

Anyway, great to play it through, even if only the second most entertaining game I saw this evening ..... ;-)

Jul-10-10  1. h4: Ooh...just kidding. Heh. There's a blooper in my post. 15...Ba6 16.Bxg6? is most likely an error. 16...fxg6 17.Qxe6+ is simply turned back by 17...Ne7. Don't know why I didn't see that--haha, am I blind. Anyways, in that case <goodevans> is probably right.
Jul-11-10  lost in space: 15...Ba6 16. Bxg6 fxg6 17. Qxe7 Ne7 and Black is fine.


click for larger view

What is with that his queen is stucked after 16. Bb5 Rc8?


click for larger view

Deep Rybka 3, depth: 18
A: +0,27; 17. Qh4 Kf8 18. Ng1 g5 19. Qh3 Kg7 20. Ne2 Rhf8

b: +0,17 17. Qf4 Kf8 18. Kd1 Nb8

At least midterm no risk to get in trouble due to the "stucked" Queen on a5.

Jul-11-10  ajile: <The Famous Chess Cat: <A little uncertain about the pun today. Is it supposed to be a take-off on "Canterbury Tales"?> Yes, it's a reference to Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Pretty brilliant, I think.>

Brilliant if you are a Jeopardy finalist.

Feb-24-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: This was a really horrid pun. Interesting game, although Black's defense was pretty lame. As others have noted, 19...Qc8 and 21...Kf8 were both huge improvements.

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