Unity Chess Club
Karpov – Kasparov World Championship 1985 Black to play
Black’s queen bishop lacks a good square. He equalized with the bishop tour, 1 …Bg4+! 2 f3 Bh5 and … Bg6.
Play went 3 h4 0-0 4 g4 Bg6. Then on 5 Bxg6, the irregular recapture, 5 … fxg6! followed by … Rae8 is best. This favors Black because of his play along the e- and f-files.
Unity Chess Club
Alekhine – Novotny Prague 1943 White to play Should White try to exploit … b5 with 1.a4 – or play elsewhere?
White has greater winning chances with a knight shift, 1 g4! Bg6 2 Nh4!. After 2 …Nc6 he was careful to avoid 3.Nxg6? because this is another case when 3 … fxg6! helps Black.
White’s superiority was clear after 3.Nhf5! Qd8 4 Qf3 Ne8 5 h4! Bxf5 6 exf5! Rc8 7 g5 and he eventually won.
Unity Chess Club
Ehlvest – Andersson Belfort 1988 Black to play
The best move is 1 … b4 so that a White knight move allows 2 … Nd5!.
But here it turns out disastrously, 1...Bxf3? 2.gxf3 2 … b4?? 2 exf6 bxc3 3 Rg2!, since 3 … Bxf6 4 Qxf6 is hopeless.
Unity Chess Club
A. Rodriguez – Polugaevsky Moscow 1985 Black to play White’s last move was h2-h4. What should Black do?
If you relied on calculation, you might start with 1 … Nh7. That threatens … Bxh4 and might lead to 2 g5 hxg5 3 hxg5 e5.
But White can make a promising sacrifice with the endangered g-pawn. 4 g6! fxg6 5 Bg4 and Nd5.
It’s better to rely on an anti-g4 and look at 1 … d5!.
But White can make a promising sacrifice with the endangered g-pawn. 4 g6! fxg6 5 Bg4 and Nd5.
It’s better to rely on an anti-g4 and look at 1 … d5!.