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!.
The game ended in a draw after 4 cxd5 Rxc3 5 Bd4! Rxa3 6 g5 hxg5 7 hxg5 e5! 8 fxe5 Qxg5+.
Unity Chess Club
Kostic – Capablanca Havana 1919 Black to move
The c-file is closed half-way but 1...Na5! prepares the Philidor Ring.
That forced an exchange of pieces because both 4 …Nxb2 and 4 …N xd2 were threatened. After 4.Nxc4 bxc4:
Because of 3 a3 White cannot play b2-b3 or b2-b4 without losing at least one pawn. This meant Black was free to pile up against b2 with his rooks, 5 Ne3 Ra6! 6 g3 Rb6 7 Ra2 Ra8 8 Bf3 Ra5! 9 Kg2 Rab5. He eventually won.
Unity Chess Club
Fuster – Sanguineti Portoroz 1958 White to play Is this the right time for 1.a4?
It looks like 1 a4 b4 2 Na2 is well-timed in view of 2 … a5 3 Bc7! followed by Rc2 and Rfc1 (or Nc1-d3) with a clear advantage.
But 1 a4? was met by 1 … g5! and after 2 Bd2 b4 3 Na2 a5 there was no Bc7. Black has greater space and superior chances.
But 1 a4? was met by 1 … g5! and after 2 Bd2 b4 3 Na2 a5 there was no Bc7. Black has greater space and superior chances.
Better is 1 Rfd1 because 1 … Nb6 allows 2 Nxb5! and 3 Bc7. And on 1 … Nf6, the 2 a4! with an edge.
Unity Chess Club
Mahesh Chandran – Novikov Dallas 2004 Black to play
1 … g5!. Black would have the edge if the offer is declined (2 Rad1 gxf4 3 Bxf4 Ne5).