I was pretty impressed with this. From a real game at the highest level, between a world Champion who is white. It’s his move. What should he do?
He did the wrong thing. Find out what he did below the fold. Then work out how you can beat him.
Club Troppo
Fearlessly dispensing political, legal and economic analysis (and some whimsy) since 2002
Oops – forgot to add. White moved his pawn b5-b6.
f5-g3?
Damn, I would have done what white did.
f5-g3? that isn’t bad – black will queen in the aftermath and presumably win.
Unless white sidesteps f1-d3. At which point presumably if you want to attack you are drawn to a8 – a1, which you could have done in the first place for an arguably stronger position.
so i will suggest a8 – a1, bearing in mind that black does have to hurry to beat white’s pawn.
1. … f5-g3 (check)
2. e1xg3 … (h2xg3? a8-h8!)
… d4-d1
3. g3-e1 d1xe1 (threatens e1xf1)
4. h1-g1 a8-a1
5. b3-b1 a1xb1
I think it’s going to be some time before white gets out from under the threat of checkmate for the two moves it will take to queen that pawn.
If you were white you would have moved castle b3 to d3 instead of pawn b5-b6. If you were black, (after white’s pawn b5-b6 routine) you would move queen d4 to a1. If the white queen takes the black queen then the black castle takes the white queen and moves for the white bishop. If the white queen moves away instead of taking the black queen then white is still in a world of hurt.
Damn! I missed 2 b3xg3. Sloppy.
Time for a rethink.
I dips me lid to Patrick: a8-a1 is much better!
Patrick,
There’s no shame in doing what the World Champ did! We’re still not through to the answer – which surprises me, and shows how clever black was!
Agreed. If the white queen escapes to e2 where she can still cover the bishop, the black queen goes to C4 and it’s curtains. Her best bet is to go to b1. Castle takes queen and castle takes castle, but that leaves black’s knight just enough time to stop that pawn.
Black can force a queen exchange with:
1. …d4-a1
2. e1xa1 a8xe1 (threatens a1xf1 and that’s all she wrote) so
3. b3-b1 a1xb1
A whole world of hurt for white – bishop pinned on f1 so it has to be either h2-h3 or g2-g4 to avoid the smother mate. Goodbye passed pawn (maybe), Goodbye knight (maybe) and the boring old king-hunt is on.
Am I getting warm?
BTW – the right thing for white to do in this situation is to ask for a potty break, and hide himself in one of toilet stalls while he analyses the position. That’s what toilet rolls are for. (see Hartson How to Cheat at Chess).
Gummo, Sorry you’re not warm. Amazing isn’t it!
I have considered d4-d5 but I can’t figure it out so I guess not that!
So I give up. Now I know why I am not a world champion ;)
1. …f5-g3 (check)
2. e1xg3 a8-h8 (mate).
No, forget that.
1. f5-g3 (check)
2. b3xg3 a8-a1
3. e1xa1 d4xa1
4. a8-a7 a1-d4 (check)
5. a7-a8 e5-a4
Black can soon capture White’s bishop, then stop the pawn, and then he has a queen-castle advantage. But this is no better than my suggestion at #9.
My #14 was very silly. I didn’t look at Gummo’s properly.
So what did Black do?
Well the elements of the answer have not gone unnoticed. Now you have to put them together!
Don’t give it away, Nicholas.
Well, there’s one tactical theme that is striking and has already been mentioned. But you have to set it up. How?
1. …a8-h8
and that passed pawn isn’t going anywhere in the near future!
But then black looks lost after 2. h2-h3
Time for a trip to the supermarket to buy another six rolls of analysis paper, I reckon.
After 1. b5-b6
how about
1… N-e7, bringing pressure on white’s pawn at d5? I don’t think white can hold his pawn on b6 with the pieces that he has.
A complete shot in the dark, as I haven’t really analysed the position deeply. Or at all.
Nope. I think pushing the pawn further and then Qe1-b4 fixes that.
In the game, white resigned after two moves as hopelessly lost.
No it doesn’t. I’m wrong.
OK guys, here’s the game.
Ra1!! - a brilliant diversionary move, stopping Rxg3 & working out that there was time to get to h8!
Well, I deduced the solution from the Doctor’s comment above. Any points for that?
No points James.
Surely I get some points for comment 3?
Patrick – you get some points. How many do you think you should get?
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