The moves following here look like a harmless, automated trade of the minor pieces. But actually I (white) missed a chance to win material here. What should I have done in move 14?
The actual game is below. Find the moves for white that win material.
Solution: showBxB, white’s best option is to take the black queen, then use the bishop to pike the white queen and white rook. This is one possible line: 22. … Bxg2 23. Rxf6 Be4 24. Qf1 Bxf6 25. Qxf6 Re6 26. Qf2 Bxb1 27. d5 Re5 28. Bxe5 dxe5 29. Qb2 Bf5 30. d6
Once again I (black) got in trouble after my opponent engaged multiple threads at once with 20. f4:
Who is the one in trouble?
I used up almost all my time to think of a way out. Usually there is one in such a situation. But I didn’t see that actually there was not only a way to get out with minor material disadvantage, but even with a significant advantage!
Black to move and win material.
Hint: showBlack can pin the white knight in two moves. Then use a (threat of a) fork to gain advantage of that pin.
Solution: show20 … Na5 prepares a pin of the white knight to the white king with one of the rooks. Moving the knight away does not work: 21. Nd3 Rhc8+ 22. Kd1 Qa4+, which uses the black queen to fork the white king and the white rook and wins a rook.
Those two major threats considered, this is a reasonable continuation: 20. … Na5 21. fxe5+ Kg7 22. e6. After this delay black has a chance to play out his advantages: 22. … Rhc8 23. Qc3+ Qxc3+ 24. bxc3 Rxc5 25. Rxf7+ Kh6
My own “solution” was a bit puny. If you look at how I won, please consider that after that situation I had only two minutes left :-) show
[Event "rated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2008.08.05"]
[Round "?"]
[White "bobbilipili"]
[Black "Magnakai"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1584"]
[BlackElo "1722"]
[ECO "B54"]
[TimeControl "1200+20"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Nc3 Nf6 8.
Qd2 Nc6 9. f3 e5 10. Nb3 Be6 11. O-O-O Ke7 12. Bh6 $2 {Crafty (score -0.14 at
depth 11) thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:} 12. g4 b5 13.
Nd5+ Bxd5 14. exd5 Na7 15. c5 Qc7 16. c6 Rhc8 $16 {(score 1.14 at depth 9)} )
Bxh6 13. Qxh6 Qb6 14. c5 dxc5 15. Qe3 Nd7 16. Na4 Qb4 17. Naxc5 Nxc5 18. Nxc5
Bxa2 19. Rd7+ Kf6 20. f4 $4 {Crafty (score -3.75 at depth 9) thinks this is a
blunder} ({Crafty suggests:} 20. Rxb7 Qd4 21. Qxd4 Nxd4 22. b4 Rhc8 23. Rb6+
Be6 24. Bxa6 Rc7 25. Rd6 $11 {(score 0.05 at depth 10)} ) Rhd8 $4 {Crafty
(score -0.15 at depth 9) thinks a good move has been missed} ({Crafty
suggests:} 20. ... Na5 21. fxe5+ Kg7 22. e6 Rhc8 23. Qc3+ Qxc3+ 24. bxc3 Rxc5
25. Rxf7+ Kh6 26. c4 Bxc4 27. Bxc4 Rxc4+ $19 {(score -3.75 at depth 9)} ) 21.
fxe5+ Kg7 22. Rxb7 Qd4 23. Ne6+ $4 {Crafty (score -5.36 at depth 12) thinks
this is a blunder} ({Crafty suggests:} 23. Qxd4 Nxd4 24. b3 Rac8 25. Kb2 Rxc5
26. Kxa2 Ra5+ 27. Kb2 Rxe5 28. Bc4 Ne6 29. Bxa6 Rxe4 $11 {(score -0.13 at
depth 11)} ) Kg8 $4 {Crafty (score 5.77 at depth 11) thinks this is a
blunder} ({Crafty suggests:} 23. ... Bxe6 24. Qxd4 Rxd4 25. Rc7 Nxe5 26. g3
Rc8 27. Rxc8 Bxc8 28. Bg2 Bb7 29. Rd1 Rc4+ 30. Kd2 Bxe4 31. Bxe4 Rxe4 $19
{(score -5.36 at depth 12)} ) 24. Nxd4 Rxd4 $4 {Crafty (score 9.95 at depth
12) thinks this move loses more quickly} ({Crafty suggests:} 24. ... Nxd4 25.
Rc7 Rab8 26. Rc3 a5 27. Bc4 Bxc4 28. Rxc4 Nb3+ 29. Kc2 Rd2+ 30. Qxd2 Nxd2 31.
Kxd2 Rxb2+ $18 {(score 5.77 at depth 10)} ) 25. Rc7 $4 {Crafty (score 7.02 at
depth 10) thinks this is not the quickest way to win} ({Crafty suggests:} 25.
Rb6 Rc8 26. Bxa6 Nxe5+ 27. Bxc8 Rc4+ 28. Kd2 Rxc8 29. b3 Bxb3 30. Qxb3 Nc4+
31. Ke2 Nxb6 32. Qxb6 $18 {(score 9.95 at depth 12)} ) Bb3 $4 {Crafty (score
11.16 at depth 10) thinks this move loses more quickly} ({Crafty suggests:}
25. ... Na5 26. Be2 Rad8 27. Rd1 Nb3+ 28. Kc2 Rxd1 29. Bxd1 $18 {(score 7.02
at depth 10)} ) 26. Rxc6 $4 {This offers a mate in 1 to the opponent}
({Crafty suggests:} 26. Be2 a5 27. Rxc6 Rb4 28. Rf1 Rd8 29. Qf3 a4 30. Rd6
Rd4 31. Rxd8+ Rxd8 $18 {(score 11.16 at depth 10)} ) Rd1# {bobbilipili
checkmated} 0-1
Once again my newly gained endgame powers saved a game in which I messed up the middle game. Thank you, Josh Waitzkin! Great tutorial. I played the whole endgame through the 10 second Fisher time, since I was already down to 4 minutes at move 35.
At the latest after my move 52 it is obvious that I am winning. But there is a better way. After 52. …Bxc7, how could I (white) have gained a queen faster?
Question 1. What’s the threat against black? showf3
Question 2. Black to move. Get out with even material. showOne way is d6. f3 wins no material any more, because of dxe5. Even when white does not respond with f3, this is a good opening position for black.