This was an actual game between GM Werle (2552) and GM Wells (2517) in round 10 of the 2007 Staunton Memorial. The “normal” move would have been 9.g4. However, in this game, GM Werle played 9.Ne6!?
Is it a sound positional sacrifice? Want to sharpern your attacking chess skills? Play this position out against friends or your computer with 9.Ne6!? See if you can understand how to play this type of Tal / Shabalov type of position.
If you want to improve your defensive skills like Petrosian or Kramnik, play this out as Black as your friends or your computer to see if you can hold.
Have fun! 🙂
This is a tough position to give up a piece like that. It’s an amazing sac.
I would take Black.
Ne6 then if f7x?!
Ne5, BxQ???
Bg6 mate..
goodmorning to all,
JB.
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I saw this nice mate too, and thought at first, this isn’t positional but an entirely tactical trap! But after 9…fxe6 10.Ne5, White cannot expect the blunder 10…BxQ. Instead, Black replies 10…Qd5. The mate idea is gone, Bh5 is covered and both the wQ and g2 are under attack. 11.f3 O-O-O and White may have some compensation, but not sufficient.
The game continued differently (not 10.Ne5) and lasted until the 42nd move where Black only lost because he played one or two weak endgame moves (like 38…Bh8 when the bishop should stay on the b1-h7 diagonal).