Kramnik, white, just played 75. Bg5. All Caruana had to do was play 75…b2 and the game will likely end in a draw. However, black decided to take a short cut by playing 75…Rxg5 and it backfired. White responded with 76. Nxg5 and black resigned. Do you know why?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
easier than most. In the main line Ne4 looks strong
Yeah, because of the Knight fork @c3.
Yikes! I have to admit, it wasn’t immediately obvious to me why Rg5 was a blunder, but after few minutes, it hit me that I was trying to queen white’s pawn too quickly! For example:
1. …..Rg5??
2. Ng5 b2
3. g8Q? b1Q with a draw. No doubt this is what Caruana had in mind, too. However, it is extremely easy to over look the correct move at move 3 for white:
3. Ne4!!
It is sometimes surprising to me, even after playing chess for 3 decades, how quickly a knight can cover ground when it has an open field to run through. White is now threatening to fork black’s king and new queen from c3. However, if black tries to move the king to evade the fork (to a3, a1) white will play Nd2 to cover the b1 queening square.
1. … b2
2.Ne4! b1=Q
3.Nc3+
The knight makes it over fast enough to stop Black’s pawn. Fatigue must have played a role. I also see that Caruana had 8 seconds left.
The knight makes it down there in time to interfere with black’s pawn promotion.
b2 Ne4
because after b2 comes Ne4.
76. …b2
77. Ne4 b1Q
78. Nc3+
gesundheit
I don’t see it.
1. … b2
2. ♘e4 b1=♛
3. ♘c3+ anything
4. ♘xb1