This was the game between GM LB Hansen (Denmark) and GM H. Nakamura earlier today. For some strange reasons, White chose to go for a safe draw with 48. Bxg3. White is clearly better and should have gone for the win.
Play out this position against friends or your computer. Take White and try to win. Then reverse color and try to hold as Black. Good luck!
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
How does a person translate their score into a + – = notation.
example: (Overall record: +440 -88 =250)
440 wins, 88 losses, 250 draws
I’m no Hansen playing the white pieces or Nakamura playing the black pieces, but as white I would play
1. Bd4
if 1…Bxb4
2. Bg7 Bc5
3. Bh6 followed by f8 (Q)
so black does not play that, and the white plan is to play b5+ (protecting the pawn and opening up the a3-f8 diagonal) and get bishops on d5 and e5 and later transferrng of the bishop on e5 to a3.
What’s up with Naka? Why does he get these losing positions?
I don’t see a win in this position. What if the f8 Bishop doesn’t make a move, and the King just strolls in between e6 and c7? It will still be a hard-fought endgame.
I watched this game. there was a long pause in this position as the relay of the moves got stuck here.
b5 is the strong white move here.
Some moves previously 37…Rxf6 Nakamura had a computer evaluation of -2 pawns. but did not play the move. negative favors black. at this point 48.b5 would be +1 favoring white. a swing of 3 points or a minor piece in a few moves.
so Nakamura almost went from a near winning position to losing in just a few moves. however, the move played Bxg3 is a draw.
hopefully @tommy – u will do better than nakamura – next olympiad in dresden 2008 – but beware – securities in europe can’t take a joke – and your pocket fritz might be confiscated – ask GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili about his light-bulb experience from Calvia a few years ago in europe …
:-))