Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Krushing chess tactic
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Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Black almost has two queens on the board! The threat of Rg7 is a concern, but black does have time to play a2 first, and this puts white in a real bind:
1. …..a2
2. Rg7
There is nothing else here- it is white’s only counterplay. Continuing:
2. …..Qg8!
Even though it is the only defense to Qh7#, the oddity of it still gets an exclamation mark from me. That Krush sees this so easily is impressive to some dolt like myself. Continuing:
3. Rg8 Kg8
4. Qc1 Ra7
5. Qa1 Nbc2 (Ndc2 good too)
6. Bc2 Nc2
7. Qg1 Kh8! (Kf7 is bad!)
8. Qd1 Nd4!
One of the reasons I always look a little deeper into these positions is for exactly these sorts of things- here, if black is careless and plays a1Q, white plays Qd6 and is going to get a draw by repetition since black can’t defend both g7, f6 and the back rank in time. With 8. …Nd4, black has time to wrap this up efficiently:
9. Nd4 cd4 (a1Q should win too)
10.Qa1 d3 and the white queen can’t stop both pawns by herself.
“Krushing” can’t mean a direct attack here. Rather creative defence for a start, I think.
I would consider giving my queen for that dangerous black rook, and then hopefully get a new queen afterwards.
1. Qg8! Rxg8 (looks enforced)
2. Kxg8
A)
2. … Nxd4
3. a2 Nc2
4. Nxc2 Bxc2
5. a1=Q
Up with quality, seems winning.
B)
2. … Qc1
3. Ra7 Qa1
4. Nc2! Bxc2
5. Nxc2
This apptemt to stop the pawn looks like a total failure…
Trying again:
1. … Qg8
2. Rxg8 Kxg8
3. Nxd4 (seems obvious) a2
4. Qc1 (again, seems obvious) Ra7
5. Qa1
white wins.
Seems I didn’t find the right plan.
So I guess i must play:
1. … a2!! (looks suicidal)
2. Rg7 (white smiling) Qg8!!
3. Rxg8 (what else?) Kxg8
4. Qc1 (enforced) Ra7
5. Qa1 Nc2!
etc.
Difference: Starting with 1. … a2 before Qg8 gains a tempo. White has to play Rg7.
But white overlooked 2. … Qg8, destroying his goodlooking plan…
I can mention that when I first erroneously started with Qg8 before a2, this could be called a typical untimely prophylaxis.
That is, you see a threat and is so scared that you want to defend it immediately, before implementing your attack.
My mistake clearly demonstrates how that may loose a tempo, because the opponent is spared one move, the one that scares you (in this case Rg7).