This is one of my favorite positions. I was Black and White was F. Portisch. It is Black to move. How should Black proceed?
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1…Qxe2 2. Nxe2 (Rxe2 loses a piece) Nc2 and wins the exchange.
Black proceeds quietly but with a big stick! The Knight is a goner.
1… Qa5
2.) Rc1 Bxd4 wins a Bishop
or
2.) Rd3 Bxd4
3.) Rxd4 Qxc3(or Rxc3) wins a Knight
or
2.)Bxg7 Kxg7 3.) Rc1 (or Q move) …Qxc3
or
2.) Nb1 Nxb1
2.) Na2 Rb2 3.) any Q move Rxa2
2.) Nb4 or Na3 R or Q captures N
Once the Bishop is forced off the board the double attack on the Knight cannot be defended in time and the Knight has no escape square.
I’m sorry anonymous, but 1. …Qxe2
2.Nxe2 Nc2
does not win the exchange as the rook can go to
3. Rf1
My thoughtline is as follows:
As the black queen is presently attacked by the white queen, options are:
A) trade queens-But black will not be better as seen above.
B) block the threat on the queen- But interposing the knight on c4 or b5. This doesn’t seem to amount to too much advantage though.
C) find a line that initially sacs the queen and later regains material or leads to mate. Sorry don’t see it here.
D)move the queen to a better square. This is what may work best, as the white knight is under direct attack by the rook on b3 and also an xray attack by the bishop on g7. While it is only defended by the bishop. Adding another attacker by positioning the queen to a5 would really pressure the knight. This white knight on c3 would not have a good square to move to nor would it be easy to defend again.
Thus I propose:
1…..Qa5
2.e5 (so as to block the effect of the Bg7 xray attack on the knight and allow white’s d4 bishop to defend the knight. Doubt there is much better options.)
2….dxe5 ( directly threating the white bishop)
3.Bxe5 (nothing seems better for the white bishop-nor knight!)
3…..Bxe5
4. Qxe5 Qxc3
with either
5. Qxc3 Rxc3
6. Rxe7
or
5. Qxe7
Either way winning a knight for a pawn.
White’s compensation, however, is the past pawn on d5. But black should be able to hold the material advantage, I think.
However, I truly hope someone has seen something better.
Best in chess and in life to all.
my fritz says… -/+ 0.72 … doctor’s line was mine, too! but my fritz! did not manage to beat me in the endgame … hmmmm —- maybe my fritz! is bad or i’m good in endgames …
hehe, Vohaul
This game is available at http://www.chessgames.com, played in 1986, and Ferenc Portisch resigned after Qa5. It began as a Benko Gambit Accepted.