17 March 2010

Blitz Luck

Lunch in a cafe with an internet connection and I played a handful of three minute games with a chap from the Netherlands. The last one evened the score after a couple of blitz errors near the finish. He outplayed me through the middlegame and earned a two to one pawn majority on the queenside. This majority became a dangerous passed pawn that I struggled to stop.

Black to move


I played 25...Qb3?? (25...Rb5 would hold).

My opponent replied with 26.Rb1?? when 26.Re1 wins easily.

I found the winning move, the only move that does not lose.

Black to move

4 comments:

  1. Same move as Anonymous. He was quicker so all hail to him/her.

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  2. Yes. I set this problem up for a youth club; no one found the answer. Then, I set it up at my local club; a few 1600+ got it, and one under 1600, but many others did not. They didn't like hearing that I found it in fifteen seconds during a blitz game. But resigning was the only alternative.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice tactic opportunity. Would be priceless if you could see opponent's face. :)

    ReplyDelete