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30... Qa1
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Threatens an immediate checkmate. How often so far has White been forced to interrupt his programme to stave off imminent threats? |
  1 comment
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31. Rh3
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There was no real choice. For the moment, White K-side assault has stalled. But Black now has no checkmate. |
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31... Rf1
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The intent behind this was that after the likely 32.Be3 Qd1 33.h6 ... Black would win with 33...Re1! It didn't quite work out that way! |
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32. Be3 Qd1
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Per spec. At this point, though still half expecting 33.h6, I began looking around at alternatives. At first moves like 33.Rh4 or 33.Kg3 seemed to rule ...Re1 out of court. What to play instead? Then I lit upon the remarkable 33...Bf3!! in reply to both. Pleased with this, I awaited White's 33rd move... |
1 comment
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33. h6
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The move I half-expected, and it is probably better than anything else White could have played. After, say, 33.Kg3 Bf3!! completely disrupts White's position: The queen is threatened, and so is the e2 rook. White best seems then to give up the queen: 34.Qxf3 Rxf3ch 35.Kxf3 Qxd3 and Black should win comfortably. The same recipe can be applied to 33.Rh4 Bf3! It is moves like this bishop move that reaches the heights of beauty in chess. |
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33... Bf3
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[?!] Completely forgetting that I had already planned the decisive 33...Re1! Now comes a tactical flurry as White still tries to finish off the Black king. |
2 comments
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34. h7+ Kh8
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Forced. |
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35. Ra2
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[!] I had completely overlooked this move! Note that White is offering his queen, but Black dare not accept: 35...Bxg4?? 36.Ra8ch Rf8 37.Rxf8#! So the bishop simply had to stay on the long diagonal. But against that, White is also threatening 36.Qxf3!! |
1 comment
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35... Qb1
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Maybe 35...Bc6 ought to have been examined more closely... But at least 36.Qxf3! is answered decisively by 36....Rh1ch 37.Kg3 Rxh3ch 38. Kxh3 Qxa2!, and the a8-square is adequately covered. |
2 comments
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36. Ra7
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The threat is once again Qxf3 followed by Ra8ch. |
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36... Bc6
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[!] That brings to a halt White's counter-counter-attack. He makes one more direct try... |
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37. Qg6
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There is no good defence against 38.Qxf7 ... 39.Qf8#. But does Black need a defence? |
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37... Qe1
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No. Black threatens mate in one; White has no effective defence against this last assault by Black; and White's own attack is simply not quick enough. |
1 comment
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38. Bf2
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Hoping, no doubt, for 38...Rxf2?? |
1 comment
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38... Qxf2
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The win of the bishop is nothing: Black threatens 39...Qg1ch 40.Kg3 Qxg2ch 41.Kh4 Rf4ch etc. White can slow it down, but not stop it. White timed out at this point, but he could equally well have resigned. But what a game! |
4 comments
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