CHESS CORNER: What could possibly go wrong?
The self-destruction of the Austrian army in 1788 caused Austria to lose the Battle of Karansebes to the Turks. Karansebes is in modern day Romania. Austrian soldiers mistook each other for the enemy, erupting in a conflagration of friendly fire.
What lit the match was a few Hussars (cavalry) refused to share their schnapps with their fellow infantrymen. Naturally, a fight broke out. A shot was fired in the air which triggered many more less friendly shots and naturally put the Austrian army into disarray. The Turks seized on this mistake and took the town.
In this week’s position a seemingly natural move for black shoots black in the foot and loses. It’s instinctively good defense, like a shot in the air to stop a fight. With this hint please try to find this move.
Black is under pressure from white’s rook battery on the “g” file, the white pawn on e5, and white’s bishop cutting across the d3-h7 diagonal. Pawn to g6 by black abandons black’s knight to the queen and is vulnerable to the white bishop crashing through. The tempting move for black is pawn to f5, blocking the bishop and preparing knight to g5, confronting white’s rooks.
This move, however, is in effect friendly fire as white’s queen takes black’s knight. Black cannot take the white queen because white’s rook on g2 takes black’s rook on g8 and black is checkmated (see next diagram).
Black’s best move in fact prepares pawn to f5, namely bishop to d7. This connects the rooks and prevents a backdoor mate by white’s rook battery. White next trades pawns on f6, preventing pawn to f5, as black recaptures with its queen, which pressures white’s king and knight. White’s king thus steps out of the pin over to e2 (see next diagram).
The position is equal and the battle can continue.
The lesson this week is before moving a piece consider what could possibly go wrong.
Reach Eric Morrow at ericmorrowlaw@gmail.com.
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