10 January 2013

Lesson of the Week

A Challenging Position

This week's lesson features post-game analysis from Tarrasch, Three Hundred Chess Games. In the diagram position, Tarrasch missed the correct move. His opponent then failed to find the refutation. Mendelsohn's moves played in reverse order would have led Tarrasch to force a draw by repetition.

Tarrasch,Siegbert - Mendelsohn,Jozsef [C51]
Breslau, 1879

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.0–0 d6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.d5 Na5 10.Bb2 Ne7 11.Bd3 0–0 12.Nc3 Ng6 13.Ne2 c5 14.Kh1 Bc7 15.Nfg1 Rb8 16.f4 f5 17.exf5 Bxf5 18.Bxf5 Rxf5 19.g4 Rf7 20.f5 Ne5 21.Nf4 Nac4 22.Bxe5 Nxe5 23.Nf3 Nxg4 24.Ne6 Qf6 25.Nfg5 Ne3 26.Qh5 g6 27.Qh6 Ng4

White to move
28.Qh3?

28.Nxf7! Nxh6 29.Nxh6+ Kh8 30.fxg6 Qxg6 31.Nf7+ Kg8 32.Rg1 Kxf7 33.Rxg6 Kxg6 34.Nxc7±

28...Nf2+??

28...Qxa1 29.Nxf7 Nf2+ 30.Kg2 Qxf1+ (30...Nxh3 31.Nh6+ Kh8 32.Rxa1+-) 31.Kxf1 Nxh3 32.Nh6+ Kh8 33.Nf7+=

29.Rxf2 Qxa1+ 30.Rf1 Qf6 31.Nxf7 Qxf7 32.fxg6 Qe7 33.Rf7 1–0

There is plenty to look at as the young players and I explore what else might have been played. For most of the students, this week's lesson is far too difficult. For the top players, it offers a good exercise in calculating the resulting imbalances.

The beginning tactics worksheet took longer because the young players found them difficult. Five problems concern zugzwang. One of these was composed by Paul Morphy when he was a child. The others are my compositions.

Beginning Tactics 11

Find the best move for White from each position.









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