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Black to Play

Pete Tamburro on May 13, 2024

This is one of those positions you probably won’t be able to figure out; HOWEVER, if you want to get better, set up the position on a board, look at the answer, then cover the answer and try to imagine how to do it over the board you’ve set up. Excellent training.

This brilliancy was won by on of the several U.S. chess geniuses we have running around—Hikaru Nakamura in 2007.

1...Qxf2+ 2.Kxf2 Bc5+ 3.Kf3 3.Re3 Rxf6+ 4.Kg1 Bxe3+ 5.Kh1 Rd6 6.Qa4 Bxd2 7.Bh3 Nf6 and Black has a rook, bishop, two pawns and knight for the queen--overwhelming. 3...Rxf6+ 4.Kg4 Ne5+ 5.Kg5 5.Rxe5 Bc8+ 6.Kh4 Rxe5 5...Rg6+ 6.Kh5 f6 7.Rxe5 Rxe5+ 8.Kh4 Bc8 and it's an unstoppable mate-- 9.Bd5+ Rxd5 10.g4 Rd3 11.Qf3 Rxf3 12.Nxf3 Rxg4+ 13.Kh5 13.Kh3 Rg5+ 14.Kh4 Bf2# 13...g6+ 14.Kh6 Bf8# Wow.

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.

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