Tuesday, March 04, 2014



This was Round 2 of the Spring Swiss at the Bergen County Chess Mates in Ridgewood, New Jersey. My opponent made a series of weakening moves in the opening, including exchanging off his white-squared bishop, creating weaknesses in the white squares. I was pleased to know, after the game, that Fritz13 suggested moves that I actually played like plunking my knight on the d5 square to attack the black queen when it was on c7 and also the moves 11. c3 and 12. Qb3 which sought to exploit the a2-g8 diagonal. 

In this position, black had just played 13...h5 hitting my bishop on g4. My first inclination was to retreat the bishop to e2, keeping the F file open for the rook on f1 bearing down on the weak pawn on f6. I expected black, however, to close the position with 14...g5.

I decided to invest a few more minutes into looking for a way into black's position. It seemed to me that black's position was loose and weak that there must be a decisive stroke somewhere that would blow the position open.

I found the right move, not by following a line of analysis, but by recognizing a very weak square in black's position--- f7. So, I left my bishop en prise and captured with 14. fg6!

Black realized that the immediate threat was 15. Nf6+. Not only was this a seriously disconcerting check but it would also open up the diagonal for my queen to land on f7 with a mate. Black attempted to divert my queen with 14... Na5, hoping that I would play 15. Qb5+ to which black would respond with 15...Nc6. This maneuver would get my queen off the a2-g8 diagonal.

I crashed in with 15. Nf6+ anyway since black must address the check before he can attack my queen. At this point, however, black resigned since there will be a heavy loss of material and a losing position if play went on --- 15... Qf6  16. Qb5+ Nc6  17. Rf6 Bf6  18. Qb3 Nd8.

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