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Avoidable?

Avoidable?

Only Chess

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I finished a game recently in which I made a sacrifice, and I was hoping somebody
could comment on whether it was justified, or whether my opponent had a means of
avoiding material loss or checkmate.

Game 8129420

Here was the critical position:



The game proceeded:

18. Nf6+ gxf6
19. Bxf6 Nc6?
20. Qg5+ Kf8
21. Qg7#

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Originally posted by wittywonka
I finished a game recently in which I made a sacrifice, and I was hoping somebody
could comment on whether it was justified, or whether my opponent had a means of
avoiding material loss or checkmate.

Game 8129420

Here was the critical position:

[fen]rnb1r1k1/ppbq1ppp/3p4/3Q2B1/2P1N3/6P1/PP3PBP/3RR1K1[/fen]

The game proceeded:

18. Nf6+ gxf6
19. Bxf6 Nc6?
20. Qg5+ Kf8
21. Qg7#
19...h6 at least takes away the Qg5+

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Originally posted by ChessPraxis
19...h6 at least takes away the Qg5+
True but After Qh5 the blackposition remains hopeless (e.g. Bd8 Bc3 Bg5 h4! etc...)

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19...Re5 perhaps?!

The idea is to block the queens path to the kingside. and if bishop or rook takes on e5 then black threatens to exchange queens. it may fail to some tactic but at least it gives black a chance of surviving, no?

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Originally posted by wittywonka
I finished a game recently in which I made a sacrifice, and I was hoping somebody
could comment on whether it was justified, or whether my opponent had a means of
avoiding material loss or checkmate.

Game 8129420

Here was the critical position:

[fen]rnb1r1k1/ppbq1ppp/3p4/3Q2B1/2P1N3/6P1/PP3PBP/3RR1K1[/fen]

The game proceeded:

18. Nf6+ gxf6
19. Bxf6 Nc6?
20. Qg5+ Kf8
21. Qg7#
You won, so it was justified!

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Originally posted by watchyourbackrank
19...Re5 perhaps?!

The idea is to block the queens path to the kingside. and if bishop or rook takes on e5 then black threatens to exchange queens. it may fail to some tactic but at least it gives black a chance of surviving, no?
I think Black might be better than "surviving," especially if he could come away with B/N for R/P. I don't know if I would know what to play if he answered 19. ... Re5.

Any help?

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Originally posted by wittywonka
I think Black might be better than "surviving," especially if he could come away with B/N for R/P. I don't know if I would know what to play if he answered 19. ... Re5.

Any help?
If r-e5, 20 bxr - pxb 21. q-c5

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Originally posted by michael liddle
If r-e5, 20 bxr - pxb 21. q-c5
This is a nice line. 21.Qc5 subtly shifts the attack over to the queenside, looking to go a piece up.

Even wilder is 19...Re5 20.Qd2, continuing the kingside attack (Q would like to get to h6) with the aim of an even bigger payoff. Too many tactics for me to take in, it makes my head hurt. 😞

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Swap-off central in response to black 19. Re5
20. Qxe5!, dxe5. 21. Rxd7, Bxd7. 22. Bxb7, Bc6. 23. Bxa8, Bxa8. 24. Bxe5, Bxe5, 25. Rxe5, Kf8 (has to cover). 26. Rc5, Bb7 (has to cover again). 27. Rb5... game over

Less glamorous than previous posts, but it puts white into the endgame with a serious advantage...

1 edit
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Originally posted by morgski
Swap-off central in response to black 19. Re5
20. Qxe5!, dxe5. 21. Rxd7, Bxd7. 22. Bxb7, Bc6. 23. Bxa8, Bxa8. 24. Bxe5, Bxe5, 25. Rxe5, Kf8 (has to cover). 26. Rc5, Bb7 (has to cover again). 27. Rb5... game over

Less glamorous than previous posts, but it puts white into the endgame with a serious advantage...
that line would have a bad surprise on 21... Nxd7 instead of Bxd7. Not exactly sure why you would allow Bxb7?


It appears that while Re5 is not a saving move, playing Rxe8+ before Bxf6 probably would have made the position clear and easy to play.

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Ah yes. Hadn't seen that. Shame, it isn't often that I think that many moves ahead 🙂

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Ha, well I am all for giving up material for a clear win, but you have to be precise in your analysis or bad things happen.