Go back
Finishing the attack

Finishing the attack

Only Chess

a

Joined
08 Oct 06
Moves
24000
Clock
11 Oct 10
1 edit
Vote Up
Vote Down

Here's a position that came up in a 3/0 blitz game I recently played.



I am white. I feel like I am clearly winning. I seem to have one hell of an attack. I just can't figure out how to finish it. The attack eventually fizzled and I won on time. Any suggestions? White to move.

ParShooter

San Francisco, CA US

Joined
09 Jan 07
Moves
188927
Clock
11 Oct 10
Vote Up
Vote Down

Ng4 wins the h6 pawn. If the h6 pawn moves, Bg5 skewers the K and Q. After taking the pawn, you can bring the B to g5 and the attack continues.

t

Joined
28 Mar 10
Moves
3807
Clock
11 Oct 10
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by amolv06
Here's a position that came up in a 3/0 blitz game I recently played.

[fen]r2q1b1r/1bp1kp2/ppn2N1p/3pPB2/3P3p/P3B2P/1P1Q1PP1/3R1RK1 w - - 0 21[/fen]

I am white. I feel like I am clearly winning. I seem to have one hell of an attack. I just can't figure out how to finish it. The attack eventually fizzled and I won on time. Any suggestions? White to move.
Difficult.
I'd gamble on 1.Bg5 hxg5 2.Qxg5 Bg7 (Bh6 seems to refute the whole idea) 3.Nd7+!
Or else 1.Rc1 with the idea of 2.Rxc6 3.Qb4+ but 1..... a5 spoils it.

So basically I got nothing 🙂

toet.

I
Fishing

In the icebucket

Joined
18 Aug 10
Moves
7650
Clock
11 Oct 10
Vote Up
Vote Down

I pushed wood around for a bit and couldn't find a way to "finish the attack" as it were.

But I noticed a gem of a move: Bh7.

Bh7 not only corners a, potentially, active rook, but also wins the h6 pawn. Black has very few active moves to play. ...Qc8/Qb8 lose to d5.

The best response I see would be h5. But this allows white to play Bg5. Winning the rook at least.
... Bh6,
Bxh6 Rxh7 (whites next move would have been Bg7, winning said rook anyway).

However, it took me ~ 10 minutes to figure this one out. Something tells me I should stay away from blitz 🙂

a

Joined
08 Oct 06
Moves
24000
Clock
11 Oct 10
1 edit
Vote Up
Vote Down

Thanks for the comments so far, guys. I like the Rc1 idea, and definitely had not spotted Bh7, which seems like a tactic without a name that I should look for more often. In case anyone is interested, I played Rfe1.

g

Joined
29 Jul 01
Moves
8818
Clock
11 Oct 10
Vote Up
Vote Down

1. Rc1 ... ?

t

Joined
15 Jun 06
Moves
16334
Clock
11 Oct 10
2 edits
Vote Up
Vote Down

rc

Joined
26 Aug 07
Moves
38239
Clock
11 Oct 10
2 edits
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by amolv06
Thanks for the comments so far, guys. I like the Rc1 idea, and definitely had not spotted Bh7, which seems like a tactic without a name that I should look for more often. In case anyone is interested, I played Rfe1.
its called interference i think, that is when you block a file, row or diagonal or the communication between two pieces to take advantage of some tactical aspect. Not so easy to spot but very subtle and beautiful when you do.

t

Joined
15 Jun 06
Moves
16334
Clock
11 Oct 10
13 edits
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by amolv06
Here's a position that came up in a 3/0 blitz game I recently played.

[fen]r2q1b1r/1bp1kp2/ppn2N1p/3pPB2/3P3p/P3B2P/1P1Q1PP1/3R1RK1 w - - 0 21[/fen]

I am white. I feel like I am clearly winning. I seem to have one hell of an attack. I just can't figure out how to finish it. The attack eventually fizzled and I won on time. Any suggestions? White to move.

E

c6

Joined
19 Dec 04
Moves
7355
Clock
11 Oct 10
Vote Up
Vote Down

Awesome analysis, tomtom. Rc1 the kind of key move that will tie a man in knots during a blitz game.

t

Joined
15 Jun 06
Moves
16334
Clock
11 Oct 10
4 edits
Vote Up
Vote Down

thank you. attacking is my specialty. 🙂

t

Joined
15 Jun 06
Moves
16334
Clock
11 Oct 10
3 edits
Vote Up
Vote Down

double post.

g

Joined
29 Jul 01
Moves
8818
Clock
12 Oct 10
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by tomtom232
[pgn]
[FEN "r2q1b1r/1bp1kp2/ppn2N1p/3pPB2/3P3p/P3B2P/1P1Q1PP1/3R1RK1 w - - 0 21"] 1.Rc1 a5{keeping the tempo up threatening 2.Rxc6!} {keeping the queen out of b4} 2.Rxc6 Bxc6 3.Rc1 Bb7 4.Qc2 c6 5.Bd7 {its pretty much all she wrote now because if 5...Qc7 then Nxd5+}Rc8 {offering the material back to ease up the postion but white doesn't want it!}6.Qf5[/pgn]
2. Qc2?

t

Joined
15 Jun 06
Moves
16334
Clock
12 Oct 10
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by gambit3
2. Qc2?
The knight is a key defender so it has to go. White is, in essence, giving up an inactive rook for a very useful defensive knight. Blacks game falls apart fairly quickly as you can see in the pgn.

t

Joined
15 Jun 06
Moves
16334
Clock
12 Oct 10
19 edits
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by tomtom232
[pgn]
[FEN "r2q1b1r/1bp1kp2/ppn2N1p/3pPB2/3P3p/P3B2P/1P1Q1PP1/3R1RK1 w - - 0 21"] 1.Rc1 a5{keeping the tempo up threatening 2.Rxc6!} {keeping the queen out of b4} 2.Rxc6 Bxc6 3.Rc1 Bb7 4.Qc2 c6 5.Bd7 {its pretty much all she wrote now because if 5...Qc7 then Nxd5+}Rc8 {offering the material back to ease up the postion but white doesn't want it!}6.Qf5[/pgn]
A continuation to illustrate the beauty of the final position. White is threatening Nxd5+! black can't seem to stop it but lets see what happens.

Cookies help us deliver our Services. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More.