Richard and me played an amusing game a few years back.
There was a simple Rook winning trick on the board. We both missed it.
We played over the game in the comfort of the canteen and again we both missed it.
A right couple of clowns.
It was discovered by Richard one year later.
He rarely plays a dull game and unfortunately his 4th round loss in this
years British Chess Championship will make a few chess columns.
(I'll be using it. Sorry mate but stuck for an idea to kick off my next column.)
R. Birkett - A. Kalaiyalahan, British Champs 2016 (Rd4) White to play.
28.Rb7 Qxb7 29.Qh7+ Kf6
And now to his horror Richard saw...
...that if the intended 30.Qxb7 Rb8 and White has to give the Queen to avoid the back rank mate.
White tried for a perpetual with 30. Qxh6+ Kf7 31. Qh5+ Kg8 then resigned. 0-1.
However....
If we go back to the critical position.
White can indeed take the Queen but missed it to due to the 'mirage effect.'
A piece already on a square fails to be visualised back on the original square.
30.Qxb7 Rb8 White can play 31.Qh7
(OOPS!)
The Mirage Effect has been plucked out of the air (it's pretty lame).
Need a new Chess term to cover that situation. I know the problem world will have a name for it.
Possibly something along the lines of "restoring amnesia", "restoration amnesia", "rebound amnesia", "recurrent amnesia", or probably the best of these "returning amnesia". It's natural to discount the possibility that returning a piece to a square is often the best option so one forgets about the possibility of returning the piece to its earlier square. I feel a "mirage" should refer to some sort of mistake where a player sees an opportunity which isn't actually possible due to some feature of the position, such as a "sting in the tail".