The fact that 'only a bishop' mates from this position is only correct when black plays 1. ... b3. Black's longest survival path is 1. ... Ne2 and white then wins only with a promotion to queen or rook.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Ne7 5.Nxe5 c6 6.Nc4 {Black should reject the kind offer of the Bishop and now play 6...d6 or 6...d5 6...Ng6 (he will still win the piece due to the pawn fork 7.Ba4 b5). Should he take the Bishop...} 6...cxb5 7.Nd6
1. a7 b3 2. a8=B {White has to take a Bishop. Promoting to a Queen or Rook will stalemate Black after he takes the promoted b-pawn and taking a Knight would of course lose.} 2... b2 {Black cannot move the Knight due to Bxf3 mate.} 3. Be4 b1=Q {If White had taken a Queen or Rook, he could have taken this Black promoted Queen but in doing so he would have stalemate mate Black.} 4. Bxb1 Ne2 {Only move.} 5. Be4 {Bishop v Knight Zuggers. If 5...Ng8 then 6.Bd5 Ne2 7.Bxf3 mate} 5... Nd4 6. Bd5 {No matter where the Knight goes White plays 7.Bxf3 mate.}
Originally posted by moonbus [b]Well, not a whole piece. White can get two pawns for it. If I had fallen into that trap against a weaker player, I wouldn't resign just yet.
PS: I do not mean that I am prepared to adopt this as my preferred line against all customers... I merely meant that I do not see that this is immediately fatal for White. I am reminded of a game...
Capablanca vs. Tarrasch, St. Petersburg 1914, in which Capa was a piece down by move 15, but it took Tarrasch 83 moves to force a decision.
I can see all kinds of ther ideas for White to make it harder for Black.
That is why the trap needs testing.
I'm not all that interested in Capa and Tarrasch, more interested in
Mr Clumsy v Tommy Tactics.
From the stem idea there are on record loads of Black wins.
for example Game 6990489 and Game 8083872
For all we know a few lads have tried it at blitz and lost and don't want
it mentioned on the blog. 🙂
I can see all kinds of other ideas for White to make it harder for Black.
That is why the trap needs testing.
I'm not all that interested in Capa and Tarrasch, more interested in
Mr Clumsy v Tommy Tactics.
From the stem idea there are on record loads of Black wins. ...
Sorry if Capa-Tarrasch was off topic.
Thanks for the links to the other games; I played thru them. It appears that White must get more than the center pawn if he is to generate initiative.
Trick, Trap or Tragedy
14 Aug '13 21:54
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