Monday, January 7, 2013

Vanity - take my rooks

Tim Just's Winter Open has already been rated: crosstable here.

My opponents in the first four rounds outplayed me fairly convincingly: I felt lucky to have drawn two of the four games. Ratings don't matter as much as people think: everyone has the right to play good chess!  I'll post those games later in the week.


Before the final round began, Wayne Clark awarded me my third consecutive participation ribbon. Not too many minutes later, I had lucked into an admittedly mundane winning position. But inspired by the evergreen ribbon, I sacked two rooks in the style of Anderssen (would you believe Berthold Anderssen?). And yes, if one is already a piece up, then one is really only sacking a rook and the Exchange....

Unlike Kieseritsky, my opponent was wise enough to decline the second rook.

3 comments:

Chris said...

I was particulary amused by my almost helpmate at the end. I'd never seen something like that appear over the board so I couldn't resist.

Our game was a perfect example of why it's important to study classic games. Taking the second rook would have been instant death. As it was, you almost played Kd6 which would have allowed me some practical drawing chances...

Bill Brock said...

You're right, Chris: during the game, I was actually afraid that I would wind up losing because I got too fancy.

The exclams substitute for "only move" because I can't cut and paste "box" here:


12... Kd6 13. d4! Bxd4! (13...Nf3+ actually loses, as I did figure out during the game. Mr. King can't allow the bishop on c5 to be captured with check: 14.gxf3 Bxf3 15.dxc5 and now 15...Kxc5 would be answered by 16.Qb4 mate! But running away allows the White queen to transfer to the kingside and break Black attack, also winning for White) 14.cxd4! Nf3+! 15.gxf3! Bxf3! 16.h3! (this move I missed) 16...Ng5! 17.Bf4+ Qxf4 18.Re1 (threatens mate on e7) 18...Nxh3+ 19. Kf1 Be4 20. Qb4+ Kc7 21. Qe7+ Kc8 22. Re2! and now 22...Bd3 looks like a win for Black.

Frederick Rhine said...

Very amusing! Anderssen would have been proud. I like how you met White's final check with check and mate.