DAY 46 Unjustified Force

An under-developed player quickly runs out of forcing moves.

Konstantin Klaman White

Anatoly Ufimtsev Black

Leningrad 1947

Pirc Defense A00

1 e4 d6 2 f3 g6 3 c3 g7 4 c4 f6 5 e5? dxe5 6 xe5 0-0 7 d4 bd7

Illustration

8 b3?

White’s initiative also hits a wall after 8 f4 c5 9 b3 e6.

For example, 10 xe6? xe5 11 xc8? d3+ loses and 10 xf7? xf7 11 xe6+ e8 is unsound.

Black would have a slight edge after 10 0-0 cxd4 11 cxd4 b6.

8...xe5 9 dxe5 e4!

The knight can go to c5 where it threatens the queen and sets up ...d3+. On 10 f4 Black has the neatly strong 10...d7! and ...f5.

10 e6? fxe6 11 e3

On 11 xe6+ h8 it’s too late for 12 0-0? c5! and 12 xc8 c5 13 -moves d3+ is also bad.

11...h8 12 d2

Not much better was 12 xe6 xe6 13 xe6 in view of 13...d3! and 14...ad8.

12...xd2 13 xd2 xf2!

Now 14 0-0-0 xg2 allows White to lose slowly.

14 xf2 xd2+ 15 e2 d7 16 he1 e5!

This creates a killing zone (17 f1 c6 18 f3 xf3 19 gxf3 f8 20 xb7 xh2).

17 xb7 f8+ 18 g1 e3+ 19 h1 h6! White resigns.

Question 50: Why resign?

Ed Mandell White

William Jointer Black

Michigan 1997

1 e4 g6 2 f3 d6 3 c4 f6 4 d3 g7 5 c3 0-0 6 b3 c6 7 xf7+? xf7 8 g5 d5 9 xf7 xf7 10 g5 bd7 11 0-0 c5 12 c2 dxe4 13 xf6 exd3! 14 xe7 xe7 15 d1 f5 16 b4 e4 17 e1 h4 18 f3 xc3 and wins.