The accurate defender grabs his chance to fight back – even against a Mikhail Tal.
Mikhail Tal White
Zigurds Pigits Black
USSR 1953
Sicilian Defense, Richter-Rauzer Variation B62
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 ♘f6 5 ♘c3 d6 6 ♗g5 e6 7 ♘xc6 bxc6 8 e5?!
A gambit based on 8...dxe5 9 ♕xd8+ and 10 0-0-0+ or 9 ♕f3 ♗e7 10 ♗xf6.
8...♕a5!
So that 9 exf6? ♕xg5 or 9 ♗xf6 gxf6 10 exd6 ♕e5+ and ...♗xd6 favors Black.
9 ♗b5!? cxb5 10 exf6 b4! 11 ♕f3
Clearly bad was 11 ♘e4 ♕e5!.
Now if 11...♖b8, White replies 12 ♘e4! and his initiative continues.
11...♕e5+!
But after 12 ♘e2 d5 or 12 ♗e3 ♖b8 (also 12...d5) it’s dead.
12 ♘e4 d5
An ingenious try is 13 0-0-0 so that 13...dxe4 14 ♕xe4! ♕xg5+?? 15 ♔b1 and White wins with threats of ♕c6+ and ♕xa8.
However, 14...♕xe4! lets the air out of the balloon (15 ♖d8+ ♔xd8 16 fxg7+ ♔e8).
Question 206: How does Black beat 15 fxg7 ?
13 ♖d1 ♗a6! 14 ♖d4!? dxe4
Black has many ways to win (14...♕xd4 15 fxg7 ♗xg7 16 ♘d6+ ♔d7 or 15...♕xg7 17 ♘f6+ ♔d8).
15 ♖xe4 ♕xg5 16 ♖xe6+ fxe6 17 ♕xa8+ ♔f7 18 ♕xa7+ ♔xf6 19 ♕xa6 ♕c1+ White resigns.
Mario Milanollo White
Alois Lanc Black
Austria 1999
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 ♘f6 5 ♘c3 d6 6 ♗g5 e6 7 ♘xc6 bxc6 8 e5 ♕a5! 9 ♗b5 cxb5 10 exf6 b4! 11 ♕f3 ♕e5+! 12 ♔d1 d5 13 ♕g4 h5 14 ♕h4 bxc3 15 ♖e1 ♕f5 16 f3 ♗d7 17 ♖e3 ♖c8 18 bxc3 ♖g8 19 g4 hxg4 20 fxg7 ♖xg7 21 f4 ♖h7 White resigns.