DAY 280 Transparency

Chess is transparent: Your opponent can see the same pieces as you. The one who sees farther almost always shas an advantage.

Yuri Averbakh White
Yakov Estrin Black
Moscow 1964
Queen’s Gambit Declined D39

1 c4 f6 2 c3 e6 3 f3 d5 4 d4 b4 5 g5 dxc4 6 e4 c5 7 xc4 cxd4 8 xd4 c7 9 b3!

The threats were 9...xc4 and 9...xe4. To choose 9 b3 over 9 e2 White had to foresee:

9...xc3+ 10 xc3! xe4

illustration

Now 11 b5+ c6 and 12 xc6+ bxc6 looks good in view of 13 b5! (13...xc3? 14 xc7+ or 13...b6 14 xg7!).

But Black had foreseen a desperado – 12...xc6!, e.g. 13 xc6 xc3 14 bxc3 bxc6 costs White a pawn. And 14 xa7 xa7 15 bxc3 d7 favors Black. White saw something more.

11 b5!

Again 11...xc3 loses to 12 xc7+ and xa8.

11...c5 12 xg7 f8 13 h6 xf2+?

If 13...d7 White has a great endgame with 14 d4 or an initiative with 14 c1 (14...a6 15 0-0! axb5 16 xe6 or 14...xf2+ 15 d1 d8 16 f1).

14 d1 d7

Question 311: What’s best after 15 c7+ e7 ?

15 e1! ef6 16 xe6!

Now 16...fxe6 17 xe6+ allows mate and so does 16...d8 17 xd7 xd7? 18 g5+.

16...xb2 17 c1! resigns.

Sandor Orgovan White
Hans Sonntag Black
Balatonbereny 1987

1 d4 d5 2 f3 f6 3 c4 dxc4 4 c3 e6 5 e4 b4 6 g5 c5 7 xc4 cxd4 8 xd4 0-0 9 0-0 h6 10 h4 e7? 11 e5! fd7 12 g3 a6 13 g4 c6 14 xc6 bxc6 15 ad1 c7 16 fe1 b6 17 d3 d5 18 e4 h8 19 h4 b6 20 g5! d7? 21 xf7+! xf7 22 g6 f5 23 xf5 exf5 24 xd5 resigns.