To resign, that is. But it’s often too early.
Maxwell Solomon White
Caesar Guerra Black
Manila 1992
Sicilian Defense, Accelerated Dragon Variation B72
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 ♘f6 5 ♘c3 g6?!
This is a sloppy move order because 6 ♘xc6! pushes Black into an inferior endgame (6...dxc6 7 ♕xd8+). Or into a dubious middlegame (6...bxc6 7 e5! ♘g8).
Question 338: What’s best after 6...bxc6 7 e5 ♘d5? 8 ♘xd5 cxd5 9 ♕xd5 ♖b8 ?
6 ♗e3 ♗g7 7 ♗c4 ♘g4?
Black sees 8 ♕xg4 ♘xd4 and 8 ♗g5? ♘xd4.
8 ♘xc6!
Now 8...dxc6 9 ♕xd8+ ♔xd8 10 ♗d2 favors White.
8...♘xe3?
This is only good if White blindly goes 9 fxe3?? bxc6. He has three superior moves. Both 9 ♘xd8 ♘xd1 10 ♗xf7+ and 9 ♗xf7+ (9...♔xf7?? 10 ♘xd8+) lead to favorable endgames.
9 ♕f3! resigns?.
Before giving up Black should have considered every forcing more. That would have led him to 9...♘xc2+!. Then 10 ♔d1? or 10 ♔d2? allows 10...dxc6 with check, followed by castling to safety.
The crucial point is that 10 ♔e2? sets up a knight fork. Black would be better after 10...♖f8 11 ♘xd8 ♘d4+.
White had to find 10 ♔f1!. Even then Black would escape immediate disaster with 10...dxc6 11 ♕xf7+ ♔d7 and now 12 ♖d1+ ♗d4!.
Question 339: What’s better than 12 ♖d1+ ?
Maxwell Solomon White
Caesar Guerra Black
Manila 1992
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 g6 5 ♘c3 ♗g7 6 ♗e3 ♘f6 7 ♗c4 ♘g4? 8 ♘xc6 ♘xe3 9 ♕f3 ♘xc4? 10 ♘xd8 ♔xd8 11 ♕xf7 ♖f8 12 ♕xg7 and wins. Or 11...♗xc3+ 12 bxc3 ♖e8 13 ♕xc4.