DAY 317 House of Cards

If one piece in a coordinated chain is deflected, the chain can collapse like a house of cards.

Vladimir Litvinov White
Abram Roizman Black
Minsk 1963
Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation B76

1 e4 c5 2 f3 g6 3 d4 cxd4 4 xd4 c6 5 e3 f6 6 c3 g7 7 c4 0-0 8 b3 d6 9 f3 d7

The knight is headed to c4 to block one of the White bishops and attack the other. If Black can neutralize the bishops he has taken a bite out of White’s attacking plan.

10 d2 b6 11 0-0-0 a5

illustration

The usual way for White to attack is h2-h4-h5xg6 followed by h6. But 12 h4 bc4 will stop him, e.g. 13 e2 xe3 followed by ...xb3.

White can delay that with 12 d3. After 12...d7 and 13...c8 he has to deal with 14...bc4.

Black has done well in games that went 13 h4 c8 14 h5 bc4 15 hxg6 hxg6 16 g5 xb3+ and 14 b1 ac4 15 c1 a5.

12 h6??

The bishop is protected by the queen but this chain is broken by:

12...ac4 13 g5

Or 13 xc4 xc4 14 e2 xh6+ and wins.

13...e5!

This wins at least a piece (14 xd8 xh6+ and 15...xd8).

Question 356: What is Black’s main threat?

14 d5 exd4 15 f4 xd5

Black simplifies to a winning endgame.

16 xg7 xg5 17 fxg5 xg7 18 xc4 e3 White resigns.

Bobby Fischer White
Sharav Purevzhav Black
Varna 1962

1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 xd4 f6 5 c3 g6 6 e3 g7 7 f3 c6 8 d2 0-0 9 c4 d7 10 0-0-0 b6 11 b3 a5 12 d3 d7 13 h4 c8 14 h5 bc4 15 hxg6 hxg6? 16 h6 e6? (Better was 16...e5 immediately) 17 f4 e5 (17...xh6 18 xh6 f6 19 de2 is bad) 18 f5! xf5 19 exf5 xb2 20 xb2 e4 21 xg7! xg7 (21...exd3 22 f6 and mates) 22 xe4 resigns.