DAY 337 Good Begets Great

Great moves can be inspired by considering good moves.

Vasja Pirc White
Alberic O’Kelly de Galway Black
Amsterdam 1950
Colle System A46

1 f3 f6 2 d4 b6 3 e3 b7 4 d3 c5 5 0-0 e6 6 bd2 c6 7 c3 c7 8 a3 cxd4 9 exd4 e7 10 e1 d5 11 c4 f4?

This would have turned out well if 12...xd3 were allowed (or 12 f1 0-0).

12 xf4 xf4 13 d5! d8

Black’s failure to castle would cost him after 13...exd5 14 e3! and xd5 or f5.

Question 379: What’s best after 14...d8 ?

illustration

When White chose 13 d5 he must have seen this far, realized that 14...xd5 was threatened and saw that 14 d6? xf3! is poor.

He must have looked further, at 14 dxe6, and noticed 14...dxe6 15 ce5! has a threat of b5+.

14 ce5!

That analysis led him to this way of making 15 b5 stronger. For example, 14...xd5 15 b5! c6 16 c4! xf3? 17 xd7+ and wins.

14...a6 15 g3!

White looks for a queen trap (15...f6? 16 g4!).

15...h6 16 g4 h5

Or 16...h3 17 g5 xg5 18 f1! h5 19 f6+!.

17 fe5 g6 18 e2 f5 19 d6 resigns.

Before 19...f8 20 d3 h5 21 f6+.

Luis Piazzini White
J. Martinez Black
Buenos Aires 1947

1 d4 f6 2 f3 e6 3 e3 b6 4 bd2 b7 5 d3 c5 6 c3 c6 7 0-0 c7 8 a3 d5 9 b4 cxd4 10 cxd4 d6 11 b2 0-0 12 c1 e7 13 e5 fc8 14 f3 d7 15 h3 f5 16 f4 f6 17 2f3 c7 18 g5 ac8 19 xe6!? xe6 20 xf5 e8 21 e6+ f8? 22 f5 a8? 23 g6+! hxg6 24 h8+ e7 25 xg7+ d8 26 xf6+ e7 27 xd5 exf5 28 xd6+ resigns.