05-10-2013, 11:30 PM
These Chessbase 'analyses' are grating on me, big time. Here is Ivanov–Rombaldoni
[pos]Q2r3k/3PN1pp/8/p7/P1P2PbP/1P4P1/8/3Rr1K1 w - - 4 1[/pos]
This arose by a tactic where W played Qa8! and Black, a 2486-rated player, probably a GM, had to give up his own queen with Qd1+ Rxd1 and then Re1+ reachind the diagram position.
Ivanov played Rxe1 and after Rxa8 Nc6 Black managed to take the d-pawn Bxd7 - a feat in itself - but was still 3 pawns down, so soon lost.
But instead of Ivanov's Rxe1, it struck me that after Kf2! Black is dead as a doorknob. Re2+, Kf1.
Now Houdini (also apparently present in Ivanov's shoe, remember) tells me that this is correct.
Not only that, but it tells me that Kg2 also wins too, W then plays the K to f1 to escape the checks.
Even Kh2 wins in the same way, after a onefold repetition - but all 3 moves come up before Ivanov's actual move.
Chessbase are very keen to tell us about how Ivanov's extremely sharp style corresponds to the computer moves - but when, in a game that they featured, he played the fourth best move (by a very long way) in a position with pieces hanging, pawns about to queen and back rank mates on, it passes without comment from them.
Not only that, but Houdini also says that in the game even after Rxe1 Rxa8 W can keep his passed pawn by playing f5. This cuts off the B and Black would just resign as the pawn queens.
But it's far more eyecatching to make up a picture of a device in a shoe and tell us how easy it would be to make it work. Chessbase have presented a one-sided case throughout.
PS I've just noticed that even eithout the move f5, Ng6+ seems to force immediate resignation too. So that's another 3rd best by a mile choice.
PPS Oh and Nc8 instead Bxd7 Nb6 wins the B. So Nc6 was fourth best too.
PPPS (sorry!) make that fifth best, W can play Nf5 too.
[pos]Q2r3k/3PN1pp/8/p7/P1P2PbP/1P4P1/8/3Rr1K1 w - - 4 1[/pos]
This arose by a tactic where W played Qa8! and Black, a 2486-rated player, probably a GM, had to give up his own queen with Qd1+ Rxd1 and then Re1+ reachind the diagram position.
Ivanov played Rxe1 and after Rxa8 Nc6 Black managed to take the d-pawn Bxd7 - a feat in itself - but was still 3 pawns down, so soon lost.
But instead of Ivanov's Rxe1, it struck me that after Kf2! Black is dead as a doorknob. Re2+, Kf1.
Now Houdini (also apparently present in Ivanov's shoe, remember) tells me that this is correct.
Not only that, but it tells me that Kg2 also wins too, W then plays the K to f1 to escape the checks.
Even Kh2 wins in the same way, after a onefold repetition - but all 3 moves come up before Ivanov's actual move.
Chessbase are very keen to tell us about how Ivanov's extremely sharp style corresponds to the computer moves - but when, in a game that they featured, he played the fourth best move (by a very long way) in a position with pieces hanging, pawns about to queen and back rank mates on, it passes without comment from them.
Not only that, but Houdini also says that in the game even after Rxe1 Rxa8 W can keep his passed pawn by playing f5. This cuts off the B and Black would just resign as the pawn queens.
But it's far more eyecatching to make up a picture of a device in a shoe and tell us how easy it would be to make it work. Chessbase have presented a one-sided case throughout.
PS I've just noticed that even eithout the move f5, Ng6+ seems to force immediate resignation too. So that's another 3rd best by a mile choice.
PPS Oh and Nc8 instead Bxd7 Nb6 wins the B. So Nc6 was fourth best too.
PPPS (sorry!) make that fifth best, W can play Nf5 too.