A Hidden Motive
I picked this extremely interesting position from Volokitin/Grabinsky book “Perfect Your Chess”
Obviously, the e3-pawn is located deep inside the enemy’s territory and the first instinct is to try and do something with it. But I kept looking at the diagram and couldn’t find a convenient way to continue, it appeared like white will cover up everything.
Grandmasters do look deeper into the subtleties of a chess game. Bosko Abramovic realised that Ba2 is a very unfortunate piece, that white king is in danger and discovered a hidden motive - back rank weakness!
24…e2! 25. Qxf3
It was necessary to deflect the white queen away from the d-rank, otherwise white would use it to deflect black’s attacking piece! The authors warn us about the correct move order, erroneous was immediate 24…Nb4? 25. axb4 e2 26. Rd8+! Rxd8 27. Qxf3, and white gets away with it since there is no more Rc1+, 27…Bd2 with unclear play (Volokitin/Grabinsky).
25…Nd4!
Another tempo earned by attacking the queen.
26. Rxd4 e1Q+
27. Qd1
The point of the combination is revealed with the variation 27. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 28. Rd1 (28. Bxe1 Rc1 checkmate) 28…Rc1+ 29. Rxc1 Qxc1 checkmate again. White is forced to concede material with the game continuation…
27…Qxd1+ 28. Rhxd1 Bf6 29. Rc4 Rxc4 30. Bxc4 Qe4+ 31. Bd3 Qxg4 32. Re1 g5 33. Be4 Qd7 34. Bf2 Qd2 0-1
ganeshan harichandran said,
Wrote on August 12, 2009 @ 7:37 am
I picked this extremely interesting position from Volokitin/Grabinsky book “Perfect Your Chess”. The sample from the game GM Dejan Antic - GM Bosko Abramovic is included with the chapter “Find the Win” and it is black to move.
I understand Bosko is sacrificing his rook and knight to get checkmate. However, being that Dejan is also a grand master, wouldn’t he have wondered why Bosko was sacrificing those pieces. I think Dejan would have figured it out because it wouldn’t make sense for Bosko to make such an easy mistake. Therefore Dejan would have been wise to take the rook and move to stop the pawn from becoming a queen, or use the bishop to take the pawn when it becomes a queen. that way his rook would protect row 1.
It would be very risky for Bosko to iniate this attack.
Goran Urosevic said,
Wrote on August 12, 2009 @ 10:46 am
Hello and thank you for the comment.
Dejan probably realised that grabbing material would be too risky but he simply didn’t have other choice. His Queen was under constant attack (after e2 attacked by Rf3 and then again with Nd4), while black was cleaning the way for his c8-Rook to deliver the checkmate.
I suggest to replay the moves on your own board and then analyse all options.