Back to Basics / Reader annotations
I’d recommend 18. e4! (the same idea Brian used in the game) and if 18. ... fxe4, 19. Nf6+ Kg7 20. Bxe4 (see diagram below), avoiding a queen trade (20. ... Qxf6? 21. Bh6+, winning).
Mate cannot be stopped as bishop and
queen roam along the c1-h6 diagonal. All other moves also lose, e.g., 19. ...
Rh8 20. Bh6+ Kxf6 21. Qg5 checkmate, or 19. ... Kxf6 20. Bg5+ Ke5 21. Bd8+ (21. Be4!?) f5, the last line being Black’s best practical chance.
20. Rf1 I saw other mating nets but this still
seem to be the safest. 21. ... Bf5 21. Rxf5, Black resigned.
14. Rxf4 Also strong is the “positional” 14. exf4
with advantage for White. If 14. ... Ng6, then 15. Nf5. But Brian’s 14. Rxf4, perhaps already contemplating the Exchange sacri- fice, is also very tempting!
14. ... Ng6 Black has played positionally sound;
but when I went over this game it took my Rybka 4 a minute or so to sit idle before playing Rxf6. Intuition and creativity was all I had at this point. It just seemed in the spirit of the attack! I fully agree!
15. Rxf6! gxf6
17. ... fxe4? This natural looking move leads to a shot
out of left field that shows the king is always the main theme, not recapturing pieces.
18. Nf6+ Kg7 Oddly I know a master, Bernard
I like the sacrifice! I also like White’s
next move, 16. Nh5, albeit I’d also con- sider another attacking option, 16. Qh5.
16. Nh5 f5 16. ... Qe7 followed by 17. Qf3 f5
Parham, who dedicated a vast amount of knowledge and theory in the late ’80s ’til present to this move early out of the open- ing: 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5!?. Although I don’t play that opening, the move itself to an anchor square (or quiet move) can be a focal point when Black’s position is not defended GM Hikaru Nakamura played 2. Qh5
(after 1. e4 e5) with some success; he even played 2. Qh5 after 1. e4 c5 and 1. e4 e6, too.
19. Qh5!! 17. e4
I feel the move 4. a3 with the idea of Bd3,
Nge2, 0-0, Ng3 with f4 (or f3 with idea of e4) is a good line, with initiative for White and a sound middlegame approach. Brian knew his opening and knew what
to do in the early middlegame. When an opportunity knocked, he was ready, both for the sacrifice and for an excellent follow-up play (17. e4; 18. Nf6+ and 19. Qh5). The old adage “it’s easier to attack than to defend” proved correct one more time, even against a higher-rated player, or an expert.
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18. Bxf5 Bxf5 19. Qxf5 Qe5 20. e4 is
roughly equal. For an Exchange, White has a pawn and an active bishop along the c1-h6 diagonal. After Benson's analysis for 17. ... f5
19. ... exd3?
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