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Triple Queen Sac
Playing for fun is OK—but it’s even more fun when you win. By GM LEV ALBURT
FOR THOSE WHO PLAY CHESS FOR FUN, little can match the queen sacrifice—except perhaps for multiple queen sacrifices. Lyov Myshkin (an Internet handle hon- oring, perhaps, Dostoyevsky’s Prince Myshkin) who loves chess just for the fun of it, was predictably excited by the game he played, and sent to me—so excited that he left out such mundane matters as rat- ings, and even his opponent’s name! Lyov called the game “game of instructional value.” Indeed it is; in fact, the most prac- tically instructive moment occurred on White’s fifth move!
By the way, “Lyova” is a casual form of the Russian name “Lev,” so I feel somewhat flattered.
Writes Lyov Myshkin: (my further com- ments are in italics):
I am 81 years old, and this is the only game I have ever played that contained a poisoned queen and three queen sacs. I have labeled the game Triple Queen Sac, Poisoned Queen Variation, doubly accepted! I play tournament chess and am play- ing the next tournament in Chicago and in Philadelphia, the World Open. I play chess for the fun of it, but it takes two to make a game.
Philidor Defense (C41) Lyov Myshkin Anonymous
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4
3. ... f6?
Best moves in this position are: exchang- ing the target pawn by 3. ... exd4, defending it by 3. ... Nd7, or counterattacking the white pawn with 3. ... Nf6. But even 3. ... Nc6 or 3. ... Qe7 are better than the text move, which weakens two vital diagonals close to the black king, while at the same time denying the black knight it’s best square, f6.
4. Bc4
Threat to remove Black’s kingside castling.
4. ... Ne7
White threatens both 7. Bf7 checkmate and 7. Nf7 (a fork), while 6. ... dxe5 loses a queen for a bishop, as above, after 7. Bf7+. Thus, Black’s best is 5. ... Ng6, pawn down and barely holding.
5. 0-0 Instead, Lyov made a natural move, that
is he chose to castle, missing his first big opportunity.
5. ... Nbc6 6. dxe5
Being ahead in development, White decides to open lines.
6. ... Nxe5
A truly critical—and very instructive— moment. While 3. ... f6? was a very serious positional error, 4. ... Ne7 is a tactical blun- der, allowing White to win a pawn while maintaining his other positional plusses: 5. dxe5 fxe5 (if 5. ... dxe5, then 6. Bf7+, a deflection, gains a queen for a bishop) 6. Nxe5 (analysis diagram)
Also possible was 6. ... dxe5. 7. Nxe5 fxe5 8. f4
Putting the rook and f-pawn into play. Very well played, and said.
8. ... Ng6
9. fxe5 40 November 2012 | Chess Life
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