Beat the Masters 20
May 1989, Position B
Black to play
Contributions to the comments box are welcome. Masters’ feedback will be published tomorrow.
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I tried to get Rxb2 or Bxa3 to work with a mating attack, but couldn't manage it. I don't like White clamping c5 with Nb3, so looked at c5 straight away. Then 2. Nb3 Qc7 3. Nxd5 Nxd5 4. Qxd5 Be6 looked okay for the pawn. But I think that if you flick in Bxa3 then you can meet Nb3 (after 2. bxa3 c5) with Qxa3+ and c4, and any other (d4) knight move with d4. So you get your piece back with more open lines. After 3. Nce2 to try and maintain a strong knight on d4, you could maybe reply Ne4 threatening c4, instead of cxd4 immediately. Hence I'm playing Bxa3.
ReplyDeleteJust like in a game where you have a long think and then notice something immediately AFTER you move, I realise White can meet Bxa3 with Nb3 immediately. I think Black has to give up an exchange with Rxb3, though he has compensation. I might have gone for c5 if I'd spotted that.
DeleteHi Adam,
ReplyDelete7 points for you this time. Kosten agreed with 1 ... Bxa3. Both Plaskett and Pein wanted to go 1 ... c5 btw.
I’ll write a fuller answer in the feedback post.