BtM 26A: T.I.N.A

July 1988, Position B

White to play

Tischbierek - Gauglitz, Halle 1988

Contributions to the comments box are welcome. I’ll reply with what the Masters have to say about their choice to anybody who suggests a move.

Scroll down to see some commentary from me and the Masters’ feedback.

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I don’t remember seeing another Beat the Masters with only one scoring move.

HORNER: "1 f5 gives Black a difficult choice."

BOTTERILL: "1 f5 Qe5, 2 0-0 and the threat of 3 Bf4 puts Black in serious trouble."

PLASKETT: "1 f5 is obviously best and probably very strong e.g. … Qe5, 2 0-0 d3, 3 cxd3 Bc5+, 4 Kh1 and Black is in terrible trouble."

1 f5 then. … Qe5, 2 0-0 Bf5?, 3 Rxf5 Qxf5, 4 Nd6+ +- is certainly a cute line, but Black is probably not in as bad a way as the panelists beleived.

Plaskett’s … d3 counter-sacrifice* was played in the source game too, albeit in a slightly different position. HIARCS seems to think it’s actually the source of Black’s problems.

Perhaps remembering what it was taught about threats being stronger than executions, the machine wants to go 1 f5 Qe5, 2 0-0 Bc5, 3 Kh1 0-0. After that it doesn’t think Black has anything to worry about.

True or otherwise, I guess White’s got to play 1 f2-f4 anyway.

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POINTS

10: f5

MASTERS

f5: Plaskett, Flear, P. Littlewood, Norwood, Conquest, Levitt, Howell, Pein, J. Littlewood, Martin, Botterill, Horner, S. Arkell, Novag Super Expert

SOURCE

1 f5 Tischbierek - Gauglitz, Halle 1988

* I had entirely missed the idea.