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      [Next]
  • White: Alan E. Woodbury
  • Black: A class A player
  • Where: Great Western Open, Reno
  • Nevada in 1995.
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      [Next]
  • The Sicillian Defense.
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      [Next]
  • The Alapin Variation.
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      [Next]
  • Black is going to tranpose to a
  • French like opening.
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      [Next]
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      [Next]
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      [Next]
  • We have tranposed to the Advanced
  • Variation of the French Defense.
  •  White hopes that his e5 pawn
  • cramps the black developement, while
  • Black hopes to undermine the pawns on
  • d4 and e5.
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      [Next]
  • Black hopes to put pressure on d4.
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      [Next]
  • White develops and defends d4.
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      [Next]
  • This usually happens sooner or
  • later.
  • I don't like it because it frees the
  • square c3 for the white knight.
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      [Next]
  • Now the pawn on d4 can't be defended
  • by other pawns, so it has to be
  • supported by pieces.
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      [Next]
  • Alan tells me that Black should not
  • trade off his dark-square bishop
  • because that can be used to undermine
  • the pawns on d4 and e5.
12








      [Next]
  • White would like to trade his "bad"
  • bishop for Black's "good" bishop.
  •  What makes bishops good and bad?
  • If many pawns are stuck on the same
  • color square as a bishop then that
  • bishop is said to be "bad" because
  • its scope can be limited by his own
  • pawns.
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      [Next]
  • Black is determined to put pressure
  • on d4.
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      [Next]
  • White sets a trap.  It looks
  • like the pawn on d4 is not defended
  • well enough, but White knows
  • otherwise.
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      [Next]
  • Black takes the bait.  This pawn
  • is poisoned.
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      [Next]
  • Exchanges.
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      [Next]
  • Recaptures.
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      [Next]
  • And the check allows White to win the
  • b4 bishop.
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      [Next]
  • Blocks the check.
20








      [Next]
  • Wins the bishop.
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      [Next]
  • Black gets two pawns for the bishop.
  • He is probably lost, but he can fight
  • on a while longer.
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      [Next]
  • Here White sets a very powerful trap
  • that Black falls for.
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      [Next]
  • It would appear to Black that he can
  • chase the knight and then push the
  • pawn to d3 and win the bishop.
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      [Next]
  • But watch where this knight goes.
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      [Next]
  • Black wants to win a bishop.
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      [Next]
  • This move wins a queen by force.
  • If Kd8 then Nxf7+ forks the queen and
  • king.  If instead Ke7 or Kf8
  • then Nc4+ wins the queen.  Black
  • could easily resign the game now, but
  • he plays on a little longer.
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      [Next]
  • He makes this capture so that he has
  • time to win the bishop on e2.
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      [Next]
  • Recaptures.
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      [Next]
  • Black got what he wanted.  Sort
  • of.
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      [Next]
  • The bishop move is strong because it
  • threatens mate.
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      [Next]
  • Back must avoid mate.
  • Here White misses the fastest way to
  • mate, which is 17. Rc1 Rc8 18. Kxe2
  • Rc6 19. Rxc6 bxc6 20. Qb8+ Bc8 21.
  • Rd1+ Ke8 22. Qxc8#
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      [Next]
  • Force the king to move.  Note
  • that if Be8 here, then Kxe2 followed
  • by Rhe1+ is very strong.
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      [Next]
  • The king might look secure here.
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      [Next]
  • Taking the rook forced resignation a
  • few moves later.  But I think
  • better is Rc1+.  The game would
  • follow .....
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      [Next]
  • Rc1+.  If Black responds Kb6 then
  • Qc5+ forces mate next move.
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      [Next]
  • Bc6.
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      [Next]
  • Qd6+.  Now if Kc8 then Ba5
  • threatening mate. If b6, then Rxc6+
  • Kb7, Rxb6+! Kc8 (if axb6 Qxb6+),
  • Rb8+! Rxb8, Qc7 mate.
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      [Next]
  • Kb6 and now what move should white
  • make?
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      [Next]
  • Qe5!!
  • Forces mate in 4 more moves.  The
  • threat is Qa5 mate.  So if a5,
  • Bc5+ Ka6, Qc7! Kb5, Qb6+ Ka4, Rc4
  • mate or b3 mate!
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