Any Chess Fork You Can Do....

  

Paul Morphy would know what to do.

   This game was L. Foord vs Solski in the MI Class Championship - Class C Division, in the 1990's. I thought the game was interesting enough to share. 

It has - back and forth - and probably a 'too early' resignation brought on by time pressure. Maybe you and a friend can play it out from the resignation point - with no time pressure.

      1.      d4        Nf6

      2.      c4        g6

      3.      Nc3     Bg7

      4.      c5?       …..

This move has some real purpose when Black has already played ….d5, since it does grab some space. Here, when Black still has the option of …d6 to attack the advanced pawn, it doesn’t seem very good.

[Igor3000 agrees and likes 4. e4 or Nf3, where either move gives White a standard (+.4) of a pawn for having the extra move. Instead Black takes the lead (-.3).

      4.  …..     O-O

      5.  Bd2      ……..

Much too slow. Best was 5. e4 to take the center (-.1). The text move is bad because Black can now counter in the center with either 5. …..b6 or d5, or the move that was made (-.7)

5.   …….     d6

6    6.      cxd6     cxd6

7    7.      Rc1      e5

An active idea, but it must be followed up.

8.      Bg5      exd4

9.      Qxd4   Nc6

It looks very natural to take the free tempo of developing while attacking the queen, but the more active …Qa5 looks very interesting [and was suggested by Igor3000].

10.  Qd2     Be6

11.  Nf3      Rc8

12.  E4        a6?

Too slow. 12. …Qa5 is still the move. Black’s lead is gone. =

13.  Be2      Qd7

14.  O-O     b5?

[White can now take the lead with 15. Rfd1, Ne5 16. Nxe5, dxe5 17. Qxd7, Nxd7 18. Nd5, Bxd5 19. exd5 (+.7).

15.  B3        b4

16.  Bxf6     Bxf6

17.  Na4     Qe7?

 

Diagram after 17. .....Qe7?

Something had to go, but it was probably better to give up the weak D-pawn. [(+1)]

   18.  Bxa6    Rc7

   19.  Bb5      Ne5

   20.  Nd4     Rxc1

   21.  Rxc1    Rd8?

Better was 21. …..Rb8 to pin the bishop after 22. Qxb4, Qb7.

22. Qxb4   Bd7?

A rather desperate trap which doesn’t work and should have backfired completely (+3.4).

  23.Bxd7    Nd3

  24.  Qd2?   …….

Needed was 24.Nc6. Now the game is EVEN again.

      

24.  …..    Nxc1

25.  Nc6     Qxe4

White returns with a fork of his own.

26.  Nxd8   Nxb3

A very nice try! Taking the knight allows mate.

27.  Qd1!    Resigns

[But White is only up (+.6) after

27. ….Na5!

28. Nxf7, Kxf7

29. Bg4, Qd4

30. Qxd4, Bxd4 and it is still a game.

But in time pressure, Black probably only saw

27. ….      Nc5

28. Nxc5    dxc5

29. Bc6     Qe7

30. Bb7    ……   and White is up a knight.