Tactics: Castling into it
This week's Canadian Chess Tactic comes from the U8 girls section of this summer's CYCC. The game started quitely with the Giuoco Piano, but caught fire when White castled into Black's kingside pawnstorm. Can you find Black's best finish?
Hint:
Spoiler: Highlight to view
There is more than one winning move with the N.
Best is...:
Spoiler: Highlight to view
18...Nxf2!! 19.Bxf2 Qh3 (19...Rxg2+ also wins) 20.Ne1 Rxg2+! 21.Nxg2 Rg8 -+ leads to checkmate. A lesson in why not to castle into these attacks!
The game continued:
Spoiler: Highlight to view
18...Ne3!
This wins too, but not quite as quickly as the other N move.
19.fxe3 Rxg3 20.Nf1 Rg7 21.N1h2?
White is busted, but this hastens the end. The main lesson to be learned here is to not castle into an ...h6 and ...g5 pawn expansion unless one already has significant counterattack on the other flank (or a central breakthrough)... there are many, many games where a player does not heed this advice, and is shot down in flames.
21... Bxe3+ 22.Kf1 Rhg8 23.g4 h5!?
23...Rxg4 24.Nxg4 Qxg4 25.Ke2 Qf4 -+.
24.gxh5 Rg1+
24...Qh3+ 25.Ke1 Rg1+ also wins quickly.
25.Nxg1 Rxg1+ 26.Ke2 Rg2+ -+ and Black went on to win (38, 0-1)
From the game:
Anke Mok - Mysha Gilani
CYCC U8g (rd.7)
2014.07.18
The full game, along with 12 others from the 2014 CYCC, each annotated by IM Deen Hergott, will appear in the next issue of Chess Canada, the CFC's electronic newsletter.