Yeah. It's cruel, deadly, and just this side of unbelievable. Some people call it playing chess on the edge. When our position is so great that we could reek havoc if only a defender was removed, then we have grounds to think the loudest of all thoughts . . .the sacrifice!
We can remove defenders by destroying them or decoying them to squares where they can't help out for the defense.
1) Qxb3! removing the defender
of the f7 square. If Rxb3 then
Nf7 mates.
2) . . . Ra7 to stop the mate.
If R(g)a8 then white moves
Nf7+,Nh6+,Qg8+ followed by
Nf7 with a "smothered checkmate."
3) Ng6+! decoying a Pawn
defending the king.
3) . . . hxg6
4) Qh3 checkmate!
When your opponent's pieces are on the defense, and you cannot destroy the key defender, don't give up hope. There can still be another way. One way is to give the opponent's defending piece another defensive chore to do. This extra chore is called overloading the defense. Its aim is to decoy the opponent's piece away from its defensive post rather than capture it.
The Black Queen is overloaded in its
defensive duties of guarding the
Black Pawn on e6 and the square h4. If
White can get his Queen on h4 then
the Rook and Queen will work together
down the f and h files with an
overwhelming attack. Do you see
the move? The answer is
1) Bxe6!
If the Black Queen does not take then
White can win on material.
1) . . . Qxe6
The Queen is decoyed from her
defensive post on e7.
2) Qh4+
The Black Monarch will have to move to g7 to protect his bishop.
White will move his rook to the f6 square connecting to the
queen's path on the (h) file and will have overwhelming harmony
down these two files to win the game.
Sometimes your opponent's pawns or pieces are not controlling key squares but are blocking up important avenues of attack. The key ranks, diagonals, or files must be cleared.
One of the loudest thinkers of our
time was world champion Mikhail
Tal 1936 - 1995. His daring
sacrifices lit the imagination of
many a chess player. In diagram
#3, White decides on a barrier
removing campaign.
1) Rc5!
The Pawn on d6 is overloaded with its
defensive duty of guarding the c5
square and providing support for
the rest of the Black pawn chain.
If Black responds with
1) . . . dxc5
White will follow with
2) Nfxe5 Kg8
3) Nxd7 Qa6
4) bxc5!
White will have made the good
trade of a rook for two pawns and
a bishop and will have three
connected passed pawns in the
center!
Copyright © Manus Patrick Fealy 1994-2002
I truly want you to become a better chess player.