Monday, December 4, 2017

Alan Lasser's Game of the Week


Long-time readers have seen my version of the World Champion Lasker’s classic advice, “Four Things to Think About Before You Touch That Chess Piece” in this column many times, lastly in the issue of 7/22/17.  If I may quote myself, “the best chance for laying a successful trap is to place it as close as possible to your opponent’s intentions”.  “How do I do that?”, you might ask.  This game is a good example, 17…Nd5 is an objectively stronger move, but I chose to play 17…g5 in order to lay a trap.  My opponent’s intention is to play Rc1, combining with the bishop to attack my knight on c6, at the very least it will smash up my king’s defensive position.  17…g5 does not appear to prevent that, it looks like the bishop need not be defended because the rook’s attack on my queen will allow his plan to get underway immediately.  Then my intermezzo capture, 18…Re1, springs the trap, because the rook must be recaptured.



Unrelated:  see Magnus Carlsen in a TV commercial at





Eric Harder-Alan Lasser

11/29/17

Forbes Library Chess Club

Game/60


1.e4 Nc6 

2.d4 d5 








































27...Nc3+ 0-1



[Event "game/60"]

[Site "Forbes Library CC"]

[Date "2017.11.29"]

[Round "?"]

[White "Eric Harder"]

[Black "Alan Lasser"]

[Result "0-1"]

[ECO "B00"]


1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Be3 e5

5.c4 Bb4+ 6.Nd2 Qd6 7.a3 Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2 exd4 9.Bf4 Qe7+ 10.Be2 Be6 $6 { -1.05/21 } ( 

10...Bf5 { -1.31/22 } 11.O-O-O O-O-O

{ 11...Nf6 12. Bd3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 O-O-O 14. Nf3 Ne4 15. Rhe1 Rhe8    -1.05  

Stockfish } 12.Bd3 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Nf6 14.Nf3 Qe4

{ 14...Ne4 15. Rhe1 Rhe8 16. Qc2 f6 17. Nd2 d3 18. Qa4 Qf7 19. Nxe4 Rd4 20.

Nd6+ cxd6 21. Rxe8+ Qxe8   -1.08   Stockfish } 15.Bg5 Qxd3 16.Rxd3 Ne4

17.Bxd8 Nxf2 18.Rd2 Nxh1 19.Bh4 f6 20.Nxd4 Na5 21.Rc2 Rd8 22.Nf5 Nb3+ 23.Kb1

Nd4 24.Nxd4 Rxd4 25.Be1 Rd1+ 26.Rc1 Rxc1+ 27.Kxc1 c5 28.b3 f5 ) 11.O-O-O

O-O-O 12.Nf3 Nf6 13.Ng5 $6 { -1.50/20 } ( 13.Qc2 { -1.15/20 } 13...Kb8

14.Rhe1 Nh5 15.Bd2 Rhe8 16.Kb1 h6 17.Bd3 Qd6 18.h3 g5 19.b4 ) ( 13.Bd3 Nh5

14.Bg3 Rhe8 15.Rhe1 Nxg3 16.hxg3 Qf8 { -0.93   Stockfish } ) 13...Rhe8 $6

{ -1.15/20 } ( 13...Bf5 { -1.50/20 } 14.Rhe1 Nd7 15.Bg4

{ 15. Bd3 Qf6 16. Ne4 Bxe4 17. Bxe4 Nc5 18. Kb1 Nxe4 19. Rxe4 Qg6 20. Qd3

Qxg2   -1.43   Stockfish } 15...Qf6 16.Ne4 Bxe4 ) 14.Rhe1 h6 15.Nxe6 Qxe6

16.Bf3 $2 { -2.16/24 } ( 16.Bd3 { -1.09/22 } 16...Qd7 17.h3 Rxe1 18.Rxe1 Re8

19.Bg3 { 19.b4 Rxe1+ 20. Qxe1 Qe6 21. Qxe6+ fxe6   -0.15   Stockfish }

19...Kb8 20.b4 Re6 21.Kb2 ) 16...Qxc4+ 17.Kb1 g5 ( 17...Nd5 18.Bg3 Qb3

19.Rxe8 Rxe8 20.Re1 Rxe1+ 21.Qxe1 Kd8 { -2.22 Stockfish } ) 18.Rc1 $2

{ -6.13/22 } ( 18.Bg3

{ -1.95/21   The attempt to unhinge the trap by first exchanging rooks

doesn't work,  18.Re8 Re8 19.Rc1 Qb5 20.Bc6 bc 20.Bg3 Re2 } 18...Rxe1 19.Rxe1

Nd5

{ 19...d3 20. Rc1 Qa4 21. Re1 Rd7 22. h3 Qc4 23. Rc1 Qb5 24. Qe3 d2 25. Rd1

Qf5+ 26. Ka1 Nd4 27. Rxd2 Nc2+ 28. Rxc2 Qxc2 29. Qxa7 Qc1+ -1.85 Stockfish

} 20.h4

{ 20. Qc2 Qxc2+ 21. Kxc2 f5 22. h4 d3+ 23. Kxd3 b5 24. Ke2 Nd4+ 25. Kf1

Nxf3 26. gxf3 -1.43 Stockfish } 20...Kb8 21.Be4 f6 22.Ka1 Qb5 23.Bd3 Qc5

24.Rd1 Rg8 25.hxg5 hxg5 26.Rc1 Qb6 27.Be4 Rd8 28.Qe2 Ne5 29.Qd2 Nc6 )

18...Rxe1 19.Qxe1 $6 { -7.26/22 } ( 19.Rxe1 { -6.17/21 } 19...gxf4 20.Qxf4

Nd5

{ 20...Qd3+ 21. Ka1 Qg6 22. h4 d3 23. h5 Qg5 24. Qxg5 hxg5 25. Bd1 d2 26.

Re3 Nxh5 27. Bxh5 d1=Q+ 28. Bxd1 Rxd1+    -6.74   Stockfish } 21.Qf5+ Kb8

22.Qc2 Nb6 23.Bxc6 Qxc6 ) 19...Qd3+ 20.Ka1 gxf4 21.Bxc6 bxc6 22.Rxc6 Qe4 23.Qc1 Qe5 24.Qc4 Nd5 $6

{ -5.79/24 } ( 24...d3 { -13.64/24 } 25.Rc5 Qe1+ 26.Ka2 Qe6 27.Rxc7+ Kb8

{ I was afraid of 24...d3 25.Qa6 Kb8 26.Rc6 but 26...d2 wins. } ) 25.Qa6+ Kb8

26.Qb5+ Ka8 27.Ka2 $4 { #-9/28 } ( 27.Rc1 { -5.57/23 } 27...Qe4

{ 27...Rb8 28. Qd3 Rb6 29. h3 Kb7 30. h4 Kb8 31. Rd1 c5 32. Rc1 Nf6 33. f3

Kb7   -7.57   Stockfish } 28.Qc4 Qxg2 29.Qxd4 Qxh2 30.Ka2 Kb7 31.Rc5 c6

32.Qc4 Rd6 33.Qb3+ Kc7 34.Qa4 Kb6 35.Qd4 Kb7 36.Qe5 Kc7 37.Qe2 Kb6 38.Rc2 Qh3



  1. ) 27...Nc3+ 0-1



    2. Posted by at