White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Opening chess tactic
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1) e4; Bxe4
2) Qa4+; Nc6
3) Qxe4
1e4 & Qa4 ch
1 e4 Bxe4 2 Qa4+ winning the black bishop
e4, Bxe4; Qa4+
1.e4! Bxe4
2.Qa4+ c6
3.Qxe4
A classic opening disaster.
1.e4 (double attack) Bxe4
2.Qa4+ (double attack)
1. e4 Bxe4
2. Qa4+
and Qxe4
1.e4 B*e4 2.Qa4+ Nc6 3.Q*e4 black loses bishop
1.e4! Bxe4 2.Qa4+ any move 3.Qxe4
e4
1.a4!! secures the fine c4 outpost for a knight.
S1-E4 BX4E 2-QA4 CHECK AND WHITE GET BISHOP.
1.e4 obviously if 1…Be4 2.Qa4 1-0
I think I fell for this just yesterday! Just kidding- was probably last week. e4 will win a piece for a pawn:
1. e4 Be4
If there is anything better, I don’t see it. Bg4, pinning the white knight, isn’t going to really work since white can capture at d5 and protect the knight a second time with Be2. Continuing:
2. Qa4+ Nc6
3. Qe4 and white is up a piece for a pawn, but is behind on development.
… looks like
5. e4
wins a knight or bishop for a pawn
e4 followed (if necessary) by Qa4. 1-0.
What I find most interesting about this problem is identified by Yancey: “Bg4, pinning the white knight, isn’t going to really work since white can capture at d5 and protect the knight a second time with Be2”.
One might ask, why Be2, rather than Bg2?
I think the answer is that on e2 the bishop not only breaks the pin on the queen, but more importantly guards vital squares which it couldn’t do on g2. This then also allows a more coordinated development of the other pieces. Otherwise, black can get good posts for his pieces, while white can be rather tied up. So, though not having material equality, black can quickly come to even dominate if white is not careful.