Sunday, October 5, 2008

Tactical Motif XI: Drawing Combinations

Tactics can be used to defend as well. Drawing combinations can revolve around perpetual checks and/or stalemate.

Illustration: Portisch-Kasparov, 1981
Black to play
:

1...? Here a young Garry Kasparov is two pawns behind and Portisch is on his way to promote the d6 pawn. Garry uncorked a combination which saves the day and the half point.





1.. Rd2! 2.Qd2 Qf3+ 3.Qg2 Ng3+! ( The point) 4 hg3.



Let's see the position reached on the next diagram


Portisch-Kasparov 1981 after 4 hg3
Black to play


Here, Kasparov can force the perpetual.

4..Qh5+ 5Qh2 Qf3+ 6 Rg2 Qd1+ 7 Qg1 Qh5+
8 Rh2 Qf3+

Despite being an entire rook up, White cannot escape checks from the Queen.

The perpetual check resource is a very important drawing motif.






Exercise: Miles-Rachels 1989
Black to play and draw

1...?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's easy, black plays 1..Rb5+; and now eather white takes the rook on b5, but black is in stallmate, or he takes his king for a walk but only on the column "a",not alone, of course, cause black rook will 'join" the dance on the "b" column. Lucky man!!

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