Lassila, T. - Laakkonen, T. (D16 - Slav Accepted)

1. d4 d5
2. c4 c6
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. Nf3 dxc4

Deferring the acceptance of the gambit leads to no better results than the standard QGA.

5. a4 Bd7?

Keeping the pawn but hindering the queen knight's development.

6. e4 b5
7. axb5 cxb5
8. e5 Ng8

8...Ng4 is met with the same response: 8...Ng4 9.Ng5 Qb6? (9...Nh6 10. Qf3 Nc6 11. e6! fxe6 12. Nxb5 +/-) 10.Qf3 Nh6? (10...Qxd4) 11.Qxa8 Bc6 12.Qxa7 1-0 (Jirovsky-Nadrchal, 1996).

9. Ng5 f6

Unsuccessful was 9...e6? 10.Qf3 f6 11.exf6 gxf6 12.Qh5+ Ke7 13.Qf7+ Kd6 14.Bf4+ Kc6 15.Nxe6 Bxe6 16.Qxe6+ Kb7 17.Be2 Nc6 18.Bf3 Qc8 19.Qf7+ Kb6 20.Nd5# 1-0 (Fehsenfeld-Drezewski, 2003). Black should try 9...Nh6 10. Qf3 Nc6 11. e6! fxe6 12. Nxb5 but things looks bleak.

The knight will not soon move from g5.

10. Qf3 Nc6?

10...Bc6 11. d5 fxg5 (11...Bb7? 12. Ne6 Qc8 13. Nxb5 +-) 12. dxc6 Qc7 +/-

Position after 10...Nc6

11. e6 Nxd4

A piece is going but this way Black will gain some material compensation. More serious is the king's position.

12. exd7+ Kxd7
13. Qe4 Nb3

Black tries to hang on to the game but now threats of mate start looming in the air.

14. Ra6! Qc8

After the forced 14...Qc8 three of White's pieces are hanging plus there's a fork threat on c5, but the threat of mate on c6 takes precedence. Black is irrecoverably lost.

15. Qd5+ Ke8

White also had the clever shot 15. Nxb5! and if 15...Qxa6? then 16. Qd5+ Kc8 17. Qxc4+ Kd8 18. Qc7+ Ke8 19. Nd6+! exd6 20. Qf7+ Kd8 21. Ne6+ Kc8 22. Qc7#.

16. Qxb5+ Qd7
17. Qxd7+ Kxd7
18. Nf7 Nxc1
19. Bxc4 Rc8

The knight on c1 is trapped.

20. Rxa7+ Ke8

20. Be6+ wins also. After 20. Rxa7+, 20...Kc6 21. O-O Kb6 22. Ra4 and Black can resign.

21. Be6 Rb8

Now it's mate in 4 beginning with a problem-like move.

Position after 21...Rb8

22. Nb5! 1-0

22...Nd3+ 23. Kd2 Rc8 24. Ra8 Rxa8 25. Nc7#

Solution To Problem Of The Day 2004-11-06

1. Rxf6! Rb7 (1...Rxf6 2. Be5 Kg7 [forced] 3. g5 and White queens and mates very soon) 2. Rf8! (2. Be5? seems promising but doesn't give that much after 2...Kg7!} 2...h5 [forced] 3. Rb8 <any rook move> 4. Be5+ Kh7 and Black can't stop the pawn from queening.

Problem Of The Day

White to play and win

Solution To Problem Of The Day 2004-11-04

1. Bg6! Qf6 (1...Qxd1? 2. Rxe6 Kf8 3. Bxh6+ Kg8 4. Bxf7#) 2. Bxf7 Qxf7 (2..Kf8 3. Ba3 +-) 3. Rxf7 Nxe3 4. Qxd8+ Kxd8 5. Bxe3 and wins (Anand-Lautier, 1997).

Problem Of The Day

White to play and win

Solution To Problem Of The Day 2004-11-01

1. e5! and if 1...Ne8 then 2. Bxe7 Nxe7 3. exd6 wins a piece (Fleissig-Bauer, 1889).

Problem Of The Day

White to play and win

T. Lassila - N.N. (C52 - Evans Gambit)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4

Entering the Evans Gambit in the style of romantic 19th century players. This style of play is not for the weak of heart nor should it be actively cultivated, but every once in a while it can be productive to invite total mayhem on the chessboard.

5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4

Perhaps soundest here is the Lasker Defense 6...d6, but who can resist grabbing another pawn when Black won't have a pleasant middlegame in either case.

7. O-O Nf6

The Compromised Defense (7...dxc3!?) is notoriously tricky for Black, but this line is probably inferior as well.

8. e5 Ne4?

Black should have tried 8...d5 9. exf6 dxc4 10. fxg7 Rg8 11. Bg5 Qd5 12. Bf6 where White stands better but at least he must work hard to demonstrate an edge. Also good for White is: 8.Ng8!? (can anything good come from such an obscene looking move?) 9.Qb3 Qe7 10.Ba3 d6 11.exd6 Qf6 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. cxd4 c6.

Position after 8...Ne4

9. Re1! Nxc3

Inviting Black to grab some more material when he is already two pawns ahead. 9. cxd4 would give White a very small advantage.

10. Nxc3 Bxc3 11. Bg5 Ne7

The point behind the nasty business conducted on c3. Black's pieces are confined to his two first ranks and the lone bishop can't do much to help. Meanwhile White has four distinct targets, namely d7, f7, h7 and the Black king!

12. Nxd4 O-O

Black puts up resistance with 12...Bxe1 (12...Bxd4 13. Qxd4 O-O 14. Qh4 Re8 15. Re3 b5! 16. Bd3! h6 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Qe4 Qc5!? 19. Qh7+ {NOT 19. Qxa8? when 19...c6! traps the queen} Kf8 20. Qh8+ Ke7 21. Qxg7 Qb6) 13. Nf5 d5 14. Nxg7+! Kf8 15. Bh6 Kg8 16. Nh5 but the only defense against Qg4 is 16...f5 17. e6 Bc3 18. Qc1 and Black is hopelessly lost.

13. Nf5 Bb4

The only way to save the knight.

Position after 13...Bb4

14. Qh5! Qe8

Qh5 wins on the spot as now there is no decent defense to save everything at the same time. Much too slow is Rb1, and Qg4 fails to d5. Black's best defense is 14. ...d5! 15.exd6 Bxf5 16.dxe7 Qd4! when White has sufficient material to win but needs to worry about Black's passed pawn and powerful queen.

15. Nxg7! Qd8

Kxg7 is mate in 4.

16. Bf6 1-0

Black resigned while still up a pawn but otherwise not much to take home with him.