If you eat my piece, why don’t you? Can you win later? (Training positions)-2. Part

L. Gudēvica-Liepiņa  – A. Misane, Round 1, LR2025

Alice tried to play actively in this game and made minor mistakes. Miraculously, her opponent escaped at the end of the game.

We love the 6-by-6 and 7-by-7 positions. It is in them that some very beautiful idea can be hidden. It is in them that you can see the difference between a strong player and a user of medium-hand checkers.

In the position on the diagram, white’s move is. White’s position is worse. We must seek active protection. This suggests a move of 1.48-42 and try to exchange the second move of 2.32-27 if black does not invade the field of 28.

But white chose a strange plan of advance:

1. 49-44 12-17 2. 37-31 6-11 3. 16×7 2×11 4. 31-26 11-16 5. 44-39 18-23

In this position, white had a chance (one of the last) to equalize the odds. But, as we said, the lack of understanding of the positional game, as well as an absolutely passive game, led to the decision to transfer the 45 checkers to the 35 field.

Black faced a difficult choice on how to realize his advantage. The obvious move is 6. … 16-21, which can release the initiative and force Black to choose his next move very carefully. A wait-and-see maneuver of the 14-piece gives you a better chance in this position. An approximate version could be: 6. 45-40 14-20 and 7. 40-35 for maneuver?? you can answer 7. … 19-24! with a very high chance of winning.

In the game after White’s maneuver, 6. 45-40. black made the move 6. … 16-21 . And White’s answer was 7. 40-35, followed by 7. … 22-27?, which most likely finally releases the chances of winning. After the move for black 7. … 19-24!, it was possible to greatly complicate the search for a draw for white.

Then, as we have already mentioned, white miraculously defended himself in the game.

6. 45-40 16-21 7. 40-35 22-27 8. 39-33 19-24 9. 48-43 14-20 10. 37-31 27×36 11.  33-28 23×32
12. 38×16 =

In the chart position, White, who played the first half of the game very well and gained a decisive advantage, passed by the winning move. In the game, did White suddenly make a move of         1. 43-39??

The decisive move that would have put Black in a desperate position was simple.

1. 33-28!! 23:32 2. 38:27 with the inevitable sacrifice of a checker and a breakthrough into the queens.

In this position, White faced a difficult choice. How to organize a breakthrough correctly? In the game, White chose a simpler solution and Black was able to find a draw without any apparent problems.

1. 26-21 17×26 2.16-11 28-33 3. 38-32 33×24 4. 11-6 12-18 5.  43-39 24-30 ….

Black had to make more difficult decisions after the option:

1.29-23 19-24 2. 23:32 24-30(29) 3. 34:25 35-40 and there is a large selection of options for white in the endgame with two extra:

a) This is also a variant of 38-33, 33-29 with an attempt to create threats of a breakthrough on two flanks.
b) This is both the 26-21, 16-11 option and waiting for inaccuracy from the opponent, because choosing the option with the victim of the third piece is not easy, but it begs to be.
c) And options 25-20, 20-15 and 38-33 with the same ideas of creating threats of a breakthrough on two flanks.

This game of the third round was the richest in ideas. Unfortunately, none of the competitors took advantage of these ideas. Maybe they just weren’t seen. That’s how the party went.

Black’s move. In this position, Black created a “sieve”. I want to take advantage of this somehow. Moreover, the idea of hitting from the field of 30 is obvious.

Black decided to get rid of the threat: 1. … 20-24 2. 29:20 10-15… How to play for white?

In the game, white bypassed the tactical decision and played:

3. 47-42 15×24 4. 34-29 23×34 5. 33-28 22×33 6. 38×20 9-13 7. 20×9 3×14 and the position is approximately equal.

But it was an interesting tactical maneuver: 3. 37-31  15×24 4.3329 24×42 5.47×38  26×37 6.48-42  37×30 7.35×11 with an interesting ending.

The second tactical idea came across after 8 moves. In this position, Black could have an interesting idea.:

А) 1. …  34-39 2. 33×44  12-17 3. 45-40  24-29 4. 44-39  17-22 5. 39-34  22×31 5. 34×12  13-18 6.12×23  19×37 7. 48-42  37×39 8. 40-34  39×30 9. 35×24. But more players can’t find such an option for white.

Б) 1. …  34-39 2. 33×44  12-17 3. 44-39  17-22 4. 27-21  26×1. And in this more likely scenario, White’s chances of a draw are too low.

The following option followed in the game: 1. … 12-17 2. 32-28  11-16 3. 43-38  24-30 4. 35×24

This position could be obtained in the following variation: 1. … 12-17 2. 32-28 18-23 3. 25-20  23:21  20:18.

In this position, not everything is as clear as it seems at first glance. During black’s move and maneuver 4. … 21-27, white has hidden defensive resources.

An approximate version: 4. … 21-27 5. 45-40!! 27-31 6. 40-34!! 31-37 7. 44-40!! and the threat of a combination from the field of 30 with a draw is created!.

The third tactical opportunity presented itself again after a few moves by black. In a difficult position, White played super-inattentively and, not finding optimal protection, decided to pick up an extra piece and got an absolutely lost ending.:

1. 28-23 18×29 2 33×35 13-18 3 49-44 17-22 4 27-21 16×27 5 44-40 26-31

And yet there was a defense option. It was necessary to play:

11.49-44!! And black has two possible answers.:

A) 1.49-44!! 30-35 2. 28-23! 18:29 3. 33:24 and a draw will follow with any move by black.

B) 1. 49-44!! 13-19 2. 27-21! 16:27 3. 38-32! 27:29 4. 44-39 34:43 5. 25:21 26:17 6. 48:39 with a draw ending. It’s a beautiful tactic.

But don’t forget about Black’s tactics either!

В) 1.49-44!!  30-35  2. 38-32??  26-31!! 3. 27:36  34-40! 4. 45:34  14-20 5. 25:14  13-19 6. 14:21 16:49 with a win.

But no matter how we describe the tactics, the level of the players can be understood by the last position. Here black beat the queen 1 .. 5:43??? 2. 48:39 9-14 and the game ended in a draw. We will not analyze the ending, but we think you will find out where and how White got lucky in a losing position.