Nice tactic

I know blitz counts for nothing, but when it is nice, it is very nice. Today I felt I was in a slight mess, playing white against a Scandanavian defence (a slight variant, 1…Nc6, 2 ..Nf6. 3…d5) and in the position below, I had felt I was beginning to struggle.

Black has just played 12….Nd4, and I was worrying about which of my b2 or e4 pawn to sacrifice, but felt neither was satisfactory. But then, Purdy's maxim about ignoring threats:

You must see all real threats. That means you must also see the unreality of real threats…. When in doubt, you can always save time by remembering it is really your move. Try then the following way of thinking:

Imagine the threat could not possibly be executed. Then what would be my best move? Try out each attractive move separately, considering each one as follows. Visualise the whole position as it would be after this move of yours, and then work out whether the opponent would gain by executing his 'threat'.

And also my favourite piece of Purdy, his potassium cyanide warning when two pieces are on the same rank two files apart- here the Qd6 and Nf6.

So, in a flash, 13 e5!, and…it was game over. Black resigned: his position is hopeless.

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