A nice tactic from today’s Salford Rapidplay Open #chess

In this position, from one of my games from today's inaugural Salford Rapidplay, at the Salford Grosvenor Casino, very well organised by John Reyes of Urmston Chess Club and ably controlled by Rod Middleton, there was a nice hidden tactic had black (Mike Surtees) played the natural 1…Rc8, challenging for control of the c file.

Mike didn't play 1…Rc8, fearing that after the rooks are exchanged, the Qd3 comes in to b5, hitting black's weakness on a5; so be played 1…Nc7, and, to cite Jon Speelman, 'the game goes on', eventually drawn in the ending after a close fight.

What happens if black plays 1…Rc8?

Allan Beardsworth v Mike Surtees, Salford Rapidplay, 11/5/14

For the minute or so Mike was considering his move, I was hoping, hoping, hoping….that he would play 1…Rc8??. I noticed a lovely tactic which is pure CJS Purdy. Firstly, this tournament was played at 20 minutes plus 10sec per move increment (the first time I have ever played with an increment) which was a nice time control, since no one should lose due to absolute lack of time. I decided before the tournament to play 'fast and reasonable' and I also decided to, after the opening, to make sure I looked for LPDOs (John Nunn's acronym for loose pieces drop off); examine all biffs, and look for pins, nets and ties, following my favourite (however naff) poem (by Purdy)

Some things are hooey,

and most others lies;

But forks you mustn't miss,

nor pins, nets, ties.

The orange circles are the LPDOs, and green lines the biffs. The yellow lines are the ties.

Solution

Hence 1 Ne6+!! fe 2 Qf3+! Qf3[] 3 Rc8+! (zwischenschach) and white white wins the exchange.

That would have been the goal tactic of the day had it been played. When Mike played instead 1…Nc7, he managed to consolidate and my position became worse- often the case where the attacker tries too hard-before levelling out.

As it was, in the remainder of the tournament (which I was pleased to win with 5.5/6) I had an unusual echo with two occurrences which show that Loose Pieces do indeed Drop Off, and the power of double attack.

LPDOs: black to play and win in both diagrams

Solution

In both cases, from the same opening, black hit both h2 and LPDO knights. 1..Qh4 and 1…Qd6 respectively.

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