A swindle

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This week's game was drifting towards a likely loss, when a trick appeared:



Why can't white play 26. Ra5? The solution, luckily for me, is in the game.

Moments like this require some self-control. Clearly you don't want to let the opponent know that you have set a trap. Ideally, you should somehow give the impression that the blunder which you're hoping for is a perfectly normal move, possibly even your main line, and certainly that you're a bit worried by it. That's an awful lot of impression to give.

Further restraint is needed when the trap is sprung - it would be unspeakably rude to sit there grinning inanely. Actually, I'm not sure that it's altogether classy to blog about it later. Probably I've posted enough of my own blunders to allow this, though.

What more to say? It's not the way that I'd want to win a game; but it sure beats losing...

Comments

Tom Chivers said…
Well spotted. Took me ages to see!
29 February 2008 at 09:50
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