Happy new year
Here's a rare thing, and a nice way to start the new year: a game that I'm pretty much happy with.
It's not perfect of course - I'm not strong enough for that! - but it went about as well as I could hope: a favourable opening leading to a dangerous-looking initiative, and some attractive tactics to finish.
Here's the position after Opponent's 19. ... Rf8-h8:
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I want to play 20. Nxf7: while it all looks promising I can't see far enough to be sure that I haven't missed some defence. Can I (should I) screw up the courage to play it anyway?
Maybe I was just feeling reckless, but actually this wasn't a particularly hard decision. I spent a little more time than I would on a 'normal' move and decided that, so far as I could see, 20. Nxf7 was strongest. So, play it! There's not much point in figuring out what the best move is if you're too scared to go through with it. Yes, you might be wrong, and if so then you might lose - but I'd rather lose by being wrong about the chess than by being too cowardly to make the right moves.
The course of the game says that I certainly made the correct practical choice. My attack looks a bit slow-motion, but it seems to be rather hard for black to get coordinated. On getting home I was delighted to find that the computer even blesses my sacrifice (or is it only a combination?) as being sound. The silicon defends a bit more stubbornly than Opponent managed, but still agrees that 20. Nxf7 is best, and gives white a nice advantage. Happy days. If only it went this well every week...
It's not perfect of course - I'm not strong enough for that! - but it went about as well as I could hope: a favourable opening leading to a dangerous-looking initiative, and some attractive tactics to finish.
Here's the position after Opponent's 19. ... Rf8-h8:
I want to play 20. Nxf7: while it all looks promising I can't see far enough to be sure that I haven't missed some defence. Can I (should I) screw up the courage to play it anyway?
Maybe I was just feeling reckless, but actually this wasn't a particularly hard decision. I spent a little more time than I would on a 'normal' move and decided that, so far as I could see, 20. Nxf7 was strongest. So, play it! There's not much point in figuring out what the best move is if you're too scared to go through with it. Yes, you might be wrong, and if so then you might lose - but I'd rather lose by being wrong about the chess than by being too cowardly to make the right moves.
The course of the game says that I certainly made the correct practical choice. My attack looks a bit slow-motion, but it seems to be rather hard for black to get coordinated. On getting home I was delighted to find that the computer even blesses my sacrifice (or is it only a combination?) as being sound. The silicon defends a bit more stubbornly than Opponent managed, but still agrees that 20. Nxf7 is best, and gives white a nice advantage. Happy days. If only it went this well every week...
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