Gipslis vs Ulibin, 1988 (21...?)

Black to play and win.

Material: Up a P. The White Kg1 has 2 legal moves, both light squares on the back rank. The Black Qf6 and White Qf3 are mutually attacking, burdening the White Nd4 and Pg2. The Black Rg6 pins Pg2. Thus, Black should remove Nd4, removing all defense of Qf3. The rubber band defense between Bd4 and Qf6 then rescues Bd4. The Black Ke8 is secured from check.

Candidates (21...): Bxd4

21…Bxd4 (threatening 22…Qxf3)

22.Qxf6 [else, Black has a tempo to rescue Bd4]

22…Bxf6

I agree. There seemed to be more to look at than the usual Monday problem. I used 1 or 2 seconds looking at Rxg2+, because it's a check. Then another 1 or 2 seconds looking at Bxh2+. Then I think it took another second to see Bxd4. Or maybe it was Qxf3 first? After that it took about 25 seconds just to verify it works and there isn't anything better.

Hence

It was a moment or two later before I confirmed that this was the solution. White can take my queen with 22.Qxf6, but then I recapture -- and save my bishop -- all in one swoop with 22...Bxf6.

21.... Bxd4 wins a piece, since the white knight is the only active defender of the queen, the g pawn being pinned by the black rook.

If 22. cxd4/Bxd4 Qxf3

As far as why black won, I don't see the castling or lack thereof to have much of anything to do with it. Instead I see a whole slew of mistakes by white (without the benefit of a computer):

- Losing a tempo with Bd3 followed by Bb5 2 moves later, accomplishing exactly nothing.

- Trying to destroy the g5 pawn rather than trying to keep it planted on g5 (where it is blocking black's B, Q, and R from attacking the king).

- 16. Bxd7. Qf1 looks to me to be far superior, by maintaining the R-Q battery on the f file.

I don't think I specificially checked that move. However, I did notice that black had 22...Bxf2+ in the event that white didn't play 22.Qxf6. (And, of course, black had 22...Qxf3 if white captures my bishop.)

Bb5 "accomplishing exactly nothing"? Well not quite. Black was threatening g4 to kick away the Nf3, then to capture twice on d4. White's plan with 9. Bb5 was probably to meet 9...g4 with 10. Bxc6. To be true, there were other ways to meet this threat, but there is some logic to white's idea.

Trying to keep the g5 pawn planted in place where it blocks black's pieces. How exactly? g4 and h3 both invite h5 and a pawn roller.

I don't see that much to choose between 16. Bxd7+ and the odd-looking queen retreat 16. Qf1. If anything, I would rather have another rook on f1 than the queen. Fritz marginally prefers Bxd7+, and I probably agree. When your opponent has fractured pawns it often paws to liquidate into a king and pawn endgame.

Again, I don't see much between 20. Bf2 and 20. Rxg6. Exchanging rooks gives black the free use of the open h file against the white king. Fritz rates the two moves as about equal, at about -0.57 (for Bf2) and -0.72 (for Rxg6).

Earlier this year, I played the dutch as black against someone who played d4, Nf3, h3 and g4.

- It's not Bb5 that accomplishes exactly nothing, it's Bd3. If the bishop belongs on b5 (which it definitely did, no argument there), and there's nothing to stop it, why not just put it there in the first place?

- Yes, Rxg6 gives black the h-file to use, but black already has the g-file I'm not sure how much you're really giving up there.

- Another move I'm starting to examine is 18. Re1. I understand the theory (get the other rook involved when black's is still stuck in the corner), but in practice it looks to me like white is better off with 18. Rg4 first.

I think that white played Bd3 for fairly valid reasons. In the advance french, the white e5 pawn prevents a black knight from taking up a defensive posture at f6. So Bd3 eyes up the tasty diagonal to the h7 pawn, which is no longer defended by a Nf6. Many white victories have come from white playing the greek gift sacrifice against the advance french, with Bxh7+ and Qh5+, sometimes with Ng5+ thrown in for good measure.

If Bb5 straight away, black would kick it away with a6. Then Bxc6 deprives white of a fine attacking piece and also allows black the rare luxury of playing c5 twice. And as c5 is the French player's favourite move, playing it twice just has to be good. Bxc6 also gives black the bishop pair and allows black to castle kingside without any greek gift tricks.

So I don't think we can fault white for playing Bd3... it's a pretty standard place to park the LSB in the french. And I don't think we should be so harsh on him for later playing Bb5. I know the books say that you should only move a piece once in the opening, but we do have to react to our opponent's threats (eg g4), which sometimes means we need a second move.

Bb5 makes more sense once black has played g4, because then Bxc6 bc makes it difficult for black to castle on either wing. But Bb5 first would be an unnecessary weakening.