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Harold Uuetoa vs Alvah Mayo
"Mayo Clinic" (game of the day Sep-12-2008)
Canada Day Open (1999), Dalhousie University/Halifax, rd 1, Jul-01
English Opening: Great Snake Variation (A10)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
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Sep-12-08  saintstephen11: Mayo got plenty of early compensation for the queen sac. Uuetoa never recovered.
Sep-12-08  Smothered Mate: Is this sac sound? It seems like white just put his queen in too bad a place starting on move 18.
Sep-12-08  NewLine: No way is this sac sound! Unless you have such a weak opponent and you want it to be interesting...
Sep-12-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: This isn't the only opening where you will see a speculative sac of Her Majesty so early, but it still amazes. Naturally, I have questions.

The big one: When does Black have enough compensation for his Queen?

Is 9.Qd2 better than 9.Qb3?

Is 10.Nf3 better than 10.Bd3 and 11.h3?

White has a lot of really bad choices at move 18. 18.a3,Nb3. 18.b3,Nxb3. Can he curl up into a fortress with 18.Rfb1?

This really is a curious game. If Mayo invented this sacrifice, then congratulations--sound or not.

Sep-12-08  ToTheDeath: I disagree- it's an excellent sacrifice. White's dark square weaknesses give Black adequate play. Rybka assesses the position after 8...axb6 as only 1 pawn better for White.
Sep-12-08  newzild: Well, in my opinion the sac is not sound.

However, I take the English gent's point about the lack of good options at move 18. Maybe he can curl up with 18.Rfb1, but that's hardly the way to refute the sac.

The more I look at the position, the harder it is to find improvements for white prior to his bad move 18.

Hmmm.....

Sep-12-08  newzild: Maybe 9.Qb3 is a more serious test.

Sep-12-08  Gilmoy: 18.Rfb1 <cedes f3> Bxh3 :)
Sep-12-08  IT4L1CO: A rook can win against a knight an a bishop, but a bishop and a knight win against a queen. I really can't understand this game...
Sep-12-08  TheaN: <A rook can win against a knight an a bishop,>

...usually not. Points wise it's already more (3x2=6 > 5x1=5), but the main rule is that two pieces can coordinate better than one better piece, so in the case of N+B>R. In N+B<Q, this is different, as the Queen can hassle any coordination from the Bishop by controlling diagonals: in short, a Bishop can harass a Rook freely, but not a Queen.

<but a bishop and a knight win against a queen.>

So usually not.

<I really can't understand this game...>

It's vague how Black got to such an advantage, and indeed, I don't understand it either.

Sep-12-08  jack1501: i have a question that is off topic, does anyone remember yesterday's opening of the day? thanks
Sep-12-08  JG27Pyth: There's an amusing position that could arise in continuation from the final position.

Suppose white wants to struggle on and plays Qg8? -- threatening Qxh7+ ... Black responds Nf8! And now the Queen has _no_ moves. A maximum security prison from which there is no hope of escape.

Sep-12-08  YetAnotherAmateur: The reason black got such an advantage (as far as I can see) is that white spent a great deal of time shuffling the queen up and down the b file rather than dealing with the fact that black was still capable of hurting him.

The other big error I saw was leaving a nice large hole at d4.

Sep-12-08  Kasputin: Wow. Players from Nova Scotia. Now that is a surprise!
Sep-12-08  kevin86: Is the sacrifice sound? The proof of the pudding is in the eating-and this tastes great!

In exchange for the queen,black has-

two pieces,an open file to work with,a dragon bishop,and an exposed enemy king.

That may not add up to a queen,but in this case it worked. In another case,it might be somewhat different.

Sep-12-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Evidently, White forgot to hold the Mayo.
Sep-12-08  Riverbeast: This game is very Suttles-esque..I'm not surprised this game was played in Canada...I think Duncan Suttles influenced a lot of Canadian players with his creative ideas in the Modern
Sep-12-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  eternaloptimist: <Phony Benoni: Evidently, White forgot to hold the Mayo.> Lol, the funny puns just never stop from cg.com & the people that love it! :D Phony Benoni, u definitely ain't right. Yes, this game is very Suttles-esque; he was one of the most creative players of all time when he was active in trnts.
Sep-12-08  Riverbeast: There are other examples of sacrifices where two pieces and a pawn, as well as dark square control, overcame a queen.

Tal played a famous sacrifice (with similar compensation) in the kings indian, where he left his queen hanging on a5....Maybe someone remembers it

Sep-12-08  Cactus: I really don't get the pun.

In anycase it was a great game. I doubt when white played 6.Nd5 he expected 6...dxe3!?

Sep-12-08  erimiro1: It looks like Black has 3 benefits from the sac: the long diagonal a1-h8, the uncomfortable place of the white king and the semi open "a" line. That's all? No. White was completely shocked and confused by the sac, and failed to find the best defence. I can't see the great masters of defence Steinitz, Capablanca and Petrosian lose such a game.
Sep-12-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  eternaloptimist: <Cactus: I really don't get the pun.> They are non-profit medical practices & are located in several different places around the United States.
Sep-12-08  algol: <jack1501: i have a question that is off topic, does anyone remember yesterday's opening of the day? thanks> May be the Tarrasch variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined... Not sure, I looked in the history of my internet browser for access to the Opening explorer and it is the only opening I accessed on this site on 9/11...
Sep-12-08  drukenbishop: hello gang! i also have an amusing position that could arise in continuation from the final position.

Suppose white wants to struggle on and plays Qa3? -- threatening black's rook ... Black responds RxQ!!! And now the Queen has been captured. A true hoodwink which there is no hope of escape.

Sep-13-08  ajile: This game wasn't a Uuetopia for White.
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