Tactics Time Chess Newsletter: Pulp Fiction

Published: Tue, 01/19/16

Newsletter Issue Pulp Fiction

Tactics Time

Pulp Fiction

So sick ~ Robert Ramirez on the tactic below


T

his position comes from my game against Justin Alter (1936), played January 16, 2016 in Shirley Herman's "North Gate Busy People's Winter Open", Round 4.

In the position on the right it is Black to move.

Answer below.

   This past Saturday I played in Shirley Herman's "North Gate Busy People's Winter Open", which was a 4 round G70 + 5 second increment tournament.

   The tournament was inspired by Greg Shahade's blog article "Slow Chess Should Die a Fast Death", which you can read part one here: https://gregshahade.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/slow-chess-should-die-a-fast-death/

   and part two here: https://gregshahade.wordpress.com/2015/11/05/slow-chess-should-die-a-fast-death-part-2/

   Congrats to Chris Peterson, who became a Master during the game, finally crossing 2200. He has been super close for a month now. He picked up one rating point against Anthea Carson in round 1, then withdrew from the tournament.

   You can see the tournament results here: http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201601169552-12718954

   There were some amusing antics on the lower boards. One kid started crying after he thought he was getting back ranked checkmated. Then he took 10 minutes, and realized he could blog the check, and it wasn't checkmate at all. That game ended in a draw.

   I drew 7 time state champion Brian Wall in round 1, in a fun game. Chris Peterson compared me to the scene in the movie Pulp Fiction where the kid shoots a fully loaded gun at John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, and somehow misses them, and posted a link to this GIF http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/pulpfictiontheymadeit.gif

   Brian wrote: "After messing up several wins against Tim Brennan who had no position and no time I was in a foul mood." lol!

Here is the complete game:

[Event "North Gate Busy People's Winter Open"]
[Site "Quality Inn & Suites Garden o"]
[Date "2016.01.16"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Alter, Justin"]
[Black "Brennan, Tim"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B00"]
[WhiteElo "1936"]
[BlackElo "1800"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

1. e4 a6 2. d4 b5 3. Nf3 Bb7 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. Qe2 e6 6. O-O d6 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5
9. Bg3 Rg8 10. d5 h5 11. h4 gxh4 12. Bxh4 e5 13. Bxb5+ Nbd7 14. Ba4 Be7 15. g3
Nxd5 16. Bxe7 Nxe7 17. Nh4 Rg4 18. Nc3 Ng6 19. Nxg6 fxg6 20. Kg2 Qg5 21. Qc4
O-O-O 22. Bxd7+ Rxd7 23. Nd5 Kd8 24. Qd3 Rh7 25. Rh1 Rf7 26. Raf1 h4 27. Rh3
Qh6 28. Rfh1 Qf8 29. Qe2 Rg5 30. Rxh4 Kd7 31. Rh8 Qg7 1-0

You can play through this game here: https://denverchess.com/games/view/15543

Answer:

   Brian Wall showed this position to National Master Josh Bloomer, and after a few seconds Bloomer said "...Rxe4 resigns".

   Unfortunately I am sad to say I missed it in the game.

   29... Rxe4 takes advantage of the Queen being overloaded trying to protect f2 and e4.

   If 30. Qxe4 Rxf2+ 31. Kg1 Rf1+ 32. Kh2 Qf2+ 33. Qg2 Bxd5!! 34. Qxf2 Rxh1# (Diagram)

tactics position x