I was trawling through 1.b3 games the other day and I stumbled on a game recently played on chess.com where the game reached a critical juncture.
Note: This looks like a simple enough position: Surely 13. Bxa6 bxa6 14. Qxd5 wins a pawn, right? Well, not quite ... because after 13. Bxa6 Nxe3 Black can also win a pawn and threaten White's Queen! Therefore Black would have seemed to have equalised? Not quite ...
The intermezzo check ...
Once you start looking at the intermezzo checks, then you become a better chess player. Beginners tend to look just one or two moves ahead in all positions ... However, to the trained eye there is an intermezzo check available as in:
13. Bxa6 Nxe3 14. Bb5+ c6 15. Bxc6+ (winning a second pawn) bxc6 16. fxe3
and White is a pawn up ... !
Note: In the game above 13. h4 was played leading to a complicated position.
So my advice would be to look at all possible checks in any given position, just to see what can actually be gained. This technique comes with practice and dedication, but will transform how you play chess.
So my advice would be to look at all possible checks in any given position, just to see what can actually be gained. This technique comes with practice and dedication, but will transform how you play chess.
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