Desperado piece

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

In chess, a desperado piece is a piece that seems determined to give itself up, typically either to bring about stalemate or to sell itself as dearly as possible in a situation where both sides have hanging pieces. A classic example of the latter is Bogolyubov–Schmid, West German championship, Bad Pyrmont 1949.

In the position at right, Schmid played the surprising novelty 5...Nxe4!?, with the point that 6.Nxe4 would be met by 6...Qe7 7.f3 d5, and Black will regain the sacrificed piece. According to the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, White can then gain a small advantage with 8.Bb5 Bd7 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.0-0 dxe4 11.fxe4! g6 (or 11...0-0-0 12.Qf3) 12.Qf3 Bg7 13.c3 0-0 14.Bf4 c5 15.Nb3 Bc6 16.Qg3! Tartakower and DuMont recommend 7.Nb5 (instead of 7.f3) Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Kd8 9.0-0 "with compensations for the mislaid pawn." Instead, play continued 6.Nxc6 Nxc3! Initiating a sequence of desperado moves, where each player keeps capturing with his knight, rather than pausing to capture the opponent's knight. Black cannot pause for 6...bxc6?? 7.Nxe4 Qe7 8.Qe2, leaving White a piece up with a winning position. 7.Nxd8! White must also continue in desperado fashion, since 7.bxc3? bxc6 would leave Black a pawn up. Nxd1 Again the desperado move is forced, since 7...Kxd8?? 8.bxc3 would leave Black a queen down. 8.Nxf7 Since 8.Kxd1 Kxd8 would leave White a pawn down, the knight continues capturing. Nxf2 Still continuing in desperado fashion, in preference to 8...Kxf7 9.Kxd1 with material equality. 9.Nxh8 Nxh1. Between them, the desperado knights have captured thus far two queens, two rooks, two knights, and three pawns. The complete score of the game is below:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxe4!? 6.Nxc6 Nxc3 7.Nxd8 Nxd1 8.Nxf7 Nxf2 9.Nxh8 Nxh1 10.Bd3 Bc5 11.Bxh7 Nf2 12.Bf4 d6 13.Bg6+ Kf8 14.Bg3 Ng4 15.Nf7? Better is 15.Bd3 followed by Ng6+ "with a probable draw" -- Tartakower and DuMont. Ne3 16.Kd2 Bf5! 17.Ng5 Desperation. 17.Bxf5 Nxf5 18.Ng5 Be3+ wins. Bxg6 18.Ne6+ Ke7 19.Nxc5 Nxc2! The desperado knight strikes again, this time with deadly effect. Not 19...dxc5? 20.Kxe3 with equality. 20.Bh4+ Ke8 21.Ne6 Kd7 22.Nf4 Nxa1 23.Nxg6 Re8 24.Bf2 Nc2! 25.Nf4 If 25.Kxc2, Re2+ followed by ...Rxf2 wins. Nb4 The knight departs, having captured in its 13 moves White's queen, both rooks, a knight and three pawns. Its Black counterpart captured the queen, a rook, both bishops, a knight, and two pawns in its 14 moves. 0-1

[edit] References

• Sahovski Informator, Belgrade. Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, Vol. C (1997), at 271 n.26.
• Tartakower and DuMont, 100 Master Games of Modern Chess (Dover Publications, 1975), at 39–40.