Sunday, June 10, 2007

Queen Sacrifice versus McCormick

My best queen sacrifice is probably the one that I played against Life Master Edgar McCormick nearly twenty years ago.

Edgar McCormick - Jim West, Somerset NJ Quads 6/5/1988

1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 e6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Qe4 d6


8.g3 Bd7 9.Bg2 dxe5 10.Nxe5 Nf6 11.Qe2 Nxe5 12.Qxe5 Qb6


The threat is 13...Qxf2+! 14.Kxf2 Ng4+ followed by 15...Nxe5.

13.O-O Bc5 14.Nd2?


White should play 14.Qg5.

14...Bxf2+! 15.Kh1 Bc6 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 O-O


To prevent my queen sac, White must now play a move like 18.Bg2.

18.Bg5?? Qc7!!, White resigns.


White's queen is lost, since 19.Qxc7 Bxe4# is unplayable.