Penicillin was discovered because a petri dish was unchecked over the summer of 1928. With this hint in mind please try to find white’s best move.
In this week’s position, white can win a pawn with its bishop taking black’s f7 pawn, checking black. After black either captures the bishop with its f8 rook or retreats to h8, white’s rook next snatches black’s knight, which is no longer adequately defended. Black can win back a pawn with its rook taking white’s a2 pawn. Here, white’s pieces are better placed and white is up a pawn. Even so, black maintains a reasonable hope of a draw.
The best move for white is to refrain from the immediate check and have its rook promptly grab black’s knight, even though the rook is ostensibly unguarded. The point is that black must swallow the loss of a whole knight. If black’s queen takes the seemingly free rook, now white’s bishop checks black from f7 (see next diagram).
After black thwarts the check with rook takes bishop, white’s queen takes black’s queen. Black is lost with no reasonable hope of a draw.
The lesson this week is not checking for a move or two is sometimes the best medicine. Accepting this may be a hard pill to swallow over the board.
Reach Eric Morrow at ericmorrowlaw@gmail.com or (505) 327-7121.
