Game of the Week

Much of tonight's meeting was spent hammering out the details of our upcoming $5 Open, so the pickings are slim, but there was this position from my game against Steve McWhirter:

K.Ammann–S.McWhirter

Route 20 Chess Club

Freeport, Illinois, Nov. 17, 2009

White to move. I played 1.f5??, followed by 1...exf5 2.Rxf5 Rxf5+ 3.Qxf5+ Rf8 0-1. Reviewing the game, I noted that I'd considered playing 1.Bg4, which is much sounder than 1.f5. But there's an even better move than 1.Bg4, one that significantly blunts Steve's lead. What is it? (Highlight to reveal answer.)

1.Bxc4 bxc4 2.Rxb7 wins a pawn and eliminates the threat along the a8-h1 diagonal.