Chess

It's Black to play; White has just moved his bishop from g2 to e4 to threaten Bxh7+; what would you do about it? The position comes from James Plaskett's win as Black against Keith Arkell in the Hastings Challengers and was the beginning of the best attacking combination seen at this year's Hastings congress in any event.

Arkell must have been astonished when Plaskett unleashed 1...Nd3!! neatly interfering between the white queen and bishop. After 2.Rxf8+ (you'll see later what happens if White does not make this exchange) Rxf8 3.exd3 cxd3 4.Qg2 (4.Bxd3 is met by Qe3+) Bxc3 5.Rxc3. Now if rooks had not been exchanged, Black would win with Rxf1+. As it was, he revealed the final point of the sacrifice with 5...d2! White had nothing better than 6.Qxd2 Rf1+ 7.Kh2 Qxe4 8.Qxg5+ Kh8 9.Rc8+ Be8 when despite the level material, he was hopeless against the threat of mate on h1. Here are the full moves.

White: Keith Arkell

Black: James Plaskett

Modern Benoni Defence

1 d4 c5 25 b4 c4

2 d5 Nf6 26 Rbc1 f4

3 g3 g6 27 Bc3 fxg3

4 Bg2 d6 28 fxg3 Rf8

5 c4 Bg7 29 Rf1 Qe7

6 Nc3 0-0 30 Be4 Nd3

7 Nf3 e6 31 Rxf8+ Rxf8

8 0-0 exd5 32 exd3 cxd3

9 cxd5 Re8 33 Qg2 Bxc3

10 Nd2 a6 34 Rxc3 d2

11 a4 Nbd7 35 Qxd2 Rf1+

12 Nc4 Ne5 36 Kh2 Qxe4

13 Nxe5 Rxe5 37 Qxg5+ Kh8

14 Bf4 Re8 38 Rc8+ Be8

15 Qc2 Qe7 39 Rxe8+ Qxe8

16 Rfe1 Ng4 40 Qd2 Qe4

17 h3 Ne5 41 Qc3+ Kg8

18 a5 Bf5 42 Qc8+ Kg7

19 Qb3 Rab8 43 Qc7+ Kg6

20 Na4 Bd7 44 Qxd6+ Rf6

21 Nb6 Bb5 45 Qc5 Qe2+

22 Rab1 g5 46 Kg1 Rf1

23 Bd2 f5 checkmate

24 Qc2 Qf6