Passive Exchange Sacrifices and Refusing to Take the Exchange
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:53 am
I am stunned at the recent number of elite players who without being forced give up the exchange then go down in flames. On the other hand I've seen sometimes the same players refusing to take the exchange when offered by other players, sometimes when the compensation and counterplay for their opponent isn't clear.
I don't want to name any names but I think examples of this phenomenon of incorrect exchange sacs offered or not taken is something that has been a confusing subject for me.
To illustrate my point consider the position below with black to play.
Black played 1..Nxf1, passively sacrificing the rook on a8. Now the question is was that objectively best? I have no idea but the knee jerk move is to save the a8 rook. What if I told you black was no other than incredibly strong Bobby Fischer.
I don't want to name any names but I think examples of this phenomenon of incorrect exchange sacs offered or not taken is something that has been a confusing subject for me.
To illustrate my point consider the position below with black to play.
Black played 1..Nxf1, passively sacrificing the rook on a8. Now the question is was that objectively best? I have no idea but the knee jerk move is to save the a8 rook. What if I told you black was no other than incredibly strong Bobby Fischer.