ONE BRILLIANT MOMENT
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Maia Chiburdanidze vs Irina Krush · 2012 · move 26.
Which d-pawn advance gains central space beside the pawn on c6?
White’s queen takes an advanced a-pawn, but Black has central counterplay against the white king. A knight check on f3 permits a queen capture on c3, and a rook sacrifice on e3 then opens checking lines. The recorded draw makes this an instructive example of looking beyond material to a concrete defensive resource.
Before reaching for a move, identify the opponent’s immediate threat and the piece you most want to improve. Then compare checks, captures and quiet moves. The complete interactive lesson will let you test your answer without revealing the historical continuation first.
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