ONE BRILLIANT MOMENT
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Alexandra Kosteniuk vs Maia Chiburdanidze · 2004 · move 26.
White’s knight has been captured. Which h-pawn advance creates a threat against g7?
This drawn 2004 Olympiad game has attacks on both kings and a sequence that changes the material balance dramatically. Kosteniuk advances the h-pawn and uses a rook offer to gain access to a checking capture. The resulting queen-versus-rooks position is a lesson in active defence rather than a victory explained by the material count.
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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