ONE BRILLIANT MOMENT
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Alexandra Kosteniuk vs Susan Polgar · 2004 · move 17.
The bishop on e7 is attacked by a pawn on f6. How can Black create counterplay with a pawn capture?
The queens leave the board early in this 2004 Olympiad game, yet the play remains tactical. Kosteniuk jumps into a check, Polgar creates counterplay with the h-pawn, and exchanges eventually lead to active rook checks. The draw is useful precisely because neither side’s practical resources can be understood from the material count alone.
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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