ONE BRILLIANT MOMENT
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Vasily Smyslov vs Zoltán Ribli · 1983 · move 23.
Instead of the historical Nh5, which pawn capture removes the knight on e5?
Smyslov’s fifth game against Ribli in their 1983 Candidates semifinal features an exposed king, several offered pieces and a final fork of king and queen. The attack is useful precisely because the sacrifices need calculation: Black has checking resources too. Follow how the queen, knight and advancing d-pawn create forcing moves together.
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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