Thursday 26 June 2014

The corridor of certainty

In cricket there is a term ' the corridor of uncertainty. It is the line just outside off stump when a well directed ball will have a batsmen in two minds about whether the let the ball go, or try and play a defensive shot. The perfect delivery is one that will either hit the stumps if the ball is left, or takes an edge if the player tries to defend.
The only reason I mention this is to show the following game. I originally saw it in "Improve your Chess in 7 days" by IM Gary Lane, and the finish was particularly striking. In fact the whole game is well played by White (22.Nb1!), but when the Black king to f6, 31,g4 leaves it trapped in the 'corridor of certain mate'.


Xie Jun (2515) - Larsen,Bent (2560) [B08]
Veterans-Women Monte Carlo (1), 1994



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