Never Give Up! Brilliant Moves (1)

Howdy friends!  Up now is a mini-series on Brilliancy!!  That means we will see some incredible moves, often from what looks like a normal or even losing position.  First up a game by Frank Marshall.  By, Jessica E Prescott (aka BoundingOwl).

Marshall was US Champion from 1909-1936, has an opening and a chess club named after him, and was all around awesome!!

Here is a game he played in 1912.  (If you notate, you can keep these brilliancies around for a hundred years, right?)  White's down a piece, but just played Rc5.  Now black's queen and rook are both hanging!  Should black resign?  NO!  Black has a brilliant save that completely forces a win!!  I'll show you this amazing move; you have to figure out why it's so good.

What's the story?  Can't everything just gobble up the queen right now?!  Does black think he's playing "Take Me" or something?  Well, let's just see.  If white does nothing, black does have a threat of mate in one.  Can you find it?

So of course white is allowed a move here.  Take the queen, right?  What about hxg3...?

Whoa, we got mated!  What about taking with the other pawn, then?

Uh-oh!   Mated again.  Ok well the queen is pinning the pawn to the king so we can't take the rook...what if we just take the queen with our queen?  Find a fork followed by a fork!

Sweet!  Here Marshall is still up a piece in a simplified, won endgame.  Not sure when to trade?  Click here!

The theme here?  Never give up!!  Apparently after Marshall found this winner the crowd watching his game showered him with gold!!  I love chess!  Stay tuned next week for another BRILLIANCY!