Betcha Can't Eat Just One

In the 1960s, the Frito-Lay company launched a commercial for its potato chips that featured the challenge "Betcha can't eat just one" because the product was so tasty.

After yesterday's post on this blog, "A Snack", I found the following short game to be irresistible, as well.


maranthiru - FaceOfDeath
standard, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5

Still a variation without a name.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf6

Wow. This move has all of the "calories" of yesterday's 5...Ke7 (the risk of having the King and Queen on the same diagonal, with White's Bc1-g5+ a looming possibility), but none of the "nutrients" (the ability to play ...Nf6 to prevent the White Bishop's skewer).

For the record, there are 42 games in The Database with this position. White scores 83%, which tells you something.

However, in only 5 of those games did White play the "best" move, 6.Qh5, and in those games White scored 80%. (Yes, another typical Jerome-ish outcome: the best move scores worse than the lesser alternatives.)

A cautionary tale: Pokal - Lissi, blitz, FICS, 2011 continued 6.Qh5 Qe7 7.Ng6 [7.Qf5#] Qxe4+ 8.Kf1 Qxg6 9.Qxa5 Qxc2 10.Nc3 Qd3+ 11.Kg1 b6 12.Nd5+ Kf7 13.Qc3 Qe4 14.Qb3 Qe1 checkmate.

6.d4 d6

This move looks as "reasonable" as yesterday's 7.d5, but it ends the game quickly.

Black had little better than the retreat 6...Ke7, when 7.Nc3 is good for White, for example 7...c6 (keeping the Knight off of d5, but stranding his own Knight) 8.b4 d6 (offering a trade of Knights, but White sees further) 9.bxa5 dxe5 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.dxe5 and White wins back his sacrificed piece, remaining a pawn up with the better position.

7.Qf3+ Bf5 8.Qxf5+ Ke7 9.Qf7 checkmate