Over the summer, on each Saturday we will be providing a Weekly Quiz Question on Find the Plan (and Move)! This will be taken from an actual game position and you will be provided with a number of possible options but only one might be best! These will be different to the Puzzles as they do not lead to an immediate win or draw but will focus more on the right plan so we recommend that you spend 5 to 10 minutes considering the position.
There will be one better plan (and move) and at least one weaker plan (and move) with other plans (and moves) assessed as being somewhere in between.
Martin Simons welcomes your feedback on the weekly quiz and any game submissions you may have for inclusion.
In today’s position you have White alongside the American Grandmaster and World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, and your opponent is Olicio Gadia. The game was played in round three of the Mar del Pata tournament in 1960 and you are about to play your 13th move.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.O-O Bb7 9.f4 Nc6 10.Nxc6 Bxc6 11.f5 e5 12.Qd3 Be7
Can you play like Bobby Fischer and find a good positional move?
Your options are:
A) Play 16.Be3 to develop the ‘good’ dark squared bishop to its most natural square where it can exert pressure along the g1 to a7 diagonal, then play a Rd1. The move also prevents Qb6+. If 16…Ng4 then 17.Bd5 looks good.
B) Play 16.Bg5 to threaten to exchange it for the black knight on f6 and take control of the d5 square.
C) Play 16.a4 to undermine Black’s premature expansion on the queenside.
D) Play 16.Qg3 to ask Black the question on how to defend his g-pawn.
E) Play 16.Kh1 to put the king safe and then play either Be3, Bg5, a4, or Qg3 depending on what Black plays next.
