Overloading (chess)

Overloading (also overworking[1]) is a chess tactic in which a defensive piece is given an additional defensive assignment which it cannot complete without abandoning its original defensive assignment.

Examples

[edit]
Krasenkow vs. Karpov, 2003
abcdefgh
8
e8 white bishop
g8 black king
a7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
b6 black pawn
f6 black queen
g6 black knight
h6 black pawn
c5 black bishop
d5 white rook
a4 white queen
f3 white pawn
g3 white pawn
e2 black rook
h2 white pawn
f1 white rook
h1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Black to play


KrasenkowKarpov,[2] in the first round of the 2003 Corus chess tournament, reached the diagrammed position with Black to play. As the white rook on f1 is preventing the black queen from giving checkmate by capturing the pawn on f3, Black won immediately with

 29... Re1!

further pinning the white rook against the king and overloading the rook. White now cannot prevent the black queen from taking the f-pawn: if White tries to protect the rook with 30.Rxe1 or 30.Qc4, then 30...Qxf3#. If White sacrifices the rook by playing 30.Kg2, then 30...Rxf1 31.Kxf1 Qxf3+ and loses the other rook with 32...Qxd5.

Nisipeanu vs. Giri, 2010
abcdefgh
8
e8 black rook
f8 black bishop
c7 black pawn
d7 black bishop
e7 black rook
g7 black king
b6 black pawn
f6 black queen
g6 black pawn
h6 black pawn
a5 black pawn
c5 black pawn
d5 white pawn
e5 black knight
c4 white pawn
e4 white bishop
f4 black pawn
b3 white pawn
h3 white pawn
a2 white pawn
c2 white knight
d2 white queen
e2 white rook
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
e1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Black to play


In Liviu-Dieter NisipeanuAnish Giri[3] (see diagram), Giri (Black) played

 30... Bxh3!

overloading the g2-pawn, as 31.gxh3 is met with 31...f3 32.Re3 Qg5+. After 31.Qc3? Bg4, Nisipeanu resigned.

An overload was also used in Rotlewi versus Rubinstein.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Rensch, Daniel. "The Online Chess Glossary for Kids and Parents". Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Krasenkow vs. Karpov, 2003". Chessgames.com.
  3. ^ "Nisipeanu vs. Giri, 2010". Chessgames.com.