The famous illusionist of the past Harry Houdini was known for his impressive tricks in which he escaped from apparently impossible situations. His "namesake," the computer program that is popular at the moment, sometimes comes out with similar "tricks" when analysing positions that at first glance look hopeless or very difficult, which have arisen in practical games of the past or present. Getting to know these kinds of examples broadens our conception of the boundaries of the possible in chess and teaches us never to despair, but to stubbornly keep looking for hidden resources in any situation. I already published the article "Saving Combinations" on this topic a few years ago; you can … [Read more...]