August 28 2011, the Chess Team was short of the minimum number of 5, players. In order to avoid a technical default, Charles Kuwaza, Manager, Coach and Captain, was a reserve player.
Negotiations with the Team Zimbabwe authorities regarding Gwaze’s participation were still in progress, as the young man was still in Russia for the World Cup, and nobody had any idea how far he would get in the knock-out event.
Gwaze subsequently lost to Ponomariov and returned to Harare, but was incommunicado, whether by cellphone, facebook or e-mail. In the meantime, the Team Zimbabwe authorities had scratched him from the Games.
On Monday, September 1 2011, Rodwell Makoto told the Coach that International Master Kudzanai Mamombe had just phoned from Joburg telling him that Gwaze had arrived and was on his way in a combie to Maputo, arriving around 22:00pm. That was fantastic news for Chess, but Team Zimbabwe authorities had already scratched him!
Serious negotiations between the Coach and the authorities succeeded in accepting Gwaze into the squad largely because 2 other athletes from Track and Field did not pitch up following the extravaganza in the far East, where Hussein Bolt was disqualified. Gwaze eventually turned up at the gate to the Games Village. Two Policemen were dispatched to Block 17 where Team Zimbabwe was billeted. Gwaze was received at the Gate by the whole Chess team at 22:00hrs. Now we had a full team, and could start strategising! Keep glued for round by round blows!
Today’s sacker punch comes from Christoffel-Mieses, 1945.
Black to move. What did he play?
Solution:

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