The following is from "Blunders and Brilliancies" (1990) by Ian Mullen and Moe Moss, a book of tactics diagrams for the reader to solve. I offer it in connection with uri blass's cool suggestion in the "Playing a losing move" thread here in the Forum. He says maybe Chess Tempo could make the user find the refutation to their own bad move. :-)
Never Say Die!!
As a final and excellent illustration of "Never Say Die", of not being deceived by outward appearances but of always trying to look into the heart of a position, we append a tale by Alexander Kotov, biographer of Alexander Alekhine. Kotov's witty story, which may be apocryphal, deals with a blindfold exhibition which Alekhine was conducting during the Second World War against 32 Nazi generals. Before long, there were only four games left, the expert having won most of the others and drawn a few. When he called out for his opponent's move on one of the remaining boards, the latter said, "I resign, for there's no way to stop the mate at h8."
251 -- Alekhine-The General
Germany 1944
Black to play
Alekhine was about to voice the German equivalent of "Never say die!", but, having regard to the fact that his opponent was a general, he restrained himself and merely asked permission to take the Black pieces [i.e., swap sides]. In astonishment, this was granted, whereupon the world champion played 1... Rh4! 2. Nxh4 Qc3 and then went on to the other three opponents.
Upon returning to this board, the general admitted that now it was White who was lost, for if 3. Kc1 Qa1+ 4. Kd2 Qxh1 wins. Alekhine, curbing a desire to say once again, "Never say die!" now suggested that he take the White pieces once more -- and busied himself with the other three boards while the general and his colleagues considered the new offer.
Upon agreeing to Alekhine's suggestion, the latter finished off the game with 3 Qh8+!! Kxh8 4. Ng6+ Kg8 5. Rh8#. Thus he won the same game three times -- and all this, bear in mind, blindfold while playing 31 other boards!
