Tarrasch (bless his bones) said he felt sorry for anyone did who did not
know the game of chess. I feel sorry for you lot because you do not have...
...an Edinburgh Chess Club Hat.
My hat like music, money, love and more money has the power to make me happy.
I am fully aware of how jealous a lot of you are of my good looks and chess playing
skill (I know some of you have named your children ‘Geoff’ - even your daughters.)
and me and my hat will have you gnashing your teeth and barking like a crazy dog.
All I can suggest is you lay down in a darkened room and listen to a CD of Whale Song.
(I did that once, I fell asleep and dreamt I was being harpooned by a one legged maniac.)
Played by me last night in a blitz session at the Edinburgh Chess Club. White to play.
Black went on a merry pawn stealing spree with their Queen. Now mate it is in three.
answer at the bottom of this page.
Edinburgh C.C. v London C.C. Correspondence Stagecoach 1824-28.
An uncommon chessboard moment from the critical fifth game. White to play.
London is threatening a mate in one with either Rook taking the Bishop on h2.
Edinburgh played 40. g5 stopping mate in one and threatening mate in one with g6.
The g-pawn giving luft is the same pawn threatening checkmate.
The game did not end this way, White eventually won in another 20 moves. Heroic
Pawns was something I covered quite a number of years back here are a few more.
76Xadrez - WelshWhirlWind RHP 2019
Where we see Black making a valiant effort to bust the London System.
1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 f6 {Aiming to blast in e5 at a later date or is it to play g5.} 3. Nc3 c6 {Going for an imaginative trick. See next game} 4. e3 {This simple move stops the idea Black possibly had.} 4... e5 {Ready or not here I come.} 5. dxe5 g5 {The good news is White will be out of any theory they have on the London System.} 6. Qh5+ Kd7 7. Qf7+ {7...Qd7 would have prolonged the game.} 7... Be7 8. e6 {Checkmate with a pawn in under 10 moves. Quite rare.}
Next we see the Black idea. Unfortunately it fails because even if White was not aware
of it any normal developing move would have stopped it. In the above game it was 4.e3
Of course I may be wrong and I’m seeing a trap that was not intended by Black.
In which case it is just bad play, but on here I always give the benefit of doubt.
(to be honest sometimes I’ve no idea what on earth some of you are thinking about.)
FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2p1pp/2p2p2/3p4/3P1B2/2N5/PPP1PPPP/R2QKBNR b KQkq - 0 4
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pp2p1pp/2p2p2/3p4/3P1B2/2N5/PPP1PPPP/R2QKBNR b KQkq - 0 4"] 4... e5 {It was white to play here but we looking at what Black's idea was.} 5. dxe5 d4 6. Ne4 {I'm going to fall in the trap so you can see it.} 6... fxe5 {Even if White does play Bxe5 Black has at least an equal game.} 7. Bxe5 Qa5+ {Winning the e5 Bishop.}
This time a short game where a Black pawn delivers the mate.
lelloyd - Dai Bando RHP 2019
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 {The Elephant, a terrible name for a good surprise opening.} 3. exd5 e4 4. Qe2 Nf6 5. c4 {I do not like that. Holding onto gambit pawns always carries an element of risk.} 5... Be7 {5...Bc5 would invite 6.d4 so White has to spend another tempo moving the f3 Knight.} 6. Nd4 O-O 7. Nc3 Bc5 {Black is building up a threatening position. White has to try 8.Nc2 here.} 8. Nb3 {The Wrong square on c2 the Knight could have gone to e3.} 8... Bg4 9. f3 exf3 {White now realises 10.gxf3 Re8 wins the Queen. 8.Nc2 would have stopped this.} 10. Qd3 {Everything looks bad here. Maybe giving up the Queen was best.} 10... f2 {In fact giving up the Queen was best. This is checkmate.}
Next we see the old adage that it’s not who makes the most blunders who losses it
is the player who makes the last blunder losses. Both blunders are with King moves.
el toro - honus RHP 2019
FEN
6k1/8/8/p5PQ/5K1P/q7/8/8 w - - 0 55
[FEN "6k1/8/8/p5PQ/5K1P/q7/8/8 w - - 0 55"] 55. g6 Qc1+ {Ke4 or Kg4 are OK here. Kf3 would lose the White Queen to a skewer (Qd1+)} 56. Kf5 {But this move, a blunder also gives Black a winning position.} 56... Qc5+ {Black can chop the Queens and run home the a-pawn.} 57. Kg4 Qxh5+ 58. Kxh5 {Now a4 and Black promotes before White can do anything to stop it.} 58... Kg7 {This is the last blunder. It allows White to play h6 with a tempo winning check.} 59. Kg5 a4 60. h5 a3 61. h6+ Kh8 {Black is lost on Kf8 or Kg8. this move just makes it quicker.} 62. Kf6 a2 {It's close but White has the that extra tempo.} 63. g7+ {Kh7 then Kf7 and wins.} 63... Kg8 64. Kg6 a1=Q 65. h7 {Just made it. Checkmate with a pawn}
I mentioned in the chess forum everytime I’m on RHP I look at the games complete
in gallery mode so you can see the final position and if anything looks like it was an
interesting game I dive in and have a look. Here all I saw was the final drawn position.
Nortel - imetfischer RHP.2022
And I bet myself that the White King could have beaten the Knight.
FEN
8/6Pk/1pK4P/1P6/n7/8/8/8 w - - 0 60
[FEN "8/6Pk/1pK4P/1P6/n7/8/8/8 w - - 0 60"] 60. Kd6 Kg8 61. Ke5 {Black's move to draw is Nc5 but instead Black played...} 61... Nc3 {White played Kf6 and the game was drawn. The win is...} 62. Ke6 {Now Ne4 then Kf5 and Kg6 with h7 mate. The Black Knight is useless in this line.} 62... Nxb5 {This is also no good.} 63. Kf6 {Kg6 and h7 mate has to be prevented.} 63... Kh7 64. Kf7 Nd6+ 65. Kf8 {White wins.}
FEN
2kr1b1r/Qppn1p2/3p1p1p/3N4/1PB1q3/8/P4PPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[FEN "2kr1b1r/Qppn1p2/3p1p1p/3N4/1PB1q3/8/P4PPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Qa8+ {Not 1.Nb6+ due to 1...Nxb6 which stops the mate.} 1... Nb8 2. Nb6+ {Now you play this move.} 2... cxb6 {Blacks only move.} 3. Be6 {Double check and mate. Pretty easy, hopefully everyone solved it.}
