A prophetic cartoon from CHESS 1946
“I take a poor view of that ‘mediocre’ remark of yours, Mountbatten.”
The computer was replying to this:
It appears computers, like elephants, do not forget and we can blame
the rage of the machines against humans on Lord Louis Mountbatten.
Wesley So is the 2017 USA Chess Champion.
Wes played a stunning game in the 9th round using a series of
checkmates in one and two moves to hamstring White This is
the type of game which is a writers dream. The notes come easy.
J. Xiong - W. So, USA Championship 2017
[FEN "1r3rk1/2pnqppp/p3p3/2P5/P1pR4/2N1P1P1/1PQ2P1P/R5K1 w - - 0 18"]
18. c6 Ne5 19. Qe4 {Attacking the Knight, stopping Nf3+ and protecting the c3 pawn.} 19... Qc5 20. Nd5 {This move kicks things off. it's now a question of who handles the complications better with the clock ticking.} 20... Nd3 21. Nxc7 {White now could have been expecting 4....Rxb2 and replying with 5.Rxc4 which is OK for White.} 21... Nxf2 {It is this move that raises the game into the brilliant category.} 22. Kxf2 Rxb2+ 23. Kf1 Qh5 {With a simple threat of mate in two. The White King is open to Queen and Rook checks and White has to tread very carefully.} 24. Qg4 Qxh2 {Again with the mate threat. The good guys do not expect a one move mate to be missed, they expect to tie down a piece preventing it.} 25. Qf3 {In this case the Queen is on mate prevention duty.} 25...c3 {The Black c-pawn is more dangerous than the White c-pawn. Black uses it to create confusion in the White camp.} 26. Rc1 e5 {A lovely move to play. It kicks the Rook off the d-file. If for instance 10.Rd3 then 10...e4 and the Queen cannot move from f3 without allowing a checkmate.} 27. Rh4 Qd2 {It's great to see a wonderful game like this being held together with one move threats which we can all understand.} 28. Rd1 Rd8 {Brilliant! Another mate in two on the board starting with 11....Qxd1+ I'll show in the next game analysis what happens on 12.Rxd2.} 29. Nd5 {A good try in a lost position to confuse matters. It weakens the Black back rank, clears the path for the c6 pawn. It could have created doubt (what have I missed?) } 29... Rxd5 30. Rd4 {Again same as above. This had to be worked out carefully by Black. If the White pawn gets to c7 Black will struggle to stop it.} 30... Rxd4 31. exd4 {White can hang on here if Black plays the obvious 14...c2 but Black has this move up his sleeve.} 31... Qxd1+ {Wonderful. White resigned. One way to finish this is....} 32. Qxd1 c2 33. Qc1 {I've selected this line leaving Black with one move options, it also show how dangerous that White c-pawn was.} 33... Rb1 34. Ke2 Rxc1 35. Kd2 Rd1+ 36. Kxc2 Rxd4 {The only move to win but it is good enough.} 37. Kc3 Rd6 {Now it's over.}
A look at the first Queen offer from Wesley So.
[FEN "5rk1/2N2ppp/p1P5/4p3/P2R4/2p1PQP1/1r5q/2R2K2 w - - 0 27"]
27. Rh4 Qd2 28. Rd1 Rd8 {Instead of 3.Nd5 we look at.....} 29. Rxd2 Rdxd2 {Even with the Queen gone the checkmate threats are still on the board.} 30. Kg1 {Only move to avoid checkmate.} 30... Rb1+ 31. Qf1 Rxf1+ 32. Kxf1 c2 33. Rc4 Rd1+ 34. Ke2 c1=Q 35. Rxc1 Rxc1 {White picks up the c-pawn and wins.} 36. Nd5 {Last try. I told you that White c-pawn was tricky. Rxc6 meets Ne7+ and White wins} 36...Kf8 {Black should have no trouble winning this now.}
Francis Percival Wenman (1891-1972) more commonly known as
‘P. Wenman’ authored four books on chess problems in the 1930’s
Here is a picture of the one I have.
Unfortunately a number of the problems (60 so far have been discovered) have
been classed, and here I use the term from the ‘Problem World’ as anticipated.
You ‘anticipate’ composing a chess problem usually by pure coincidence.
Unknown to you the setting is similar to a previously published problem.
Fair enough, but friend Percy Wenman took ‘anticipation’ to a new level.
Here are just two examples. The solution to both problems are the same.
Mate in 3. The original on the left is by C. Mortzsch published in 1903
The one on the right appears in a Wenman book The board has simply been rotated.
Solution left: 1. Kg6 Ke7 2. Nf6 Kxf8 3. Bd6 mate.
Solution right: 1. Kf2 Kg4 2. Nf3 Kxh3 3. Bf5 mate
Mate in two The original on the left is by M.Havel first appearing in print in 1903
The one on the right appears in a Wenman book Place the Rook from g1 to g7.
Solutions left and right: 1. Rg4 Bxg4 2. Qb1# 1. Rg4 Kb3 2. Qxd1# 1. Rg4 Kc1 2. Rc4#
This is a picture of Percy taking part in the 1920 British Chess Championship.
That picture was taken at the Edinburgh University not far from where I live
I found the exact same spot where the picture was taken and I ‘anticipated.’
A Mirror Mate is when the King is in checkmate and all 8 squares surrounding
the checkmated King are vacant. As always this is best explained with a diagram.
That is a Mirror Mate.
It’s very rare to see one in an actual game. RHP of course has one in 12 moves.
twinknights - klaus70 RHP2011
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 h6 {3....Be7 is a better way to stop the later threat of Ng5.} 4. d4 f6 {Too many pawn moves. The Black Kingside is now looking like a string vest.} 5. dxe5 fxe5 6. Bf7+ {No doubt inspired by Black's previous moves White sets off on an incorrect sacrifice.} 6... Kxf7 7. Nxe5+ {The idea being if 7...dxe5 8.QxQ} 7... Ke6 {That is an OOPS!. 7....Kf6 was the better move. White now has a forced mate.} 8. Qd5+ Kf6 9. b3 {A counter OOPS!. 9.Qf7+ Kxe5 10.Bf4+ mates in two.} 9... Ne7 {The last mistake. White is now allowed to put his 9.b3 idea into play. 9...Qe8 to strop Qf7+ was the move.} 10. Qf7+ Kxe5 11. Bb2+ Kxe4 12. Nd2 {A Mirror Checkmate.}
Mirror Mates brings us on very nicely to Mirror Knights Forks.
Two Knights are attacking the same square. One sells it life so that
it’s stable companion can deliver a Knight Fork on the same square.
Here is a nice Red Hot Pawn example of it in action.
reverendbaron - burningoak01 RHP 2014
White nicks a Rook and Black is tries to trap the White Queen.
[FEN "rn2kbnr/ppp1q2p/6p1/4Q3/3NP3/8/PP3PPP/RNB1K2R w KQkq - 0 10"]
10. Qxh8 Nf6 11. O-O Nbd7 12. Nc3 O-O-O 13. Ncb5 {Setting up a Mirror Knight Fork. Black blinded by the Queen trapping idea fails to spot it.} 13... Bg7 14. Nxa7+ Kb8 {See it. Both Knights are attacking c6.} 15. Qxd8+ {Bravo!} 15... Qxd8 16. Nac6+ bxc6 17. Nxc6+ Kc8 18. Nxd8 {And White the double exchange and 3 pawns up easily converted this to a win.}
We keep the same pattern, Two Knights attacking c6 with a King and Queen fork
pacopina - justin3d RHP 2013 (White to play)
White failed to spot Nc6+ and Nc6+ and went onto lose.
Old Monk - Bhushaan RHP 2011 (White Play}
White failed to spot Nc6+ and Nc6+ and went onto lose.
Now one that was spotted and set up by the Knights player.
old nick - Per Madsen RHP 2016
[FEN "2k4r/p2r1p2/1p4p1/2pNp2p/3qP3/3P4/P1R1K2P/2R2N2 w - - 0 31"]
31. Nd2 {Black has a Queen and 3 pawns v Two White Knights and is winning easily.} 31... Qa4 {Black was possibly worried about White trying to trap the Queen on d4 with Rb1 and Rc4 but this move gives White other ideas.} 32. Nc4 {With the threat of a double hit on b6. Black should cut out all this counterplay and just play Rxd5.} 32... f5 {OOPS! Black has missed it.} 33. Ndxb6+ axb6 34. Nxb6+ Kd8 35. Nxa4 {Suddenly White is a piece up and Black's three extra pawns are now one. White won it fairly easily.}
We call time on our visit to the dungeons of RHP with this comedy of errors.
cevans - brucemann RHP 2017
I chanced upon this game a few days ago. Was Black’s h5 a trap...you decide.
[FEN "r1r3k1/3q2pp/p1p2p2/2Rpp3/Q7/3P4/PP3PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 22"]
22. Rfc1 d4 23. Rxc6 {Material wise everything is level. and after....} 23... Rxc6 24. Rxc6 {You could say with confidence the position is also level.} 24... h5 {A very handy move in Queen and Rook endings. But was it a pawn bait trap. If so then h6 served it's purpose better.} 25. Qc4+ {If it was a trap then White has put his foot in the noose. Will he trigger the trap.} 25... Kh8 26. Rxa6 {OOPS! h3 first to give the White King some air was called for.} 26... Rc8 {The trap has been sprung. If the Queens moves then Black back rank mates.} 27. Ra8 {This saves the Queen but it does appear to be a futile gesture.} 27... Rxa8 28. a3 {OOPS! White fell for one trap and now by saving a pawn he is jumps back into the same trap.} 28... Qb7 {Black missed it. Rc8 with the same idea as last time except here White has no Rook to save the Queen.} 29. Qc2 Rc8 30. Qd2 Qb3 31. g3 {A bit too late for luft now. Some would resign here but it’s always a player’s choice when to resign...and you never know in chess...anything can happen.} 31... Rc2 32. Qd1 {Careful Black that h5 instead of h6 opening the luft window a bit too far may let a burglar in.} 32... Rxb2 {OOPS!} 33. Qxh5+ Kg8 34. Qe8+ Kh7 35. Qh5+ Kg8 36. Qe8+ {That's a perpetual and here the game ended in a draw.}
