Outside Sandy Bells in Edinburgh. The position was mean to be this:
But someone came out when I was setting it up and a dog ate some of the pieces.
A study by A. S. Kakovin It is White to play and draw (solution at the bottom)
Been trying for the past few weeks to get my 1000th win on RHP. I finally did it.
I wanted it to be something special, so took a few chances (more than I normally
do ) to see if I could get a snazzy jazzy win. Most of the traps I set failed and I lost
quite a few games but this one worked. It came in round about win 999 to 1002.
greenpawn34 - kirbythecat January 2020 (A lucky win)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. d4 exd4 5. Qxd4 Bd7 6. Bxc6 Bxc6 7. Nc3 Nf6 {A position me and Kirby have had 7 times. It is 2 wins, 2 losses and 3 draws.} 8. Bg5 Be7 9. O-O-O O-O 10. h4 Nd7 {Still in our games, this has been reach three times between us.} 11. Kb1 Bf6 12. Qd3 Ne5 13. Nxe5 {In a previous game I played 13.Qe2 (draw) we are now in new territory} 13... dxe5 14. Qg3 Qe7 15. Rd7 {This looks good and trappy.} 15... Bxd7 {The idea of the exchange sac was to get the c6 Bishop off covering d5.} 16. Nd5 Bxg5 {Now 17.Nxe7+ Bxe7 and Black has a Rook and two Bishops for the Queen.} 17. hxg5 {Here I realised I did not want him to play 17...Qe6.} 17... Qd6 {Good now I have a wee sparkle finish.} 18. Nf6+ Qxf6 {Forced. If the Black Queen was on e6. 18...gxf6. 19.gxf6+ Qg4 0-1.} 19. gxf6 g6 20. Rxh7 {Always nice to wrap up with a sac. Black resigned. Yes I was lucky.} 20... Kxh7 21. Qh4+ Kg8 22. Qh6
Picked up this a few weeks back whilst browsing in a junk shop.
Published in 1995 the first game, no names stating; ‘...from a recent tournament.’
It’s a known opening trap and I’m happy to report we have an RHP example.
atlantean - Mikalo RHP 2011
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. Re1 Bc5 8. c3 Ng4 9. d4 exd4 {Neil McDonald notes here that White should play 10.h3 and then 11.cxd4.} 10. cxd4 Nxd4 11. Nxd4 Qh4 {White is now in big trouble.} 12. Nf3 {Natural enough, hits the Queen and covers h2.} 12... Qxf2+ 13. Kh1 Qg1+ {It does not matter how White takes back the answer is the same.} 14. Nxg1 Nf2 {Checkmate. Nice.}
Neil’s says: “After 9....exd4 he can play 10.h3! attacking the Knight.
After it retreats (e.g. 10....Nf6) White can follow up with 11.cxd4.”
The book is about planning in Chess, (I figured that out from the title)
so perhaps Neil got side-tracked with this 10...Nf6 move in haste to
get to on with the more juicy subject, the art of planning in Chess.
10....Nf6 gets tactically hammered, I'll show a variation.
[FEN "r2qk2r/1bpp1ppp/p1n5/1pb5/3pP1n1/1BP2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQR1K1 w kq - 0 10"]
10. h3 Nf6 {Now instead of the suggest 11.cxd4 which is a good move, how about.} 11. e5 {Black has to retreat or give up that f6 Knight. Anything else meets Ng5 with a rampant attack on f7.} 11... Ng8 {The best square if Black is not ready to give up a piece.} 12. Ng5 Nh6 13. Ne4 {Saying hello to the unprotected c5 Bishop.} 13... Be7 {Probably best, covering the f6 square and blocking e-file.} 14. Bxh6 {Good trade, an undeveloped piece for a piece that has moved five times.} 14... gxh6 15. Qg4 {Stops castling, threatens Qg7 Black is in a right mess.}
So from a loose and forgivable note by Neil McDonald we can look at other avenues.
‘Never retreat an attacked piece if you can find any valid reason not too.’ anon.
(‘anon;’ in this case is me and I just made that up - but it sounds like it something
someone must have said in the past ....it’s possible it was me a few blogs ago.)
[FEN "r2qk2r/1bpp1ppp/p1n5/1pb5/3pP1n1/1BP2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQR1K1 w kq - 0 10"]
10. h3 {Instead of retreating how about....} 10... Nxf2 {...this is more like it.} 11. Kxf2 dxc3+ 12. Kf1 cxb2 13. Bxb2 O-O {Black has three pawns and slightly draughty White King for the piece.} 14. Qc2 {A good move trying to move the Queen onto c3 to hit g7.} 14... Bb4 {That stops that idea. I like White, but not by much. 10...Nxf2 looks better than 10...Nf6.}
Was looking for something else when by chance came across this trick/trap/blunder.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 {Now the most automatic move in Chess is 3...cxd4 but here we have seen...} 3... b6 4. dxc5 bxc5 {....this position on RHP 108 times and...} 5. Qd5 {...this move that wins a piece has only been played 57 times.}
However I remind viewers that this is Red Hot Pawn, an alternative Chess
Universe, and being a piece or two ahead does not always mean a win.
shauldy - jpitsme RHP 2012
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 {Now play 3...cxd4 like everyone else does.} 3... b6 4. dxc5 {4....dxc5 5.Bb5+ and 6.Qd5 is good for White.} 4... bxc5 5. Qd5 {A piece is won, the good news is Black gets to choose which one.} 5... Bb7 {Black elects to give up a Bishop.} 6. Qxb7 Nd7 7. Bb5 Rb8 {OOPS!} 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. Qxb8+ Qd8 {White, a Knight and Rook up should just takes the Queens off.} 10. Qb3 Nf6 {As White here I would have castled. 11.0-0 Nxe4 12.Qa4+} 11. Ng5 e6 12. O-O h6 13. Nf3 Be7 {Analysis is suspended till we get to critical positions.} 14. e5 dxe5 15. Qa4+ Qd7 16. Qb3 Qd8 17. Nxe5 Bd6 18. Nc6 Qc7 19. Qb5 Bxh2+ 20. Kh1 O-O 21. g3 Bxg3 22. fxg3 {If you are still counting Black is now down a Knight, Rook and Bishop.} 22... Rc8 23. Na5 Nh5 24. Bf4 e5 {Now White goes completely astray dropping two pieces.} 25. Qd3 exf4 26. gxf4 Qxa5 {I'm thinking here that White intended 27. Qh3 but noticed 27.Qh3 Qa6!} 27. Nc3 {No serious harm done White is still a Rook up.} 27... c4 28. Qh3 Qf5 {Black is looking at 29. Qxf5 Ng3+ and Nxf5 but it is still lost.} 29. Qh2 Qg4 30. Ne2 Re8 {Suddenly the extra Rook counts for nothing the active pieces in play make it level.} 31. Rae1 {OOPS! having spotted one Knight fork White misses this one.} 31... Rxe2 {32.Rxe2 or 32.Qxe2 then 32...Ng3+} 32. Rg1 {It's a disaster. White had to play Rxe2.} 32... Rxh2+ 33. Kxh2 Qh4+ 34. Kg2 Qg3+ {35.Kh1 mate was played in the game - we show an Epaulette Mate.} 35. Kf1 Qf3
I was watching Carlsen solving tactical puzzles on YouTube.
This following one appeared and he got it within 10 seconds.
I was still thinking about long after it had gone even though the solution zoomed past me.
White to play and win. (A King and Queen v a King and Rook is classed as a win.)
[FEN "B7/P7/P7/k6K/8/8/7p/r7 w - - 0 1"]
1. Bh1 {Prevents Black promoting and enables White to promote.} 1... Rxh1 2. a8=Q Rd1 {White has no Queen check but there is....} 3. Qh1 Rxh1 4. a7 Rd1 5. a8=Q+ {The Queen promotes with a CHECK.} 5... Kb4 {The Black is forced onto the b-file and there follows...} 6. Qb8+ Kc3 7. Qxh2 {Which is classed as a White win.}
Solution to the study at the beginning of this piece.
[FEN "k1B5/p3R3/1p6/1K6/8/8/8/7q w - - 0 1"]
1. Bb7+ Qxb7 2. Re8+ Qb8 {And now the main idea of the study is revealed.} 3. Ka6 Qxe8 {Stalemate. if 3...b5 4.Rxb8+ Kxb8 5.Kxb5 draw,}
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 183849 
ZorroTheFox
