Did You Know No.182.
That Chris de Burgh brought out a CD called ‘Best Moves’
and on the cover is a famous position from a Bronstein game.
J. Kaplan, - D. Bronstein, Hastings, December 1975
[FEN "4rrk1/pp3p1p/8/2p3b1/6b1/2QBq3/PPPN2PP/2K2R1R w - - 0 1"]
1. h3 Be2 2. Rf5 {2. Re1 when Black still has a lot of pressure, would have robbed us of the wonderful finish where Kaplan completely misses Bronstein's idea.} 2... Bh6 3. Bxe2 {White now expected 3...Qxe2 when 4.Qg3+ takes the sting out of the attack.} 3... Qxc3 {But this must have surprised Kaplan. Bronstein has seen the position coming in four move time.} 4. bxc3 Rxe2 5. Rd5 Rxd2 {A wee piece of music from Morphy at the Opera there.} 6. Rxd2 Rd8 7. Rd1 c4 {The position on the cover of the CD. Once White has exhausted all his pawn moves a piece drops off the board. White resigned.} 8. g4 {The game was over but without trying to dishonour this classic game there is one last trick to show.} 8... a5 {Showing off to emphasise the hopeless position of White. Bronstein would have played 8...Kf8 and then I'll allow White to resign,} 9. g5 Bxg5 10. Rg1 {White wins! That spoof variation was added as a warning and hopefully an idea like this can save a lost game or keep the win on the table.}
This great game has a partner, as yet not on CD cover, but give it time.
Bruce Harper - Robert D Zuk, Burnaby, 1971
This game is spoke of in whispers in chess clubs and is known as ‘The Tomb Game.’
[FEN "5rk1/p5np/1p1p4/1QpP2p1/2P1b3/P3q1PN/1P4BP/6RK w - - 0 30"]
30. Qd7 {Black now constructs a tomb for the White King.} 30... Bxg2+ 31. Rxg2 Qe4 32. Ng1 h6 {Played to give the Black King h7 as a flight square.} 33. h4 Rf2 34. Qh3 g4 35. Qh2 h5 {White is sealed in. Hall he has is pawn moves. Ne2 meets Rxe2. The g2 Rook is pinned.} 36. b4 Rf1 37. b5 Kh8 38. a4 Kh7 {Black uses King moves to wait for the pawn moves to run out.} 39. a5 Kg8 40. axb6 axb6 {White resigned. Play could go on with White's only legal move being.} 41. Qh3 gxh3 {Mate next move.}
The 6th Sinquefield Cup is being wrapped up as I type. this snippet is from the round 3.
L. Aronian - M. Carlsen, Saint Louis, 2018
[FEN "4r1k1/1p3pp1/p1q4p/P2n4/1P6/2PQ2PP/5P2/3R2K1 w - - 0 29"]
29. Qxd5 {Black cannot take c3 pawn because the b7 pawn hangs so...} 29... Re1+ {In the actual game which was drawn a few later Aronian played 2.Kh2 but on any day at RHP this can happen...} 30. Kg2 {It is the natural moves, the slack moves and the easy moves that lose us games.} 30... Rxd1 {White can resign. I mention again. Aronian did not fall into this pitfall.}
If nothing I’m not predictable. A few RHP games with the same theme.
Aronian kept his name off the funny pages by dodging a blunder but
sadly the RHP player made it by turning a won game into a bad loss.
Sethuel - clzr1 RHP 2014
[FEN "4r1k1/1pp2ppp/p2b1r2/3P4/4P1q1/3Q1NP1/PP4KP/3RR3 w - - 0 27"]
27. e5 {This pawn fork picks up a piece.} 27... Bxe5 28. Nxe5 Qb4 {White should win this by playing simple chess and not getting any ideas.} 29. Qd2 Qd6 30. Nc4 Qd7 31. d6 {White has an idea...this is always a bad sign. Rxe8+ was simple and good.} 31... Rxe1 32. dxc7 Qc6+ {White has missed this check. I'll say it again. Check All Checks.} 33. Qd5 {Only move. If Kh3 then Rh6+ is murder.} 33... Rxd1 {The pin pattern from the Aronian game.} 34. Qxc6 Rxc6 {White resigned.}
Sadly we follow the same theme with another win (a missed mate) turned into a loss.
cevans - catnap642 RHP 2016
[FEN "r1r3k1/pRp2ppp/6q1/3p4/8/8/P2Q1PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 21"]
21. Qxd5 a5 22. Rxc7 {White exploits the weak Black back rank. Rxc7 and Qxa8+ mates next move.} 22... Rd8 23. Rd7 Rdc8 24. g3 {White takes his weak back rank off the board. Black should maybe do the same or play practically any move than....} 24... Qc2 {....this one. White can now mate in 2 with Qxf7+ and Qxg7.} 25. Ree7 {White missed it.} 25... Qc1+ 26. Kg2 Qc6 {Another blunder by Black. White can win the Black Queen with Re8+ followed by Qxc6. The Aronian Pattern with reverse colours.} 27. Rxf7 {White missed it.} 27... Qxd5+ {But Black did not miss this move.} 28. Rxd5 Kxf7 {White resigned.}
We now see a game that has hints of Bronstein game and the Aronian game combined.
This game also features some bad pawn play by White implying that as yet they have
no knowledge of ‘The Pawn Square’ and how helpful it is in calculating pawn moves.
In a King and Pawn race if the King can get into the pawn promotion
square then he wins the race. This is far easier to explain with a diagram.
The Pawn square is drawn in relation to the position of the Black King
Black to Move.
The King on e5 is already inside the square and can stop pawn.
The King on f7 can get inside the square and take the pawn as it promotes,
The King on g6 cannot enter the square. The pawn wins the race.
bishopfellwalker - rdhopeca RHP 2017
[FEN "5k2/p1R1rp2/bp1r4/3p1Q2/4P3/q5P1/5PBP/4R1K1 w - - 0 26"]
26. Rxe7 Kxe7 27. exd5+ Kd8 28. Qxf7 {White is simply coasting to a win in this game.} 28... Bb5 29. Qf8+ Kc7 30. Re7+ Bd7 {There is an unprotected Queen on a3. 6. Rxd7+ and Black has to play 6...Rx7 allowing Qxa3 if 6...Kxd7 7.Bh3+ either mates Black or wins both the Queen and the Rook.} 31. Bh3 {White missed that shot and has a pin not to far removed from the Bronstein game.} 31... Qc1+ 32. Kg2 Rxd5 33. Bxd7 Rxd7 34. Rxd7+ Kxd7 35. Qf5+ Kc7 36. Qe5+ Kb7 37. Qd5+ Qc6 {This move akin to Aronian game is a mistake. Black had to keep the Queens on to allow perpetual check chances.} 38. Qxc6+ Kxc6 {Now White has to play h4 and Black has to spend a precious tempo getting the King into the h-pawn square.} 39. g4 {This losses because the Black is already in the square and need not move the King thus gaining a tempo.} 39... a5 {You can see at a quick glance that the White King cannot get into the a-pawn square. The a-pawn strolls home.} 40. g5 Kd6 {The Black King stays in the square.} 41. f4 a4 42. g6 Ke7 {The square is getting smaller and the Black King is getting closer.} 43. f5 Kf6 {A luxury move. It was not needed. a4-a3 was OK. White resigned.}
Bassman57