This week it is Skewers and in the main it is Queens that are getting Skewered.
I hate getting skewered. I was always getting skewered at school by Squiffy Smith who had a squint in his eye. Squiffy would skewer me and wink his squint eye at me. I still shudder at the memory of Squiffy’s winking squint eye as I was getting skewered.
We start by showing what a skewer is by way of a study by Mark Liburkin.
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FEN
8/8/2bq4/4kp2/2B5/5P1Q/8/7K w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "8/8/2bq4/4kp2/2B5/5P1Q/8/7K w - - 0 1"] 1. Qh8+ {1...Kf4 2 Qh2+ Skewers the Black Queen.} 1... Qf6 2. Qb8+ {2....Kd4 3.Qb2+ Skewers the Black Queen.} 2... Qd6 3. Qb2+ {3....Kf4 4.Qh2+ Skewers the Black Queen.} 3... Qd4 4. Qh2+ {4....f4 or 4...Kf6 then 5.Qh8+ Skewers the Black Queen.} 4... Qf4 5. Qh8+ Kd6 {Only legal move.} 6. Qb8+ {White has finally Skewered the Black Queen.}
Some RHP games featuring missed skewers. dymayou - kingair RHP 2011 (White to play)
This game ended up as a draw. Here White missed 35.c8=B (an under promotion for effect) 35...Qxc8 36 Qg4+ is 1-0.
This next example is a heart breaker. fjtel - Rolland RHP 2011 (Black to play)
35....Rxg4+ and if 36.Qxg4+ Kf8 and the White Queen is pinned to the King. Instead Black played 35....f5 36 Qh7+ and the Black Queen is skewered.
Last one. This time White has an embarrassment of tactics to choose from.
chris stephens - Muxloe Fosse RHP 2023
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FEN
r3r3/2p2k2/4p2q/5p1p/p1QP2pP/P5P1/1P2R3/1K2R3 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "r3r3/2p2k2/4p2q/5p1p/p1QP2pP/P5P1/1P2R3/1K2R3 w - - 0 1"] 1. Rxe6 {This is a mistake. 1.d5 was much better.} 1... Rxe6 {Black is a Rook up.} 2. Qxc7+ {2...Kf8 and White has nothing.} 2... Kf6 {OOPS!} 3. Rxe6+ Kxe6 4. Qc6+ {Take your pick, White has either a Queen fork picking up the Black Rook or has skewered the Black Queen. (best)} 4... Kf7 5. Qxh6 {White went onto win.} *
And as if by chance the theme of the week is Skewering a Queen.
This weeks trap (any skewers in it are accidental) comes from the Vienna Opening.
Krapsparov - joedrummer RHP 2006
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PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qf3 {Uncommon but playable, best here according to theory is 5...f5. but this move...} 5... Nc6 {...Is OK and sets a TRAP!.} 6. Nxe4 {...which White has stumbled into. Better was 6.Bb5.} 6... Nd4 {The in-betweener that White and countless other White's have missed.} 7. Qc3 {7. Qd3 to avoid losing a pawn 7....dxe4 8.Qxe4 Bf5 and Black is winning.} 7... dxe4 8. Ne2 Qh4+ {A hopeful check. I like 8...Nc6 and Be7 and 0-0. White's piece are a placed awkwardly.} 9. Ng3 {9. g3 Nf3+ 10 Qxf3 is OK for White.} 9... e3 {Alert play. White is now in a spot of trouble. 10. dxe3 Bb4 with Nxc2+ to follow is the main idea.} 10. a3 {Instead of this White should taken the c7 pawn now 10...Bf5 is clearly winning.} 10... exd2+ {Black has missed 10....Bf5 but they spot it on the next move.} 11. Bxd2 Bf5 {White can now play 12.Bd3 and the crisis has passed.} 12. Qxc7 Nxc2+ {Too soon 12...Rc8 first should have been played. There can follow 13.Qxb7 Nxc2+ 14 Kd1 Bg4+!} 13. Kd1 {Black now spots 13....Nxa1 14.Bb5+ is mate next move. The only way out of this appears to be 13...Qa4.} 13... Bg4+ {Not sure if Black thought they were setting a trap here.} 14. Kxc2 {And the Queen winning 14....Rc8 meets 15.Bb5+ Bd7 16.Bxd7+ Ke7 17. Nf5 mate.} 14... Be7 15. Bb5+ Kf8 16. Bd7 {Which stops the Rc8 Queen winning idea. White went onto win from here quite comfortably}
