1. d4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Bf5 4. Nh4 {White plays hunt the Bishop to win what is termed in some books as the minor exchange (swapping a Knight for a Bishop).} 4... Bg6 5. Nxg6 hxg6 6. Nd2 Nd7 7. Bd3 Qc7 {Black prepares for Queenside castling. 7...e5 looks OK but I like this because if White now defends the h-pawn with 8.Nf3 then 8...e5 carries more clout.} 8. O-O {Castling. That's a good idea thinks White.} 8... Qxh2
Same player, Leon Barr, same tactic, going for the minor exchange. Different result.
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 f6 {Not the best move to play in that position. Infact it very close to being the worse move in that position.} 3. e3 Bf5 4. Nh4 {There goes Leon Bishop hunting again.} 4... Nh6 5. f3 {White's 5.f3, unlike Black's 2...f6 carries a threat} 5... a6 {Which Black failed to spot.} 6. e4 dxe4 7. Bxh6 {White has won a piece.} 7... Bd7 {Not the cleverest of squares to retreat to. It gives Bishop hunting Leon a chance to sac a Bishop.} 8. fxe4 gxh6 {Material is now level but...} 9. Qh5{...the game is over.}
In that last game we saw White who was a piece up offering a Bishop in a trap
influenced by the weakened King position. (the result of …f6).
Good play. If a material up never be afraid to offer it back. Infact look for ways to offer
it back. It keeps you alert.
So now we are about to see Black, who is a piece up, offering a Bishop
to trap a Queen.
This game makes it a tidy in theme loop because it ends with White
(as in the first game) castling into mate in one.
You see I don’t just select these games at random, there is art in this blog writing.
I sometimes labour for months, nay, years, looking for games that meld into each other.
This lot took me all of 15 minutes.
Bedingbedang - barselona RHP 2008
We join the game after Black has won his piece. He then cooks up a wee
piece returning trap (this stunt is known as a ‘Sac Back Trap&rsquo😉
FEN
r3k2r/p1p1ppbp/1pn2np1/1q2Nb2/3P4/1N2B2P/PPPQ1PP1/R3K2R w KQkq - 0 13
[FEN "r3k2r/p1p1ppbp/1pn2np1/1q2Nb2/3P4/1N2B2P/PPPQ1PP1/R3K2R w KQkq - 0 13"]
13. Qc3 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Nd5 15. Qd2 Nxe3 {Black for now is just happy to trade pieces.} 16. fxe3 Rd8 17. Qf2 Bxe5 18. c3 h5 {Black has spotted a shot and is building a Queen Snare.} 19. g4 h4 {Giving back the piece and in return...} 20. gxf5 Bg3 {,,,,winning a Queen.} 21. Qxg3 hxg3 22. Nd4 Qxb2 {White acknowledges the fact that if the Rook moves to d1 then Qf2 is mate. If the Knight drops back to b3 to hold the a1 Rook then Qf2 is still mate. So he resigned. No. Instead he foils White’s plans with one simple move} 23. O-O {A stroke of genius. This protects the a1 Rook and stops Qf2 mate.} 23... Qh2 {If The Duck was here he would come up with something funny to say. As it’s just me all I can come up with is….Checkmate.}
In Thread 150740 the lads were talking about opening traps.
I think a genuine opening trap should carry an element of risk for the
one setting the trap. But that discussion is for that thread.
How about playing a known dodgy opening hoping your opponent will
slip up trying to blast it off the board.
One such opening is Damiano’s line in the Petrov Defence.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4
It was one of the very first openings ever studied. Pedro Damiano looked at
and wrote about this position in 1512.
White plays 4.Qe2 winning a piece because if the e4 Knight moves then
Nc6 dis ch. by White wins the Black Queen. (this has happened 20+ times on RHP).
But although White wins a piece with 4.Qe2 Black can win it back with 4…Qe7.
After 5.Qxe4 d6 and the e5 Knight is pinned to the unprotected Queen on e4. It’s lost.
The drawback in Black’s camp is the clumsy placing of the Black Queen.
Let us look at two games.
In the first I suspect that Black played it to confuse his opponent or was giving them
a chance. These two have played each other loads of times, Black is the stronger
player so there maybe some coaching going on. Who knows?
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 4. Qe2 Qe7 5. Qxe4 Nc6 {5....d6 is the best way to win the piece back.} 6. d4 d6 7. Bb5 Bd7 {Now 8.0-0 or I like 8.Nc3.} 8. Bxc6 Bxc6 9. d5 Bd7 {Black is looking solid, he's got away with it.} 10. f4 {White is now trying to come out of the opening a pawn up.} 10... f6 11. O-O dxe5 {How about 12.Nc3 now to put some life in the White game.} 12. fxe5 {This just plays into Black's hands. The Black Queen was awkward looking on e7. If as White you face this opening then shy away from this move unless you can see a dead certain plus.} 12... Qxe5 13. Qxe5+ fxe5 14. Re1 {White perhaps headed for this thinking they would get play on the isolated e-pawn.} 14... Bc5+ 15. Be3 Bb4 16. c3 Bd6 17. Bd4 {White should face the fact they have nothing from the opening, carry on developing and not set themselves up for a trick. Just because the Queens are off it does not mean there are no pranks left on the board.} 17... O-O {Go on then, take it.} 18. Bxe5 Rae8 {White has the pawn, Black has every piece in play and he has a tempo on the e5 pinned Bishop.} 19. Bg3 {The pin breaking move White was relying on....} 19... Bc5+ {...and the check White missed. It's over. White resigned. 20. Bf2 Rxe1 mate and...} 20. Kh1 Rxe1+ 21. Bxe1 Rf1 {...is also mate.}
Let us look at White playing a better game against this line. This is a very good example.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 4. Qe2 Qe7 5. Qxe4 d6 6. d4 dxe5 {Now not 7.Qxe5 as in a similar position in the previous game. It only unlocks Blacks position.} 7. dxe5 Nc6 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. Nc3 {Note White does not try to hang onto his extra pawn. If he keeps developing the resulting open files will favour him. Also the tricks are starting to appear, if 9...Qxe5 10.Bxc6! wins a piece.} 9... Nxe5 10. Nd5 Qd6 11. Bxd7+ Kxd7 {Forced. 11...Qxd7 12.Qxe5+} 12. Bf4 Re8 13. O-O-O {Remember what I said open files and the better developed side.} 13... Kc8 14. Rhe1 {That’s all the gang on parade with a free hit on the e5 Knight.. Black's Queen is just a big target, she has a Knight pinned to her and there is a Knight discovered attack to deal with. Something nasty is bound to happen.} 14... f6 15. Nxf6 Qxf6 16. Bxe5 {White has won a sound pawn and still has the attack. Black evens up the material….} 16... Qxf2 17. Qg4+ {….and resigns! The end can go something like this.} 17... Kb8 18. Bxc7+ Kxc7 19. Rxe8 {White is coasting to a simple win. That exposed Black King is just fodder for the Queen and Rooks on an open board.}
Howdy,
Thanks for the games. I don't know your duck's name but he is welcome to come for a swim in my windmill stock tank after hunting season. I am sure he would like to have a picture of himself way out West. A $4 duck would make a tasty dish and, as you no doubt know by now, we cling to our guns and religion out here in the sticks.
Blue skies, Whiteknuckle
i think it would help me, if you posted the RP ratings of the players.
i know that the ratings change with every game we play,
but knowing the ratings would give me some sort of a reference point.
please r.s.v.p. to this thought in your next to your blog. thanks !
The Duck has no name. He's called The Duck.
You don't give a name to something you might one day have to eat.
Thanks for the games. I don't know your duck's name but he is welcome to come for a swim in my windmill stock tank after hunting season. I am sure he would like to have a picture of himself way out West. A $4 duck would make a tasty dish and, as you no doubt know by now, we cling to our guns and religion out here in the sticks.
Blue skies, Whiteknuckle
I'll answer later on today in the link to the forum.
There I can use diagrams and the PGN moving thingy.
Also I'm using games from 6 or 7 yeears ago and
the grade will be right out of date.
The grades on here are not very accurate. I take from the
the 1400 - 1800 database.
i know that the ratings change with every game we play,
but knowing the ratings would give me some sort of a reference point.
please r.s.v.p. to this thought in your next to your blog. thanks !