by greenpawn34 on Aug 14 2013 21:55 | 6314 views | 2 edits | Last edit on Aug 19 2013 01:45
Does anybody know what has happened to The Duck. I’ve lost it.
I know it went south for the Winter but it appears to have disappeared.
Do ducks home like pigeons do?
The RHP 2013 Championship Stats Fantastic (last blog stats in brackets)
White wins so far 2391 (1901)
Black wins so far 2246 (1753)
Draws = 154 (126) just 5% of all games finished so far!
White Checkmates = 875 (776)
Black Checkmates = 776 (676)
Stalemates = 3 (3)
(377) (315) pawns have been promoted to a Queen.
6 (5) pawns have been promoted to a Rook
2 (2) under promotions to a Knight.
1 (0) under promotion to a Bishop
Last Blog I asked if some one would promote to a Bishop and fishplant duly obliged.
fishplant - czewiske RHP Ch 2013
White played 53. f8=B h5 43. Qxc5 Checkmate.
He could of course had taken a Queen, Rook or Knight.
Taking a Knight mates with Black on the brink of stalemate.
53. f8=N h5 54.Nd2 hxg4 (Black has no legal moves left) 55. Nb5 or 55. Ne5 mate..
Under promotions to a Bishop when only a Bishop will do are very very rare
They do pop up from time to time in studies. This one is ccomposed by Harold Lommer.
White to play and win (solution below and you have had a clue.)
Harold Lommer wanted to compose a study starting with White having just King
and pawns v a Black who has just one minor piece and pawns.
He writes in Assiac's Delights of Chess that this study became an obsession and he
was told by many fellow chess composers it could not be done.
(Note 'Assiac' is Caissa in reverse - Caissa is the patron of Saint of Chess.)
He plodded on and on and on ....
It not only nearly ruined his marriage but one winter night after slipping out of bed to,
‘have another go’, he studied deep into the cold night and caught bronchitis.
This study nearly killed him.
White to play and win.
Now you know the key it is not that difficult to solve, however it's creation is wonderful.
1. a7 b3 2. a8=B {White has to take a Bishop. Promoting to a Queen or Rook will stalemate Black after he takes the promoted b-pawn and taking a Knight would of course lose.} 2... b2 {Black cannot move the Knight due to Bxf3 mate.} 3. Be4 b1=Q {If White had taken a Queen or Rook, he could have taken this Black promoted Queen but in doing so he would have stalemate mate Black.} 4. Bxb1 Ne2 {Only move.} 5. Be4 {Bishop v Knight Zuggers. If 5...Ng8 then 6.Bd5 Ne2 7.Bxf3 mate} 5... Nd4 6. Bd5 {No matter where the Knight goes White plays 7.Bxf3 mate.}
Trick, Trap or Tragedy (part I)
Helder (1542) - marikinaboy (1740) RHP Ch 2013.
Black plays a seductive piece for two pawns sac that was never going to work.
White slips into easy win mode and takes a taxi to cosy street.
But the taxi took a wrong turn, it got lost and so was the game.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bd3 e5 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. g4 Nxg4 {This type of sacrifice only works if the King is castled and the defending player does not have Be2.} 9. hxg4 Bxg4 10. Rg1 h5 11. Be2 {See previous note.} 11... Nc6 12. Bg5 f6 {The Bishop should now centralise dropping back to e3.} 13. Bh4 g5 14. Bg3 {Now it is biting granite and suddenly those Black Kingside pawn look menacing.} 14... Qc7 {Why not Qb8 taking advantage of the offside Bishop.} 15. Nc3 h4 16. Bh2 Be6 {Black correctly centralises his Bishop. If given the choice and unless for tactical reasons centralisation should always be preferred.} 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. exd5 Nb4 {A threat that is easily handled.} 19. c3 Na6 20. Qa4+ Kf7 {Now instead of nicking a harmless doubled a-pawn White should have played 21.Qg4 with Qe6+ and Nxg5+ ideas. The thinking being always be ready to sac-back an extra piece if it opens up the King.} 21. Bxa6 bxa6 22. Qxa6 Rb8 23. Qa3 {A couple of moves ago the White Queen should have been kicking a King instead this mighty attacker (and that is all she does) is reduced to defending a pawn.} 23... Qc4 {Offering another pawn - with check but hiding the threat of Qe4+ winning the f3 Knight.} 24. Qxa7+ Kg6 {This move blunders away a Rook. 24...Be7 saves the Rook. (trick, trap or tragedy…you decide) White now sees if he takes the b8 Rook then Qe4+ picks up the f3 Knight so he throws in the Knight for a pawn before picking up the Rook.} 25. Nxe5+ dxe5 26. Qxb8 Qe4+ 27. Kd2 {Black calmly ignores the d-pawn and sets a trap.} 27... g4 {See it? We interrupt this game to show you Helder pondering his next move}
OK. We now return you to the game.
FEN
1Q3b1r/8/5pk1/3Pp1p1/4q2p/2P5/PP1K1P1B/R5R1 b - - 0 27
[FEN "1Q3b1r/8/5pk1/3Pp1p1/4q2p/2P5/PP1K1P1B/R5R1 b - - 0 27"]
27... g4 {White should end this with 28.Qe8+ and Qe6 hitting the g-pawn. Instead being a whole Rook up he misses the trick.} 28. Rae1 Bh6+ {A jaw dropping check to meet when you log on to see if your opponent has decided to resign.} 29. f4 Bxf4+ 30. Bxf4 Qxf4+ 31. Kc2 Rxb8 {Black has spun the game right around. White has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It ended....} 32. d6 h3 33. Ref1 Qe4+ 34. Kc1 f5 35. d7 {Black can just ignore this d-pawn and play h2.} 35... Rd8 36. Rd1 Qc6 {Merciless. There is no way Black intends to botch this.} 37. Rd3 Rxd7 38. Rxh3 Rh7 39. Rd3 Qa6 40. Rd5 Qxa2 41. Rgd1 Qa1+ 42. Kc2 Rh2+ 43. R1d2 Rxd2+ 44. Rxd2 g3 {That's it, White has seen enough.}
1. e4 Nf6 2. f3 {Don't turn your theoretical nose up at this move. It's what I played on numerous occasions as White when playing v the Alekhine. The idea being if...} 2... e5 {I would now play f3-f4 and have a genuine Latvian Gambit in reversed. My opponents often did not realise what had just happened. took my for a ninny and got slapped.} 3. h4 {You can see the thinking behind this move. White can see Black is looking at playing Nxe4 and Qh4+ so this move stops Qh4+. However stopping the threat (Nxe4) with a developing move 3.Nc3 was better.} 3... d5 4. Nc3 {Now White just encourages the Nxe4 idea.} 4... dxe4 5. Nxe4 Be7 {Black is determined to get in a check on h4. This has been his prime thought since seeing 2.f3.} 6. h5 {White can see there is no way to stop the coming h4+ so instead of just letting it happen and playing Bc4 to give his King the f1 square he saves the h-pawn.} 6... Nxe4 7. fxe4 Bh4+ 8. Rxh4 {This is no good, White had to play 8.Ke2 and ride the coming storm.} 8... Qxh4+ 9. Ke2 Qxe4+ 10. Kf2 Qd4+ {And now the trap I mentioned.} 11. Kg3 {White offers the juicy g1 Knight as bait. If 11....Qxg1 then 12.Bb5+ wins the Queen. Alas....} 11... Qf4 {...Black took the checkmate instead.}
A smashing and entertaining games as both players trade ideas and miscalculations.
Two massive unpunished blunders by Black and when White does play
his winning move it is unsound.
The perfect game for others to learn from as was played by their fellow peers.
Black to play. He spots the threat of Nxc7
..and deals with it by playing the imaginative….
FEN
r1b2rk1/pppp1ppp/5n2/8/3QP2q/2NB3P/PPP2PP1/R4RK1 w - - 0 12
[FEN "r1b2rk1/pppp1ppp/5n2/8/3QP2q/2NB3P/PPP2PP1/R4RK1 w - - 0 12"]
12. Nb5 Nd5 {Not a blunder as in moving a piece to be take for no reason, Black thinks he has pinned the e-pawn and White thinks the same. Both players have forgotten that Knights can move backwards. White can play exd5 because the b5 Knight is holding the Queen. Ne8 was the move.} 13. Qxd5 {What Black was expecting.} 13... c6 {He wins back the piece and stops the Nc7 attack.}
Same game, we fast forward to here.
FEN
r4rk1/1Q3ppp/p2P2q1/3B4/8/8/PPb2PP1/4RRK1 w - - 0 25
[FEN "r4rk1/1Q3ppp/p2P2q1/3B4/8/8/PPb2PP1/4RRK1 w - - 0 25"]
25. d7 {White is threatening 2. Qxa8 Rxa8 3.Re8+} 25... Rab8 {So now White can play the same trick on a different square 2.Qxb8 Rxb8 3.Re8+} 26. Qc7 Bd3 {White can still play Qxb8 he now blunders away a piece.} 27. Be4 Bxe4 28. f3 {Now Bc6 and he stops the Qxb8 shot. Instead...} 28... Rb7 {White can play d8=Q and win his piece back....} 29. Qc4 {...but that was too simple. White does it the hard way.} 29... Bd3 {Now it's looking serious and Black forces White to look at his opponents weak back rank and the pawn on d7.} 30. Re8 {In the game Black took the Queen and was mated. See the next game to see what should have happened.} 30... Bxc4 31. Rxf8+ Kxf8 32. d8=Q
Black can take the Queen he just needs to slip in a check first.
When players offer their Queen up for apparently nothing then give it a serious good look. Quite often there is a clause attached, learn to and always read the small print.
FEN
5rk1/1r1P1ppp/p5q1/8/2Q5/3b1P2/PP4P1/4RRK1 w - - 0 30
[FEN "5rk1/1r1P1ppp/p5q1/8/2Q5/3b1P2/PP4P1/4RRK1 w - - 0 30"]
30. Re8 {Now instead of chopping the Queen as Black did in the actual game.} 30... Qb6+ 31. Kh1 {It does not matter where the King goes or if White plays Rf2. Now Black can take the Queen….} 31... Bxc4 {..because the Rxf8+ idea fails.} 32. Rxf8+ Kxf8 33. d8=Q+ Qxd8 {The point of the QB6+ .Check all Checks even if it means not grabbing a Queen.}
Finally a short YouTube (2 minutes) to show you a trap I want you try on non-blog readers.
Any success’s then post in the Forum Thread that goes with this blog.