The Spencer-Brown Trap

Me having a New Year pint and few games of Blitz.

And yes I dyed my hair blue for the festivities.
And here is a picture of football player’s arm.


It is the right arm of Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest.


George Spencer-Brown (1923 – 2016) was a chess playing mathematician
who played for Cambridge in the varsity matches v Oxford. He was also a
sports correspondent to the Daily Express, an author, a glider pilot and a poet.
Google his name to view his fascinating details and life on his own Wiki page.

Mr. Spencer Brown wrote me a letter in 2007 after I mentioned this gambit
(which is really a trap) in an old ‘Chandler Cornered’ that I wrote many years
ago He mentioned he played it occasionally and cannot recall ever losing with it.


I was doing a report on the 2007 Sandy Bells Club Championship. It was won by
Brian Duncan and I found a bloke who looked Ray Keene to present the prizes.
I was so taken with the move 4...Nb4 I took a chessboard around Edinburgh and
had various people looking at the position. Everyone from girls minding their own
business in a cafe to two kind old dears who served behind the counter in a charity shop.



The opening moves are easy to remember. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nb4!?

A position that appeared over 200 times on RHP with White winning the majority.
However things change if White captures the offered e5 pawn because there follows
5.Nxe5 Qg5 (seen only 18 times on HP) when Black has won the majority of games.


Just a quick glance at the position after 5.Qg5 and you see the problems facing White.

If the attacked e5 Knight moves then the b5 Bishop is lost. 6.d4 meets Qxg2 hitting
the h1 Rook the e4 pawn both with check. If White then 7.Qf3 then after trading on
f3 Black plays Nxc2+ winning the a1 Rook. White is practically lost after 5 moves.

I was looking at some RHP games in this line but most were marred by silly blunders.
The game Mr Spencer-Brown sent was OK but ended in a draw and White did not play
4.Nxe5. So take your seat as I chase rainbows for some ‘come fly with me’ analysis.



This weeks study is by F.J. Prokop 1928 (White to play and win.)


The winning idea is well worth knowing. It has been missed a few times
and not just on Red Hot Pawn. You give up a Rook to win the Queen.



The RHP example following the theme of this study is incredible. Not only does
the player of the White pieces miss the same win as in the study they also miss
an easier win . Black, not to be outdone in the error stakes misses a mate in one.

wiz444 - Iain gibson RHP 2022


The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 198670