A Blog To See Before You Die

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Nc3 d5 {An aggressive display. I won't say it is trying to steal the initiative. It's a machine it does not steal.} 5. exd5 Nxd5 {This has been seen before with 6.Ne4 being a popular move.} 6. O-O {Of course I do not go for such fancy malarkey. I castle first and look at such shots later.} 6... Bf5 7. d4 {I'm castled - he has not. Open up the game. Such strategy will win you games. All you have to be is confident in finding the tricks when they appear.} 7... Nxc3 {The computer is going for a double attack OK. Let us see it.} 8. bxc3 Qa5 {Hits on the Bishop and the c3 pawn. I ignore the pawn. I can save it with Bxc6+ but ideas are coming.} 9. Qe2 Qxc3 {OK can I sac that a1 Rook. I have one big thing in my favour. The thing I'm playing will have an horizon. If I can play a trick that goes beyond it's horizon then I'm laughing.} 10. d5 {Now even without analysing most humans would not touch that a1 Rook. They can tell it's just too dodgy. But a computer has no such fears. It can see it is not getting mated so....} 10... Qxa1 11. dxc6 {Now it had a think. (too late, the bad positions were coming up over it's horizon like a rising black sun.) whilst it was thinking I saw a real cut line here. (see next bit).} 11... O-O-O {It's OK I saw that coming.} 12. cxb7+ Kxb7 {Time for my big think although I was 99% sure of what I was going to play. Now 13.Bc6+ Kxc6 14 Qa6+ looks very good and hides a lovely wee turn. I nearly played it just to see what would happen, instead I went for.....} 13. Ba6+ Ka8 {The King has to stay off the dark squares else the c1 Bishop gives a check and White picks up the a8 Queen.} 14. Bb7+ {The Bishop politely gives up it's seat for the lady.} 14... Kxb7 15. Qb5+ Ka8 {No use hiding in the corner. The King is forced onto a dark square.} 16. Qc6+ Kb8 17. Bf4+ e5 {18.Bxe5+ is most likely the best move here but this is game is over.} 18. Rxa1 Bxc2 19. Bxe5+ Bd6 20. Bxd6+ Rxd6 21. Qxd6+ {I resigned the computer. Even I cannot lose this.} *

[FEN "r3kb1r/pp2pppp/2n5/1Bp2b2/3P4/2q2N2/P1P1QPPP/R1B2RK1 w kq - 0 10"]

10. d5 Qxa1 11. dxc6 {Whist waiting it to move I considered what it would try. Here I was looking at it wriggling with.....} 11... b6 {This allows a snazzy wee trick worth knowing and remembering.} 12. c7+ Bd7 13. Qe4 {Threatening the a8 Rook and if the plausible....} 13... Rc8 14. Qc6 {....then this move. A cracker of a sweet move, If BxQ then BxB is mate. The threat is QxB mate and if Rxc7 then Qa1+ mates. An idea worth storing.}

[FEN "2kr1b1r/pp2pppp/2P5/1Bp2b2/8/5N2/P1P1QPPP/q1B2RK1 w - - 0 12"]

12. cxb7+ Kxb7 {You may recall I was considering playing Bc6+ and Qa6+ here. There is a move I want you to see.} 13. Bc6+ Kxc6 14. Qa6+ Kd7 {Smashing work out for the old brain this position.. I got as far here seeing all kinds of wins with Qb5+ to keep the King out of d8. if the King runs to e6 then Re1+ and on f6 and Bg5+ picks up the Queen. I want more....Ahhh...I must show the gang (that's you lot ) this...} 15. Qa4+ {A nice wee piece of board craft and again I hope you are taking notes. Such unobvious checks need looking at. What is the difference between this and Qb5+.... I'll show you.} 15... Ke6 16. Re1+ Kf6 {If Kd5 Then Rd1+ and c4+. Now instead of Bg5+ winning a mere Queen....} 17. Qh4+ {That is why I liked Qa4+ from there the Queen can swing to h4 and it's mate next move. Kings are worth more than Queens.}

[FEN "6rk/pp3p1p/1bq1nPpQ/8/7P/8/PBB3P1/4R2K w - - 0 1"]

1. Bb3 Nd8 2. h5 gxh5 {White now played a move that had the word 'TRAP!' painted all over it. It's all about luring the Black Queen away from covering the e8 square. Stop and think why White wants the Queen off e8.} 3. Bd5 {Black thought White was giving him a Bishop for nothing. Had he stopped just for a second he may have seen though it. 3...Qa4 is a return trap, it threatens 4...Qh4+ and 5...Qxe1.} 3... Qxd5 {So White took it.} 4. Qg7+ {SPLAT!} 4... Rxg7 5. fxg7+ Kg8 6. Re8 {Splat mate.}

[FEN "2r3k1/5ppp/Rp2p3/3nP3/1P1p1P2/B5P1/2rK3P/7R w - - 0 25"]

25. Kd3 {Now R8-c3+ and White gets mated on d4 or e4. The d5 Knight supplies the hook and the Rook Hook mating patterns kick in. Black most likely missed it because he was too scared to take a Rook off the back rank - even with check.} 25... R2c4 26. Rc1 {A cheeky trap from White. He is tempting Back to capture twice on c1 and then play Ra8+ mating. But this is a genuine trap and it has genuine hole.} 26... Nxb4+ {Well played. Black picks up the exchange without weakening his back rank.} 27. Bxb4 Rxc1 28. Ra2 R1c4 29. Bd6 f6 {End of back rank tricks. Black now relaxes, puts his feet up, 'this one win itself.'} 30. h4 Kf7 31. Ra7+ Kg6 32. g4 b5 33. h5+ Kh6 34. f5 {White spots am amazing ambush. Sit back and enjoy. What you are about to see is fairly unique.} 34... Ra4 {OK White to play - what would you do.} 35. exf6 {Black cannot believe his luck, this is going to be easier than he thought.} 35... Rxa7 {This losses. he had to play exf5.} 36. Bf4+ g5 {So....Did Black know about the next move or did he simply miss it?} 37. hxg6 {An En Passant Checkmate - Again!}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 {The Evans Gambit....The Captain Evans Gambit.} 4... Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O dxc3 {Taking this pawn is risky due to the following line of play.} 8. Bxf7+ Kxf7 9. Qd5+ Ke8 {9...Kf8 allowing the c5 Bishop to drop with a check is actually the best move here. Black's reply after 9...Kf8 10.Qxc5+ d6 gets the tempo back, takes the King off the open e-file and prevents White from playing e5.} 10. Qh5+ {White throws this move in to loosen the kingside pawns and open the h8 Rook to attack.} 10... g6 {Again 10...Kf8 was playable.} 11. Qxc5 Qe7 {11...d6 first. Black's desire to exchange Queens makes him drift into a very difficult position.} 12. Qxc3 Qf6 {12...Nf6 was better. White could have won a Knight or a Rook now with 13.Bb2.} 13. e5 Qe6 14. Re1 {The threat is Ng5. 14...Nge7 develops and blocks the e-file. 14...h6 to stop Ng5 may be critical. Instead Black's neglect to play d6 means his c8 Bishop has to sneak into play via a fianchetto and that is what he goes for.} 14... b6 {In such positions, lagging behind in development, uncastled Kings and open files and diagonals, luxury moves like this are rarely permitted.} 15. Ng5 Qe7 16. e6 {Of course. 16...dxe6 drops the c6 Knight with a check so Black has to ride the storm of a double check.} 16... Qf6 {Still pleading to get the Queens off.} 17. exd7+ Kxd7 18. Qd3+ Qd6 {Offering a final Queen swap. 18...Nd4 but up some stiffer resistance but Black is losing material in all variations.} 19. Qh3+ {Black resigned. The very cute finish is....} 19... Kd8 20. Nf7# {Forking Queen and Rook and checkmating the King.}