A Chess Trap No One On RHP Has Fallen Into

By 27 Feb 19 on

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The Road signs have been arriving. Thank you one and all.

The first one in came from Moonbus and this sign is found in Germany.

Now a mixture of street names all from around the London area.

Of course we read road signs (certain patterns) on the chessboard and the more road
signs you know and understand what they mean, then the better driver you become.

Two direction signs appeared recently at the same time in one of my games.

Penguin303 - greenpawn34 RHP 2019 (Black to play.)

The knack is not only knowing where the signs lead, first you must spot them.

Yes I’m the exchange up but no need to get sloppy. Won King and pawn
endings are the easiest to play, all you need is the ability to count up to 8.

First I can see a7-a5 creates a passed pawn and on the other side of
the board we have on one of those cases where one pawn holds two.

The Black pawn can take either pawn if it advances and promotes first.
Spotting these two road signs when they appeared I took the right path.

FEN 8/pkp3p1/1pp1N2p/8/1PP1K3/5P1P/r5P1/8 w - - 0 37

[FEN "8/pkp3p1/1pp1N2p/8/1PP1K3/5P1P/r5P1/8 w - - 0 37"]
37. g4 {The position where the road signs appeared.} 37... Re2+ {First create a King and Pawn ending.} 38. Kf5 Rxe6 39. Kxe6 a5 {Now create the passed pawn to tie down the White King.} 40. bxa5 bxa5 41. Ke5 a4 {Forcing the White King to go into the promoting square.} 42. Kd4 g5 {The one pawn holding up two pawns.} 43. Kc3 c5 44. Kb2 Ka6 45. Ka3 Ka5 {White resigned a few moves later.}

another set of road signs that appeared and this time missed in an RHP game.

Road Sign 1. (it’s really chess patterns but if this way helps anyone then job done.)

thefrosh - PooDawg98 RHP 2018 (white to play)

Easy. 1.Rh8 Rxa7 2.Rh7+ skewering the Rook. 1-0.

Road sign 2. Patterns really do help chess players. The more you know the better you are.

actuals - The checkmate junior RHP 2011 (white to play)

White missed the stalemate road sign, took a wrong turn. played 1.f4 stalemate.

So we combine the two road and both players appear to have missed this it.

ettemarc - helltrekker RHP 2014
FEN R7/P6p/7k/8/6PK/8/8/r7 w - - 0 45

[FEN "R7/P6p/7k/8/6PK/8/8/r7 w - - 0 45"]
45. g5+ Kg7 46. Kg4 {Black now plays a very good move. But they did not realise it.} 46... Kf7 {Normally this would be bad. The King has to stay on g7 to stop the road sign one idea.} 47. Rh8 {Following the Road Sign One idea. Black now played Rg8+ and lost. But...} 47... Rxa7 {...thanks to Road Sign 2 Black can take this route.} 48. Rxh7+ Kg6 49. Rxa7 {That is stalemate.}

Now a complete surprise. An opening trap no one on RHP has (yet) fallen for!

1. e4 c6 {The Caro Kann.} 2. d4 d5 3. e5 {The Advanced Caro Kann.} 3... Bf5 4. h4 {Dozens of RHP games have now gone 4...e6 5.g4 and h5 trapping the Bishop....} 4... h5 {...this move stops that wee trick but White’s next move creates a pitfall.} 5. c4 Bxb1 {swapping a developed piece for an undeveloped is bad enough but...} 6. Rxb1 Qa5+ {...chasing pawns in any opening with the Queen is suicide.} 7. Bd2 Qxa2 {Black has won their precious pawn...} 8. Rh3 {...but lost the Queen. Trying to run back to c7 fails to...} 8... Qa6 9. Ra1 Qb6 10. Ba5 Qa6 11. Bc7

A look at a more radical attempt to try and free the wayward Black Queen.

FEN rn1qkbnr/pp2ppp1/2p5/3pP2p/2PP3P/8/PP3PP1/RbBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 6

[FEN "rn1qkbnr/pp2ppp1/2p5/3pP2p/2PP3P/8/PP3PP1/RbBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 6"]
6. Rxb1 Qa5+ 7. Bd2 Qxa2 8. Rh3 e6 {Stops Ra3 but...} 9. c5 {...the threat of Ra3 is back on the board.} 9... Bxc5 {Black decides they would rather give up a piece than lose the Queen.} 10. dxc5 d4 {The square d5 is a bolt hole.} 11. Rb3 {Alas the exit has been sealed. Ra1 next move and goodbye greedy lady.}

To say I am disappointed in you lot is an understatement. here is a perfect instructive
example of pawn pinching with a Queen in the opening and you have failed to play it.
However the bones of the trap (same idea from a different opening) has been played.

Piyush Maheshwari - prabhu7777777 RHP 2009

1. e4 d5 2. e5 {Not endorsed by theory so therefore perfectly playable (to paraphrase Tartakower)} 2... Bf5 3. d4 e6 4. Nf3 c5 5. c3 {Now Black sees a pawn winning idea.} 5... Bxb1 6. Rxb1 cxd4 7. cxd4 Qa5+ 8. Bd2 Qxa2 {A successful smash and grab by the Black Queen.} 9. Bc3 {10.Ra1 mugs the Black Queen. Black resigned. Thank You prabhu7777777.}

This fits the RHP bill. Sit back and enjoy. You will just love this.

R. Austin - G. Chandler, Edinburgh Club Championship 1980

1. e4 e6 {I use to play the French on and off. It's OK} 2. f4 c5 {Now transposing into some kind of Grand Prix Attack.} 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Nh6 {4...d5 would OK. By why right away. I am going to play Be7 and 0--0 first.} 5. Nc3 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Qb6 {A nice annoying pin.} 9. Be3 {Black thought I would not play my next move.} 9... Qxb2 10. Qd2 Ng4 {Planning the following Queen sac.} 11. Rab1 Nxe3 12. Rxb2 Nxc4 13. Qc1 Nxd4 14. Rb1 {Black has got more than enough for the Queen.} 14... Ba3 15. Qe1 Nxc2 16. Qe2 N2e3 17. Rf3 {White is going to give up a Rook to get rid of the Two Knights.} 17... Bc5 18. Kh1 b6 19. Rb5 Bb7 {At the cost of two Rooks white now gets rid of all my active pieces.} 20. Rxc5 bxc5 21. Rxe3 Nxe3 22. Qxe3 f5 23. e5 Bc6 24. h4 {White has to get some active counterplay and this creates luft.} 24... Rab8 25. h5 Rb2 26. Ne2 Rxa2 27. h6 gxh6 28. Qg3+ Kh8 29. Qh4 Rxe2 {I could see what coming next and had a neat week trick up my grubby sleeve.} 30. Qxh6 Rxg2 {See it! If Qxf8+ Rg8+ and RxQ a glorious Black win.} 31. Qxh7+ {Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...........} 31... Kxh7 {I took it just to put it on the board for posterity. Even though I'm the victim I still find this funny.}

going home
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 180284

A Chess Trap No One On RHP Has Fallen Into

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A Chess Trap No One On RHP Has Fallen Into

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