That is me standing outside John Cochrane’s Edinburgh house on George Square.
The headline from the newspaper I am holding.
In 20 years from now when you go into Joe’s Dinner and ask where
were you when greenpawn printed that famous Red Hot Pawn game
They will put down their hamburgers, turn off the jukebox, dim the lights
and reminisce deep into the night playing over and over again the game…
andy m - DeepThought
Red Hot Pawn 2006
They will remember the planes being re-directed so the pilot and
passengers could land and play over the game. The crowd at the
European Cup Final was nil. Nobody went to the match because they
too were playing over game. Traffic stopped and cows went unmilked.
1. e4 c5 {The Sicilian Defence. After this game was published the proud people of Sicily put the final position of this game on their flag.} 2. d4 cxd4 3. Qxd4 {Not to be recommended. Black gets a free developing move by attacking the Queen.} 3... Nc6 {I told you this would happen. I'm psychic.} 4. Qc3 {Not the best place to retreat to. Not only is c3 usually the best place for the b1 Knight in any opening placing the Queen and King on the same diagonal is asking for trouble.} 4... e5 {White has a nasty Queen winning threat (Bb4) that now needs attending to.} 5. Bc4 {White missed the threat.} 5... Bb4 {This Queen winning pin usually ends the game. 125 White games have been resigned in 6 moves on RHP with a Queen being lost this way from a variety of different openings. But White did not resign….}
Oh No. You are not getting this game all at once. This one has to be savoured.
Each move is a sweet delicious full-flavoured morsel and must not be rushed
Talking of food. The guys at the Fast Food Stall where studying
this very game when I went there this morning for my breakfast.
The students were looking at it during their lunch break
(we now continue with the game.)
andy m - DeepThought, RHP 2006 (part II)
We rejoin this masterpiece at the point where White losses his Queen.
FEN
r1bqk1nr/pp1p1ppp/2n5/4p3/1bB1P3/2Q5/PPP2PPP/RNB1K1NR w KQkq - 0 6
[FEN "r1bqk1nr/pp1p1ppp/2n5/4p3/1bB1P3/2Q5/PPP2PPP/RNB1K1NR w KQkq - 0 6"]
6. Qxb4 Nxb4 7. Bb3 Nf6 8. f3 {A clumsy way to defend the pawn. White is taking away all the natural squares for his Knights. What can I say, maybe he does not like Knights.} 8... d5 {Naturally opening up the game to put the Queen too good use. A Queen on an open board with no sister Queen to oppose her is indeed fearsome.} 9. Ne2 O-O {Shunning the offered e-pawn Black tucks the King out of the way. Classic and instructive play. The pocket money spent buying those Fred Reinfeld books was not wasted.} 10. O-O dxe4 {With f7 now protected after castling Black now nicks the e-pawn.} 11. fxe4 Nxe4 12. Na3 {White really has got it in for his Knights. One goes on e2 and the other to a3. Of course he was worried about exchanges that is why Nc3 was rejected.} 12... Qb6+ {But Black was not at all interested in exchanging down to a simple win. This game will be wrapped up with the most famous of all the combinations. 'Philidor’s Legacy.'} 13. Kh1 Nf2+ 14. Kg1 Nh3+ 15. Kh1 Qg1+ {Except it's not quite a Philidor's Legacy. If White plays Rxg1 Nf2 is the Philidor Mate but.....} 16. Nxg1 {...now it's a Philidor's Balls Up. White has chucked back his Queen.}
Once again we take a pause to fully appreciate this gem of gems.
More students, this time medical students, discussing the beautiful bones of this game.
We now re-cap. White lost his Queen on move 5. Black lost his Queen on move 16.
But dear reader , the combination is not yet finished. It still has another 10 moves to go.
andy m - DeepThought, RHP 2006 (part III)
FEN
r1b2rk1/pp3ppp/8/4p3/1n6/NB5n/PPP1N1PP/R1B2RqK w - - 0 16
[FEN "r1b2rk1/pp3ppp/8/4p3/1n6/NB5n/PPP1N1PP/R1B2RqK w - - 0 16"]
16. Nxg1 Nxg1 17. Rxg1 {Those of you keeping count of such things will have no doubt noticed that Black is now actually a whole piece down.} 17... Be6 18. Bxe6 {And suddenly White is not opposed to exchanges.} 18... fxe6 19. Bd2 Nd5 20. c4 {White really does not like Knights. He attacks this Knight again and chases it back to d5 next move . Rg1-f1 offering more exchanges was the way to go.} 20... Nb6 21. c5 {Have I mentioned White's total detestation of Knights. b3 was OK. That Knight is going to do nothing from b6.} 21... Nd5 {‘I'm Back'} 22. Nc4 {Hitting the e-pawn.} 22... e4 23. Rae1 {It's not looking too good for Black. He sees one chance.} 23... Nf6 24. a4 {I've no idea why this was played. To stop Black from play b5 perhaps.} 24... e3 {You are witnessing the drowning man clutching at a straw.} 25. Rxe3 Ng4 {What must have it been like as Black waiting for your opponent to move. Me I could not log off, I'd wait, for days if need be, to see what White now played.} 26. Rxe6 {'See a pawn and pick it...the rest of the game you will bad luck' A Russian proverb.} 26... Nf2 {Wonderful. Black finally, 10 moves later. gets his Philidor's Legacy. A world record for such a mate. That Black Knight made 8 moves capturing a Queen and giving Checkmate.}
How do I follow that? I’m not going to tarnish this jewel of ingenuity
and inspiration by showing another game. This game gets it’s own Blog.
The guy from the 6’s2Hit an Edinburgh War gaming shop thought the same.
“Greenpawn," he said, " You cannot show any other game but this one.”
The thread accompanying this blog, where I will add a few of more games
following the theme. Recent Queens getting pinned on c3 and Philidor’s Mate.
