Aces and Eights + Four in the Hand

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 {This is playable but Black has to be careful. If 4.Nxe4 d5 wins back the piece with a comfortable game for Black.} 4. Bxf7+ {Very tempting but if played correctly this will should Black with a very good game.} 4... Kxf7 5. Nxe4 d5 {Central control, the two Bishops, half open f-file. All these things point to good news for Black. But first he must negotiate a few rocks.} 6. Qf3+ Kg8 {The trap is usually set by White now playing 7.Ne2 but any quiet move will do just as long a White keeps the 3rd rank clear.} 7. Nh3 {I like this one. If 7...Bxh3 8.Qxh3 dxe4 Qe6 is mate.} 7... dxe4 {OOPS! When people leave pieces hanging do give a good look at what may happen should you take it....} 8. Qb3+ {...else, like here, you may get checkmated.} 1-0

1. e4 b6 {Black intends to snips at the White centre. It's a playable defence at our level. White has to be careful he does not over-reach and Black that he does not play too cautiously.} 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. Nf3 {Maybe too routine. I've always liked 5.a3 here to prevent the next move. Then f4 and Nf3. The good book of theory like 5.Nge2.} 5... Bb4 {Putting the squeeze on the e-pawn. looks like the best counter is 6.Qe2.} 6. e5 {This is what Black and the Owen Bishop was after. White is OK but can no longer claim to any opening plus.} 6... Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxd2 8. Qxd2 Bxf3 {Yuk! Probably OK and perfectly playable but I prefer 8...f5.} 9. gxf3 {For the crippled Kingside pawns White has the g-file. Endgame lovers will like the former, middlegame players the latter.} 9... Nc6 10. Be4 {If this was blitz I'd probably play 10...Ne7 12.Bxa1 Qxa1 with hits on f3 and Ne7-d5 ideas.} 10... Rb8 {I certainly would not have played that. I'd give the Rook up before I did that to it. 10...d5 looks playable.} 11. a3 d5 {But 11...d5 is not playable now. It loses a piece.} 12. exd6 {Black probably thought he could sneak in Bxc3 here but upon inspection. 12...Bxc3 13.Qxc3 Na5 13.dxc7 wins a whole Rook.} 12... Qxd6 13. axb4 Nxd4 {Black was probably thinking about f5 here looking to play Nxf3+ forking the King and Queen.} 14. O-O-O {That scuppers that idea....well not quite.} 14... Rd8 15. Rhg1 {If Black should absent-mindedly castle here he gets mated with 15....0-0 16.Rxg2+ and Qg5+.} 15... Qxb4 {With Nb3+ Queen winning ideas.} 16. Qe3 {Again 16....0-0 is mated with Rxg2+} 16... g6 {White should now be seeking to end this tactically. 17.Nd5 embarrass the d4 Knight and is aimed at the uncastled King. It's look good. If a piece up then use it to create threats.} 17. Nb1 {With this move White, due to the threatened pawn fork on c3, thought he had prevented Black’s next move.} 17... O-O {Now White sees that c3 gives Black a perpetual with Nb3+ and Na1+. So he quickly made up plan B. Get the Queens off.} 18. Qc3 {Thus presenting us with a Family Checkmate.} 18... Ne2 { Mating the King and also forking the Queen and the Rook.}

1. e4 {There is your first clue.} 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Bc4 {There's another clue.} 6... Be7 7. Bb3 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. Be3 Bd7 10. f4 a6 11. f5 {Yes Bobby Fischer was White, Bent Larsen was Black from the 1971 candidates match that Bobby won 6-0. and we are now at the point of departure. Larsen played 11...Qc8.} 11... exf5 {The most common is move 11...Nxd4 12.Bxd4 e5. No player on my OTB database has played 11...exf5. We are about to find out why.} 12. Nxf5 b5 {This move which appears to be doing nothing about the crisis about to hit Black could have been used to get Black out of a horrid pin. You will see why in a minute.} 13. Nxe7+ Qxe7 14. Bg5 {Looks nasty but 14....Bg4 then 15....Qa7+ (the point of 12...b5) and then 16...Nd7 and Black does not get the Kingside all smashed up.} 14... Ne5 {Trying to shift as much wood over to the Kingside as she can to plug the coming holes.} 15. Nd5 {White is in full command, the pin wins.} 15... Qd8 {White can take on f6 in three different ways....Which one would you choose.} 16. Rxf6 {Bravo.! Go to the top of the class if you chose this one.} 16... gxf6 17. Bxf6 {Black has a choice. Lose your Queen or be checkmated.} 17... Qc8 {Black chose wisely. It's best to put hopeless games to bed. Seeing them reappear day after day is soul destroying.} 18. Ne7# {That's checkmate.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 {3...Nf6 is the Four Knights, this move....} 3... Bb4 {Heralds the Three Knights. They should have made this card the three of clubs. No imagination these card manufactures.} 4. a3 Ba5 {Cannot see too much wrong with 4...Bxc3 and 5...Nf6 giving us hints of the Exchange Ruy Lopez in reverse.} 5. d4 {That's a bold stroke. Now we are looking at a Scotch Variation of the Three Knights.} 5... exd4 6. Nxd4 Qf6 7. Nxc6 {Black can keep his pawn structure intact here with a Scotch idea. 7....Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qxc3+ and Qxc6. However Black has wonderful plans for his c8 Bishop so he played....} 7... dxc6 8. Bd2 Bb6 {Looking at mate on f2. The natural looking move is 9.Qe2 but....} 9. f3 {This too is playable. Now Black to play. What do you do?} 9... Bh3 {Quite brilliant but flawed. What happens when White does not take it.} 10. gxh3 {He took it. The White King now goes for a walk.} 10... Qh4+ 11. Ke2 Qf2+ 12. Kd3 O-O-O+ {Black has all this worked out 12....0-0-0+ is better than 12...Rd8+ you will see why in a few moves.} 13. Nd5 {Giving the piece back to try and stay on the board.} 13... cxd5 14. e5 {Now trying to keep the central files closed. Black opens them in style with a wee bit of check-shuggling.} 14... Qd4+ 15. Ke2 {Only move.} 15... Qxe5+ 16. Kd3 Qd4+ 17. Ke2 {Now we see why castling with check was the move. If Black had played the crass 12....Rd8 the Black King would now still be on e8. It's not so Black can now play....} 17... Re8+ 18. Be3 Qxe3 {A nice wee dovetail mate to wrap up this weeks blog. Thank You.}