Always Pause Before Promoting
By on 20 Oct 25 19:35
1081 views | 2 edits | Last edit on 23 Oct 25 13:32
A silver Bishop and Rook happily picked up from a car boot sale £1.00 each.
I’ll take them along to the Edinburgh Chess Club and put them on display.
People will wonder where they came from. I of course will deny all knowledge.
There they are now on the club mantelpiece
Already people as asking where they are from; ”Don’t ask me, I have no idea.”
J. Jeremy - D. LeMoir, England 2025 (White to play)
Careful it is not the obvious move.
Abhimanyu Mishra - Samuel Sevian USA Ch.2025 (Black to play)
White has the winning chances. Best to play safe,
Hans Niemann pulled off a cute endgame win in his game v Abhimanyu
Mishra in the 2025 USA Championship. Before playing his 82nd move
Hans picked up a White Bishop, placed it next to the board and then here....
...played 82 Rc8+ Rxc8 83.b7+ Kb8 84 Kb6 Rc7 85 a7 mate.
Final position in the Niemann - Mishra game.
The Bishop was on hand just in case Black played 83...Ka7 hoping for 84 bxc8 =Q
(84 bxc8=B!) a stalemate we saw in the game daisydixiechico - Bill Huot RHP .2021
Final position in the RHP game. Note if White had taken a Rook then it is still stalemate.
A selection of RHP gems where the player did not ‘Pause Before Promoting.’
I have 100’s of these, some must be due to players having their promotion setting
to ‘always promote to a Queen.’ best to have a look and set it to having a free choice.
Jockstar - Rocoll RHP 2012 (White to play)
White did not play 16.f8=N+ and Nxh7. It went 16. fxg8=Q Qh2 mate.
platoic - themban RHP 2011 (White to play)
White did not play 19.Qxf8 an easy win. It went 19/ exf8=Q Re1 mate.
Collin - majk RHP 2025 (White to play)
White did not play 30..b8=N+ an easy win. It went 30. b8=Q Re1 mate.
krugerand - swandog RHP 2024 (White to play)
White did not play 43.Be6+ and then promote. It went 43. g8=Q Re1 mate.
SmittyTime - buddhaboy RHP 2024 (White to play)
White has mate in three stating with 38.Rxg8+ It went 38.d8=Q Qg2 mate.
Finally this one,. LukeFSK - madameO RHP 2013 (Black to play)
A famous endgame pattern. 68. d8=N+ draws. It went 68. d8=Q Qf7 mate.
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 203826
