From an Archie at Riverdale comic. Note how chess players
are always portrayed in comics as glasses wearing geeky types.
I’ve no idea where they get that idea from. We are not geeks!
My impersonation of Endgame Ernie.
A couple of positions for you to ponder over.
Nikita Vitiugov - Santos Latasa, Leon 2023
Black to play and win (answer at the bottom.)
Clue:
Think forward by going backwards
And give this a try.. It was set by Steinitz in 1862.
White to play and win.
Clue:
Find a way to get the White King to f7.
The difference is the pinned piece in an Absolute Pin (pinned to the King)
cannot move due to it being illegal, but pieces or pawns sham pinned to a
Queen etc can move and relying too much on a sham pin can produce errors.
The most common example which everyone knows is the following game.
(or does everyone know it ? RHP has 159 players as walking into this one)
petshopboy - Huntingdon RHP 2023
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 {The trap is set. If White refuses the bait on d5 then no harm done.} 5. cxd5 exd5 {Now, will they take the d-pawn thinking the pinned f6 Knight can never move.} 6. Nxd5 {Yes. White now losses a piece.} 6... Nxd5 7. Bxd8 Bb4+ {The move obviously missed when grabbing the d5 pawn.} 8. Qd2 {Only move. Many White players resigned here.} 8... Bxd2+ 9. Kxd2 Kxd8 {Black is a piece up.} 0-1
And it’s not just us average players falling for a sham pin unpinning trick. Examples
are found in many masters games. This one has a similar motif to the previous game.
Deep Sengupta (2563) - Srinath Narayanan (2525) Kolkata Open 2018
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d5 3. e3 c6 4. Bd3 Bg4 5. Ne2 Nbd7 6. f3 Bh5 7. O-O Bg6 {White does not fancy Bxg6 opening a file v the castled their King.} 8. c4 {So White opens up lines on the Queenside to put Black off 0-0-0.} 8... e6 9. cxd5 Bxd3 {Offering a pawn with an unpinning trick as the snare.} 10. dxc6 Bxe2 {White now saw it and resigned. The reason is.} 11. cxd7+ {White depended on this check and the f6 pin to win back their piece.} 11... Nxd7 {12. Bxd8 Bxd1 13. Rxd1 Rxd8. No matter how you play it White is always a piece down.}
And of course there is Legal’s Mate. This exact same position - white has just played Bxf7+
Has appeared on Red Hot Pawn 156 times. The latest, so far, being;
roxomil - Redshoes RHP 2023
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 {The most popular choice by the good OTB players is now 3...Be7.} 3... h6 {3...Be7 develops a piece and stops any Ng5 after d2or d4 ideas.} 4. Nc3 Bg4 {4....Nc6 or 4....Nf6 are much better moves. The f3 Knight is not in an Absolute Pin.} 5. Nxe5 {And there it is. The players of the Black pieces are not seeing two moves ahead.} 5... Bxd1 6. Bxf7+ Ke7 7. Nd5 {I think all of us were mated in similar fashion in our dim and distant pasts.}
Lets us look at an RHP game (both players under 1800) with 3...Be7.
We see sham pins and a pin, not on a piece but on a critical square .
denishogan - RunninScared RHP 2011
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 {The Phildor Defence. The usual setting for Legal's Mate.} 3. Bc4 Be7 4. c3 {Looks tame but very playable and has the idea If 4...h6 then 5.Qb3.} 4... Nf6 {Good. If now 5.Ng5 than 5....0-0} 5. Qe2 {Do not defend pawns with Queens in the opening. 5.d3 was the move.} 5... Bg4 {This is OK, White should give the Bishop a kick with 6. h3.} 6. d4 {Unless White can find an unpinning trick The f3 Knight is not influencing the centre.} 6... c6 {I'm not fond of that, turning White's last move into a good move. 6....Nbd7.} 7. O-O {Too automatic. 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.Nxe5+ and Nxg4 was in there.} 7... d5 {You have to put this down as a mistake, but you can see the idea behind it.} 8. exd5 e4 {The f3 Knight is lost. But now we see White's idea.} 9. dxc6 bxc6 {9....Nxc6 was better. White is allowed to play an unpinning trick under better circumstances.} 10. Bxf7+ {10...Kxf7 11.Ne5+ and Nxg5. 9...Nxc6 would have prevented that line.} 10... Kf8 {Black could not take the Bishop} 11. Qc4 {White had to play 11.Bb3 exf3 12.gxf3 they have 3 pawns and counter play for the Knight.} 11... Bxf3 {A finger slip or else a pretty bad move considering 11...exf3 won a piece.} 12. gxf3 exf3 {White should now bring out some of the Queenside pieces.} 13. Be6 Nd5 14. Be3 Qd6 {The e6 Bishop is pinned to the sensitive g6 square.} 15. Bxd5 {But was a sham pin, the game now ends.} 15... Qg6+ {White resigned. Just another day at Red Hot Pawn. A Blunder Bonanza.}
Nikita Vitiugov - Santos Latasa, Leon 2023 (solution)
FEN
6k1/8/3P4/8/1p1qP2Q/5R2/1Pr1K1PP/8 w - - 0 42
[FEN "6k1/8/3P4/8/1p1qP2Q/5R2/1Pr1K1PP/8 w - - 0 42"] 42. Kf1 {This is the position where I asked you to find the win.} 42... Qc4+ 43. Kg1 Qc5+ {If you got this move then you are on the right backward track.} 44. Kf1 Qb5+ 45. Kg1 Qb6+ {Some may be wondering how going backwards down the staircase wins....stay tuned.} 46. Kf1 Qa6+ 47. Kg1 {One more check on the a-file. If now Rc1+ Kf2 White wins.} 47... Qa7+ 48. Kf1 {And now the main idea surfaces as Black slides down the banister.} 48... Qa1+ {Wheeee....} 49. Qe1 {Only move.} 49... Rc1 {White has lost their Queen. The advance pawns will soon be caught.} 50. Re3 Kf7 {White resigned. A rapid game, 25 minutes each!} 0-1
White to play and win.
FEN
6k1/4K3/6PP/8/7B/8/8/7r w - - 0 1
[FEN "6k1/4K3/6PP/8/7B/8/8/7r w - - 0 1"] 1. h7+ Kg7 {If you found the next move then you have solved it } 2. h8=Q+ Kxh8 3. Kf7 {Cutting off g8 as a flight square and now threatening 4. Bf6 mate.} 3... Rf1+ {3...Rxh4 4.g7+ Kh7 5.g8=Q+ Kh6 6. Qg6 mate.} 4. Bf6+ Rxf6+ {Only move.} 5. Kxf6 Kg8 {Only move.} 6. g7 {If this was White to play then it would be a draw.} 6... Kh7 {It is now mate in four moves.} 7. Kf7 Kh6 8. g8=Q Kh5 9. Qg3 Kh6 10. Qg6
