Blackburne's Mate + A Chess Book in Two Languages

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 {OK that is enough developing. White has two pieces out. that is more than enough. This is called the Jerome Gambit.} 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 {And now one of the most instructive notes I have ever written. Black can play 7...Nf6 and save the Rook. and under the rule: Rook = 5 pts. Bishop = 3 pts. then this looks OK. But LOOK! which piece is on play, which piece has been developed. Here the Bishop is worth more.} 7...d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 {Black develops with tempo.} 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 {Preparing to play d4 shutting out the c4 Bishop. Good idea, one tempo too late.} 10...Bf5 {Another Bishop that is more important than a Rook. Watch how Black's three developed pieces work together on this one.} 11.Qxa8 Ng4 12.h3 Bxf2+ {13.Rxf2 Qxf2+ and Qf1 mate.} 13.Kh1 Qxh3+ {They reckon a Queen is worth three pieces. They are right.} 14.gxh3 Bxe4 {Instructive, easy to understand and quite brilliant.}

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bb4 4.Bg2 0-0 5.d3 Nc6 6.Bd2 d6 7.a3 Ba5 8.b4 Bb6 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.0-0 Qd7 11.Re1 a6 12.Rb1 Bh3 13.Bh1 {The positional player is living up to his name. He has preserved his fianchettoed Bishop and lured the Bishop to h3.} 13...Ng4 14.Ng5 {And White's first expedition into his opponent's half of the board is a lemon. White thinks he is taking the h3 Bishop on his next move. Only trouble is....} 14...Bxf2 {He does not have a next move.}

1.e4 c5 2.c3 {I wonder what the b1 Knight thinks about that move?} 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 d5 {If Black can safely play d5 in the Sicilian then he has equalised. "If Black has equalised in the Sicilian then he is winning" - Larsen.} 4.exd5 Qxd5 {See note after move 2. This annotating lark is dead easy. Look to see who wins and make merry with the losers moves.} 5.d4 Bg4 6.Be2 0-0-0 7.c4 Qf5 8.d5 e6 9.0-0 Nf6 {OK it's getting serious now. Black's play so far is so simple and instructive I hardly need say anything. His developing moves needed no comment. Model play.} 10.Nc3 exd5 11.Bd3 Qh5 12.Be2 {All White did there was improve the position of the Black Queen. Black carries on getting the bits into play.} 12...Bd6 13.g3 Rhe8 {Ah yes. APA folks. All Pieces in Action. This is what you strive for in the opening. It's little wonder the White roof falls in with the weight of the Black army on it. I knew the mating pattern was coming, I had searched for it on my DB. I had no idea the build up play would be so good. Excellent.} 14.cxd5 Rxe2 {Hangs the f3 Knight. Such moves spring naturally from the superior developed side. This move was a choice of many good moves.} 15.dxc6 Bxf3 16.Nxe2 {I said it was nigh prefect example. White could have thrown in 16.cxb7+ here. Black is still freewheeling to a win but he won't get it with the Blackburne Mate - see next the next game fragment.} 16...Ng4 17.h4 {It's too late now to do anything. Enter Mr. Joseph Henry Blackburne and his checkmate.} 17...Qxh4 18.gxh4 Bh2# {Bravo!}

[FEN "2kr4/pp3ppp/2Pb1n2/2p4q/8/2N2bP1/PP2rP1P/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 1"]
1. cxb7+ Kb8 2. Nxe2 {With the check slipped in on b7 there is a defence against the Blackburne mate, now 2...Bxe2 is the best move. If Black goes for glory.} 2... Ng4 3. h4 Qxh4 {OK you ask, what is different?} 4. Qxd6+ {OOPS!} 4... Rxd6 5. gxh4 {Black is now simply a Rook down.}

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 {The Albin Counter Gambit. very playable OTB for the enterprising under 2000 player. Black trades a pawn to face none of the developing problems that can usually only be eased by exchanging pieces in the Queen's Gambit Declined. 2...e6.} 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. Bxe7 Ngxe7 7. g3 Ng6 {Black is already set up to win back the gambit pawn. 5,Bg5 has done nothing but help Black.} 8. e3 {This move sets in the motion the following tactics. Rule of thumb No.94. If you have played g3 then make the next move Bg2. You often see this delay in carrying out the fianchetto hitting the rocks.} 8... Ngxe5 9. Nxe5 Nxe5 {No doubt waiting for White to play 10.Qxd4 when 10...Nf3+ wins the Queen. This threat of Nf3+ now hangs over White's head for the rest of the game.} 10. exd4 Qxd4 {We now see White doing everything not to allow Black to play Nf3+ with an advantage.} 11. Nc3 Bg4 12. Be2 {Now 12...0-0-0 is the lazy move and there is nothing wrong with it. Instead Black sets White a wonderful set of problems to solve.} 12... Qxd1+ {13.Bxd1 Nd3+ or 13.Nxd1 Nf3+ 14.Bxf3 Bxf3 or 13.Kxd1 0-0-0+ all look unpalatable. White infact chooses the worst option.}13. Rxd1 Nf3+ {White has to take the Knight and then Bxf3 wins the exchange. White is not having that.} 14. Kf1 Bh3 {A minor piece mating pattern that is not too uncommon and easily overlooked.}

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 d6 4.Bb5 Bd7 5.dxe5 Nxe5 6.Bxd7+ Nxd7 7.0-0 Ngf6 8.Nc3 Be7 9.Re1 0-0 10.b3 Ng4 11.h3 Nge5 12.Bb2 Ng6 13.Nd5 Bh4 14.Qd4 Nde5 15.Nxh4 Nxh4 {In this position White has chances but he now misses that Black was threatening the old double Knight fork trick. Or did he? He actively encourages it. You know this may be a genuine Queen sacrifice after all.} 16.f4 Nef3+ 17.gxf3 Nxf3+ 18.Kg2 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 c6 20.Ne3 Qe7 21.Nf5 Qd7 22.c4 {It is a Bishop and Knight v a Queen. The minor pieces are quite active so Black chases away the Knight.} 22...g6 23.Nh6 {1–0 to the Minor Pieces. Looks like I have the cover diagram for my book: Jokes on the Chessboard.}