Chess and Bonnie Prince Charlie

1. e4 e5 2. f4 Nf6 {Playable, an offbeat line in any well studied opening is always a useful tool.} 3. fxe5 Nxe4 4. Nf3 Ng5 5. d4 {Instead of this Trevor Hay has an interesting alternative - see next game.} 5... Nxf3+ 6. Qxf3 Qh4+ {Bob Wade had played this in 1961 and v Fischer in 1968 both times White here played 7.Qf2} 7. g3 {A TN pawn sac hoping to gain developing tempo on the Black Queen.} 7... Qxd4 {As far as I can find, this pawn sac has not been repeated.} 8. Nc3 {Offering another pawn, this time with check, but taking it just now is too risky.} 8... Bb4 9. Bf4 {The only chance for any activity was 9.Bd2 Qxe5+ 10.Kf2 but even then I'm not hopeful v good play.} 9... Nc6 10. Bd3 {Hoping Black may play 10...0-0 when 11.0-0-0 will give White some counter play.} 10... Nxe5 {Black nicks another pawn and it would appear White has nothing for it.} 11. Bxe5 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qxe5+ 13. Kd2 {White will not get a chance to use the open e-file to create complications.} 13... Qg5+ 14. Kd1 d5 15. Re1+ Be6 16. h4 Qh6 {If White wants the pawns back 17.Qxd5 0-0 18.Qxb7 Bg4 is 0-1 in a few moves.} 17. Rb1 O-O {Black gives one pawn back to catch up development.} 18. Rxb7 Rab8 {White's exposed King is the main difference, he cannot do anything constructive.} 19. Rb4 c5 20. Rf4 c4 21. Be2 Rb1+ 22. Kd2 Rxe1 23. Kxe1 Qg6 24. Kd2 h5 25. Qxh5 Qxg3 26. Qf3 {The White King is too exposed, so White tries to hold the ending.} 26... Qxf3 27. Bxf3 Rb8 28. Rd4 Rb2 29. Bxd5 Bxd5 30. Rxd5 Rxa2 31. Rc5 Ra4 32. Ke3 Kh7 33. Kf4 {33.Kd4 Kg6 34.Rxc4 Rxc4+ 35.Kxc4 Kf6 is a Black win.} 33... a6 {Maybe a pass the buck move to see if White continues going to the Kingside.} 34. Kg5 {Now White cannot stop the standard winning idea in this set up.} 34... a5 35. Rc8 Ra1 36. Rxc4 a4 37. Rc7 a3 {White resigned. The winning method is....} 38. Ra7 a2 {And the White King cannot get away from a Rook check and a1=Q.}

1. e4 e5 2. f4 Nf6 3. fxe5 Nxe4 4. Nf3 Ng5 {Instead of 5.d4 the author suggests...} 5. Bb5 {The idea being to castle ASAP and come screaming down the f-file his analysis runs...} 5... c6 {He says either this move or 5...a6 it does not matter.} 6. O-O cxb5 7. d4 {7...Nxf3+ 8.Qf3 Qe7 9.Nc3 is good for White.} 7... Ne6 8. d5 Bc5+ 9. Kh1 {Trevor now advises Black returning the piece with 9.0-0 if not...} 9... Nc7 10. Ng5 O-O 11. Qh5 {11.Qd3 also looks OK} 11... h6 12. Ne4 {12...Bd4 13.Nf6+ with Bxh6 to follow is where the author drops off.} 12... d6 13. Bxh6 g6 14. Qf3 {And White is looking very good here. Try it next time you get the chance.}

1. e4 e5 2. Qf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. g4 {This move does have RHP victims. The threat is g5 Knight moves and Qxf7 mate.} 4... Nd4 {This is the move that stops it.} 5. Qe3 {An instructive example highlighting the perils of bringing out the Queen too early,} 5... Nxc2+ {King, Queen and Rook are all hit at once. A Family Fork.} 6. Ke2 Nxe3 7. Kxe3 {We play on just to show Black missing a mate in two.} 7... d5 8. exd5 Nxd5+ 9. Ke4 Nf6+ 10. Ke3 Qd4+ 11. Kf3 {Black played 11...Qf4+ and won in a canter. However he did miss.} 11... Qxg4+ 12. Ke3 Qe4 {Checkmate.}

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. Bg5 O-O 5. e4 d6 {We have transposed into a King's Indian.} 6. Nf3 Nbd7 {A K.I.D rule of thumb is if White has played Bg5 then break in the centre with c5, not e5.} 7. Qc2 e5 {Playable but risky due to the pin on the f6 Knight and Nd5 coming.} 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. Be2 {As Black I would have been worried about 0-0-0 and h4-h5 ideas.} 9... c6 {Nd5 is prevented, Black is out of the woods.} 10. Rd1 Qe7 11. O-O Nc5 {Usually Black plays a5 to stop White's next move.} 12. b4 {But Black had no intention of holding the c5 point, the Knight was always going to...} 12... Ne6 13. Bc1 {13. Bd2 hold the b4 pawn tactically. 13....Qxb4 14.Nd5 is very strong.} 13... Nf4 {13...Qxb4 looks OK, I cannot see any two move tricks.} 14. Bxf4 {Probably best on RHP when playing a lot games to chop Knights if they get to f4 (or f5).} 14... exf4 15. b5 {15.c5 gives the e2 Bishop some hope. If then 15...Be6 16.Nd4.} 15... cxb5 {No need to do this. Bg4 and bring the Rooks into the game.} 16. cxb5 Be6 {White now realises he is drifting into a loose position so starts the ball rolling.} 17. e5 {A sham pawn sac is coming up to rid Black of the two powerful Bishops.} 17... Ng4 18. Nd5 Bxd5 19. Rxd5 Rac8 20. Qd2 Nxe5 {White can play Qxf4 but figures the pawn will not run away so...} 21. a4 {....takes time out for this luxury move.} 21... g5 {...and it squeezes out a blunder as Black plays to hold the f4 pawn.} 22. Nxe5 Bxe5 23. Bg4 f5 {This makes matters worse. 23...Rc7 was better than blowing the King's cover.} 24. Bf3 {24.Rd7 seizing the 7th rank first and then Bf3.} 24... g4 {Looks threatening but White spots a way to gain the upper hand.} 25. Re1 gxf3 26. Rdxe5 {26...Qg5 27. Qd5+ and Qxf3 Black could have used the same idea and set a trap...} 26... Qa3 {...to hold the f3 pawn. The next game fragment will show the trap I mentioned.} 27. Qxf4 fxg2 {Black has ruined what looked an OK position with pawn moves.} 28. Qg5+ {An open King v a Queen and Double Rooks has no chance.} 28... Kh8 29. Re7 Qb2 {Nothing works to save the game. This move stops Qg7 mate.} 30. Rxh7+ {White finishes with a trick shot. Good. it's also the quickest way to wrap it up.} 30... Kxh7 31. Re7+ Kh8 32. Qh6+ Kg8 33. Qh7 {Checkmate,}

[FEN "2r2rk1/pp2q2p/8/1P1Rbp2/P4p2/5p2/3Q1PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 26"]
26. Rdxe5 {Now not 26...Qg5 but...} 26... Qg7 {Same Qg5 idea with mate on g2 idea and if White plays Qd5+ and Qxf3....} 27. Qd5+ Kh8 28. Qxf3 Qxe5 {White's weak rank falls.} 29. Rxe5 Rc1+

[FEN "8/1p3Q2/3p2R1/4pP2/4Pk2/P2P1n2/KP6/2r1q3 w - - 0 39"]
39. Qg7 Ra1+ 40. Kb3 Nd4+ 41. Ka4 {Black now has checkmate with b5 mate but missed it.} 41... Qd1+ 42. Ka5 Nc6+ 43. Kb6 Rc1 {White's turn to start checking and they do not make a mess of things.} 44. Qh6+ Kf3 45. Qh3+ Kf2 46. Rg2+ Ke1 47. Qh1 {Checkmate. The Black Queen is on d1. The Black King ends up on e1.}