![pawn Santa hat](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1639419403.png)
Here is your Christmas treat for 2021 presented to us by Vladimir Korolkoc
White to play and mate in 10 moves (do not panic, I’m giving the solution.)
![Balls](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1607513678.png)
Your Christmas Cracker Joke
![Title here](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1639650184.png)
A Fork In The Road.
![Balls](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1607513678.png)
Here is a Christmas Challenge. Construct a game where White gives
a checkmate with an under promoted Rook and there must be a White
Queen sacrifice (the Queen is not allowed to move) all in seven moves.
Never mind constructing one, look at this; B2 - skippern, RHP 2011
And Next we have...
![Torn](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1639419509.png)
...some vandal has torn down my poster for the next bit. I’ll draw another.
![good guys](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1639582889.png)
In game 6 from the recent World Championship Carlsen played a wonderful game
with Rook, Knight and two pawns v a Queen. In the following diagram Carlsen used
a basic Knight fork to advance the e-pawn, from the there the win was quite simple.
Carlsen played 133 e6 and if 133...Qxf5 134. Ng7+ wins the Queen.
It is a pity that this game was not played a number of years earlier as the Knight
Fork idea might then have sparked the memory of White in the following game.
HARDWATERakaICE - NoProblem, RHP 2019.
White played 88.Kg5 and the game was eventually drawn. However 88.Nh4 with
the threat of Ng6+ and Rg7 clearly wins. Black cannot play 88...Qxe7 because Ng6+
forks the King and the Queen as in Carlsen - Nepomniachtchi, Game 6 given above.
Now it is your turn to spot the shot as in; H. Boca - B. Lichtinger, Bayern, 2004
What did White play here to win the game.
79.Rf8+ Kxf8 80. Ng6+
Next we see two RHP games where the player screws up Phildor’ s Legacy.
shostakovich - AttilaTheHorn RHP 2017 (Black to play)
Black played 27..Qg1+ which would have been OK if White played 28.Rxg1 then
29...Nf2 is checkmate. But White played 28.Nxg1 and there is no smothered mate.
Blanca - sameeh RHP 2014 (White to play)
White played 19.Qg8+ which would have been OK if Black played 19...Rxg8 then
20. Nf7 is checkmate. But Black played 19.... Nfxg8 and there is no smothered mate.
(in this case it is a double blunder because either Knight can take the Queen on g8)
Now one of the good guys faced with the same problem. A Philidor’s Legacy is on
the board, but a Knight can take the Queen and a Rook covers the checkmating square.
M. Adams - V. Kotronias, Greece, 1993 (White to play)
32. Rd8 deflects or pins the Rook from covering f7. 32...Rxd8 33. Nf7+
Kg8 34. Nh6+ Kh8 35. Qg8+ and either Rxg8 or Nxg8 allows Nf7 mate
And just to prove that someone on Red Hot Pawn is paying attention.
Sumppi - kaspan RHP 2010
![Santa Rook](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1639581271.png)
I Hope Everyone Has a Very Merry Christmas - see you all next year.
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 191417