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.)
Your Christmas Cracker Joke
A Fork In The Road.
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...
...some vandal has torn down my poster for the next bit. I’ll draw another.
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.
Reveal Hidden Content79.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
I Hope Everyone Has a Very Merry Christmas - see you all next year.
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 191417
