I had a real corny caption ready but I’ll take pity on you lot and leave it out.
Recently I saw this position in a TV advert for a financial firm.
After 1.Kxc3 it is stalemate and if 1.Kd1 Rxc4 and the two Knight cannot force
a mate. So I decided to use the position to try and create a two Knight Helpmate.
[FEN "8/8/8/8/1NB5/2r5/2KN4/k7 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kd1 Rxc4 2. Nxc4 Kb1 3. Na3+ Kb2 4. Ke1 Kc1 5. Nd3 {Checkmate.}
Then I wondered if anybody here had been mated. by two Knights.
Yes! one player, but perhaps the players (related?) did not know how to claim a draw so
figured the only way to finish this game and start another was for White to walk into
a mate. The Knights had been chasing the King around for 94 moves till the checkmate.
Chris Tucker - SammTuckker RHP 2018
White played 148 Kh1 Nf2 mate. There is no mate after 148. Kh3.
I emphasise to my students that one plan in the opening is using your minor
pieces to create weakness’, then call on the Queen and Rooks to exploit them.
Here Black goes one step further, the minor pieces do not need the heavy pieces.
John yoder - flyingcod, RHP Augusts, 2023
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 {The Petroff or Petrov or the Russian Opening.} 3. d3 {This is OK, but be careful. see next game.} 3... Nc6 4. c3 h6 5. a3 {Be2 then 0-0 looks like a plan.} 5... Bc5 {Inviting b4. 5...d5 was an otpion.} 6. b4 Bb6 7. a4 {7.b5 and Nxe5 looks OK.} 7... a5 8. Be2 {Now 8...axb4 9. cxb4 Nxb4 and if 10.Nxe5 Bd4.} 8... O-O 9. b5 Ne7 {White can nick the e-pawn here. Do not know why it was refused.} 10. Nbd2 d6 11. c4 { 11.Nc4 was an option, but 11.0-0 is the move. } 11... Ng6 12. Nf1 {0-0 was better. White is now in difficulties.} 12... Nf4 {White should play Bxf4. } 13. Ng3 Nxg2+ {I'm up for this kind of pawn sac if the open g-file can be used v the Black King but...} 14. Kf1 Bh3 {Good move. Black moves in for a quick kill } 15. Kg1 Ng4 {We are witnessing a four minor piece attack.} 16. Bf1 Bxf2 {I've never seen a mate quite like that. It is a minor piece party.}
3. d3 in the Petrov can lead to a reverse Philidor. If Black is feeling lucky then they can
try 3...Bc5 and go for a trap that has caught quite a few RHP players. In fact 4 this year.
Bk800runner - kuntakente RHP 2023
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d3 Bc5 {Leaving the e-pawn hanging. 3...Nc6 is probably best then it is a reversed Philidor.} 4. Nxe5 Nc6 5. Nxc6 dxc6 {And now a common move here in RHP is....} 6. Bg5 {and the refutation is...} 6... Nxe4 {now 7.Qe2 or 7.Be3 but Black still has the upper hand.} 7. Bxd8 {This move gets checkmated.} 7... Bxf2+ 8. Ke2 Bg4 {Checkmate!}
A Fred Reinfeld book (I have the other ‘How to play the Black Pieces but as yet have no pun)
Speaking of strange positions like the final of the John yoder - flyingcod game
I was recently sent a game that had this position by move 33. The crowded d-file.
DaveH - CrawlIce RHP 2023. The game ended in a draw. It is not too uncommon
that we see a flooded d-file up to moves 10-12 but this one appeared on move 33!
The most frequent d-file flood in OTB games and on here is this position.
Which comes mainly from the Slav Defence. Over 140 times in OTB play including
games by Reti, Tartakower, Botvinnik, Korchnoi, Karpov, Shirov and Nakamura,
Red Hot Pawn has to date 18 games with this close to a mirror image position.
The position came from the DaveH - CrawlIce RHP 2023 came from an opening called
the Rousseau Gambit. I know it as a variation of the Latvian Gambit. Let’s look at one.
dieterzurn - silveto RHP 2011
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 f5 {I know it from 2...f5 3.Bc4 Nc6} 4. d4 {Must be the best move here.} 4... fxe4 {Risky. 4...exd4 is deemed best but even then Black has to play exactly.} 5. Nxe5 Nxe5 {6.dxe5 is the move here. White spots a shot but it is unsound.} 6. Qh5+ Ng6 7. Bxg8 Rxg8 8. Qxh7 {Maybe White expected 8..Ne7 here and had ready 9. Bg5} 8... Kf7 {Black is now threatening Rh8 trapping the Queen.} 9. Qh5 c6 {To stop Qd5+ but 8...d5 was better.} 10. O-O {This move gave Black an idea...a bad idea.} 10... Qc7 {Looking again at the Rh8 idea this time with Qxh2 mate in mind.} 11. Qf5+ {But Black has missed this move.} 11... Ke8 {11...Ke7 12.Bg5+ and the g6 Knight goes with a check.} 12. Qxg6+ Kd8 {Now 13.Qf7 followed by Bg5+ and 1-0.} 13. Qxe4 {Here 13...Be7 will hold out but it is still a bad position. Instead Black goes back to Plan A.} 13... Rh8 {The mate on h2 idea. In this case too obvious and too late.} 14. Bg5+ {It is checkmate next move. Black resigned.}
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 197964
