You have heard of the face that launched a thousand ships...
...well this is the face that sent them back again.
Magnus has just been caught with an expected Queen sacrifice.
His reaction was pulling that face and “Wow!...Wow!....Wow!”
I’ll give a link at the bottom of this piece so you can see ‘Wow!’ in action.
It's a blitz game why am I showing it?
It is how your bloggy thingy works. I blog a G.M. game with a good idea or smart
move and then I see if I can find a Red Hot Pawn game that used the very same idea.
And I have found such an RHP game with a very similar finish. Same pattern, same idea.
And being fully aware I am breaking a Rashid Nezhmetdinov rule that one
should never analyse a blitz game ('He who analyses blitz is stupid' ) here is:
Luis Paulo Supi - Magnus Carlsen Internet Blitz game. 2020
1. e4 d5 {A Scandinavian played by a Scandinavian! How many times has that note been used.} 2. exd5 Qxd5 {Now 3.Nc3 is the usual move.} 3. Nf3 {But this is very playable and tricky. Black will be booked up to the eyelids v 3.Nc3} 3... Bg4 4. Be2 Nc6 {5.d4 sets the Trap of Traps. 5.d4 Bxf3 6.Bxf3 Qxd4.7.Bxc3+ 1-0.} 5. Nc3 Qd7 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Bxf3 O-O-O 8. O-O Nd4 {Carlsen does not like the f3 Bishop aiming at his castled position} 9. a4 Kb8 {Always a prophylactic choice when castled Queenside.} 10. Nb5 {Time to chop that f3 Bishop.} 10... Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 a6 12. c4 {Taking the Knight right away opens up a tactical toolbox. Carlsen, for now, wants it shut.} 12... e5 13. d4 {White is not holding back. The Black Kingside is in lock down.} 13... exd4 14. Bf4 {Now the Knight has to be taken.} 14... axb5 15. axb5 Bd6 16. Ra2 {Black appears to have no valid answer to the doubling of the Rooks on a-file} 16... Qf5 17. Rfa1 Kc8 {Carlsen had no inkling of what was coming. (I doubt anyone would as Black)} 18. Qc6 {The Wow! move that stunned Carlsen, he pulled a face and resigned....} 18... bxc6 {We play on, it is easy to see the Queen must be taken.} 19. bxc6 {How do you stop Ra8 mate,} 19... Qb1+ {Even this move, which could have been tried on move 18 fails to prevent mate.} 20. Rxb1 {Ra8 mate is still a threat.} 20... Kb8 21. Rba1 {That is as far as we need to go.}
And now the Red Hot Pawn game. Do go over this, it is good.
spartak78 - pronte RHP.2007
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bc5 {White can play Nxe5 and d4 here but instead wants a Ruy Lopez.} 4. Bb5 a6 5. Bxc6 dxc6 {If 6. Nxe5 not 6...Qd4 7.Nd3! but 6...Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 Qd4+} 6. O-O Qf6 7. h3 {To stop an annoying Bg4. The secret of chess is not to get annoyed.} 7... h6 {Dubious, it’s to stop a later Bg5 but not needed at the moment.} 8. d3 Ne7 9. Be3 {I do not think Black will let White open the f-file with 9...Bxe3.} 9... Bd6 10. d4 {This d2-d3-d4 hop looks very good. It's not a waste of tempo. 7...h6 was.} 10... Bd7 {Black had to chop on d4. Now White gets an attack rolling.} 11. dxe5 Bxe5 12. Nxe5 Qxe5 13. f4 Qa5 14. a3 {With the cheeky threat of 15.b4 trapping the Black Queen.} 14... c5 {That stops that idea but Black is still underdeveloped and having to react to White threats.} 15. f5 {Not sure about this. perhaps has f5-f6 ideas. Possibly freeing f4 for the e3 Bishop.} 15... O-O-O 16. Qf3 Nc6 17. Nd5 f6 {Building a base for the Knight going to e5.} 18. Bf4 Ne5 19. Bxe5 {White has a neat trap in mind based on the a5 Queen.} 19... fxe5 20. c4 {Now the most natural move on the board. 20...c6 21.b4 traps the Black Queen.} 20... Qd2 {Black dodged that bullet.} 21. Rf2 Qg5 {The Black Queen is over on the K-side, so now attack the Q-side.} 22. b4 cxb4 23. axb4 {Trying to shift that Knight with c6 allows Nb6+ and more problems.} 23... Bc6 24. b5 axb5 25. cxb5 Bxd5 26. exd5 Qf6 {To put off b6 and d6 ideas.} 27. Qc3 {Wonderful play. White has seen the idea.} 27... Rhf8 {Black misses it and to be honest most of us.....including Carlsen would miss it.} 28. Qc6 bxc6 29. bxc6 {A charming companion to the previous game.}
What music are you listening to during lock down. I’m into this (what else.)
Actually very good. Hot foot stomping stuff. Been playing it non-stop.
Sent a copy to my granddaughter, she and all her teenage chums love it.
Speaking of granddaughters. I’ve been running my own Chess Tournament
with the top players in my garden (though I don't think they know about it.)
Here is Wes So playing Ding Liren.
Granddaughter is 20 miles away working on the Chess Stall.
Chess Pens and Pencils £10.00, Chess Bucket and Spade £15.00.
OK time to post this blog. Think I’ll end on a Chess Sketch.
I came home late from the chess club and the wife started nagging me.
"The Chess Club again, that's all you think about Chess! Chess! Chess!
and more bloody Chess! When was the last time you ever took me out?"
"Four Knights ago."
"A fortnight ago and when was the last time you spoke to me?"
"Two Knights ago."
"Yes. Two nights ago and when was the last time you spent
more than an hour with me - and don't say three nights ago."
"I appear to be in Time Trouble."
"You are in trouble this time alright. And what was
you up too last night? You kissed me and then went out."
"J'adoube."
"Speak English you swine. What do you want for your supper?"
"Fried Liver."
(Enough...Enough...Enough....Russ)
The Link to the Carlsen game:
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 185611 
GM Luís Paulo Supi, from BRASIL!