Hello and I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Good Year.
Last post was my Christmas Quiz. Looks like most of you enjoyed it.
I am going to show you a puzzle that did not make it because I know
a lot of my audience (that is you the readers) are mostly home and
casual players and I thought it may be a bit too difficult. It is hard.
What famous game is this (not opening...famous game)?
It is (of course!) the infamous game Tal - Vasiukov, Kiev 1964.
During the game Tal started thinking about how do you free a hippopotamus
that is stuck in a swamp. If you got that including both names then well done.
For the full story see page 64: ‘The Life and Games of Mikhail’ by Tal.
The hippopotamus in the picture has a story attached.
When I first came up with the idea I hunted through every 2nd hand shop
I knew trying to buy a toy hippo. Typically before the idea you see 100’s
(It was probably where I got the Christmas quiz idea from in the first place.)
But my search was fruitless, elephants, tigers, lions, horses....but no hippo.
In the end hippo-less and a self imposed deadline looming I cracked and bought
a new one from a posh toy shop It cost me £4.95 the same price as a chess mag.
A day or two after posting and the very next 2nd hand shop I visited....
This hippo cost me 25p and it is better than the more expensive new one
which I bought out of sheer desperation....and in the end I did not use it!
The great news is that when I was in the afore mentioned 2nd hand shop I saw a ring.
It had a chequered chessboard design on it.
and when I put it on
I became...
Chess Trap Man
The Chess club was closed for a few days over the holiday period so I tested my new
powers against a dedicated computer machine. Mephisto (endorsed by Kasparov!)
greenpawn - Mephisto (level 7 - I think that is it ‘thinking’ 3½ moves ahead) 2019
1. e4 {Best by test....and better than the rest.} 1... c6 {The Caro Kann...is very bland.} 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 {We started with a Fischer quote. This was Fischer's pet line v the Caro.} 3... e6 {3...Bg4 was the move that gave Fischer the most trouble. A few games with 3...d4 will follow.} 4. exd5 {Not the most accurate I have ever played. 4.e5 looks better.} 4... cxd5 {4...exd5 freeing the c8 Bishop was better. But this is not losing.} 5. d4 {It's a French except Black does not have pawn to c5 to undermine d4.} 5... Bb4 6. Bd3 {Ignoring in favour of developing the threat of have double pawns on an open file.} 6... Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Qc7 {If Black is willing to waste so much opening tempo for a mere pawn...} 8. O-O {...then it can have it.} 8... Qxc3 9. Rb1 {With an idea that becomes clear in a move or two.} 9... Nf6 {Looks natural but falls in with my opening plan. 9...Ne7 would have stopped it.} 10. Rb3 Qc7 11. Ba3 {Plan A. Stop Black from castling.} 11... Nc6 {With the possible idea of Ne7 and 0-0. Have to stop that.} 12. Rc3 Bd7 {I bet that Bishop wished it's chip had played 4....exd4 so it would now have some room.} 13. Qd2 {Defending the Rook but there is a positional threat on the board.} 13... Rb8 {Black has missed it. This move has b5-b4 ideas.} 14. Qg5 {Sniffing out a concession from Black.} 14... Rg8 {No Black castling in this game. Now to get the bits nearer the King.} 15. Ne5 Qa5 16. Rb3 {The tricks are appearing. 16...Nxd4 17.Bxh7 and I'm looking very good.} 16... Nxe5 {Did not expect that. Black has an idea.} 17. dxe5 Ba4 {The idea. I have not looked deeper, I never saw this coming but....} 18. exf6 {...experience told me Black is not geared up for tricks with an uncastled King.} 18... Bxb3 {Now the shot Black missed which I knew must there on my last move.} 19. fxg7 {The intended 19...Qxa3 20.Bb5 mate.} 19... Kd7 {I was also threatening Qe7 mate. My two Bishop are killing Black.} 20. Qe7+ Kc8 21. cxb3 {Opening c-file for the f1 Rook.} 21... Qc3 {To stop Rc1+. Nothing saves Black. The computer of course does not resign.} 22. Bb5 Qc6 {Anything to stop the mate. 22...Rd8 23.g8=Q pins the d8 Rook.} 23. Rc1 Rxg7 24. Rxc6+ bxc6 25. Ba6+ {Thought I'd let the Two Bishops have the joy of mating it.} 25... Rb7 26. Bxb7+ Kb8 27. Bd6
Now, as promised a couple of games with 3...d4 here.
If you actually look at any large OTB database you will see Black scores
OK with this. (see I do research these things before hitting the keyboard.)
Then you notice most of the Black wins come from under 12 junior events.
This RHP game is not the last word in this variation. In fact it is not a very
good example but I could not resist the nautical match up in the names.
Lord Nelson - popeyethesailor RHP 2008
1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Nc3 d4 {The tempting move we are looking at.} 4. Ne2 c5 {4...d3 is playable but harmless, White just plays and 5.cxd3 is doing fine.} 5. d3 f6 {To blast in e5 but 5...Nc6 was better. Too many double pawn moves c6-c5 and d5-d4.} 6. c3 e5 7. Ng3 Bg4 8. Be2 Bxf3 {You can see the idea. White's f3 Bishop will be cramped by it's own pawns.} 9. Bxf3 {But Black is now weak on the light squares. White exploits this.} 9... Bd6 {Not good, inviting the Knight to where it wants to go. 9...g6 to stop Nf5.} 10. Nf5 {Thank you for the free tempo.} 10... Qc7 {The Queen is holding the Bishop and the b7 and g7 pawns. Something has to give.} 11. Qb3 {With Qxb7 Qxb7and Nxd6+ ideas.} 11... b6 12. Qe6+ {The light squares. Black gave up their light squared Bishop too easily.} 12... Kf8 {12...Be7 was the only hope but then 13.Qd5 with Nxg7+ coming wins.} 13. Nxd6 {Game over....} 13... Nd7 {....OK. Black wants to get checkmated.} 14. Qf7
This next one is not the last word either, but again, how could I leave it out.
signthisigoddago - razor225 RHP 2012
1. e4 d5 2. Nc3 c6 {A Caro Kann by transposition.} 3. Nf3 d4 {The variation we looked at in the previous game.} 4. Bc4 {Probably not sound but...in fact there is no but...it is unsound.} 4... dxc3 {I now expected Ne5 but no...} 5. O-O {...sac a piece for fun and castle. This is proper chess.} 5... b5 6. Bxf7+ {I bet none of us expected that.} 6... Kxf7 7. d4 {Black now displays a common RHP trait. They spot a harmless threat (Ng5+) ...} 7... h6 {...and turn it into a serious threat with a needless pawn move.} 8. Ne5+ {White is now winning. 7...Nf6 get a piece out was OK and good.} 8... Ke8 {Doom and gloom. 8..Ke6 9.Qg4+ Kd6 9.Nf7+ Kc7 10.Qg3+ wins the Black Queen.} 9. Qh5+ g6 10. Qxg6 {Checkmate.}
So what is the best way to as White to play against 4....d3
Of course I cannot give a complete 100% tactical bust but we do have...
PAWN RIOT - Shelrock57 RHP 2010
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. Ng3 {Better than 5.d3 else the f1 Bishop is stifled.} 5... Nc6 6. Bc4 e5 7. d3 Be7 8. O-O Nf6 9. Nh4 {With the idea of Nf5. If 9...Nxe4 10.Nhf5 is good.} 9... O-O 10. Nhf5 Na5 11. Bb3 Bxf5 12. Nxf5 Rc8 13. f4 {By a series of sensible not too difficult moves, White has built up a good position.} 13... c4 {It's easy to go astray in such positions, Black has missed a trick.} 14. fxe5 {Black should not have allowed this move.} 14... cxb3 15. Nxe7+ Qxe7 16. exf6 Qc5 17. Qg4 g6 18. Rf5 Qb4 19. Qg5 Kh8 20. Bd2 Qd6 {White can take the a5 Knight but why bother. The Black King is hanging.} 21. e5 Qc7 22. Rf3 Qd7 23. Rh3 {With the threat of Rxh7+ Qh6+ and mate on g7.} 23... Qxh3 24. gxh3 {Black resigned.}
What was so difficult about that last game (though I really do prefer the 2nd game).
Easy to understand simple chess. It seems most you lot (think I’d better include me.)
Skip the simple moves because ‘we ‘ seem to enjoy making it difficult for ourselves.
Looking forward to 2020 and the wondrous festivity your (our) games will produce.
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 183570 
