Duck's In Thailand + Ernie is Back + The Pearl of Pins

[FEN "2r1rbk1/3q1n1p/6p1/B3pp2/1p6/3P2PP/PPPQR1BK/5R2 w - - 0 25"]

25. Bxb4 Bxb4 26. Qxb4 {We have joined the game just as White went two pawns up giving him 3 connected passed pawns on the Queenside.} 26... Rb8 {The Black rooks now kick the Queen about trying to pick up one of the passed pawns.} 27. Qc3 Rec8 28. Qa3 Ra8 {Slight problem with this kick on the Queen.} 29. Bxa8 {Swiss Gambit no longer has the worry of being 2 pawns down. That burden has been lifted and has been replaced with weight of being a whole Rook down.} 29... f4 {So with nothing to lose he goes on the attack} 30. Be4 {See next game.} 30... fxg3+ {White can just take this, instead he uses the g3 Black pawn as a shield. A good idea in some situations.} 31. Kg2 Ng5 32. Rh1 {That is the extra Rook tied down to it's home square. Black keeps up with the annoying moves.} 32... Ne6 33. Qb3 {Pins the pesky Knight.} 33... Kg7 {Unpins the pesky Knight Black now has a Knight fork on d4. This induces panic.} 34. Re3 {Oops! this gives Black some hope. The c2 pawn drops with check. 34.Rd2 was better.} 34... Nd4 35. Qd5 {White wants the Queens off but has missed a wee tricky dicky.} 35... Rxc2+ 36. Kxg3 Nf5+ {There is a move to White overlooked.. The Bishop cannot take that pesky Knight as ii is protecting the Queen.} 37. Kf3 Nh4+ 38. Kg3 {You have to admire the sheer nerve of Swiss Gambit. He overlooks a Rook being torpedoed by a Bishop and somehow a few moves later he has a perpetual. Nf5+ and Nh4+...He shuns it.} 38... Qe7 {And why not Qg5+ is a big check.} 39. Qb7 {White must have played this thinking the worse is over. His heart is about to be broken.} 39... Nf5+ {Now he is taking the perpetual...} 40. Kf3 Rc7 {A scunner of a move to see when you have logged on. This Rook retreat unpins the Queen. White should now have cursed the Gods and just played Qxc7 and Bxf4. The Two Rooks should hold the draw. The White King is too exposed for him to think of a win.} 41. Qb6 Nd4+ {The Black King is now in trouble. We have seen Swiss G. exploiting overloaded Bishop, unpinning Queens and now we get a treat of pins.} 42. Kg4 h5+ 43. Kg3 Qg5+ 44. Kf2 Qh4+ 45. Kg1 Rc1+ 46. Kh2 Rc2+ 47. Bg2 {The Bishop is pinned.} 47... Qf4+ 48. Rg3 {And now the Rook.} 48... Nf3 {And both pieces that can take that Pesky Knight are pinned. (I’ve got that beat that in an OTB game - see below.). Checkmate. A smashing piece of chess and really enjoyable to note up.}

[FEN "r1r3k1/3q1n1p/6p1/4pp2/8/Q2P2PP/PPP1R1BK/5R2 w - - 0 29"]

29. Bxa8 f4 {Now I'd just leave the Bishop there and shut the game down. Those three pawns are the winners not that silly Bishop on a8.} 30. gxf4 exf4 31. Qb3 {The threat is Bd5 and whack on f7.} 31... Rxa8 {I've not shot a piece, I was a Rook up (and it’s not going to h1 to defend a pawn as in the other game.), now I’m up the exchange and...} 32. Rxf4 {....four connected passed pawns.} 32... Kg7 {Unpinning the Knight (which you will note is longer pesky) .} 33. Qxf7+ Qxf7 34. Rxf7+ Kxf7 35. a3 {The Black King is cut off. Those 4 passers can just stroll home, the Rook cannot stop them. }

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 {Another one avoids my Latvian Gambit. (2.Nf3 f5) I had no Latvians in my Championship games.} 2... Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Be3 {OK It develops a piece but it places the Bishop on an awkward square. You are not yet sure where this Bishop belongs. You know where the Knights go on in the opening c3 and f3 so why not 4.Nf3} 4... d5 {Cannot see any tactical reason why this should not be played. The game is now equal.} 5. exd5 Nxd5 {Now are you going to let me have the two dogs of the diagonal? (The Bishops)...} 6. Qf3 {Ah so that is the idea. That g1 Knight won't be too chuffed at seeing it's best square taken.. Infact it sulks that much it does not move at all in this game. Talk to all your pieces before making a move. OK I’ll develop and defend.} 6... Be6 7. Nd2 {Ah...he is going Queenside. How about a wee punt. I'll will now slip into Longfellow mode. "I fired a Knight into the air, where it lands I know not where." 7...f5 looks good but I cannot resist a wee trap,} 7... Ncb4 {Of course it breaks all the rules about moving pieces twice in the opening but early Qf3's have to been punished. Now will he just 0-0-0 or play the very natural......} 8. Bb3 {...to cover c2. (one of the drawbacks) of an Early Qf3. OK he fallen for it. Now we punish the slack Be3 and Qf3.} 8... Nxe3 9. Qxe3 Bxb3 10. Qxe5+ Be7 11. Qxg7 {Oh dear he has missed my reply.} 11... Bf6 {That is that then, His Queen hangs and so does his King.} 12. O-O-O {OK I accept the challenge. I will not take the Queen.} 12... Nxa2+ 13. Kb1 Bxc2+ {Now on King takes Knight I would have ended it with Bxg7 but now....} 14. Kxc2 Nb4+ 15. Kb1 Qxd3+ 16. Ka1 Qa6+ 17. Kb1 Qa2+ 18. Kc1 Qxb2{Checkmate. The King, always chase the King, that’s where the money is.}

[FEN "2r1k3/ppqnbpp1/4p1b1/1BPp3r/3B3P/2N2P2/PPP1Q3/2KR2R1 w - - 0 18"]

18. Rxg6 {Bit of an obvious sacrifice of the exchange. I get pawns for it and a massive attack.} 18... fxg6 19. Qxe6 Rf5 20. Nxd5 {Threatening mate on d7} 20... Qd8 21. Qxg6+ Rf7 {There are two pieces pinned to the King.} 22. Re1 {Now there are three.} 22... Kf8 {That simple King move has unpinned three pieces.} 23. Qh7 {Get back in your hole and pin those pieces again.} 23... Ke8 {Thank You.} 24. Qg8+ Rf8 25. Qxg7 {Threatening Rxe7+} 25... Rf7 26. Qg8+ Rf8 27. Nf6# {And the three pieces that can take the Knight giving checkmate but they are all pinned. Apparently an OTB world record.}

[FEN "3nk2r/rpR2p2/3p1p1p/pP1B4/P2pP3/6P1/6PP/5R1K w - - 0 29"]

29. Rxf6 Kf8 30. Bxf7 Nxf7 31. Rfxf7+ {I must have stated 100 times that doubled Rooks on the 7th rank cannot lose. White lost this....well to be more precise...he resigned....there is a big difference.} 31... Ke8 32. Rfe7+ Kf8 {White can now play Kg1, pick up the d-pawns, the b-pawn and win. There is not much Black can do to stop this plan. Once the White King gets onto the game White will be a big piece up.} 33. Rxb7 Rxb7 34. Rxb7 {White has calculated that that his threat of Rb8+ and Queening the b-pawn with check wins. Black played.} 34... d3 {And White resigned! He thinks he cannot catch the running pawn but.....} 35. Rd7 d2 36. Rxd6 d1=Q+ 37. Rxd1 {And 4 pawns up including that huge b-pawn the White win is fairly trivial.. So Rooks on the 7th are still good for a draw at the very very least, often as not they win.}