The club always looked forward to Grimshaw’s spectacular Knight moves.
Usually I end every piece with a game from the RHP vaults of horror.
This week I’ll start with a question about one. ‘What Happened Next?’
Haribo1 - Josh S RHP 2013 (White to play.)
How did this game end. I’ll give a few clues.
White did not mate in two moves. Qg3+ and Qg1.
White did not stalemate Black. (answer at the end.}
People often wondered why Fischer demanded his board be roped off
when he played in tournaments and Olympiads. Here is a possible reason,
Somewhere in there is Fischer playing in the 1958/59 USA Championship.
page 41 of the February 1950 Chess Review mentions a strange
incident that took place in the Fischer - Kalme game from this event.
The time control was 40 moves in 2 hours so that means the minute hand
goes around the clock twice. On the first hour Fischer’s flag rose and fell.
Nothing wrong with that but Kalme saw the flag drop and tried to claim the game
on time. He got up and informed the controller, Hans Kmoch that Fischer had just
lost on time. Kmoch quietly explained what had happened and told him to play on.
The Fischer - Kalme game is full of drama and is a forgotten (slightly flawed ) gem.
Soltis has analysed it in his Fischer book I've really just scratched the surface.
R.Fischer - C.Kalme, New York, USA Ch 1958/50
[FEN "2b1r1k1/5p2/2P3p1/6R1/8/1Pp4P/2Br1PP1/R5K1 w - - 0 30"]
30. Rc1 Ree2 {Black activity looks alarming and it's not often that Rooks on the 7th lose. Usually it's good enough for a draw. (and analysis suggests Black should not have lost here.)} 31. Bxg6 {Fischer tosses the Bishop for two pawns and puts all his faith in the two passed Queenside pawns.} 31... fxg6 32. Rxc3 Kh7 33. b4 Re1+ {Black's defensive plan is to give up his Bishop for the c-pawn. This check is designed to double up the Rooks on the b-file to get he b-pawn.} 34. Kh2 Rxf2 35. b5 Rb2 36. Kg3 {The King sets off for the Queenside.} 36... Kh6 37. Rcc5 {The Rooks team up on the 5th rank to hold the important b-pawn.} 37... Re3+ {Checking with the wrong Rook. Rb3+ was the move, if the King then goes to f4 the e1 Rook keeps checking along the first rank. I'll show this line next.} 38. Kf4 Reb3 39. Rgd5 Rxg2 {Taking this pawn was probably why Black kept this Rook on b2 instead of playing Rb3+} 40. Rd8 {Fischer now stops the defensive plan that involved Black saccing his Bishop for the c-pawn.} 40... Be6 {Soltis has this as a blunder saying Black play Bxh3 right away.} 41. Ke5 Bxh3 42. Rh8+ Kg7 43. Rxh3 {Fischer simply removes the Bishop. } 43... Rxh3 44. c7 Rh8 45. Rd5 Re2+ 46. Kd6 Kf6 47. b6 {Computer analysis at Chessgames.com suggests Black now misses another good chance to draw this with Re6+ Kc5 and Rh1. Moving the h8 Rook off the eighth rank seems very unnatural so it is not surprising Black missed it.} 47... Rb2 {Now it's a White win.} 48. Kc6 Rc8 49. Rd8 Rc2+ 50. Kb7 R8xc7+ {Defensive plan No. 2. Sac both Rooks for the Queenside pawns, run the g-pawn forcing White to give up his Rook for it.} 51. bxc7 Kf5 52. c8=Q+ Rxc8 53. Rxc8 g5 {It all comes down to one tempo. If it were Black's move here then g4 is a book draw.} 54. Kc6 g4 55. Kd5 Kf4 56. Kd4 Kf3 57. Kd3 {Black resigned here. Fischer’s will to win and his ability to set OTB problems won this one. He was 15 years old. The King and Rook easily catch the pawn.} 57... g3 58. Rf8+ Kg2 59. Ke2 Kg1 60. Rg8 g2 61. Kf3 Kf1 {And Rxg2 1-0. In such positions do not play clever clogs with....} 62. Ra8 {Thinking you will mate on a1 after g8=Q/R/B because this....} 62... g1=N+ {...is a book draw.}
As I mentioned this is the easier of the two possible drawing lines.
[FEN "2b5/8/2P3pk/1PR3R1/8/6KP/1r4P1/4r3 b - - 0 37"]
37... Rb3+ {The King has to go back to h2. Kf2 and it is cut off from the Queenside. If the King tries to make it to the Queenside it gets caught in a perpetual trap. With the King unable to help the Queenside pawns White will find the win (if indeed there is one) very difficult. That is my thinking, not a computers.} 38. Kf4 Rf1+ 39. Ke4 {Obviously playing the King to the fifth rank is not on because Black can then play Kxg5.} 39... Re1+ 40. Kd4 Rd1+ 41. Ke4 Re1+ 42. Kd4 Rd1+ {If White tries to escape with...} 43. Kc4 Be6+ {And Black is winning.} 44. Rgd5 Rbd3 {That will do it. Black will come out of this a Rook and Bishop v those two Queenside pawns and will easily stop them....} 45. c7 Rxd5 {c8=Q then Rd8 discovered check.} 46. Rxd5 Bxd5+ 47. Kc5 Bb7 48. Kb6 Bc8 49. Kc6 Rd2 50. b6 Rxg2 51. b7 Rc2+ 52. Kb6 Rb2+ 53. Kc6 Bxb7+ {Convinced.} 1-0
Knowing endgame technique is as important as knowing how the pieces move.
Endgame Technique is knowledge. It is not rules of thumb. With this knowledge
you should be able to beat anyone from any of the basic won endgame positions.
Duncan Clarke - rkmmax RHP 2015
Play out this portion of the game. How many mistakes can you see.
[FEN "8/8/8/7p/6k1/3PK1P1/8/8 w - - 0 46"]
46. Kf2 h4 47. gxh4 Kxh4 48. Ke3 Kg5 49. Ke4 Kf6 50. Kd5 Ke7 51. Ke5 Kd7 52. Kd5 Kc7 53. Kc5 Kd7 54. d4 Kc7 55. d5 Kd7 56. d6 Kc8 57. Kc6 Kd8 58. d7 Ke7 59. Kc7 {White won} 59... Ke6 60. d8=Q
So how many mistakes did you see. I caught 3. Here is one.
Here White played Kc5 the straight forward win is…
[FEN "8/2k5/8/3K4/8/3P4/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Ke6 {White uses his King to clear a path for the pawn. Played correctly there is nothing Black can do. This is a clear White win.} 1... Kc8 2. d4 Kd8 3. Kd6 {This is forces Black to cede one of the nurse squares to the White King. With a d-pawn these squares are e7 and c7.} 3... Ke8 4. Kc7 {The pawn now sails home.} 4... Ke7 5. d5 Ke8 6. d6 {The pawn Queens - How easy was that? Try that original position as White against anyone. White will win it. }
And here is another mistake, this time by Black.
Another position from the game. White has misplayed the ending, instead
of clearing a path for the pawn before pushing it. He marched the pawn up
the board, It does not matter whose move it is here. The game is drawn.
[FEN "8/3k4/8/2KP4/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. d6 {Black should now play Kd8 and it's a draw. In the game Black played Kc8 and lost.} 1... Kd8 2. Kc6 Kc8 {Black wants this set up with White to move. White wants this set up with Black to move. White cannot loss a tempo.} 3. Kb5 Kd7 4. Kc5 Kd8 {4.Kc6 then Kc8. draw.} 5. Kd5 Kd7 6. Ke5 Kd8 7. Ke6 Ke8 {White is getting nowhere. 7.d7+ Kd8 8.Kd6 is stalemate. Now I use this game to go back to the original position....} 8. Ke5 Kd8 9. Kd5 Kd7 10. Kc5 {We are back at the original position where Black played.....} 10... Kc8 11. Kc6 {White was gifted his tempo now with Black to move it is a loss.} 11... Kd8 12. d7 Ke7 13. Kc7 {The Nurse square. 1-0.}
The 3rd mistake is a trick I wanted to point out from this game.
If we go all the way back to the original position I hope some spotted this…
[FEN "8/8/8/7p/6k1/3PK1P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. d4 {In the game White played Kf2. In the current position this move is better.} 1... Kxg3 2. d5 h4 3. d6 h3 {The pawns are promoting at the same time. It does not matter. If you have played this coming trick in an serious OTB game (I have twice) you will never forget it and always look for it.} 4. d7 h2 5. d8=Q h1=Q {White has the all important thing...The Move.} 6. Qg5+ Kh3 7. Qh5+ Kg2 {It's either this or lose the Queen.} 8. Qg4+ Kh2 9. Kf2 {There is the move you are looking for. The non-checking killer. Black can do nothing to prevent checkmate next move. 9...Qa1 10.Qh4 mate or if you want mess about 10.Qg3+ Kh8 11.Qg8. Look out for.....} 9... Qf3+ {The best try and the best answer is 10.Kxf3 because if......} 10. Qxf3 {Then that is stalemate.}
Thanks Ernie, You know what am I wondering. Has anyone on here fallen for that stalemate trick.
Amazingly no! But we do have alenin2700 - nmmolko RHP 2013
[FEN "8/8/8/2Q5/8/4K3/p7/1k6 w - - 0 55"]
55. Qb5+ Kc1 {If Ka1 Hoping White plays a King move when it's stalemate. White plays Qa4 and heads for the position Ernie discussed above.} 56. Qa5 Kb2 57. Kd2 {Setting up the trick.} 57... a1=Q 58. Qb4+ Ka2 59. Kc2 {And there it is. Black actually went for it and played....} 59... Qc3+ {Alas White did not get into the spirit of things and declined the offer of a friendly stalemate.} 60. Kxc3 {!} 60... Ka1 61. Qb2
And I found this hiding under a stone buried away in the RHP database.
Whocares (1209) - Acemaster (1125) RHP 2010
[FEN "8/8/8/8/8/4Q3/4K1k1/7r w - - 0 71"]
71. Qf3+ Kh2 {Now 2.Qf2+ Kh3 3.Kf3 and mate can only be delayed by Black giving up his Rook. So have you got that. Queen on f2 and King on f3 wins.} 72. Kf2 {You have it the wrong way around. It's Queen on f2 and King on f3. Not King on f2 and Queen on f3. Now look what happens.} 72... Rf1+ 73. Kxf1 {Stalemate.}
The answer to…..Haribo1 - Josh S RHP 2013 (White to play.)
White did not mate in two moves.
White did not stalemate Black.
Infact the final position was.
White lost his Queen and Black played a Two Queen stalemate.
I’ve tried three times to put the game into a PGN thingy but it
just groans and stops working. Here is the game link
Game 10362831
If you go there don’t go alone, take a couple of friends with you.
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 162933 
kaspan
