Grandmaster Questions

1. e4 e6 2. d4 c5 {This changes the route, you are no longer going to France for the French Defence but are now heading towards the Mediterranean and Sicily to play the Sicilian Defence. You don't need a map of the world to find out where you are going. A chessboard will do,} 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 {The Pin Variation of the Sicilian an old pal of mine from years gone by. It's tricky and often I found White was not ready to get involved in all the dirty tactics so early in the game.} 6. Nb5 {6.e5 is the real test. Then all kinds of things can happen. (usually favouring White.).} 6... Nxe4 {Black should castle. grabbing this now is risky biscuits.} 7. Qg4 d5 8. Bd3 {White avoids the sharp stuff with 8.Qxg7. It's most likely the best move, however the text develops and the Bishop played it's part in misdirecting Black from the square} 8... O-O 9. O-O Bxc3 10. Nxc3 Nc5 {And there it is. Black wants that d3 Bishop of the park. This moving a piece around in the opening gets him into serious trouble. Better Nxc3 and e5 and even f5.} 11. Bh6 {I like White's policy. He was not going to get his hands soiled with tactics until he had castled. Now he takes over.} 11... Qf6 12. Bg5 Qe5 {Now will he go for winning the exchange with 13. Be7 Nxd3 14.Bxf8 or will he take the free developing hit on the Queen.} 13. Rfe1 {YES!! We have a chess player on our hands.} 13... Qc7 {Look at that position...just look at the White position. Any ideas? See next game fragment from here.} 14. Bf6 {Correct. 14.Bh6 hoping g6 to get the f8 Rook allows f5. Forget Rooks think Kings.} 14... g6 15. Rad1 {Gosh! He has stopped mid attack to bring all his men into play. This is Chess.} 15... Nbd7 16. Bg5 Nxd3 17. Rxd3 {The Bishop has done it's part. It has been replaced by a 3rd rank Rook} 17... Kg7 {And it has Black seeing ghosts. 17...Ne5 had to be tried. Though White playing Qf4 pinning the Knight to Queen most likely put him off.} 18. Qh4 h5 {Looks forced. 18...f6 meets 19.Qh6+ Kg8 20 Nxd4! and Re7 winning easily. With such superior development combinations appear all over the board.} 19. Rg3 Qc4 {Queens off?} 20. Bf4 {No.} 20... Kh7 {To unpin the g-pawn.} 21. Qg5 Rh8 {Missing the wrap up. But other moves are meeting Rxe6 and Rxg6 ideas. All the news is bad.} 22. Qh6+ Kg8 {Now Black expects the Queen to hop back to g5.} 23. Rxg6+ {You will see that sac again in the next game.} 23... fxg6 24. Qxg6+ Kf8 25. Bd6# {And there is the Mamedyarov - Giri mating pattern. Good game.} *

[FEN "rnb2rk1/ppq2ppp/4p3/2np2B1/6Q1/2NB4/PPP2PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 14"]

14. Bxh7+ {Yes this works. It's a double Bishop sacrifice.} 14... Kxh7 15. Bf6 {Now g6 meets Qh4+ and Qh8 mate so...} 15... gxf6 16. Re3 {The Rook lift seals it. If you can stop the mate then you are a better man than I Gunga Din.}

1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 {Now on the natural 3...c5 4.b4!? cxb4 5.d4 with a3 to follow and you have the Wing Gambit to the French.} 3... Be7 {Now White should just play d4 and swing it back into a French Advanced.} 4. Nc3 Nh6 5. d3 {I cannot quite understand this move instead of 5.d4 because next move.....} 5... Nf5 6. d4 {....White plays it anyway.} 6... c5 {The usual French plan against the Advanced. Nibble at the d-pawn to weaken the e-pawn.} 7. Bf4 Bd7 8. Be2 {The players are just developing most likely getting on with games till this one gets more interesting.} 8... cxd4 9. Nb5 {I'm putting this down to a blunder though there may have been a good tactical idea behind. Read on...} 9... Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Bb4 {Now it looks interesting and White hits upon an idea. A good idea but it has flaw.} 11. Nc7+ Qxc7 12. Bxb4 {This is the idea - Black is prevented from castling. The White plan now is to 0-0 rip open the centre with a sac if need be and catch the King the in centre.} 12... Nc6 {But there is the flaw. If the natural 13.Ba3 then 13....Qa5+ which practically forced Kf1 so the h1 Rook does not join the game till White castled by hand. One tempo behind. (...d2-d3-d4 has a lot to answer for.} 13. Bc5 Nxe5 {13...Qa5+ was there. Instead Black goes the material grabbing way. It's OK.} 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 {Black did not fancy taking the c5 Bishop and allowing Nxd7 when his King has to take back, He OK either way. White is two pawns down. He has to castle and mix it up before Black gets settled.} 15. Qd2 {Intending 0-0-0 but....} 15... Bb5 {....Black can now pull the Queens off two healthy pawns up.} 16. O-O {The gamble. He appears to want 16...Qxe2 and 17.Qg5 (I think) with Re1 coming but it looks like nothing.} 16... Bxe2 {Black goes in for trickery instead of 16.Qxe2.} 17. Rfe1 Qc7 {He breaks the pin by hitting the loose piece.} 18. Bxd4 Ba6 {Black bugs out a piece and a pawn up.} 19. Qg5 {Black can take the Bishop. More trickery. 19....Nxd4 20.Qxg7 Nf3+ the desperado Knight. 21.gxf3 0-0-0 the open g-file will slaughter White. He is already threatening to win the Queen.} 19... O-O 20. Be5 Qb6 21. Bf6 {to stop f6 forking the Queen and Bishop.} 21... g6 {No need for this. Was g4 chasing the Knight away a threat? Not yet. 21...Rac8 22 g4 Rxc2 and Black is in first with Qxf2+ threats. The best way to defend is to attack.} 22. h4 {The betting on this pawn making the slightest difference is 100-1. It has been shoved up because really there is nothing else to do.} 22... Ng7 {But it was enough to worry Black. He should be bringing that a8 Rook into the game instead of messing about on the Kingside.} 23. Qh6 Nf5 24. Qg5 {Repeat the position....Draw?} 24... Qc6 {Black comes up with an attacking but it's slow. Getting that a8 Rook into the game with Rac8 was better.} 25. c3 b6 {Mirror attacks. White's root plan is to hit g7 with a Queen and Bishop. Black is going for his own Queen and Bishop attack on g2 and White does not have a Knight to help with the defence.} 26. h5 {Onward goes the hope-pawn.} 26... Bb7 27. hxg6 {Well the wee fellah has made a difference after all. Fresh hope. 27...hxg6 opens the door to Re3 idea (the Knight cannot take it due to Qh6) and Rh3.} 27... fxg6 28. f3 {That stops the intended d5 and the hit on g2 ideas. It also tempts Black to leave that e6 pawn unprotected which was a weakness created by suicide run of the h-pawn.} 28... Qc5+ 29. Kh1 Qf2 30. Rxe6 Ng3+ {Careful that Knight was defending some critical squares.} 31. Kh2 Nh5 {Now a master stroke. Well I like it. If the Bishop was not on f6 then White has Rxg6+ tricks. He can get the bishop out of the way with tempo with 32.Bd4 but has seen the trick shot.} 32. Be5 {See it?} 32... Rxf3 {Black can only see his threats. He has no idea what nasty deeds White was planning.} 33. Rxg6+ {Now I wish I could see a clean forced win after 33...Kf7. I can't. So I don't know why Black did not play 33...Kf7. Perhaps he saw one. The justice for all line is 33....Kf7 34 Qxh5 hxg6 35 Qxf3+ which is a dead draw. Four pawns each, opposite Bishops.} 33... hxg6 {He has missed the mating pattern that prompted me to look for this game.} 34. Qxg6+ Kf8 35. Bd6{Checkmate. A fascinating game.}