Loads of Festive Fun - Christmas Blunders

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qa5 7. Bd2 Qa4 8.Qb1 Ne7 {I wonder if this lad checked all checks} 9. Bb5+ {Bonk! Black resigned}

1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nf6 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Qb3 Nb6 6. Nbd2 e6 7. e4 Bg6 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. O-O {The d-pawn is offered, Black takes it.} 9... Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Nf3 {Decisions, decisions, decisions. Best appears to be 11...Qb4 offering the Queen swap. Black decides to have a wee think. Why not get the b6 Knight into the game....} 11... Qa4 {You can see the reasoning. 12.Qxa4 Nxa4 then Nc5 hitting the e-pawn and the d3 Bishop.} 12. Bb5+ {Bonk! Black resigned.}

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4 Bf5 4. Qd2 e6 5. Nb5 {This attack on c7 in positions like this is a common sortie at the lower levels. Black usually wards it off and takes over the game due to the time wasted by White.} 5... Na6 6. Qa5 {Good Move. It hits c7 three times. If 6...b6 7.Qxa6 and if 6...Rc8 then 7.Nxa7. Infact it is that good White need not scan the boards looking for any checks.} 6... Bb4+ {Bonk! White resigned.}

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4 Bf5 4. Qd2 e6 5. Nb5 Na6 {Yes you have seen this before. Now instead of 6.Qa5 as in the previous game we see....} 6. Qc3 {Well at least there no checks for White to miss in this line, the Bonk! is coming with 6...Bb5. A Christmas present of a Queen for Black.} 6... Ne4 {The present was returned unopened. Black missed 6....Bb5 and after 7.Qb3 White went onto win. }

[FEN "8/5pk1/Q5p1/5p1p/2Rr1q1P/5P1K/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
{White to play and his best chance is 1.Rxc4 instead he handles the threat of Qxh4 mate thus:} 1. g3 {Black can now play 1...Qxf3 threatening Qh1 mate!. After 1....Qxf3 White is lost. Black missed it and blundered with...} 1... Rd6 {These tit-for-tat exchanges must always be looked at very carefully. If there is a check in the position then it often goes tits up.} 2. Qa1+ {Black resigned. Another lesson. When Chess drops chances into your lap you must take them.}

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. d4 Nc6 {Black thinks he has been given a breather and attacks the d-pawn.} 4. Nf3 {White defends the d-pawn.} 4... Bg4 {Black again puts pressure on the d-pawn.} 5. Be2 {The wee Mr. Sly boots move. Black now looks 3 moves ahead....White is looking 4 moves ahead.} 5... Bxf3 {One.} 6. Bxf3 {Two} 6... Qxd4 {Three. End of Black analysis.} 7. Bxc6+ {Four. CHECK! and the Black Queen is lost. 1-0.}

[FEN "4k1Kb/7P/8/7N/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kxh8 Kf7 {This draws. The Knight cannot prevent the Black King from going back and forth to f8 and f7.} 2. Nf6 Kf8 3. Nd7+ Kf7 4. Nf6 Kf8 5. Ng8 Kf7 6. Nh6+ Kf8 7. Ng4 Kf7 8. Nf2 Kf8 9. Nd3 Kf7 10. Ne5+ Kf8 11. Ng6+ Kf7 {OK satisfied.}

[FEN "4k1Kb/7P/8/7N/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kxh8 Kf8 2. Ng7 Kf7 3. Ne6 {The Black King is kept off f8. White wins. }

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 {The Cozio Defence. Playable but Black has to know what he is doing, it's not an off the cuff opening.} 4. c3 {With the e-pawn not about to get threatened by Nf6 White builds a centre.} 4... d6 5. d4 Bd7 6. O-O Ng6 {Black now realises one of the drawbacks of the Cozio is the cramped position. You must unwind with care. He played this to get his f8 Bishop into the game.} 7. Ng5 {White is fishing. There is nothing in this. Black should now continue with his plan and simply play 7...Be7 developing with tempo. Instead...} 7... h6 8. Nxf7 {This is interesting. White is betting the game on his lead in development.} 8... Kxf7 9. Bc4+ {Now best appears to be 9...Ke8 allowing the Queen to come to f6 to hold the misplaced g6 Knight. Black moves the King to the wrong square.} 9... Ke7 10. Qh5 {If the g6 Knight moves then Qf7 mate. The speculative White sac has worked. Black is in trouble and must give back the piece. Instead he tries to hang onto it.} 10..Qe8 11. Qg5+ {Bravo!} 11..hxg5 12.Bxg5 {Black has been checkmated.}