What a scoop for Red Hot Pawn. We can ask the current World Chess Champion
questions, hopefully if he reads this and joins Red Hot Pawn he can answer them.
The first question comes from Mrs. B. Knight on the Rim.
What a superb question, if you know Magnus’s email please pass it onto him..
Next we have Mr. W. Rook who is doubled up someplace.
Wow!. I think we would all like to know the answer to this one.
If you see Magnus in the street or on a bus then please ask him.
This next question is from Mr. W Pawn who is in isolation.
That is a tough one but I ‘m sure that Magnus will know the answer.
Someone find out where he lives and nail this question to his front door.
Question four comes from Mr. B. Bishop who lives opposite Mr. W. Bishop...
(enough of this greenpawn......Russ.)
The tournament was stopped after 7 games due to mounting fears the virus would strike.
Nobody knows what is happening next. Is the tournament postponed or will it be re-run.
The joker in the pack is Teimour Radjabov who should have been playing but he
expressed concerns about the mounting cases of other sporting events being cancelled
so withdrew saying it should be postponed. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave took his place.
At the time of writing this Radjabov is considering getting a lawyer so he can get back
into the tournament. Some say he should and the whole thing re-run, others say ‘No’.
Speculation is rife on every site as to what will happen next, postpone, cancel or re-run.
What ever FIDE decides everyone agrees it will be something nobody has thought of.
Try this mate in two moves from the great Sam Loyd, The Musical World. 1859
First hidden box is a clue. Next hidden box is the solution.
If you look at it Black last move must have been with either the King or the Rook.
Therefore Black cannot castle Queenside. so the solution is 1.Qa1 mate next move.
Have you ever woke up in the morning and wondered what RHP game had the latest 0-0-0?
ironporn - Mysticidium RHP 2012
Black played 53....0-0-0
Arayn - Rishard RHP 2017
White played 51.0-0-0.
The Quickest mate from 0-0-0 is Arand - Lordling RHP 2011 (16 moves)
1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 {Tastes differ but this is harmless for Black. 3. e4 dxe4 4.f3. Gambit play.} 3... Nbd7 {3...Bf5 then e6, Be7, 0-0 is safe.} 4. Ne5 {Ignore it. Let him take on d7 to develop your pieces. 4...e6 is OK.} 4... Nxe5 5. dxe5 Ng4 {Black has gotten themselves into trouble.} 6. Qxd5 Qxd5 7. Nxd5 {Black may have been intending Nxe5 but now realises Nc7+ is big threat.} 7... Kd7 8. Bf4 {Black should try and hang on here with 8...e6.} 8... c6 9. e6+ {This move had to be prevented.} 9... fxe6 10. Nc7 Rb8 {And now....} 11. O-O-O {Checkmate.}
This week’s Red Hot Pawn game starts with Max Euwe in 1927.
M. Euwe - V. Mindeno The Netherlands 1927
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 {An opening very much in vogue at the moment at the top level.} 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 {Here the good guys play d3. But we will look at this. The Greco Gambit.} 5... exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 {7.Bd2 is deemed sounder but less adventurous.} 7... Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5 {The Moller Attack variation.} 9... Bf6 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Rxe4 {Here Black should play 11...d6 keeping the c4 Bishop passive.} 11... O-O 12. d6 {A move you would just play without even knowing it is theory.} 12... cxd6 13. Qxd6 Nf5 14. Qd5 {It appears if Black wants a draw 14....Ne7 15.Qd6 Nf5 etc...} 14... d6 15. Ng5 {A trap offering a piece as bait.} 15... Bxg5 16. Bxg5 {Black can jump ship here with 16...Qc7. Taking on g5 losses.} 16... Qxg5 {He took it.} 17. Qxf7+ Rxf7 18. Re8 {Checkmate.}
This game is quite well known but sometimes too much knowledge is a bad thing.
Carton - sumit yadav RHP 2007
FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp1pnppp/3p1b2/8/2B1R3/5N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ2K1 w - - 0 13
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp1pnppp/3p1b2/8/2B1R3/5N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ2K1 w - - 0 13"] 13. Qxd6 Nf5 14. Qd5 Ne7 15. Qd6 Nf5 16. Qd5 {Black was not happy with a perpetual so....} 16... d6 17. Bg5 {White is going for the Euwe trap which was played 90 years earlier.} 17... Rb8 {But Black is not biting.} 18. Bxf6 {White tries again to repeat history.} 18... Qxf6 19. Ng5 {Now please take the Knight . 19....Qxg5 20.Qxf7+ etc.} 19... Bd7 {Again Black is not interested in winning a piece and White is now in trouble.} 20. Rae1 {A bluff the Qxf7+ trick is no longer on. 20.Qd2 saves the piece but White is then defending.} 20... Qxg5 21. h4 Qf6 22. R1e2 Bc6 {White resigned.}
Recently I had the position after 12.d6 in a Hardcore Game where due to number
of games and fast time control mistakes often happen and I am not immune either.
greenpawn (me!) - kirbythecat RHP .2020
FEN
r1bq1rk1/ppppnppp/5b2/3P4/2B1R3/5N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ2K1 w - - 0 12
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/ppppnppp/5b2/3P4/2B1R3/5N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ2K1 w - - 0 12"] 12. d6 cxd6 13. Qxd6 Nc6 {If 13...Nf5 I would have tried the Qd5 trap.} 14. Bd2 {Pity I could not do anything sharper with this Bishop. I just want it out of the way. for Rae1.} 14... Bxb2 {I was glad to see that pawn steal. I thought the idea behind Nc6 was to play Be7.} 15. Rae1 {Looking good Houston.} 15... g6 16. Ng5 {16. Bg5 Looks just as good but I liked this move.} 16... Qf6 {I did not see that. (moving too quick) It hits my unprotected Queen,} 17. Qxf8+ {Looks good but why not Nxf7 (I missed it)} 17... Kxf8 18. Nxh7+ Kg7 19. Nxf6 Bxf6 20. Re8 {The exchange up with a clamp on the position. I'm better.} 20... b6 21. Ba6 {Black resigned. 21....Nd8 holds but White still has a plus.}
