Linking Chess with Historical Places (No. 63 in the series.)
Here I am playing chess on a mobile outside the house where
Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone was born.
He is not to be confused with Alexander the Great or any other
famous Alexander like Alexander Archipelago or Alekhine.
This one was shown to me recently by one of the kids I help coach.
He said he got it from the internet. The board is the right way around.
White to play and mate in 8
This next one came from the same coaching session.
I do not know the composer but this one is a beauty.
White to play and win.
Clue:
Think of Skewers and Pins.
Wesley So - Alexey Sarana, FIDE World Cup 2023.
Black has just played. 32...h4-h3.
If 33.Nxe8 Ne2+ and 34.hxg2 mate. Wesley never fell for it but still lost the game.
I thought I would find a lot of RHP examples with this pattern
but there was only a handful and in most cases the winner had
more than a few ways to mate. I do have one example to show.
foamin - BillyB49 RHP 2012
FEN
r4rk1/p1pp1ppp/bp3q2/4n2P/4P3/2NPP1Q1/PP4P1/2KR2NR w - - 0 15
[FEN "r4rk1/p1pp1ppp/bp3q2/4n2P/4P3/2NPP1Q1/PP4P1/2KR2NR w - - 0 15"] 15. Nd5 Qd6 {Setting up a nasty pitfall which White fell head first into.} 16. h6 {An undefended piece (any piece) and a check in the position is a danger sign.} 16... Nxd3+ 17. Kb1 Qxg3 {A Queen down White plays on for a few more moves.} 18. Ne2 {Qd6 and Black can coast home.} 18... Qxg2 {Taking the g2 pawn indicates that Black thinks this game is already won.} 19. Rhg1 {Black can play Qxg1 and still win this fairly easily.} 19... Qxe2 {White now has two checkmate to choose from. Nf6+ and hxg7.} 20. Ne7+ {White chose this way.} 20... Kh8 21. hxg7
An Idea in The Petrov Defence.(and a new tactical idea.)
I know what you are now thinking. That is not the Petrov because there is a pawn on h6.
The idea is you as White will not be playing against the Petrov, you will be playing it!
I have been through 3 large databases, including here and nobody has tried my idea.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Ng5 {Holds the pawn on e4. This has been played here a few times.} 3... h6 4. Nf3 {You now as White play a Petrov and hope the pawn on h6 proves to be a weakness.} 4... Nxe4 {The most popular choice but nobody, anywhere has played....} 5. Nc3 {A move you can play as Black in the Petrov. 3...Nc6 I've played it.} 5... Nxc3 {Best. With the pawn on h6 a new tactical idea pops up.} 6. dxc3 e4 {A common move in the 3...Nc6 as Black variation.} 7. Bc4 {This works because of the h6 pawn. If the pawn was still on h7 it loses.} 7... exf3 8. Bxf7+ Kxf7 {8...Ke7 9.Qxf3 and White is looking very good.} 9. Qd5+ {White has an unavoidable perpetual.} 9... Kg6 10. Qe4+ {10....Kh5 11.Qf5+ g5 12.Qf7+ See the next game.} 10... Kf6 11. Qf4+ Ke6 12. Qe4+ {12. Kd6 Bf4+ will checkmate Black} 12... Kf7 13. Qd5+ Ke7 14. Qe5+ Kf7 15. Qd5+ Ke8 16. Qh5+ g6 {Black can try this but....} 17. Qxg6+ Ke7 18. Bg5+ hxg5 19. Qxg5+ Ke8 20. Qg6+ Ke7 21. Qg5+ {It's still a draw even though White is down three pieces. Good Luck.}
Next is my Chase the Rainbow Variation.
FEN
rnbq1b1r/pppp2p1/6kp/3Q4/8/2P2p2/PPP2PPP/R1B1K2R w KQ - 0 10
[FEN "rnbq1b1r/pppp2p1/6kp/3Q4/8/2P2p2/PPP2PPP/R1B1K2R w KQ - 0 10"] 10. Qe4+ {And if.....} 10... Kh5 11. Qf5+ g5 12. Qf7+ Kh4 13. g3+ Kh3 {14.0-0 wins easily but how about....} 14. Qh5+ Kg2 15. Be3 Bc5 {What else...? Kxh1 Qh3 and 0-0-0 mate.} 16. Rg1+ Kxg1 17. Qxf3 Bxe3 18. Ke2+ Kxh2 19. Rh1 {I bet I had more fun working that out than you just did playing it out.}
Out of curiosity I thought when was the latest 0-0 or 0-0-0 on RHP.
Good idea I might strike a piece of RHP gold. But alas nothing special
appeared. In all of the games the player eventually castling was easily
winning and castled for the fun of it. A pity but worth a try here they are.
kingdog - Fatbouy RHP 2014
White played 56.0-0
Pedro99 - bkcavguy RHP 2015
Black played 56...0-0
Arayn - Rishard RHP 2017
White played 51. 0-0-0
Adam1k - palmer45 RHP 2021
Black played 54....0-0-0
To complete the longest since a move was played theme, here is a 42 move
game with no captures. (I posted this a few years ago. It is still the record.)
woody65 - Land Crawford RHP 2012
The final position. If you have lost the will to live then play out the complete game.
[FEN "8/6K1/8/8/6pQ/8/1pppppp1/brrbrqk1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Qh8 {Or 1.Qh7 the idea is the same.} 1... g3 {Only move.} 2. Kh6 Kh2 3. Kg5+ {You get the idea now. The King blocks the Queen not allow Stalemate.} 3... Kg1 4. Kh4 Kh2 {Now to set up the mate.} 5. Kg4+ Kg1 6. Kh3 Kh1 7. Kxg3+ Kg1 8. Qh2 {Checkmate.}
White to play and win.
FEN
8/R5pq/2k4p/7B/p7/3P1P2/2P3P1/2K5 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/R5pq/2k4p/7B/p7/3P1P2/2P3P1/2K5 w - - 0 1"] 1. Bg6 {If 1...Qxg6 2.Ra6+ wins the Queen.} 1... Qg8 2. Ra8 {if 2...Qxa8 3.Bd5+ 2...Qe6 3.Ra6+ and if Qd5 Be4+ all win the Queen.} 2... Qa2 {Only safe square.} 3. Rxa4 {if 3...Qxa4 4.Be8+ wins the Queen.} 3... Qg8 4. Ra8 {There is now no safe haven for the Queen. 1-0.}
