Red Hot Ants

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3 {By a slight transposition we have reached a Vienna.} 3….Nxe4 {This usually sets off a sharp struggle. Game on already. If White now plays 4.Qh4 we enter the deadly Frankenstein-Dracula Variation (more about that later).} 4. Bxf7+ {A seductive sham sacrifice. 4.Nxe4 is answered with d5 winning back the piece. The text leads to a good game for Black after he sidesteps a couple of traps. } 4... Kxf7 5. Nxe4 d5 {And Black gets a good grip on the centre with a gain of tempo.} 6. Ng3 {See next games for the traps with 6.Qf3+ and 6.Qh5+.} 6... Nc6 {Holding the e-pawn against Qh5 ideas.} 7. h3 {This is far too timid, time consuming and weakening. 7.d3 or 7.Neg2.} 7... Bd6 {Already eyeing g3 as a potential weakness} 8. N1e2 Rf8 {I am castling by hand. Any time the sham sac Bxf7+ gained has been lost.} 9. O-O Kg8 10. d3 Qh4 {Looking at sacs on h3 and another poke at g3. I actually do sac on h3 but I appear to have missed an earlier chance.} 11. b3 {Without any central squares developing thus is required - however I missed the idea, I was too busy....} 11... Be6 {...developing my pieces.} 12. a4 {Ahh....now I see it. Ba3 and free the cramp with an exchange or two. Time to do something.} 12... Nd4 {I can answer Ba3 with c5 and I’m not too bothered if he plays Nxd4. It loosens g3 and the open file will favour the better developed side. Me.} 13. a5 {No. It's not a pawn push for the sake of pushing a pawn. White is looking at playing Ra4 pinning the d4 Knight. OK it’s time to put my developed pieces to work. I’ll get rid of one.} 13... Nf3+ {First soften up the King. This looks OK.} 14. gxf3 Rxf3 {Now I just had to wait and see what he would play. Surely if things go wrong I can sac and sac for a perpetual.} 15. Kg2 {I spent a while looking at the screen here. 15..Bxh3 sacs the f3 Rook and although I get the White King on the run I could not see a killer. So I played a move I always like playing.} 15... Raf8 {Every man is now working. It's another wait and see what he does position.} 16. Ng1 {Holds h3 which was now a clear winning threat but the g3 Knight is just that bit more insecure.} 16... e4 {Intending big hits on g3. I wondered what to do if he played 17.Qe1 adding more cover to g3. But I intended to cross that bridge if he played it.} 17. dxe4 {Good. He never found the awkward looking Qe1. Now Rxf2+ or Rxg3+ all seem to work but I chose.} 17... Bxh3+ {I knew I'd be saccing a piece on that h3 pawn.} 18. Nxh3 Rxg3+ {Throwing in the exchange and my opponent allowed me to mate.....} 19. fxg3 Qxg3+ 20. Kh1 Qh2 {Which was very sporting of him.}

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nxe4 4. Bxf7+ Kxf7 5. Nxe4 d5 6. Qf3+ {The pawn steal 6.Qh5+ is the next game.} 6... Kg8 7. Ne2 {A free developing move. Black cannot take the Knight. Do Not Take The Knight.} 7... dxe4 {He took it.} 8. Qb3+ {Black is checked and mated..}

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Bxf7+ Kxf7 5. Nxe4 d5 6. Qh5+ g6 {Still time to bug out with 7.Qf3+ and just drift into a position lagging in development. But there is a loose e-pawn....} 7. Qxe5 {And now the cute and easily missed...} 7... Bh6 {And White cannot buy a temp with Qf4+. If he moves his attacked Knight then Re8 stick pins the Queen to the King. White has lost a piece. Three times the RHP player filipb has had this done to him as White and all three times he has lost.} 8. d3 Re8 9. Qd4 Nc6 10. Qc3 Bxc1 11. Rxc1 dxe4 {Black went onto win without any drama.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Qh5 Nd6 {Stopping the mate on f7 and hits the Bishop.} 5. Bb3 Nc6 {Holds the e-pawn.} 6. Nb5 {Threatening Nxd6+ and Qf7 mate.} 6... g6 7. Qf3 {The Nxd6+ threat is still on.} 7... f5 8. Qd5 {The Nxd6+ threat is still on.} 8... Qe7 9. Nxc7+ Kd8 10. Nxa8 {White has won the exchange, the a8 Knight is doomed, (just let it go). The argument here is does Black have enough development for the sacced exchange. So that is the Frankenstein - Dracula variation. No idea what current theory thinks of it. These days I play suck and see Chess.}

[FEN "r3q3/7k/p1p3bp/1p1p2p1/1P1B2P1/2P2PQP/1P6/R5K1 w - - 0 31"]

31. Qc7+ Qf7 32. Qxc6 Qxf3 {Now is the bit I want you all to see. A Stop-Check. Taking the a8 Rook and White gets mated with Qg3+ and a Bishop check. So White played...} 33. Qb7+ {The Stop-Check. Black cannot go to the 8th rank else he drops the Rook with Check so...} 33... Bf7 {This Bishop has to drop back to a less dangerous diagonal. And now....} 34. Qxa8 {White can now take the Rook. The threat is now Qh8+ and Qg7 mate. There is no perpetual. We see how it ended.} 34... Qg3+ 35. Kf1 Qxh3+ 36. Ke1 Qh1+ 37. Kd2 Qg2+ 38. Kc1 Qf1+ 39. Kc2 Bg6+ {There is nothing better. There are other checks but all meet the same reply.} 40. Kb3 {Qc5+ and the King sits snug on a3 and White is whole Rook ahead.} 40... Qxa1 {Black got his Rook. Very sporting of him to allow....} 41. Qh8 {White got the King.}

[FEN "2r5/1p4pk/p3Q1Rp/2BP2b1/B7/5q2/KP2p3/7r w - - 0 1"]

1. b4 e1=Q {Faced with mate on a1 White threw in a check.} 2. Rxh6+ Bxh6 {White now refrained from throwing in another check, he took the Rook and c8 and was mated with Qa1. However if he had taken just one check....} 3. Bc2+ {Now 3..g6 gets mated with Qxg6+ and Qh7 mate. 3...Kh8 4.Qxc8 also mates so Black has to give up those two beautiful Black Queens.} 3... Qee4 {This is the only way to stop the mates.} 4. Bxe4+ Qxe4 5. Qxe4+ {And the h8 Rook drops. A needless loss from White.}

[FEN "r7/2p3Pr/1p3p2/p2k1p1Q/K4Bn1/2qp2R1/3N4/4R3 w - - 0 1"]

1. Qf7+ Kd4 {All other moves meet the same fate and can transpose into the mainline mate.} 2. Qd7+ Kc5 {Only move.} 3. Qxc7+ Kd5 {Here or d4 the reply is the same reply.} 4. Qd6 {Checkmate.}