That is me playing Tobbi McGuffin at a recent Fancy Dress Chess Tournament held in Edinburgh.
What did I go as?
I went as a good chess player but they soon saw through that disguise.
An out of control argument has been blazing across the chess net leaving in it’s wake
broken keyboards, destroyed reputations and exhausted friendships.
In the past few days I have seen no less than 16 chess sites erupt into fury as the
great and the good, the small and the sad and the glum and the mad fight each other
into bitter standstills with neither side budging an inch.
What is it all about?
Did Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, know how to play Chess?
I have been posting this clipping from ‘Moonraker’ in an effort to restore sanity.
By the way the film of the same name is nothing like the book.
In the book Bond does not go into space, infact he never leaves England.
56 of the 190 pages (over a quarter of the book) are taken up with how to
catch the villain Drax cheating at cards.
The book and the film go in opposite directions from reel one.
(but don’t let that put you off, it’s a brilliant read.)
It’s bit like you lot playing a respected and well known chess opening.
Yes it started of with the moves on the cover but a few moves later nobody could guess
what the original opening was.
After 14 moves we see Beyonder - marcelito RHP 2008 what opening did this come from?
Some of the brighter ones on here will see the White e5 pawn and the Black e6 pawn and declare it’s a French.
No. I won’t tease you any longer, let us watch this unfold.
There is a lad on here called Drax.
He walked into a trick that is worth knowing. It’s a shot that can pop up in any
opening but usually the Caro Kann (1.e4 c6) or the Centre Counter (1.e4 d5).
Cityblue - Drax946 RHP 2007
The Reti Study and the Red Hot Pawn Game
I’ve not sold out. Yes every punter does the Reti study but I have a new slant.
Infact I won’t show the Reti study, instead I’ll…..
(A piece on the Reti study with no Reti study?…………….Russ)
Yes.
(No………Russ)
Every monkey and his keyboard has at one time or other done the Reti Study. No I refuse.
(If you mention the Ret Study you must show it.....Russ)
Aw Russ, I cannot be arsed to show the Reti Study.
(You cannot do a piece on the Reti study without showing the Reti study…....Russ)
No. I refuse. I am not going to show the Reti study. Get Swiss Gambit to do it.
(You show the Reti study else you won’t paid………Russ)
The Reti Study and the Red Hot Pawn Game
To understand the Reti Study first you of all must know about ‘The Square’.
If with Black to move the King can enter the Queening Square. (that red box) then Black will catch the pawn.
So in the above diagram with Black to move he can catch the pawn
In the diagram below with Black to move…
….he cannot enter the square so therefore he cannot catch the pawn.
Up steps Richard Reti (1889-1929) who in 1921 sprung this on the Chess World.
White to play and draw.
Well any fool can see that the White King cannot get into the h-pawn square….
….and the Black King is already in the c-pawn’s square.
So the Black King will easily pick up the c-pawn and the White King can never catch the h-pawn.
And that is that. The study is totally unsound.
Reti went mad and threw hmself infront of a battleship.
(Greenpawn do it properly......................Russ)
OK. Due to a piece of chessboard magic the game is drawn. Two variations. First the pawn run variation.
This time the Black King closes in on the White c-pawn.
White uses his own pawn to buy time and get into the Black square. A brilliant piece of work by Reti.
And now a truly wonderful find. Feuds (856) - marcb0872 (1347) RHP 2011
This popped up with White to play. White played 1.e7 Kf7 and White resigned.
You can see the White King cannot get into the a-pawn’s square but if he had known
about the Reti Study then he may have looked deeper.
You can see the White King cannot get into the a-pawn’s square but if he had known
about the Reti Study then he may have looked deeper.
And finally….
I mentioned Swiss Gambit, his pet love is retro-games where you are presented with a position and have to work out how it got there through legal moves and logic. It is easier to show an example than explain it.
Play the 4 opening moves that reached this position after Black’s 4th move.
It can only be reached one way and I am going to drive you nuts by not giving you the solution. Try it. Someone will give the solution in the thread accompanying this blog. (see link below)
So when I first saw the final position in this game my first thought was how did that happen.
White appears to have picked up his King dropped it right into the Black camp behind a cluster of Black pawns.
Here is bare bones of the position
The White King can get to d6 via a4-a5-b6-c7-d6 but how do you force that in 22 moves?
pswandersen (1053) - kzkahuna (1380) RHP 2011
The White King can get to d6 via a4-a5-b6-c7-d6 but how do you force that in 22 moves?
pswandersen (1053) - kzkahuna (1380) RHP 2011
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 158012
1. e4 e6
2. Bb5 c6
3. Bxc6 dxc6
Also, Geoff, I appear to be late to the party, having spent years lamenting the passing of your old blog at chessedinburgh. You kindly chose my formulation for your ICC prize a few years ago (http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandlerarticle.php?ChandID=249).
Anyway, good to find you on t'internet again!
Cheers,
Andy
Could not miss out that Reti study game played by a lad graded 865. These lads get themselves in such wonderful and rich positions.
No more endgames for a month.