RHP Lesson No.179 (The DVD)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 {Some will be tempted to go for 5.Nxc6 6.Qd4 as it looks good. Looking good is only good if infact it is good. I'll show an RHP game with this line after this game.} 5. Be3 Bg7 6. Nc3 d6 7. Qd2 Nf6 8. f3 O-O 9. h4 {All opening theory up to here. Now with the King still in the centre and the f1 Bishop not covering d5 Black in the past has played 9...d5 here often adding a !} 9... h5 10. Bc4 {The game is on the fringe of a well known typical Sicilian set-up and infact....} 10... Ne5 11. Bb3 Bd7 12. O-O-O {....the game swings back into well known paths. Many players will recognise this position. Now the basic premise for both players is easy. White only make moves on the Kingside, Black on the Queenside, first to falter usually loses.} 12... Rc8 13. Kb1 {A handy move in such situations but hurry up and get going on the Kingside.} 13... a6 14. a3 {Now we are in fresh meat territory this cosy and weakening move is giving Black time to develop his attack first.} 14... b5 15. Bh6 Qb6 {White can stir things up with 16.Nf5 here (another common idea in this set-up) 16...gxf5 17.Qg5 note Black does not have 17..Ng6 as a defence because the b3 Bishops pins the f-pawn. That would have been an interesting try.} 16. Qg5 {White is sniffing around that Nf5 idea and the pinned f-pawn. Black should kick things off with Bxh6 declaring the White has lost a tempo and then Rxc3 more very common moves in this set up.} 16... Kh7 {That is not good. The attacking tempo has been handed back. Get in Rxc3 and Rfc8.} 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. g4 {18 Nf5+ Bxf5 (forced.) 19 gxf5 and White's attack is getting in first.} 18... hxg4 {No. This helps White. 18...Rxc3 to create targets on the Queenside and usually if Black does not do this then White will play N c3-d5 forcing the f6 away from defending the King at a critical time.} 19. h5 Rh8 {That looks forced.} 20. f4 {White is turning this into a walkover when suddenly Black comes up with an idea I never saw coming.} 20... Qxd4 {Eh?} 21. Rxd4 Nf3 {Black has won the Queen back!} 22. h6+ Kh7 {This puts Black in the soup. 22..Kf8 as we shall see was better.} 23. Qxf6 {A desperado Queen selling herself as dearly as possible.} 23... exf6 {White should now have played 24.Nd4 threatening mate in one with Nxf6. That is why Kf8 was better.} 24. Rxd6 {But even so it looks as if Black was destined to lose this game even if White did not play what appear to be better moves. He now has a fatal idea.} 24... g3 {He is thinking he will trading the h1 Rook for the d7 Bishop.} 25. Rxd7 g2 26. Rxf7+ {There is the flaw in the idea.} 26... Kg8 27. Rxf6+ Kh7 28. Rf7+ Kg8 {Black resigned, White can let Black have a new Queen if he wishes. Even with a check! This finish was sitting there waiting to be played.} 29. h7+ Rxh7 30. Rhxh7 g1=Q+ 31. Ka2 {Threatening Rf-g7+ and Rg8 mate so....} 31... Rc4 {Only move to stop it.} 32. Nd5 {And Ne7 mate or Nf6 mate cannot be prevented. Nice game with some nice ideas.} *

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 {If White tries to save three tempo by leaving the Bishop on f1 (Usually it goes to c4 then b3 and then chops a Knight on c4) then this happens...} 8... d5 {We get a whole different type of game. Very similar in the Kingside v Queenside attack but the saved tempo by White have helped back - Chess can be funny like that.} 9. O-O-O dxe4 10. fxe4 Qa5 11. h4 {The right idea but Black will not let this attack build into anything serious.} 11... Ng4 12. Nxc6 {White is closing the b-file and....} 12... bxc6 13. Bf4 {...prevents a Rook from going to b8. Black can play e5 but the g7 Bishop will not be too happy about that.} 13... Be6 14. a3 {There is that a3 move again - this time it looks forced.} 14... Rfd8 {Freeing the f8 square with tempo. Very often you see the f8 Rook moved before the a8 Rook in Kingside v Queenside attacks. This is to give the Black some room - wait and see.} 15. Bd3 {Black can win the exchange here with Bxc3 and Qxc3 then Nf2 but he correctly shuns it as there is a larger target to hit. So instead of taking the exchange he offers the exchange. This is Chess.} 15... Rab8 {The larger target being the Queen. If 16.Bxb8 Rxb8 then Black is threatening Bh6 winning the Queen.} 16. h5 {White realises he cannot take the b8 Rook so presses on with his attack.} 16... Ne5 {That's a good one. All kinds of threats appearing. now Rxb2 and Rb8+ and Nc4 is figuring in there.} 17. Bxe5 {A heart breaking decision. You don't want to give up this piece if Black still has his Dragon Bishop on the board.} 17... Bxe5 18. hxg6 hxg6 {Now 19.Qh6 is not threatening anything one check and that is all. And the Dragon Bishop will hold the square h8 forever as it has no challenger.} 19. Rdf1 {White gives his King some running room because he has seen....} 19... Rxb2 {...this coming. White did not take it, he played 20.Nd1 and lost his Queen to Rb1+ 0-1. Taking the Rook would have gone something like this.} 20. Kxb2 Rb8+ 21. Kc1 Bxc3 22. Qh6 {Now the clever 22...Rb1+ 23.Kxb1 Qxa3 is still good but White can play 24.Qh7 and Qh8+ giving up his Queen for the Dragon Bishop and you have two Rooks v a Queen. Black is still good but after....} 22... Qb6 {...Black is looking very good and the win is easy.} 23. Kd1 Bg4+ 24. Rf3 Bxf3+ 25. gxf3 Qf2 {Rb1+ is the killer and if 26.Qc1 then Rb1 and Qd2 mate. Can White give up his Queen for the Bishop and Rook and hang on. Well he can give up the Queen for the Bishop and the Rook but...} 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Qh8+ Bxh8 28. Rxh8+ Kg7 29. Rxb8 Qg1+ 30. Kd2 Qh2+ {...he cannot hang on. (Black has speared the b8 Rook.)}

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Qd4 Nf6 7. e5 Nd5 8. e6 {It's this move and the coming position that attracts players to this variation.} 8... Nf6 9. exf7+ Kxf7 {What would you play if White played 10.Qc4+ here. You have to play 10...d5 and give him the c6 pawn. 11.Qxc6 Bd7. You as Black will get a lovely game to play all for one measly pawn. Some well known gambits would give you less. You don't need analysis. You are Queen kicking and have 2-0 in centre pawns.} 10. Bc4+ d5 11. O-O {Mr Sly Boots has sneaked in castling. But Black’s pawn centre now takes over.} 11... Qb6 {That is what you call a good move. The Queens are off so Black's King does look so vulnerable on f7 anymore, a Rook gets activated without even moving and Black's pawns getting straitened out.} 12. Qxb6 axb6 13. Bb3 e5 {And the centre is Black's.} 14. Nc3 Be6 15. f4 {White is trying to upset the impressive Black centre but is only making things worse.} 15... Bc5+ 16. Kh1 e4 {We now have a protected passed central pawn.} 17. Na4 {This is the trouble when you have lost the centre you struggle to find good active squares for your men.} 17... d4 {e3 is coming and that c1 Bishop is hemmed in so that means the a1 Rook does not get out to play.} 18. f5 {Clearly designed to get the Bishop out before e3.} 18... Bxb3 19. fxg6+ Kxg6 20. cxb3 e3 {Too Late. And in the melee Black has ended up with two passed central pawns.} 21. h3 {And a weak square on g3.} 21... Ne4 22. Rf4 Nf2+ 23. Kg1 Rhf8 {White resigned. There is nothing to be done. He will have to give up a piece (maybe more) to stop those centre pawns. It goes something like this.} 24. Rxf8 Rxf8 25. Nxc5 {Might as well because the Knight could not move.} 25... bxc5 26. a4 {What else?} 26... Nd3 27. a5 Nxc1 28. Rxc1 d3 {The Rook cannot stop those pawns. Pawns on the sixth rank beat a Rook in all but the exceptional circumstances. This is not an exceptional circumstance.} 29. Rxc5 h5 {I'll waste a tempo to prove an instructive point.} 30. Rxc6+ Kg7 31. Rc7+ Kg8 32. Re7 d2 33. Rd7 e2 {The pawns win easily.}

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Bc4 {Allowing....} 5... Ne5 {...the Knight to occupy a good square with tempo.} 6. Bb3 {It's not critical .The Knight can be challenged and the b3 Bishop is now safe on it's natural diagonal in 1.e4 e5 openings. But

White's opening advantage has been blown. Now Black played the stupid....} 6... Bb4+ {7.Bd2 is the best move here because after the obvious...} 7. c3 Bc5 {Ahhhhh....8.Qxc5 Nd3+ wins the Queen.. The pawn was pulled forward to allow Nd3+. You can do tricks and set traps using these squares weakened by pawn moves. I was converted on the spot.} 8. Qg3 {In the actual game White played 8.Qg5 and Black went onto win a nice game. This 8.Qg3 drives
home the point.} 8... Bxf2+ {If now 8.Qxf2 then 8...Nd3+ and if 8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ in both cases winning the Queen.}

1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 {In my opinion at our level the only way to play against the King's Gambit. Take it on head to head.} 3. Nc3 {Not the best reply. 3.dxe5 e4 is how is usually goes Black saccing a pawn for a free game.} 3... d4 4. Nce2 Nc6 5. f5 {It shuts my C8
Bishop out of the game but 5.d3 was better.} 5... d3 {A pawn sac to weaken d3.} 6. cxd3 Bc5 {That move gums his up.} 7. Qc2 {That is not good, the d3 square falls with check.} 7... Nb4 {...and that c5 Bishop is protected tactically.} 8. Qxc5 {White did not read the last note.} 8... Nxd3+ {0-1.}