Christmas is just around the bend so I bought my grand daughter one of these.
Of course I tried one out and this (page 64):
turned into this.
That is Alexander Alekhine, World Chess Champion 1927-35 and 1937-1946
I miss my youth. I want it back.
Yes I can put on a Beatles record and suddenly I’m transported back my teen years
in the 60’s. Long curly hair (I hated my curls, my Beatles cut made me look like I
had an octopus on my head.) my first pair of jeans, my first guitar, my awful chess….
If it’s naff being old, 64 in June, then it’s even more naff being what
is called a good chess player. I cannot bring myself to play some of
the moves you lot play. I’m not having a dig. I’m just pure jealous.
You do not have not the cobwebbed minds of playing over 100’s of GM games and
worrying about pawn structures, weak squares, loose pieces, and acres of opening theory.
It’s not the sight of teenage lovers holding hands that makes me want my youth back.
It’s the freshness of your awful ideas. I want to revert back to when I too had these ideas.
I see what you are up to ‘after’ you have the played the move. (usually, sometimes
you mystify me completely.) I rarely see some of these half-baked, impractical
and just plain crazy moves coming. When the idea becomes apparent I almost cry
Black’s 11th move. Why can’t I play like that….anymore?
kenan - John The Ripper RHP.2008
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 {If we called the g1 Knight 'Spring', the b1 Knight 'Summer', the b8 Knight 'Autumn' and the g8 Knight 'Winter' then this opening would be called the Four Seasons.} 4. d4 {The Scotch variation of the Four Seasons.} 4... Bb4 {A perfectly respectable reply.} 5. Nxe5 {5...castles. Development 'par excellence' is a playable move for thrill seekers. White often gets into bother trying to hold the extra pawn. Black often gets into bother trying to justify the pawns sac.} 5... Nxe5 6. dxe5 Nxe4 {7. Qg4 looks interesting with hits on the e4 Knight and g7. 7...d5 8.Qxg7 Rf8 is an appealing path to explore for those keen on remote routes.} 7. Qd4 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Ng5 9. Ba3 {I like that move. It shows ambition. Note with alarm the following line 8.Bd3 0-0 9 Qh4 hitting the g5 Knight and ghosting a mate on h7. If fails to 9...Nf3+ winning the Queen. (unprotected pieces with a check in the position.)} 9... b6 10. Bc4 Bb7 11. O-O h5 {You have applaud the idea. Some of you may be thinking it's a silly move. Is the plan h5-h4-h3 then gxh3 and Nxh3 mate? No. It's just a wee bit deeper than that.} 12. e6 Nf3+ {Now you see the idea of 11...h5. 13. gxf3 Qg5+ and White cannot play 14,Qg4 because there is a Black pawn on h5. So 13. gxf3 Qg5+ either wins the White Queen or White is mated. 12...Nf3+ forks the King and Queen so White RESIGNED.} 13. Kh1 {Yes. I'm afraid we can add another specimen into the room marked 'Games resigned in won positions.' Because if....} 13... Nxd4 14. exf7 {…..that is Checkmate. The greenpawn is green with envy.}
You never forget our first kiss, your first record or your first stolen car.
Chess players never forget their first Queen sacrifice. (Edit: their first sound Queen Sacrifice.)
Larkie (1533) - cavecanem (1641) RHP 2014
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 {The Danish Gambit. It's easy to remember the theory of this opening. Sac your pawns, get the bits out and use the lead in development and tempo to mate Black.} 3... dxc3 {3...d5! but don't tell anyone. If people stopped grabbing the c3 pawn then there would be large spaces in this blog.} 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 {Good that is the pawns out of the way. Game on and use those open files.} 5... Qe7 {BEWARE - do not fall for Qb4+ tricks .(A slight drawback in giving away those pawns.) michall - kasonga RHP 2014 went 6.e5 Qb4+ and one of the Bishops is in the can. 0-1.} 6. Nc3 d6 7. Qc2 Nf6 8. Nge2 Nc6 9. a3 {BOO! White has made enough pawn moves. This opening is all about development, tempo and ignoring any threats Black has unless it's mate. Nb4 by Black was not a threat due to Qa5+. When you have thrown pawns away you must create threats, not stop ghost threats.} 9... Bd7 10. O-O O-O-O 11. Rad1 {This Rook belongs on the b or c-file. More tempo lost.} 11... Ne5 12. Ba2 Be6 {Black is consolidating their position. White needs to generate some play.} 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. Bxd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 {OK now we can see some threats down the c-file with some Nd5-c6 ideas. But the White Rooks have been misplaced.} 15... Nd7 {Black senses the danger. This beast is head for c5 to block the c-file.} 16. Rc1 {Good. White has admitted they made a developing boob (many players don't. This is a good sign for the future.) and redeployed this Rook. The tempo lost is a lesson learned.} 16... Nc5 17. Rfe1 {White could have this set-up moves ago.} 17... f6 {OOPS! just the error White was waiting for. Black wants to develop the h8 Rook. g7 losses the h8 Rook so f6 prepares g7 and Bh6. But the White Queen is now a target and e6 has been weakened. 17...Qe4 offering the Queen swap was a valid move.} 18. Nf4 Qd7 19. Ne6 Re8 20. Qf5 {Well spotted! This move masks a very nasty surprise. I was thinking White doubles the Rooks on the e-file or Bd4. 20.Qf5 prompts another bad pawn move.} 20... h6 {I've no idea why Black played this. White now carries out the idea.} 21. Nxc5 {White has left their Queen hanging. Good that is why it was played to f5. To lose it. (the word I am stumbling to find is 'Sacrifice.)} 21... Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Qxf5 {Black took it. They was lost no matter what was played.} 23. Re8 {Checkmate. One to show the boys (and of course the girls) in the club.}
You know what is coming next. More horrors from the dark chambers of RHP.
mlourenco - Chestykoff RHP 2013 (White to play)
White is a Queen up and thought chopping wood is a good idea. 15.Bf5
15…Re1 Checkmate.
This next one is slightly annoying. It was played this year and all I have
been doing for the past 4 years is go on and on about Checking all Checks.
The player is not a newbie, they have been here since I started doing this blog.
I think we may be dealing with a none Blog Reader. I’ll test this theory.
wrhine if you are reading this PM me before Sunday and I’ll send
you a copy of my latest book no matter where in the world you live.
None of you other lot PM them to tell him or her - let us see what happens.
(and don’t try PM’ing me from a different account, I’m not that stupid.)
Having said that I’m slightly annoyed is wrong - on the whole I’m happy.
I have yet another example of an RHP player, currently graded under 1300
making a move and winning that not even the strongest computer would play.
Fritz, Rybka, Stockfish, (who names these computers, what are they smoking?)
would never play Black’s 5th move. They would play something else and lose.
wrhine (1233) - l6cum (1255) RHP 2014
FEN
2k4r/ppp1bppp/3r1n2/4p3/2Qn4/1P3BP1/P3PP1P/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 1
[FEN "2k4r/ppp1bppp/3r1n2/4p3/2Qn4/1P3BP1/P3PP1P/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 1"]
1. Qb4 {No your eyes OK. Black is a Queen down. (a mere flesh wound to you guys.)} 1... e4 2. Bg2 Nxe2+ 3. Kh1 Ng4 4. Qxe4 {OK those of you with computers try it. What do they play here.} 4... Rd1 {All credit to Black for spotting it and going for it. White has 5.Qxg4+ and 5.Qxb7+ but they only saw the loose Rook (Check all Checks)} 5. Rxd1 Nxf2 {A Royal Mate. A Queen down and checkmating with two Knights. (A Royal Mate is checkmate also forking a Queen and a Rook.) Black should frame that final position.}
