RHP Treasure + No.9

1. g4 {'The Grob', named after some Swiss lad called 'Grob' or you could call it 'The Spike' which was the name of the same Swiss lad's dog.} 1... d5 {As good a reply as any. 1...g5 the Double Grob is a move. Grob is an anagram of BORG. I'll use that gag next time I note up this opening.} 2. c3 e5 3. Qa4+ Nc6 4. Na3 a6 5. Nb5 {White is playing for tricks from an undeveloped position, as would be expected these can easily be handled by simple developing moves.} 5... Bd7 6. Bg2 axb5 {White is now a piece down and the fun begins. Start counting, most of you will need two hands.} 7. Qxb5 {One.} 7... Ra5 8. Qxb7 {Two.} 8... Qa8 9. Qxc7 {Three.} 9... Bc5 10. Bxd5 {Four.} 10... Ra7 11. Bxc6 {Five. Now change hands.} 11... Bxc6 12. Qxe5+ {Number six is with a check.} 12... Re7 13. Qxg7 {Seven.} 13... Bxf2+ 14. Kxf2 {Eight.} 14... Bxh1 15. Qxh8 {Nine captures on the bounce.} 15... Qg2+ {White played 16.Ke1 and resigned before....} 16. Ke1 Qxg1 {Amazing.}

[FEN "8/1R6/1P4pk/5p2/5P2/5PK1/1r6/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. Kh3 Rb4 {Janowski baits his wee trap. He is offering two pawns, one of them even goes with a check.} 2. Rb8 {Tarrasch played 2...Kg7 and the game was agreed a draw. If....} 2... Rxf4 3. b7 Rxf3+ {Not 4.Kh4 g5 mate. Don't say that would never happen. I know what I am showing you next.} 4. Kg2 Rb3 5. Rh8+ {And White wins.} 5... Kg7 6. b8=Q Rxb8 7. Rxb8

[FEN "8/1R4pp/5p2/1P2pk2/8/5K2/1r3PPP/8 w - - 0 31"]
1. b6 g6 2. Rb8 h5 3. b7 {As long as Black avoids being checked he will be OK.} 3... Ke6 {OOPS! The Black King pops it’s head out from underneath the covers and a Rook is waiting to mug him. 3...Rb3+ was the move.} 4. Re8+ {Black resigned. The b-pawn promotes.} 4... Kd7 5. b8=Q

[FEN "8/p4rk1/3p3p/2p5/R7/7P/P1P3P1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]

1. Ra6 Rd7 2. g4 Kg6 3. Kg2 Kg5 4. Kg3 {Now what ever you do Black do not play 4....d5} 4... d5 {He played it.} 5. h4 {That is checkmate.}

[FEN "4r1k1/5p1p/R3p1p1/8/4P1K1/5PP1/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. h4 h5+ 2. Kg5 Kg7 3. g4 Rh8 4. f4 {Beautiful. A work of art.} 4... f6 {Checkmate.}

[FEN "5k2/1p3ppp/p7/8/1P6/r3P3/P3K1PP/3R4 w - - 0 1"]

1. Rd2 {It seems incredible that from here White finds a way to get himself mated with the Black g-pawn in five more moves.} 1... f5 2. h3 Ra4 3. Rb2 Ra3 4. Kf3 Kf7 5. Kf4 Kf6 6. e4 {There it is....} 6... g5 {Checkmate.}

[FEN "8/8/5pkp/p1R5/4pPPP/P3r3/8/6K1 w - - 0 1"]

1. Rc7 {That ladies and gentleman is a one move trap. A gamble. Black can now play 1...Rg3+ and pick off the g4 pawn. If that happens then White is trouble and in severe danger of losing.} 1... Rxa3 {It worked, Black picks up the a-pawn leaving White with a very difficult decision. Should he give mate with the f-pawn or the h-pawn. Decisions…Decisions…} 2. f5 {White chose the f-pawn. Personally I would checkmated with the h-pawn. It's positional thing, I do not want to concede the e5 square.}

[FEN "8/5pkp/p7/1p3PPp/7P/P1p1KP2/r2p4/3R4 w - - 0 1"]

1. Kd3 Rxa3 {I'm counting four Black connected passed pawns.} 2. f6+ Kg6 3. Ke4 {White sets off up the hill to have one last throw of the dice.} 3... c2 4. f4 {An alert player would now play 4...Re3+ 5.Kxe3 cxd1=Q 0-1.} 4... cxd1=Q 5. f5 {Checkmate.}

[FEN "6k1/5q1p/P5p1/8/3b1Q2/2pP4/2r1rPPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1"]

1. Qxd4 Rxf2 {Black has it all worked out.} 2. Qxf2 {Now 2...Rxf2 3.Rxf2 and the Black Queen will struggle against the two Rooks.} 2... Qxf2+ 3. Rxf2 Rxc1+ 4. Rf1 Rxf1+ 5. Kxf1 c2 {And the c-pawn promotes with a tempo gaining check just one move before the a-pawn.}

[FEN "6k1/R4pp1/7p/8/2p5/7P/P4PP1/2r3K1 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kh2 c3 {Put the Rook behind the passed pawn (2.Rc7) and run the a-pawn. Black will have to eventually play Ra1 then Rxc2 and that is a plain draw.} 2. Re7 {White is on the wrong track. He has come here to attack the pawn on the rank instead of the file.} 2... c2 {OK now play 3.Rc7 and it's a draw.} 3. Re2 {You can see the thinking behind this move. The Black Rook is tied to the c2 pawn. If it moves White takes on c2. The very slight flaw in this idea is...} 3... Rh1+ {The Black Rook vacates c1 with tempo.} 4. Kxh1 c1=Q+ {White resigned a few moves later.}

1. g4 c5 2. Bg2 Nc6 3. c4 g6 4. Nc3 a6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. g5 Ng4 7. h3 {Black has a brain storm. He thinks his g4 night has no retreat. He can play 7...Nge5 here.} 7... d6 8. hxg4 Bxg4 9. d3 Bg7 10. a3 O-O {That is what White was waiting for.} 11. Kd2 {EH? It's simple but effective. He wants to move the h1 Rook up the h-file and play Qh1.} 11... Qa5 12. Rh4 {See previous note.} 12... f5 {OOPS! Black drops another piece.} 13. gxf6 Bxf3 14. fxg7 Rf5 15. Bxf3 Nd4 {Due to the threat of 16...Nb3+ and Nxa1 the Queen cannot go to h1. Of course White can just let the a1 Rook go. It's doing nothing. 16.Qh1 could have been played.} 16. Rb1 Rd8 17. Qh1 Kxg7 18. Rxh7+ Kf6 19. Qh4+ Ke6 {This ends it but all moves lead to doom.} 20. Rxe7

[FEN "r7/p1R2ppp/1p2p3/8/3k4/8/P4PPP/5K2 w - - 0 1"]

1. Rxf7 {The White Rook swings back and forth like a pendulum on the 7th rank munching pawns as it goes. Black on the other hand has a much deeper and better idea.} 1... Rc8 2. Rxg7 {Munch.} 2... Kd3 3. Rxa7 {Munch. It should have been 3.Rd7+ and then Munch.} 3... Rc1 {Mate.}