They are here at last, Whoopee! I’ll be cruising Carlsen like in my neighbour
looking cool as I shoot a few hoops. (that’s Basketball for you uncool nerds.)
The adverts promotional bit.
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(that is wrong, Magnus has only won the title once and defended it four times.)
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Black to play and mate in two.
The first correct answer gets the left shoe.
The second correct answer gets a right shoe.
The third correct answer gets a left shoe.
You are no doubt thinking that I’ve stolen the single display shoe from
the display rack at three different outlets. You guessed wrong because;
Three puzzles for you to solve. The first ‘hidden’ is a clue.
In this position with White to play. Ding Lien has just played 11...g5.
Giri played 12.Nxg5 and set about working against the pinned Knight on f6.
This is a relatively common Knight for two pawns and pressure sacrifice. The first
time I can find it being played was in the Labourdonnais - McDonnell match in 1834.
Ding knew he was entering risky territory playing 11...g5 (he took 10 minutes) Giri took
4 minutes before playing 12. Nxg4 but he had no choice. 12.Bg3 leads to a poor position.
Before looking at the Anish Giri-Ding Liren game lets us look at some ground rules
The critical pattern. The Basic Attacking and Defending Ideas.
The most common ways of piling on the pressure on the pinned
f6 Knight are Qf3. Nd5 and f4 with e5 hitting the pinned Knight.
This f2-f4 idea can be combined with a Rook on f1 taking on e5.
Black’s most common defensive ideas are Kg7 (mainly against Qf3)
Be7 If Black can break the pin this way then it is difficult for White.
Stop Nd5 by either taking on d5 or c6. Qe7 with Qe6 breaking the pin.
Look out for a Black Queen check to break the pin (after f4 by White.)
If there is a Knight on c6 it can drop back to b8 and reappear on d7.
Look at this position from Lizard King - dinc RHP 2021.(Black to play)
The e2 Bishop is stopping Qf3. The move f4 cannot be played. The only way to put
pressure on the pinned f6 Knight is Nd5. Black played d6 and after Nd5 it was 1-0.
Let us see how it could have been defended and a plausible what happens next.
FEN
r1bq1rk1/1ppp1p2/pbn2n1p/4p1p1/4P2B/P1NP1N2/1PP1BPPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 10
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/1ppp1p2/pbn2n1p/4p1p1/4P2B/P1NP1N2/1PP1BPPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 10"] 10. Nxg5 hxg5 11. Bxg5 {This is where Black played d6 and was lost after Nd5.} 11... Bc5 {The only move to stop an immediate disaster. Break the pin.} 12. Nd5 Be7 {With the Bishop on e7 f2-f4 options now appear.} 13. Nxe7+ {Keep the pin on also Black was threatening to win a piece with Nxd5 and Nxe7.} 13... Qxe7 14. f4 {OK but with f4 played in any position with the King on g1 carries a risk.} 14... exf4 15. Rxf4 {A typical mistake on RHP. White had to try Kh1.} 15... Qc5+ {Lets run with this fairy story. Some here are not brutal enough winning won games.} 16. Kh1 Qxg5 17. Rf3 {Threatening Rg3.} 17... Ng4 {OK I'll fall for it,} 18. Rg3 Nf2+ 19. Kg1 Qxg3 20. hxg3 Nxd1 {I think most here can win that as Black.}
This is fun, let us look at another needlessly lost game because of slack defending
GMForsythe - fredrickrivenson RHP 2022 (Black to Play)
Seeing the two major threats Nd5 and Qf3 Black only stopped just one and they
played Kg7 to take the sting out of Qf3 but after Nd5 it was 1-0 a few moves later.
Let’s try defending it. If I get what I think is an unclear position in these situations
I always go for the sac, so should you. The attackers moves are the easiest to find.
FEN
r2q1rk1/1bp2p2/p1np1n1p/1pb1p1p1/4P2B/P1NP1N1P/BPP2PP1/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 12
[FEN "r2q1rk1/1bp2p2/p1np1n1p/1pb1p1p1/4P2B/P1NP1N1P/BPP2PP1/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 12"] 12. Nxg5 hxg5 13. Bxg5 {Instead of Kg7 how about....} 13... Nd4 {Stops Qf3 and Nd5 can be answered by Bxd5.} 14. Nd5 {Frees c3 to kick the d4 Knight away from covering f3.} 14... Bxd5 15. exd5 {Taking back with pawn and the d4 Knight is running short of squares.} 15... Kg7 {Black can see Qf3 coming so double protects the pinned Knight.} 16. c3 Nf5 {Only move for the Knight,} 17. Qf3 {It is still an awkward position for Black, unclear enough for White to play the sac.} 17... Nh6 {Either this or Kg6. On h6 the Knight can drop back to g8 covering f6.} 18. d4 {Shut this Bishop out, bringing the a2 Bishop into the game and set a trap.} 18... exd4 19. cxd4 {The trap is Bxd4 then Bxh6+ then Qf4+ and Qxd4. If I win the piece back I'm happy.} 19... Bb6 20. Rae1 {Bring the Rook into the game before playing Bb1. Re3-g3 ideas forming.} 20... Nhg8 {That was the idea of Nh6 but it looks grim for Black. The Nf6 pin is winning.} 21. Qf4 {Stopping Bxd4 protecting f6 and now I can see no good moves for Black.} 21... Re8 22. Bb1 {White is in no rush.} 22... Rxe1 23. Rxe1 c5 {What else? I now wrap it up for you with a wealth of attacking ideas.} 24. Bh6+ Nxh6 25. Qg5+ Kf8 {Kh8 comes to the same thing.} 26. Qxh6+ Kg8 27. Re3 {The Rook lift is a common motif in this situation.} 27... Ne4 {Trust me, nothing but Black giving their Queen and Knight can stop mate.} 28. Rg3+ {Yes I'm having fun. We will wrap up with a Queen and Bishop two step.} 28... Nxg3 29. Bh7+ Kh8 30. Bg6+ Kg8 31. Qh7+ Kf8 32. Qxf7
Finally a pin breaking return sacrifice. Look out for this in the main game.
blunt hedgehog - ziggy57 RHP 2009
FEN
r1bq1rk1/1ppp1ppp/pbn2n2/4p3/PPB1P3/2PP1N2/5PPP/RNBQK2R w KQ - 0 8
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/1ppp1ppp/pbn2n2/4p3/PPB1P3/2PP1N2/5PPP/RNBQK2R w KQ - 0 8"] 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 d6 10. h3 g5 {Setting up this weeks theme.} 11. Nxg5 hxg5 12. Bxg5 {This next trick worked because White does not have a Knight on d2.} 12... Bxf2+ 13. Kxf2 Nxe4+ {A Knight on d2 would now allow 14.Nxd4 protecting the g5 Bishop.} 14. dxe4 Qxg5 {And Black went onto win.}
So now we look at the Giri-Ding Liren game and you see both players using
the same ideas we saw in the RHP games only in a slightly more subtle way.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 {The Italian Game. One reason is to avoid the popular Berlin Defence to the Lopez.} 3... Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 {5.c3 or 5.0-0 are by far the most common moves here.} 5. Bg5 {But this too has been played fairly often at the top level.} 5... h6 {The most popular reply to 5.Bg5.} 6. Bh4 d6 7. c3 a5 8. Nbd2 {This Knight stops any Bxf2+ and Nxe4+ unpinning tricks.} 8... Ba7 {Giri has had this position as Black his opponent, Grischuk played 9.h3.} 9. a4 {White has delayed Castling waiting for Black to tip their hand.} 9... O-O {In The Grischuk game Anish played 9...g5 before 0-0. White played Bg3.} 10. h3 {A standard move inn this set up limiting the scope of the c8 Bishop.} 10... g5 {Ding suspected the sac was coming. h6 and g5 is risky once Black has castled.} 11. Nxg5 hxg5 12. Bxg5 {From what we have seen in the previous games we know Qf3 is coming.} 12... Kg7 {Black knows it is coming and plays this before Qf3.} 13. Qf3 {White has to play this to keep the squeeze on.} 13... Be6 {Covers d5. White cannot play 14.Bxe6 fxe6 and the f8 Rook also holds f6.} 14. Nf1 {14....Bxf2+ and Nxe4+ are on but 15.Ke2! and the f-file is opened for a Rook on f1.} 14... Rh8 {To take away the idea of Ng3 and Nh5.} 15. Ne3 {Hoping to get in an eventual. Nd5 or Ng4, also a Nf5+ is in there.} 15... Qe7 {Black would like to take the e3 Knight but it opens the f-file for business.} 16. O-O-O {Giri castles getting ready to throw the Kingside pawns at Ding Liren.} 16... Rag8 {The Rooks are taking active stations once the problem on f6 has been resolved.} 17. Rhf1 {f4 is coming.} 17... Nb8 {To get onto d7 to help hold f6.} 18. d4 {This stops Nd7 due to d4-d5 trapping the e6 Bishop.} 18... exd4 19. cxd4 Nbd7 {Played now the e5 square is clear 20.d5 Ne5 and Black is OK.} 20. e5 {To put a Black pawn back on e5 so d5 can be played.} 20... dxe5 21. d5 {White has won his piece back but it allows Black some tactical chances.} 21... Qb4 {The Black Queen at last gets out of the f6 pin.} 22. Qe2 {The threat was Bxe3+ and Qxc4+} 22... Bxh3 {The Bishop is lost, Black sells it's soul for a pawn.} 23. gxh3 Kf8 {Gets the King out of the way to try and get the Black Rooks into the game.} 24. h4 {Black will have to sac the exchange for that powerful g5 Bishop.} 24... Bd4 {That Bishop has taken up a good post. White won't let it stay there.} 25. Rxd4 {Good Move. Also knowing he will get the exchange back. Black has to take out the g5 Bishop.} 25... exd4 26. Nf5 {d6 and Qe7 mate is suddenly on the board.} 26... Rxg5 {Giving back the exchange for some freedom. d6 is stopped due to Rxf5.} 27. hxg5 Ne5 {Both sides are now fishing for a time trouble blunder. 28.Qxe5 Qxc4+} 28. Bb5 Nfg4 {if 29.f3 aiming to win the e5 Knight then 29....Rh2 is 0-1.} 29. Kb1 {Good time trouble move. No Queen c-file or sudden Nd3 checks.} 29... Kg8 {Getting away from any back rank check with e7 and g7 covered but...} 30. Nh6+ {...it walked into this shot. Ding was in bad time trouble with 10 moves still to make.} 30... Nxh6 {If this Knight is not taken then White will play Nxg4.} 31. Qxe5 Ng4 {Only free square for the Knight.} 32. Qxc7 {Nicking a pawn and threatening Qc8+ and Qxg4.} 32... Kg7 {Prevents the Qc8+and Qxg4 threat.} 33. g6 {33...Kxg6 then 34.Rg1. All the tricks are working in White's favour.} 33... Rf8 34. gxf7 d3 {A last attempt to cloud the issue. At least now the g4 Knight is protected.} 35. Rg1 {Now 35..Qe4 with d2 discovered check coming meets 36.f3 Qxf3 37 Qe5+} 35... Rxf7 {This is the end. 35...Qe4 was the last try instead of this.} 36. Qc3+ {1-0 The wrap up is...} 36... Qxc3 37. Rxg4+ Kf8 38. bxc3 Rxf2 39. Rd4 d2 40. d6 {That's enough.}
