The Backward Facing Knight and Lolli

on 05 Sep 18

4891 views

1.	Rh2	Kg7
2.	Rg2	Kf6
3.	Rf2	Kg5
4.	Rg2	Kh4
5.	Rh2	Kg3
6.	Rh3	Kxh3

1.	f6	g6
2.	Qc1	Kh8
3.	Qh6	Rg8
4.	Qxh7	Kxh7
5.	Rh3

1.	exd5	cxd5
2.	f6	dxc4
3.	Qh6	Rg8
4.	Rg4	Qc5
5.	d4	Qf8
6.	Qxh7	Kxh7
7.	Rh4	Qh6
8.	Rxh6

1.	Qg5	Kh8
2.	Qh6	Rg8
3.	Rg3	Qd7
4.	Rg5	Ne3
5.	Qxh7	Kxh7
6.	Rh5

1.	e4	e5
2.	Nc3	Nf6
3.	f4	d5
4.	fxe5	Nxe4
5.	Qf3	Nxc3
6.	dxc3	Be7
7.	Bd3	Be6
8.	Bf4	O-O
9.	Qh5	g6
10.	Qh6	Kh8
11.	Nf3	Rg8
12.	Ng5	Bxg5
13.	Bxg5	Qf8
14.	Bf6	Rg7
15.	h4	Nd7
16.	h5	Nxf6
17.	exf6	Rg8
18.	Qxh7	Kxh7
19.	hxg6

Picked this book up on the 1986 Kasparov - Karpov World Championship
by Wade, Miles, Bronstein, Hartston....(phew!).... Blackstock, Martin....

Here is a picture of the cover listing all the names.

It’s OK, reasonable notes, nice bit of background chit chat and the book is built
to last (a lot of my books fall to pieces during study), but.....there is always a but.

The diagrams and figurine notation is playing havoc with my pattern vision.
They have the Knights facing right instead of left and it looks very strange.

Things look worse when they use another feature of the book. Each game is noted up
but they also show the same game with no notes, just a diagram after every two moves.

And that silly Knight makes it look like Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Giambattista Lolli (1698 – 1769)

An Italian chess player and author who one day, fed up waiting for television to
be invented, decided to mess about with King & Queen v a King & Rook ending.

He discovered that this position with White to move is a draw.

8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h

White to play and draw. Lolli 1763.

Here is the drawing procedure. I’d pay attention here because this idea may
save you a ½ point. More than 250 years later some RHP players missed it.

FEN 7k/8/8/8/8/4q3/R7/5K2 w - - 0 1
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1. Rh2 Kg7
2. Rg2 Kf6
3. Rf2 Kg5
4. Rg2 Kh4
5. Rh2 Kg3
6. Rh3 Kxh3
-4

[FEN "7k/8/8/8/8/4q3/R7/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
1. Rh2+ Kg7 2. Rg2+ Kf6 3. Rf2+ {If the Black King strays onto the e-file then Re2 pins the Queen to the King.} 3... Kg5 4. Rg2+ Kh4 5. Rh2+ Kg3 6. Rh3+ Kxh3 {That is stalemate. Note if the King is on g3 White checks g2 and if King goes to f3 then Rg3+ is the same. Stalemate idea.}

I offer you Four RHP players all missing this stalemate in all four corner s of the board.

None of the lads played the stalemate move in brackets and all went onto to lose.

A = kuldeep Sharma - Nishi Kant Gupta RHP 2013 (76....Rb7+)
B = dartsman - Palimpsest RHP 2011 (65...Rg6+)
C = Kresten - sameeh RHP 2014 (83...Rb3+)
D = wiz444 - traut777 RHP 2012. (100....Rg3+)

We are having so much fun with Lolli let us look at the Lolli Mate.

8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h

And this gives us a chance to see some good RHP games in action.

First we see the Lolli in it’s basic form. A perfect example from an RHP game.

anom asil - Farzad Farsee RHP 2017

FEN r4rk1/5ppp/pq2p3/3p1P2/2pP4/2P3R1/PP4PP/1Q3RK1 w - - 0 1
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1. f6 g6
2. Qc1 Kh8
3. Qh6 Rg8
4. Qxh7 Kxh7
5. Rh3
0

[FEN "r4rk1/5ppp/pq2p3/3p1P2/2pP4/2P3R1/PP4PP/1Q3RK1 w - - 0 1"]
1. f6 {The White pawn on f6 is an important part of the Lolli pattern.} 1... g6 {Black cannot allow Rxg7+ and Qxh7 mate.} 2. Qc1 {The Queen gets ready to land on h6 with mate on g7.} 2... Kh8 {Preparing to defend g7 with Rg8.} 3. Qh6 Rg8 {The Lolli Mate Pattern.} 4. Qxh7+ {It never matters how many time you soundly sac your Queen, it's always enjoyable.} 4... Kxh7 5. Rh3 {Checkmate.}

Now you have seen one we look at a game where Black did not know the Lolli Mate.

Biagio Bascetta 2 - Sc111 RHP 2017

FEN r4r1k/1p1n1p1n/p1p3p1/q2ppPP1/2B1P2Q/1P1P3P/2P3R1/3N1RK1 w - - 0 25
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1. exd5 cxd5
2. f6 dxc4
3. Qh6 Rg8
4. Rg4 Qc5
5. d4 Qf8
6. Qxh7 Kxh7
7. Rh4 Qh6
8. Rxh6
0

[FEN "r4r1k/1p1n1p1n/p1p3p1/q2ppPP1/2B1P2Q/1P1P3P/2P3R1/3N1RK1 w - - 0 25"]
25. exd5 cxd5 26. f6 {White sees it. It is not quite sound but the important thing is that Black cannot see it.} 26... dxc4 27. Qh6 Rg8 28. Rg4 {White is threatening Qxh7+ and Rh4 mate.} 28... Qc5+ {OOPS! Black had a defence here with 5...Nf8 protecting the Knight on h7.} 29. d4 {Black has no time for Nf8 the Black Queen is attacked.} 29... Qf8 {Black still gets mated.} 30. Qxh7+ Kxh7 31. Rh4+ Qh6 32. Rxh6

Same theme but this one has an instructive twist well worth knowing.

Shelrock57 - gregory eyetech RHP 2017

FEN r2q1rk1/5p1p/2pP1Pp1/pp2P3/2n2P2/6Q1/P1B4P/R5RK w - - 0 27
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1. Qg5 Kh8
2. Qh6 Rg8
3. Rg3 Qd7
4. Rg5 Ne3
5. Qxh7 Kxh7
6. Rh5
0

[FEN "r2q1rk1/5p1p/2pP1Pp1/pp2P3/2n2P2/6Q1/P1B4P/R5RK w - - 0 27"]
27. Qg5 {Black can see Qh6 and mate on g7 coming so acts...} 27... Kh8 28. Qh6 Rg8 {....the basic pattern of the Lolli Mate.} 29. Rg3 {Black can now kill the mating threat with 3...Qf8.} 29... Qd7 {This stops Rh3 but White is not finished with the Lolli idea.} 30. Rg5 Ne3 {Black seems blissfully unaware he is about to be Lollied.} 31. Qxh7+ Kxh7 32. Rh5 {The g6 pawn is pinned. Checkmate.}

We end this piece on Giambattista Lolli with a full game.

PAWN RIOT - jose sureda RHP 2010

8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1. e4 e5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. f4 d5
4. fxe5 Nxe4
5. Qf3 Nxc3
6. dxc3 Be7
7. Bd3 Be6
8. Bf4 O-O
9. Qh5 g6
10. Qh6 Kh8
11. Nf3 Rg8
12. Ng5 Bxg5
13. Bxg5 Qf8
14. Bf6 Rg7
15. h4 Nd7
16. h5 Nxf6
17. exf6 Rg8
18. Qxh7 Kxh7
19. hxg6
0

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 {The Vienna Opening.} 2... Nf6 3. f4 d5 {Acknowledged as the best move for Black in this position.} 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qf3 {An idea of Steinitz. 5.Nf3 is the most popular choice but Pawn Riot has scored well with this on here.} 5... Nxc3 6. dxc3 {6.bxc3 is a good alternative planning on a strong centre with d4 but again Pawn Riot knows this set up well and prefers this capture.} 6... Be7 7. Bd3 Be6 8. Bf4 O-O {Black castles into a storm. Never castle because you can - castle because you must. I think the great Pillsbury said that. 8...Nc6 or 8...Nd7 were better moves.} 9. Qh5 g6 10. Qh6 Kh8 {No need for this How about 10...Re8 getting ready to kick that Queen off h8 with Bf8.} 11. Nf3 Rg8 {Practically forced due to the coming Ng5 and the mate on h7.} 12. Ng5 Bxg5 {A bad mistake. 12...Rg7 and Black is hanging on. Now it's all bad news.} 13. Bxg5 Qf8 14. Bf6+ Rg7 15. h4 {White with the Lolli idea in mind is waiting for Black to eventually develop the b8 Knight so it can take on f6.} 15... Nd7 16. h5 Nxf6 {See the previous note. Black had to try 16...Kg8 if he wants to avoid being mated. He is still losing but now he gets Lollied.} 17. exf6 Rg8 18. Qxh7+ Kxh7 19. hxg6 {Double Check and Mate.}

The thread accompanying this blog is...

penguinkeeper - AlekhineReborn RHP 2011

8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h

White missed 29. Qxh7+ mating Black and went onto lose.

Blicher - Dreamthief RHP 2012

8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h

White missed 23. Qxh7+ mating Black and went onto lose.

Pololo - willysan RHP 2011

8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h

White missed 28. Qxh7+ mating Black and went onto lose.

SirLurch - joaodelisboa RHP 2017

8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h

A wee bit trickier 25.Nxf7+ Bxf7 26.Qxh7+ mates. but 0-1 on move 42.

The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 178298

The Backward Facing Knight and Lolli

The Planet Greenpawn

The Backward Facing Knight and Lolli

Posted to The Planet Greenpawn

The Planet Greenpawn