by greenpawn34 on Nov 22 2011 23:09 | 6795 views | 7 edits | Last edit on Jul 18 2014 03:07
RHP lad davaniel paid a visit to Tallinn in Estonia.
Bored, he took a stroll along the Baltic coast when suddenly the brisk sea
air reminded him of the RHP blog.
Off he rushed to the local toy shop and bought a magnetic Chess Set
and set up the Baltic opening. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5
This total commitment to RHP is admirable.
It was so cold he was the only nutcase outside and using the ’Lonely Joe’
feature on his tourist camera he managed to take a picture of himself.
Magnificent dedication. There is Dan freezing in the heart of Keres country and all
he can think about is the RHP Blog. I am eternally grateful.
So lets us have a quick look at the Baltic Opening.
(some sources say 1.Nc3 is the Baltic Opening… I’ll stick with davaniel)
Every opening has at least one trap concealed within it.
(Trust me on this. Show me an opening and I’ll show you it’s opening trap
with an excellent chance of someone on RHP falling for it.)
The Baltic Opening trap deserves more RHP victims because it’s
moves are perfectly logical and any White player playing first glance Chess
will walk straight into it. Behold…
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 3.cxd5 {Swaps a wing pawn for a centre pawn, opens a file against c7 and hopes to gain a tempo on the Black Queen after 3...Qxd5 with 4.Nc3} 3...Bxb1 {Like all good opening traps it must violate at least one opening principle. Here chopping a developed piece for an undeveloped piece ticks that box.} 4.Rxb1 Qxd5 {Hitting the a-pawn which is defended thus...} 5.b3 Nc6 {Hitting the d-pawn which is defended by the natural follow up to 5.b3} 6.Bb2 e5 {Now a treble hit on the d-pawn.} 7.dxe5 {Played no doubt expecting 7...Qxd1+ 8.Rxd1 and White is a healthy pawn up.} 7...Bb4+ {OOPS! White now loses his King & Queen. 1–0. }
Cheers davaniel, let's have more of these. Send pictures to:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qa5 {So far as per 100's, nay 1,000's of games. In this dream White plays a trappy continuation rather than the regular 9.Nxe4} 9.Nxd4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 f5 {The only move but good enough. White cannot win the pinned Knight with 11.f3? Bc5! } 11.Bg5 {Black now just simply needs a calm head and he will emerge from the complications ahead in material and position.} 11...Qc5 12.Qd8+ Kf7 13.Rad1 Nxg5 14.Qe8+ Kg8 15.Rd8 h6 {To neutralise the threat of Nd5-Ne7+ } 16.Nd5 Kh7 17.h4 {The h-pawn steps forward. } 17...Ne4 18.Rxe4 {The h-pawn cannot be disturbed with Qxf2+ and Qxh4+. Not in this dream.} 18...fxe4 19.h5 {Threatening mate in two with 20.Qg6+ or 20.Nf6+} 19...Bf5 {Stops both threats but 19...Rg8 was much better because White can now get a winning position with 20.Qf7. But this dream is not about the Queen. This is the h-pawn's dream.} 20.Ne7 {And now not 20...Qxe7 but....} 20...Rxd8 21.Qg6+ Bxg6 22.hxg6 {When h-pawns dream.}
Tripped over this humorous finish when looking for something else.
The h-pawn in the real world.
[FEN "8/4r1pp/8/5k2/1PQpq3/6P1/5P1P/2R3K1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Qc8+ Qe6 {This plausible move is a lemon. An alert White shows why. Just goes to show you cannot relax even for one move in Chess and mates spring up even in the most bland positions.} 2. Rc5+ Kg4 {King anywhere on the 6th rank meets 3.Rd6 pinning and winning the Black Queen.} 3. Kg2 {The Black Queen is pinned to the King. There is nothing she can do, there is no 3…Qe4+} 3... Qxc8 4. h3
This Blog has been slightly delayed because I entered Tournament 13041 and have been having the selfish time of my life.
greenpawn34 - Bob RHP 2011
Black makes a common RHP error. Too many pawn in the opening without
really considering the consequences.
My 10th move is the one that novice players should pick up something from
and Black’s unfortunate 13th move is one to avoid.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 a6 6.Bc4 {Asking for....} 6...b5 {Played more than 50 times on RHP. White now wins a pawn plus the exchange.} 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qd5+ Ke8 {This position has appeared 6 times on RHP with all White players taking the a8 Rook. Not me. I can sneak a free developing move before sticking my Queen out of play nicking a Rook. Always ignore the obvious until you have rejected the unobvious } 10.d3 {So it is the h8 Rook that falls, not the a8 Rook.} 10...c6 11.Qe5+ Qe7 12.Qxh8 Nf6 13.Bg5 {Black now slips up badly and falls into x-ray trick.} 13...Qg7 {13…Kf7 was the move here.} 14.Bxf6 Qxh8 15.Bxh8 {And I managed to win that one.}
jcozec - greenpawn34 RHP 2011
Black plays the only way he has ever done since the year dot.
An unsound sac which needs help from White.
Thankfully White underestimates Black play.
1.Nf3 Nc6 2.g3 e5 3.d3 Bc5 4.Bg2 d6 {Not quite a Pirc reversed. No d5. I need to keep the h1-a8 diagonal open to tempt the g2 Bishop off it’s perch.} 5.0-0 Bg4 6.c3 Bb6 {I'm blowing a tempo to put him off d5. I am intending a wing attack I don't want him having centre action ideas.} 7.b4 h5 8.b5 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Nce7 {Played after loads of fun looking at saccing my c6 Knight, b7 pawn and a8 Rook and even letting him get two Queens. It just fails. Instead I have to be happy just giving him my Rook.} 10.Bxb7 h4 {I must press on.} 11.e3 {Blocking my b6 Bishop, this worried me. I thought he was not going to take my Rook.} 11...hxg3 12.fxg3 f5 13.Bxa8 {Hooray! I've sacced the exchange and have an open h-file. Nothing more.} 13...Qxa8 14.Qf3 Qc8 {The best square, eyeing h3 but Black needs an error to get in.} 15.Kg2 {The start of slightly faulty defensive plan intending Rh1 and h3. 15.c4 and Nc3 - d5 looks better.} 15...Nf6 16.h3 e4 {A shot White should not have allowed, now he must not take the e-pawn.} 17.dxe4 fxe4 {Hitting the Queen and h3.I'm in.} 18.Qf4 Qxh3+ 19.Kf2 Ned5 20.Qg5 {The only free square for the Queen.} 20...Ng4+ {White sportingly resigned. Just to give an idea of the mess White is in.} 21.Ke2 Qg2+ 22.Ke1 Qxg3+ 23.Ke2 Rh2+ 24.Kd1 Ngxe3+
greenpawn34 - Ooops RHP 2011
Had loads of fun playing out all the tricks and traps with this one.
A wonderful trade down combination.
White to play. Wrap it up into a pure won King and Pawn ending.
The above position appeared after....
FEN
r3k3/2bbn3/p1p3pp/2p5/2N5/2B2N2/PPP2PPP/3R2K1 w q - 0 1
[FEN "r3k3/2bbn3/p1p3pp/2p5/2N5/2B2N2/PPP2PPP/3R2K1 w q - 0 1"] 1. Re1 {Keeping the King in the centre, at this stage Black can still 0-0-0} 1... Bd8 {Giving me the square d6. But Black is in a difficult position.} 2. Nfe5 Bf5 3. Nd6+ Kf8 4. Nxc6 {A smashing move to find. If 4…Nxc6 5.Re8 mate.} 4... Bd7 {The above position. Watch this.} 5. Nxe7 Bxe7 {ANd now the shot that wins me a piece.} 6. Bg7+ Kxg7 7. Rxe7+ Kf6 8. Rxd7 Ke6 {Oh No I’m not going into a Rook ending and with me gathering the bits to put the pieces back on the board I spotted….} 9. Nc4 {A wonderful shot and I never smelt it. Who says there is no luck in Chess. And it gets better…If Black follows this I’ve lost the Knight.} 9... Kxd7 10. Nb6+ Kc6 11. Nxa8 Kb7 12. f4 {King and Pawn endings are the easiest to play.}
All of that happened till 9.Nc4 then Black opted to play on a piece down
and I duly won it.
And finally just to show I don’t always get my own way and
even (ahem) good players cannot break the developing rules.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 {OK let's attack} 5...h5 6.c3 Qg5 {Get the big lady out with a gain of time hitting the loose Lopez Bishop.} 7.Bc4 d3 {Played to gum up the White development.} 8.Bxd3 Nf6 9.Bc2 Ng4 10.d4 Qh4 (And that's it. I have busted the Ruy Lopez.) 11.Bf4 d6 {Not 11...g5 12.Bg3 wins the Queen.} 12.h3 Bd7 13.Qd2 {Cunning... Threatening 14.Bg5 trapping my Queen. I'm not going to get any change out of this one.} 13...Be7 14.Bg3 Qf6 15.hxg4 hxg4 16.f3 {I have an open file against a King. Now to get my Queen to h6 and mate White. Also sets trap No.1} 16...g5 17.Qe2 {Blast. 17.fxg4 Rh1+ 18.Kxh1 Qxf1+ and I'm back onboard.} 17...0-0-0 18.fxg4 Qh6 19.Bb3 Kb8 {A waiting move to go for trap 2} 20.Bxf7 Rdf8 21.Bh5 Bxg4 {Kb8 was played so that 22.Bxg4 was not a check. Now 22 Bxg4 Qh1 mate.} 22.Rxf8+ {There is of course that....Black resigned.}
Finally, when not wandering along the Baltic coast davaniel paid a visit to
the Paul Keres Chess Club. He took this picture of the plaque outside.
I'll leave comments on. If you want to add a game or position then see Thread 143454
Edit: Paul Keres is the only chess player to appear on currency.
Here he is on the Estonian 5 Kroon note.
That looks correct but when you see a continuation that wipes
off 8 pieces from the board to go into a won K & P ending
it's just too good to let it pass.
Always look to win clever as it keeps you alert when winning.
Won games are often lost because players relax.
Hi Umbreho
I's just a check and nothing more. 19...Qh1+ 20.Kf2.
Save up your checks till you can cash them for a profit.
Only reading quickly, but in the 'ooops' game doesn't 1. Nxd8 (rather than 1. Nxe7) win a piece much more straightforwardly after 1...Rxe8 2. Bf6 ...? The knight is pinned to the rook and I don't see a way back for Black.
I can see why you resigned in that last game... but what I'm not clear about is why your opponent resigned in the reverse fixture. Material is equal and although his queen and bishop are a long way from his king, I'm struggling to see what your game-winning threat is?
That looks correct but when you see a continuation that wipes
off 8 pieces from the board to go into a won K & P ending
it's just too good to let it pass.
Always look to win clever as it keeps you alert when winning.
Won games are often lost because players relax.
Hi Umbreho
I's just a check and nothing more. 19...Qh1+ 20.Kf2.
Save up your checks till you can cash them for a profit.
Only reading quickly, but in the 'ooops' game doesn't 1. Nxd8 (rather than 1. Nxe7) win a piece much more straightforwardly after 1...Rxe8 2. Bf6 ...? The knight is pinned to the rook and I don't see a way back for Black.
I think he is the only person to appear on a note because
he was a chess player.
It's all very sweet really. She may come on and explain.
I can see why you resigned in that last game... but what I'm not clear about is why your opponent resigned in the reverse fixture. Material is equal and although his queen and bishop are a long way from his king, I'm struggling to see what your game-winning threat is?