Where was I? Oh yes. This DVD.
Which I finally picked up at E-Bay and watched it just a few days ago.
It’s OK. All about a lad who was a good chess player but developed some
social problems. So to give himself something to take his mind of his own
predicament and help out the poorer kids in the neighborhood he helps to
starts up this Chess Club, The Eastern Knights (which is still going today.)
Not too much chess on display. There are glimpses to show the makers knew
enough about the game but chess takes a back seat as he and his nephew bond.
One wee point. In the final to add drama they have one of the Eastern Knights
dropping two pieces in the opening. You see that in the film, they are lost thus.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 {So far so good, the Two Knights Defence.} 4. Nxe5 {Er.....not too good.} 4... Nxe5 5. d4 {Even worse.} 5... Nxc4 {And White won this though you are not shown how.}
Of course the loss of two pieces in the opening is for the none or casual players
to add a bit of dramatic effect. The good guy is losing but he will win in the end.
I know what your are thinking? Has any RHP game gone this way? Yes!
But sadly this one does not finish with our hero in the White hat winning.
Arionn - mfoolb RHP 2011
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nxe5 Nxe5 5. d4 Nxc4 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Qe2 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 O-O {Black gives back one of the pieces to tuck the King away, smash the impressive White centre and catch up in development.} 9. Qxc4 Nxe4 10. O-O d5 11. Qd3 Bf5 12. f3 Ng3 13. Qxf5 Nxf5 {I think we have seen enough.}
Blundering away pieces is all well and expected when the lads here are playing
dozens of games at once and opening experiments are the order of the day but
how about this mega-blunder from the ongoing 2016 Tata Steel Tournament.
S. Mamedyarov (2747) - P. Eljanov (2760) Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee .2016
White, who was not in time trouble played 38.c5 leaving a Rook hanging.
A grateful Black took it and White promptly resigned. What can you say?
Same tournament produced a nice try by Mickey Adams to save a lost game.
D. Liren (2766) - M. Adams (2744) Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee 2016
[FEN "3n1k2/R4p2/3N2p1/4K2p/5P1P/3rP1P1/8/8 w - - 0 55"]
55. Rd7 Rxe3+ 56. Kf6 Re6+ 57. Kg5 Kg7 {White cannot play 4.Rxd8 f6 is checkmate.} 58. f5 {If 4....gxf5 5.Nxf5+ and Rxd8. Black has one arrow left.} 58... Re3 59. f6+ Kh7 60. Rxd8 Re4 {This deserved more but all credit to White for seeing it coming. Black is threatening Rg6 mate and if White takes the Rook then it's stalemate.} 61. Rh8+ {The heart breaker though Mickey must have expected White to find it. Black resigned here because.} 61... Kxh8 {The stalemate threat has been lifted.} 62. Nxe4 {And that is a simple win.}
I have some nice examples of Rook and Knight stalemates from RHP games.
roundersrush - tory clow RHP 2011
[FEN "8/6kp/8/6p1/7r/4K2P/1R2N3/8 w - - 0 48"]
48. Ng1 h6 49. Kf3 Kg6 50. Kg3 Kh5 {The Black King has tucked himself nicely amongst his pawns to create stalemate chances.} 51. Rb6 Rd4 52. Nf3 Ra4 53. Rb5 {The g-pawn is pinned. Black is only going to get one chance at saving this and this is it.} 53... Rh4 {White should ignore this and move the Rook.} 54. Nxh4 {That's stalemate. Brilliant!}
Next White shuns a couple of mates in one to get the stalemate.
sagator - kingquoble RHP 2011
[FEN "8/5r2/5P1p/7p/6kP/6P1/4N1K1/4R3 w - - 0 45"]
45. Rf1 {Black best chance here to take the f6 pawn as RxR would be stalemate.} 45... Rf8 {Rf4 Checkmate.} 46. f7 {White missed it.} 46... Rd8 {Rf4 Checkmate.} 47. f8=Q {White missed it.} 47... Rxf8 {Rf4+ forcing RxR and there is no stalemate.} 48. Rxf8 {Stalemate. Incredible but somehow justice was done.}
Last one. Again stalemate was taken instead of the checkmate.
jena - jack roberts RHP 2012
[FEN "8/8/5p1R/4pk1p/5n2/5PK1/6r1/8 w - - 0 45"]
45. Kh4 Re2 46. Kg3 Kg5 47. Rxh5+ {Black played 3...Kxh5 Stalemate. The checkmate is....} 47... Nxh5+ 48. Kh3 Nf4+ 49. Kg3 Rg2
I was leafing through this book...
....and I came across this.
What is ‘Illegal Chess?’ He had a computer (HAL) in his left shoe.
No. Stanley Kubrick was playing chess in the park for money which
is actually illegal although the authorities tend to ignore the hustlers.
So no Jaw dropping fact there, however in the Oxford Companion to
Chess by Hooper and Whyld there is a case of was it meant or was it
just an unfortunate slip of the pen. I must admit it took me by surprise.
It concerns the section on Julius Perlis (1880-1913) a gifted player
who was taken from us at the age of 33 when showing great promise.
The final paragraph reads:
‘Never reached his peak’ and dying in a mountaineering accident....
Julius Perlis does have a fun Queens odds game linked to his name.
J. Perlis - N.N. 1900’s. (Black to play.)
As I said this was a Queen Odds game and J.P. is down to his last piece.
Here is how the game was meant to have finished. (It may be composed.)
[FEN "8/1p3p1p/p4P1k/P4Pnp/6pP/6P1/5PBq/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
1... Nh3 {Black quickly played this to finish the game. White cannot make a move without losing his Bishop or being mated on f2.} 2. Bxh3 {2....gxh3 and Black wins. Instead Black played...} 2... Qxh3+ {....what is wrong with that.} 3. Kg1 {OOPS! the Black Queen is trapped. Black is reduced to pawn moves.} 3... b5 {Even if Black gave up the Queen with Qxg3+ or Qxh4 this move (or 3...b6) would eventually be forced.} 4. axb6 a5 5. b7 a4 {Now when I first saw this White takes a Queen and mates on f8 but White can also take a Bishop.} 6. b8=B a3 7. Bf4 (Almost certainly composed but you never know, stranger things have happened on the chessboard....Things that will make your jaw drop.)
We have a theme. Lone Bishops outplaying Queens.
Eif - rnarend RHP 2011
Where White instead of playing the most natural move gets too clever.
[FEN "3r4/6k1/1Q6/5pPp/6bP/1P4K1/P2p4/8 w - - 0 43"]
43. Qf6+ Kg8 {Now the simple 2.Qxd8+ and 3.Qxd2 the game is over.} 44. g6 {Looks OK. If 2...d1=Q 3.Qf2+ mate next move.} 44... Rd7 45. Qe6+ Kf8 46. Qxd7 {White is so preoccupied by his threat ( 4...d1=Q 5.Qf2 mate) he misses the trick.} 46... f4+ {CHECK! followed by Bxd7. White resigned.} 0-1
Cowrot - creams RHP 2012
White knocks back a few clear draw and walks into a self mate.
[FEN "3q2b1/3k2P1/6Q1/4K3/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 69"]
69. Qd6+ Ke8 {Now QxQ+ and that is a draw.} 70. Qc6+ Kf7 {3.Qd5+ is Queens off and it's a draw.} 71. Qe6+ Kxg7 72. Qg4+ Kf8 73. Qf5+ Bf7 74. Kf4 Qd2+ 75. Ke5 Qe3+ {This a book draw. The Queen and Bishop cannot force a win.} 76. Kf6 {OOPS!. If it was White's move he could play.8. Qc5+ here as 8...Qxc5 is stalemate. Unfortunately it is Black's move.} 76... Qe7 {Checkmate.}
dk0009 - Sake RHP.2009
An alert White reduces Black’s Queen to a mere spectator.
[FEN "8/5kp1/4p3/Pp2bp1p/1PbPp1q1/2Q1P1P1/3B1P1P/6K1 w - - 0 32"]
32. dxe5 Qd1+ {2.Kg2 Qf1 mate.} 33. Be1 Qe2 {Black has the classic opposite coloured Bishop attack. The threat again is Qf1 checkmate.} 34. h4 {Now 3...Qf1+ 4.Kh2 Be2 followed by Bf3 White is getting mated.} 34... Qg4 35. a6 Qh3 {Now we see Black's idea. it's Bf1 and Qg2 mate.} 36. Qxc4 {White has time for this due to the fact Black took the Queen right out of the game.} 36... bxc4 37. a7 {Black resigned.}
D4yDre4m - Gnobody RHP 2013
White stalemates Black but the win was there.
[FEN "7Q/5K2/8/8/8/8/1p1k4/b7 w - - 0 67"]
67. Qd4+ Kc2 68. Qc4+ Kb1 {White now played 3.Ke6 Stalemate. The winning method is....} 69. Qc8 Ka2 70. Qc2 Ka3 71. Ke6 Kb4 {It matters not what Black tries all White needs is the King and Queen mating pattern.} 72. Kd5 Kb5 73. Qc4+ Kb6 74. Qc6+ Ka7 75. Qb5 {White covers b1 and plays Kc6 and Qb7 mate.}
