I bought a bag of small plastic babies for 20p and did this (it took me ages.)
A term given to Kings that are getting hounded all over the board often picking up
material on the way with Rooks, Queens, Knights and Bishops shooting at the them.
This next game is not really a good example of a Steel King, its more of a King Walk,
but as I did that drawing and I like this game I had to match both of them up somehow.
A. Anderssen - J. De Riviere, Paris, 1858
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Ng5 {Worth a try instead of the usual 5.0-0. This line also avoids the Wilkes Barre variation.} 5... Ne5 {The good guys prefer 5...d5 but if you intend going that way book up on it.} 6. Bb3 h6 7. f4 hxg5 8. fxe5 Nxe4 {Now 9.Qxd4 is the current hot choice as this natural move ...} 9. O-O {meets...} 9... d5 {And Black is doing OK.} 10. exd6 {Here 10...Qxd6 inviting 11.Bxf7+ Kd8 is great fun for Black. (see next game)} 10... f5 11. Nd2 Qxd6 12. Nxe4 Qxh2+ 13. Kf2 {Black is on top here but read on...} 13... fxe4 14. Qxd4 Be7 15. Qxe4 Bf5 {Setting an obvious trap. 15...Bh3 looks good.} 16. Bf7+ {Black missed this one. Now both Kings are on the run.} 16... Kxf7 17. Qxf5+ Kg8 18. Qd5+ Kh7 19. Qe4+ {19...Kg8 and a perpetual....} 19... Kh6 {...not in them days. perpetual draws would get you thrown into the streets} 20. Be3 {20.Rh1 Qxh1 21.Bxg5+ Kxg5 22.Qxe7+ goes into a Queen v two Rook ending.} 20... Rhf8+ 21. Ke2 Qh5+ 22. g4 Qh2+ 23. Rf2 Rxf2+ 24. Bxf2 Rf8 25. Rh1 {That move took Black by surprise. White has a charming idea in mind.} 25... Rxf2+ 26. Kd3 {Plan A. Run the King to g8 and mate Black with Qh7.} 26... Rd2+ 27. Kc4 Rxc2+ 28. Kd5 Bf6 {Black has not twigged onto Plan A, if they had then they would have played 28...Bd6} 29. Ke6 Bxb2 {Hoping to play Rf2 before White plays...} 30. Kf7 Rf2+ {Too late. If the Bishop had gone to d6 31.Kg8 Rf8 would be checkmate.} 31. Kg8 {Black resigned. An eventual Qh7 mate cannot be prevented.}
We pull up another goldie oldie to give us an idea of the fun to be had with 10...Qxd6.
I. Kan - G. Levenfish, Russian Ch. Leningrad, 1933
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Ng5 Ne5 6. Bb3 h6 7. f4 hxg5 8. fxe5 Nxe4 9. O-O d5 10. exd6 {Now instead of 10...f5 how about...} 10... Qxd6 11. Bxf7+ {It's just a check. You have been checked before, and will again, it's just a check. Ignore it.} 11... Kd8 {But Black threatens mate on h2. Do not ignore checkmates.} 12. g3 d3 {This is a good move opening the classical diagonal.} 13. Qe1 {Played to hold e3 and g3.} 13... Qb6+ {Giving the check and keeping c5 open for the f8 Bishop.} 14. Be3 {14.Kh1 Qc6 is good for Black but better than 14.Be3 which meets...} 14... Bc5 {15.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 16.Kh1 Qxc2} 15. Rf3 Bg4 16. Bxc5 {No choice but White is lost here, one cute move from Black is coming up.} 16... Qxc5+ 17. Re3 Be2 {Nice. White resigned. 18.Qc1 d2.}
I do these drawings myself. I used to employ a full time artist. Magnus Carlsen.
Not Magnus Carlsen the chess player, this is Magnus Carlsen the drawer of things.
Not drawing at chess like Magnus Carlsen does sometimes but drawing as in drawing.
You know what I mean. Drawing with a pen on paper. Yes Magnus Carlsen the chess
player uses a pen and paper to write down his moves but it’s not really drawing is it?
I do not want you to confuse the Magnus Carlsen you know with the Magnus Carlsen I know.
When I think about it, you might not know the Magnus Carlsen I don’t know either, maybe...
There are more than 250 checkmates under 12 moves on RHP with this basic pattern.
It pops up in practically every opening. Two examples.
McKyla - MarcNYC RHP 2019
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. d4 Bf5 4. b3 a6 {Black is waiting for White to play....} 5. Bc4 {...so they can play...} 5... Qxg2 6. Qf3 {Black should just take on f3 and then on c2 and be two pawns up.} 6... Qg6 {But the idea of Be4 was too strong to resist.} 7. Qxb7 {It's possible Black saw 7. Qxb7 and had a nifty reply in hand.} 7... Be4 {A smart Bishop fork. it has one drawback.} 8. Qc8 {Checkmate.}
Next is a game from this year and it shows some good practical thinking by White.
Dan90 - sw67 RHP 2022
1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 {Rarely seen at the top level, but quite often and with a fair amount of success at the lower end.} 2... d6 3. Qf3 {The usual follow up on RHP. It should not succeed, even v not the best play.} 3... f6 {3...Nf6 then 4...Nc6 with Ne5 coming was a way to go.} 4. Nh3 {I'm thinking White intends Nf4 then Qh5+ and if g6 then Nx6.} 4... Bxh3 {Not good. Again 4...Nc6 with Ne5 coming. Note on e5 the Knight also covers the square g6.} 5. Qxh3 g6 {This does not help either. White now cashes in on Black given up the light squared Bishop.} 6. Qe6 {OK but 6.Qb3 hitting the g8 and b7 looks better.} 6... Nh6 7. d4 Qa5+ {Understandable, Black wants to give the King some room and create counterplay.} 8. Bd2 Qb6 {...thinking this hit on b2 might distract from playing Bxh6 and Qf7+} 9. dxc5 {A nice move. 9.Qc8+ Qd8 10 Bb5+ Nd7 11.Bxd7+ wins a piece but White wants more.} 9... Qxb2 {9...Qxc5 was the move. Now it's....} 10. Qc8 {...Checkmate.}
Colours reversed and Black scores over 120 thanks mainly to the Englund Gambit.
(and Blanca) Quite a few players are unaware what the trap is. This year alone we have;
Eanna - El Segoviano RHP 2022
jjleblanc - lantignie RHP 2022
khosrow- chess player 34728 RHP 2022
FERQUIROS - Blanca RHP 2022
PeanutsbySchulz - Blanca RHP 2022
In case you are wondering Blanca has caught RHP 28 players with this trap.
1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 {Now just give the pawn back and play chess. 5.Nc3 Nxe4 6.e4 the Black Queen is misplaced.} 4. Bf4 Qb4+ {5.Nc3 Qxf4 6.Nd5 and Nxc7+ is apparently playable but very rarely seen.} 5. Bd2 Qxb2 {Now White has to play 6.Nc3 answering 6...Nb4 with 7.Nd4.} 6. Bc3 {This move looks like a winner but now....} 6... Bb4 {...White is lost.} 7. Qd2 Bxc3 8. Qxc3 Qc1 {checkmate}
This weeks trap has the same idea. It is from the fertile mind of Bronstein who tried it
without success in a serious OTB game. It has been set just once on RHP. Sadly it was
not sprung. (I saw it working recently at a blitz game, it’s what prompted this piece.)
So if you ever get the chance and want to become immortal then you must go for it.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 {The Accelerated Dragon. Played 17,400+ times on RHP.} 3. d4 {played 8,400+ times on RHP It's playable.} 3... cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nf6 {This position has been seen just over 1,000 times on RHP.} 5. Bb5 {92 times. Ready to answer 5...Nc6 with 6.Bxc6.} 5... Qa5+ {Three times. Most will play a6 here, White still gets an OK game.} 6. Qc3 { This is the trap.} 6... Qxb5 { Somebody here will fall for this. Don't let it be you.} 7. Qxc8 {Checkmate.}
Let me know when you have a victim.
By the way the Bronstein set the trap in Bronstein v Zhidkov USSR Ch. 1972
Taken a few days ago. Chess in Princes Street Gardens. (I won that one on time.)
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 193357
