The Chess Candidate Playing Cards

[FEN "1rr3k1/2n2p1p/1pq1pPpB/p1ppP3/2nP2PP/1QP2N2/P1P2K2/1R5R w - - 0 23"]
23. h5 a4 {Now the fun starts. Imaging seeing this at home as White and watching it all come to fruition.} 24. hxg6 fxg6 25. Ng5 axb3 26. f7+ Kh8 27. Nxh7 bxc2 28. Nf6 cxb1=Q {Black is two Queens up. Any Bishop discovered check meets Qxh1 So first...} 29. f8=Q+ {...Two Queens down so White sacs another. This move, as we shall see, actually blocks f8 as a flight square for the Black King.} 29... Rxf8 30. Bg7+ {Double check! The King must move on a Double Check. It is the only legal response.} 30... Kxg7 31. Rh7 {Checkmate! Bravo!} 1-0

[FEN "2kr4/p7/1qPP3p/6p1/4Np2/5P2/2R3PP/3Q2K1 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kh1 Qe3 2. d7+ Kc7 3. Qd6+ Kb6 4. c7+ Kb7 {White now has 5.Qc6 Checkmate.} 5. cxd8=Q {5.cxd8=N+ mated in two. White broke two of our golden rules here. Check all Checks and Pause before Promotion.} 5... Qe1 {White has been checkmated.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 g5 {Not the best move I've seen on RHP. White's reply is the perfect answer.} 4. d4 Qf6 {Bringing your Queen out before should only be done if it absolutely necessary. The threat to the White d-pawn is an illusion, the Queen is just a target.} 5. Bxg5 Qg6 6. O-O Qxe4 {Asking for trouble.} 7. Nxe5 Nxe5 8. Re1 Qf5 {Well that is the Black Queen gone. All part of Plan Nine. The plan being to fill White so full of over confidence they will/might make a mistake.} 9. Rxe5+ Qxe5 10. dxe5 d6 11. Qf3 {White's Queen joins in with an immediate threat. Mate on f7.} 11... Be6 12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. Bf6 Nxf6 14. Qxf6 Rg8 15. Qxe6+ Kd8 16. Qxg8 {Black is taking Plan Nine a bit too far. I wonder how much more material they are willing to give up.} 16... Kd7 17. e6+ Kc6 18. e7 Re8 {19.Qc4+ and 20.exf8. on c4 the Queen can drop back to f1.} 19. exf8=Q {Plan Nine. It never fails.} 19... Re1 {That's checkmate.}

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 c5 4. e5 {Black should now go for 4...cxd4 5.exf6 dxc3 the ensuing position is OK for them.} 4... Ng8 {Always look for a reason never to play an undeveloping move like this, see the previous note. This sad Knight does not make another move.} 5. d5 d6 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. dxe6 {Here 7...fxe6 is the best looking choice in a bad position.} 7... Bxb5 8. exf7+ Kxf7 9. Qd5+ Ke8 10. Nxb5 Qa5+ 11. Nc3 {Recap. White is a pawn up and has a Black King stuck in the middle of an open board} 11... Nc6 12. Nf3 {White now prepares to tuck the King out of the way so the h1 Rook can join the game.} 12... h6 {Played to stop Ng5 but instead of wasting a move 12...Nge7 hitting the Queen and getting a piece out was better.} 13. O-O Rd8 {Nge7 was still playable. We are reaching the juicy part of the game where it's time to STOP and start working things out.} 14. Re1 dxe5 {White can now play a piece winning sham Queen sacrifice. 14.Nxe5 Rxd5 15.Nxc6+ Kf7 16.Nxa5 winning back the Queen and a safe piece up.} 15. Rxe5+ Be7 {15...Nxe5 was better. White is making difficult for themselves. Now 16. Qe4 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 and the hole created by that wasted tempo 12...h6 returns to haunt Black.} 16. Qe6 {But White has a better idea....} 16... Nxe5 17. Nxe5 {With the Queen on e6 White threatens mate on f7 and also has Qg6+ at his disposal. Looks good but....} 17... Rd1+ {...add another name in the book of those who have fallen for a back rank mate.} 18. Nxd1 Qe1