That is not a random position on the cover it is from a game analysed in the book.
Keres - Eliskases, Norway 1938.
FEN
8/5R2/P7/1P6/3k4/8/r4p2/2K5 w - - 0 52
[FEN "8/5R2/P7/1P6/3k4/8/r4p2/2K5 w - - 0 52"] 52. Rxf2 Rxf2 53. a7 Ra2 54. b6 Kc3 55. Kb1 Ra6 56. b7 {The position on the cover.} 56... Rb6+ {Ka1 then Ra6+ and Rb6+} 57. Kc1 Rh6 {White has no time to promote due to Rh1 mate. The game was agreed draw. We play on to make sure you get the idea.} 58. Kd1 Kd3 59. Ke1 Ke3 60. Kf1 Kf3 61. Kg1 Rg6+ 62. Kf1 Rh6 63. Kg1 Rg6+ 64. Kf1 Rh6 65. Ke1 Ke3 66. Kd1 Kd3 {This is a draw.}
An interesting book that. ‘The Chess Mind’ by Gerald Abrahams.
On the limits of ‘Vision in Chess’ (how far does a master see ahead.)
He agrees it can differ from position to position and as an ego booster
he offers this position White to play and mate in 50 moves. (page 167).
Don’t despair. Look at it and work out the winning plan.
The White King can catch the a-pawn then it’s a simple matter of
playing the King to g4 and taking the f3-pawn. Then the energetic
King trots all to the way to a6 stalemating the Black King forcing
Black to play f4-f3. Again the King sets off and takes the f3 pawn.
White plays Kg4, the e-pawn can even under promotes and mates.
You can play it out in your mind or simply visualise the winning
method right up to the end. You are in fact seeing 50 moves ahead.
A study by C. S. Kipling White to play and mate in 50 moves.
FEN
8/kPp5/2P3p1/p1P1p1P1/2PpPp2/3p1p2/3P1P2/5K2 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/kPp5/2P3p1/p1P1p1P1/2PpPp2/3p1p2/3P1P2/5K2 w - - 0 1"] 1. Ke1 Kb8 2. Kd1 Ka7 {Note at no time can Black try Ka6 as White mates quickly with b8=Q.} 3. Kc1 Kb8 4. Kb2 Ka7 5. Ka3 Kb8 6. Ka4 Ka7 7. Kxa5 Kb8 {White now heads for g4 to get the f3 pawn.} 8. Kb4 Ka7 9. Kb3 Kb8 10. Kb2 Ka7 11. Kc1 Kb8 12. Kd1 Ka7 13. Ke1 Kb8 14. Kf1 Ka7 15. Kg1 Kb8 16. Kh2 Ka7 17. Kh3 Kb8 18. Kg4 Ka7 19. Kxf3 Kb8 20. Kg2 {Now off to a6 to force Black to play f3.} 20... Ka7 21. Kf1 Kb8 22. Ke1 Ka7 23. Kd1 Kb8 24. Kc1 Ka7 25. Kb2 Kb8 26. Ka3 Ka7 27. Ka4 Kb8 28. Ka5 Ka7 29. Kb5 Kb8 30. Ka6 f3 {Phew...back again to pick off another pawn on f3.} 31. Kb5 Ka7 32. Ka4 Kb8 33. Kb3 Ka7 34. Kb2 Kb8 35. Kc1 Ka7 36. Kd1 Kb8 37. Ke1 Ka7 38. Kf1 Kb8 39. Kg1 Ka7 40. Kh2 Kb8 41. Kg3 Ka7 42. Kxf3 Kb8 43. Kg4 {Now to force home the e-pawn} 43... Ka7 44. f4 exf4 45. Kxf4 Kb8 46. e5 Ka7 47. e6 Kb8 48. e7 Ka7 49. e8=R {This is showing off for effect.} 49... Ka6 50. Ra8 {So the next time some non-player asks you how far you can see. Set up this position and say '50 moves.'.}
In the ‘Imagination: It’s Use and Abuse’ section Abrahams slips this one in.
Fish - Abrahams, Liverpool 1930
FEN
r1b2rk1/ppp2pp1/2n1pq1p/b2p4/2PP4/PQNBPN2/1P3PPP/R3K2R b KQ - 0 1
[FEN "r1b2rk1/ppp2pp1/2n1pq1p/b2p4/2PP4/PQNBPN2/1P3PPP/R3K2R b KQ - 0 1"]
1... e5 {Opening up the game whilst the White King is uncastled.} 2. cxd5 {2.dxe5 was better. White it thinking the c6 Knight will move and he can steal the e-pawn..} 2... exd4 3. exd4 Re8+ 4. Kf1 {White possibly thought the worse was over, } 4... Qxf3 {Now 5.dxc6 Bh3 threatening mate on g2. 6.Rg1 Qxd3+} 5. gxf3 Bh3+ 6. Kg1 Nxd4 {Threatening mate on f3 and hitting the Queen.} 7. Qd1 {Looks OK. Saved the Queen and the mate on f3 is now covered.} 7... Re1+ {Deflects the Queen off f3 and....} 8. Qxe1 Nxf3 {...Checkmate.}
We have an RHP example of this trick....It was missed.
chacao - greatsphinx RHP 2011
FEN
r1b2rk1/pppp1ppp/5q2/2bP4/3n4/3B1N2/PPPP1PPP/R1BQK2R w KQ - 0 9
[FEN "r1b2rk1/pppp1ppp/5q2/2bP4/3n4/3B1N2/PPPP1PPP/R1BQK2R w KQ - 0 9"] 9. c3 Re8+ 10. Kf1 d6 {If Back had found the sac then this move allowing Bh3+ might have been called trap of the day.} 11. cxd4 Bb6 {Black is just a piece down.} 12. Qc2 {Black now played Bg4 and actually won after some bad errors by White....by now you should be looking at.} 12... Qxf3 13. gxf3 Bh3+ 14. Kg1 Re1+ 15. Bf1 Rxf1 {Is how the game should have finished.}
We have a White example (Well not quite...but it’s close.)
Sicilian Smaug - kin3 RHP 2006
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 {The O'Kelly variation of the Sicilian. Not too bad if White plods ahead with 3.d4} 3. c3 {White ignores 2...a6 and builds a centre.} 3... d6 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 e6 6. Be2 {The no nonsense approach. Simple development.} 6... Nc6 7. Be3 Nf6 8. Nc3 Be7 9. O-O Qc7 10. h3 {Stopping Ng4 Bishop hunting ideas. I prefer Rc1 but that is coming soon.} 10... Bd7 {It's a developing move but so was castles which leaves options open with a square on d7 for the f6 Knight in the case of e5.} 11. Rc1 {Black should now get in pawn to d5 before White does. But 11...d5 12.e5 and the f6 Knight has no d7 to run too. It looks grim.} 11... Rc8 {Inviting trouble. Game on.} 12. d5 exd5 13. Nxd5 {If...Qd8 then 14.Bb6.} 13... Qb8 14. Nb6 {Saying 'Hello' to Black's 2nd move (2...6) which White, with Black's help, has turned into a weakness.} 14... Rd8 15. Bc4 {The Bishop takes up a dynamic post to get more involved. Black should castle and try to hang on in the middle game.} 15... Na5 {Seeking exchanges when cramped is a good idea. But......} 16. Bd5 Nxd5 {Black exchanges off his best minor piece and now....} 17. Nxd5 {Black cannot castle (Ne7+). Another option was 17,exd5 and the a5 Knight falls to coming b4.} 17... Nc6 18. Bf4 {Castling ideas are still on hold. 18....0-0 19.Rxc6 and Nxe7+.} 18... Be6 19. Re1 {Every White piece, including the White King is better than it's counterpart A calamity is coming.} 19... Bxd5 20. exd5 Na7 21. Qd4 {Proper Chess. Every White piece is in action and finally now the Queen moves in kicking up the dust..} 21... Kf8 {Unpins e7 and holds the g7 pawn.} 22. Bh6 {22.Rxe7 Kxe7 23.Qxg7 was another way. Such positions throw up all kinds of combinations.} 22... Bf6 {OOPS! but the game was gone. 22...Rg8 23.Ng5 Bxg5 24.Bxg5 Rd7 (what else?) 25.Qxa7 Qxa7 26.Rc8+ mates.} 23. Qxf6 {Black plays one more move.} 23... Rg8 24. Qe7
Weave the pawn through the maze to the promotion square.
Untangle the letters to find four famous Grandmaster names.
IIRG.
IETR
EUWE
EINF
First we see Black walking into a Queen winning trap. White fails to spring
the trap. Undeterred Black nicks yet another pawn in a effort to trap his own
Queen. This time Black’s determination, which has to be admired, is a success.
padfoot300 - niiczk RHP 2009
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ Qxf6 6. Bd3 {6...Bd7 then the d-pawn really is hanging.} 6... Qxd4 {7.Bb5+ wins the Queen as was played in Pawnb4dawn - Costad, RHP 2012 1-0. Costad knows all about this opening. See the next games.} 7. Nf3 Qg4 8. h3 {8...Qh5 9,Bg4 threatening g4 is another way for Black to lose their Queen. 9...f6 stops that idea.} 8... Qxg2 {No doubt thinking if the obvious 9. Rg1 Qxh2 and Black is OK.} 9. Rh2 {One Queen caught in a net. 1-0.}
I think it was last week we mentioned how one can learn from their losses.
It appears not all the time. Witness Costad falling twice for the same trap.
Farnaby - Costad RHP 2011 and Roadstar - Costad RHP 2014
(And nine other Red Hot Players have all lost exactly the same way.)
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ Qxf6 {We saw this in the last game.} 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bd3 {Setting two traps. 7...Nxd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.Bb5+ wins the Queen. Two other games on RHP have gone that way,} 7... Bd6 {Black spots the Nxd4 trap but has missed....} 8. Bg5 {....The Black Queen is lost. 1-0.}
We bring the shutter down on these tales of misery with a Black win based on the
Queen winning theme. Look out for a very Crafty McNasty trap set by bluephantom.
saint isaac - bluephantom RHP 2011
1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 3. dxc5 Nc6 4. e3 e5 5. Bg3 Bxc5 6. Bb5 Bd6 {This backward move, protecting the e-pawn hides a pitfall into which White tumbles.} 7. Qxd5 {The phrase, 'Check all Checks' means you look at the checks both for and against you.} 7... Bb4+ {The White Queen drops off the board. 0-1.} 0-1
Solutions to Puzzles.
GIRI
RETI
EUWE
FINE
If you have anything to say or add then please use Thread 168594
