The Games Explorer + The Eccentric Bishop

1. e4 d5 2. e5 Nc6 {OK. I can never argue with a developing move. However 2....c5 first, then consider Bf5 and e6. A French defence without a poor Black Queen's Bishop.} 3. Nf3 e6 4. d4 {We have gone into a French Defence where the c6 Knight is now hindering c5 undermining the White centre.} 4... Bd7 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. Bxc3 {I'd have played bxc3 here. The Bishop points at the Kingside if Black goes 0-0 (see White's 14th move). An open b-file if they 0-0-0 and two shots at playing c4 to open up the centre if the King does not castle. Always think of attacking the King.} 7... Nge7 8. Bd3 O-O {9.Bxh7+ the Greek Gift Sacrifice must be on here. I hope jrps33 considered it. 9.Bxh7+ Kxh7 10.Ng6+ Kg6 (10...Kg8 11.Qh5) 11. h5 or 11.Qg4 looks good. OTB I'd stop analysing here. Never try to bust your brain looking for
the mate. Do it in stages else you won't see it and will convince yourself the sac is unsound. Trust your instinct.} 9. Ng5 h6 10. Bh7+ {That looks dodgy but White can just get away with it without dropping a piece.} 10... Kh8 {Now 11.Qh5 or even h4.} 11. Qd3 {That's not going to do anything.} 11... hxg5 {Now sometimes with this pattern on the board. you can play g4 and h4 opening up the h-file (you play g4 first to stop the Black g-pawn from advancing) but here it's not going to work. Too slow. Black can play g6 and take the Bishop.} 12. O-O {Now it's going all wrong. in such positions 0-0-0 should be the plan.. The d1 Rook gets into play via d3. The h1 Rook backs up an h2-h4 push. You need more men pointing at the King.} 12... g6 13. Qh3 Kg7 {Now if only back on move back move 7 White had played 7.bxc3 the Bishop would be on d2 and 14.Bxg5 would be a winner.} 14. Bd2 {Now it's too slow. Black should play Rh8.} 14... Nxd4 {An incredible pawn steal. The Black King is in peril despite White wasting moves. This blatant piece of materialism has give the advantage back to White.} 15. Bxg5 {The threat is Bf6 Checkmate. The only way to stop it is
15...Nef5 when Black drops the Queen.} 15... Rh8 {That stops 16.Bf6 mate but White should now play 16.Qh6. That's checkmate.} 16. Bf6+ {White missed it. As I write jrps33 has 55 other games on the go. It’s up to them but for I’d recommend dropping it to 10 and taking your time.} 16... Kf8 17. Bxh8 {A couple of eccentric Bishops on h7 and h8. Fortunately White is still winning.} 17... Nef5 18. Bxg6 {Good play. White sacs a Bishop (I still think it could have been whacked on h7 back at move 9) to let the Queen take over.} 18... fxg6 19. Bf6 Qe8 {White spots the Qh8+ and Qg7 mate pattern. The only thing stopping is that Knight on f5.} 20. g4 {The Knight cannot move. Black has to play something like 20...Qf7, and hang on by your finger tips and hope White messes it up.} 20... Ng7 21. Qh8+ Kf7 22. Qxg7 {Not too bad. No
really silly blunders, the basics are there, jrps33 went for the King which is always a good sign. A wee bit of polish needed. There is a good player hiding in there trying to get out.}

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nf3 Bb4 6. Bd3 O-O {The position is the picture.} 7. Bxh7+ Kxh7 8. Ng5+ Kg6 9. h4 {The threat of h4-h5+ is deadly (see what a difference the c1 Bishop makes if it's on the c1-h5 diagonal.)} 9... Rh8 {And why not. Everything gets mated or wins the Black Queen.} 10. Qd3+ f5 11. exf6+ Kxf6 12. Qf3+ Kg6 13. Qf7+ Kh6 14. Nxe6+ Kh7 15. Qxg7 {Is just of the many ways White can win this. Note White plays checkmate and not NxQ.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bb4 {I've heard this described as pinning the ghost of a Knight.} 4. c3 Ba5 5. b4 {Natural but the good guys refrain from this move playing Na3 and Nc5 getting the Eccentric Bishop off the board.} 5... Bb6 6. a4 {Constant and no doubt expected.} 6... a5 7. bxa5 {Now how about 7...Rxa5 keeping the Bishop on the more active diagonal and planning doubling up on the isolated a-pawn. It's an idea.} 7... Bxa5 8. O-O Nf6 {There is the culprit. This goes against the spirit of the
defence. This Knight should go to e7.} 9. Bxc6 {White is after and will get the e-pawn. End of opening analysis. We cannot blame the opening if Black does not play in key with the 4...Bb4 idea.} 9... bxc6 10. Nxe5 Nxe4 {Ouch. That's a risky looking pawn to take with the e-file open.} 11. Re1 {That e4 knight s lost. This opening has been a bit of a failure. The eccentric openings usually are if met correctly but the Black player has screwed this up.} 11... d5 {12.d3 and Black plays on a piece down.} 12. Nxc6 {Whoops! White chomps another pawn this time it's a baddie.} 12... Qf6 {White should have considered that move. The c6 Knight is hit and so is f2. Maybe he did. The Knight is pinned. The King is castled. All Black has is one check.} 13. Nxa5 {OK give me your one check.} 13... Qxf2+ 14. Kh1 {Black now played 14...Rxa5 and resigned a few moves later 14.d3. But if Black had looked at the position he would have noticed that the White Queen is the only piece stopping Qxe1 checkmate. So kick the Queen.} 14... Bg4 {That would have been a good mirror image of an eccentric Bishop. I’ve told you hundreds of times. Queens make lousy defenders.} 15.Rxe4+ {Forced if one wants to play on.} 15... dxe4 16. Qg1 {Only move.} 16... Qxg1+ 17. Kxg1 Rxa5 {And Black has a very nice position and is the exchange up.}

[FEN "2q5/8/6p1/B6p/7k/7P/R5PK/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. Rc2 {Like all studies this begins with a surprising first move.} 1... Qxc2 {The Rook was threatening to go to c5 setting up g3 and Bd8 mates. The Black Queen could not handle both threats.} 2. Bd8+ g5 3. Ba5 {Threatening 4.Be1 mate and not allowing Qc7+. The Black Queen cannot come off the 2nd rank because it unpins the g-pawn allowing g3 mate.} 3... Qe2 {Preventing Be1 mate.} 4. Bc7 {Stopping Black from playing Qe5+ and now threatening Bg3 mate. The Bishop is dancing rings around the Black Queen on an open board.} 4... Qf2 {The only move that prevents Bg3 mate and still pins the g-pawn.} 5. Bd6 {Brilliant! Zugzwang. Black cannot play g5 due to Be7+ and any Queen move allows either Bg3 mate or g3 mate.} 5... Qf4+ {Last try. White might play 6.Bxf4 gxf4 and it's a draw.} 6. g3+ {No draw here.} 6... Qxg3+ 7. Bxg3 {Checkmate.}

[FEN "8/P4p2/7p/1p4p1/4b3/2kp4/2p5/2K5 w - - 0 44"]
44. a8=Q {Leave it....play d7 Checkmate.} 44... Bxa8 {That was clever....Stalemate.}

[FEN "1k4r1/p7/p1Q5/2p5/2P1P2B/1P4P1/q6P/3R2K1 w - - 0 37"]
37. Rd8+ Rxd8 38. Bxd8 Qa5 {After every unforced move you should ask yourself 'Why has my opponent made this move'.} 39. Bxa5 {Very often the answer is not because they have blundered. This is a stalemate. White should have slipped in Qd6+ and then taken the Queen.}