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The Milan Vidmar Trap

The Milan Vidmar Trap

The Planet Greenpawn

The Milan Vidmar Trap



OOPS!
Title here

Apparently 100's of these were on sale at a tournament in Florida in 2002.
The position is correct, so are the names and the place.........but the price?
red pawns

Title here

At Hasting in 1926 Milan Vidmar (1885-1962) sprang a trap that with the
rise in popularity of the ‘new’ King’s Indian Defence had been lurking on
the board just waiting for it’s first hapless victim to come stumbling along.

It has since then caught 20+ players in recorded tournament play, probably
1000’s at blitz both OTB and on the net. Here it has caught 10 R. H.P. players.

The ‘Trap’ (pitfall is a better word.) can be reached by a logical series of moves
G. Norman - M. Vidmar Hastings1926.

  • 8
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  • 1
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1.d4Nf6
2.c4g6
3.Nc3Bg7
4.Nf3O-O
5.e4d6
6.Bd3Bg4
7.h3Bxf3
8.Qxf3Nc6
9.Be3Nd7
10.Ne2Nde5
11.dxe5Nxe5
12.Qg3Nxd3
13.Kf1c5
14.h4Qd7
15.h5Qe6
16.Rh4Qxc4
17.hxg6fxg6
18.Qh3Nxf2
19.Bxf2Bd4

0

      And of course we just have to add a Red Hot Pawn example.

      matisaastamoinen - niiczk RHP 2011

      • 8
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      1.d4Nf6
      2.c4d6
      3.Nf3g6
      4.Nc3Bg7
      5.e4O-O
      6.Bd3Bg4
      7.h3Bxf3
      8.Qxf3Nc6
      9.Be3Nd7
      10.Ne2Nde5
      11.dxe5Nxe5
      12.Qg3Nxd3
      13.Kd2Nxb2
      14.Rac1c5
      15.h4Qa5
      16.Kc2Nxc4

      0

          red doom

          Always on the look out for Hall of Doom subjects I often stumble across
          an OTB blunder by a good player and then see if any player on here has
          made the same blunder or walked into (as is the case here) the same mate.

          The OTB (Over The Board) example that kicked my search into gear was:

          A. Hamed - N. Short, The Subotica (it’s in Serbia) Interzonal 1987.

          This game has an amusing background story with is worth relating.

          Short needed to win this game to qualify directly from this Zonal into the
          candidate matches. A draw would result in a play-off, against Mikhail Tal.

          Things were not looking too good for Nigel. Infact they were so bad
          halfway through the game when news went around Nigel was losing
          the entire Russian contingent , including Tal, who just drew his game,
          took up the front seats of the playing hall to witness Nigel’s downfall.

          • 8
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          • g
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          1.Re7Rf8
          2.Rb7a4
          3.Rxb5Be6
          4.Rb6Bh3
          5.Rb8Rxb8
          6.Nf7Qxf7
          7.Qe5Kg8
          8.Qxb8Kg7
          9.Qe5Kh6

          0

          Nigel Shorts reports the entire Russian party all rose together and left the hall.

          So with this pattern in mind....

          • 8
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          • 7
          • b
          • 6
          • c
          • 5
          • d
          • 4
          • e
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          • f
          • 2
          • g
          • 1
          • h

          ...I scanned the RHP database looking for such checkmates.

          I found 433 and that is without mirror examples (Kings on b1, b8 or g8)

          Hall of Doom nominees numbered.....er....433 but I have chosen just one.

          Kewpie - 0tt0 RHP 2012

          • 8
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          1.e4Bh3
          2.Nb5Rab8
          3.Nc7Rb3
          4.Ne6Rxf3
          5.Nxf8Rf1

          +13

          Andy Warhol reckoned that everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame.
          (personally I’ve never hear of him till 15 minutes ago.)

          Lesser known Chess players too get their 15 minutes if they pull off a
          fortuitous win against a Grandmaster or produce a classic combination.

          One famous example is the Monk Saavedra who one day saw....
          Title here

          You are correct, I’ve stuck it in Thread 176610

          The player of the White pieces in the following game misses a win that
          produced a final position he would have framed and placed on his wall.
          Instead it has ended up here. (well at least I’m keeping it for posterity .)

          I like a good chuckle at the blunders we see in the Hall of Doom. Be honest,
          we all do. It’s all part of the harmless fun and as 99% of us commit the same
          blunders we can empathise. ‘Done That, Been There, Have the Hat and T-Shirt.’

          But this one is different. It’s an ‘Oh No’. A once in lifetime position.
          The goddess of chess came down from the heavens and touched him.

          It does not belong in the Hall of Doom. The blunders there do not keep us
          awake at night. But I fear this missed win may haunt Ad Parnassum for a
          few sleepless nights to come. Alas he gets 15 minutes in the Hall of Doom.

          Ad Parnassum - Helder Octavio RHP 2018

          • 8
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          • g
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          1.Be2hxg5
          2.Qxg5Nfe4
          3.Qxg7Bf6
          4.Nd6Nxd6
          5.Qxf6Rf8
          6.Rxd6Bd7
          7.Rhd1Rd8
          8.b4Ne4
          9.Nxe4Qe3
          10.Kb2Qxe2
          11.Nc3Qc4
          12.Re1Qc7
          13.Nd5Qxd6
          14.Qe7Qxe7
          15.Nc7

          -1

          That game featured a could have been Knight Checkmate. (An Unheard Melody)
          The Hall already has a fine collection of Knight Mates, here are some new additions.

          Ruprecht - PXPEP RHP 2013

          • 8
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          Black played 31...Ne2 with ideas of Nc3+ and Nxa2.

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          White mated in one move with 32.Nc2.

          progamer56 - de nar RHP 2012

          Usually there is only one square for a Knight to go to give checkmate.

          • 8
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          White, a pawn up, moved his extra pawn and played 34. f3

          • 8
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          Black replied 34...Nd5 Checkmate. The alert reader will note 34...Ne3 is also mate.

          moffatcowboy - Mafkees999 RHP 2011

          Sometimes, as in the last example, all it takes is one thoughtless pawn move....

          • 8
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          • 7
          • b
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          • c
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          • f
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          .....Black played 34....h5

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          Unlike the last example only one Knight square checkmates. 35. Ne5

          Jeronimo - Odinson RHP 2010

          Same theme as last time, the silly pawn move that returns to haunt us.
          • 8
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          Black hit the Knight with 36...c4 37.Nd2 and now look at the position.

          • 8
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          Black has eight legal moves. 37...f6 was played. None could have prevented...

          • 8
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          • f
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          ...Nb1 Checkmate. Beware dear reader. Today it was them, tomorrow it could be you.

          We end these nightmares from the Hall of Doom with the joy that was:

          Costad - djbrentclark RHP 2011

          • 8
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          • d
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          • e
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          • f
          • 2
          • g
          • 1
          • h
          1.f3Kd7
          2.Nc4Kc6
          3.Nb2Kb7
          4.Nc4Nd5
          5.Nd6Kc6
          6.Ne8Nb4
          7.Nxg7Kb7
          8.Ne8Nc6

          -2

          The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 176642

          The Planet Greenpawn

          Last Post
          03 Apr 25
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          Blog since
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