It is White to play and win. I’ll take you though it.
FEN
5BKN/8/2p2k2/3p2p1/p1pP1pP1/2P1pP1P/1P6/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "5BKN/8/2p2k2/3p2p1/p1pP1pP1/2P1pP1P/1P6/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Ng6 {1...Kxg6 will transpose. If 1...Kxg6 then 2.Be7.} 1... e2 2. Be7+ {Now Black will have to take the Knight.} 2... Kxg6 3. h4 {If 3...gxh4 4,Bxh4 and the Bishop covers the promoting square e1.} 3... e1=Q 4. h5+ Kh6 {Only move.} 5. Bf8 {Checkmate.}
Three puzzles for you to solve. A bit harder than usual but I give clues.
Though 2nd hand is perhaps the wrong term. I could tell by the freshness and how
stiff it was that the book had not been opened since the day it was published in 1998.
Wonder where it came from? Who buys a chess book on a particular opening
and never even opens it? Which is a bit of shame because within it’s pages will
be (or so I thought) one of the most successful opening traps on Red Hot Pawn.
Yes it is our old friend 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Qf3
Black loses a piece.
Greco first mentions it in 1620. The first RHP victim was in May 2002 the latest
one I have found is in December 2022. This site has more that 2,000 White wins.
But the book makes no mention of this trap nor the counter trap.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Qf3 {This is where many RHP players as Black have resigned,} 6... Qc7 {Might as well try this, You are going to lose to a piece. If it does not work...then resign.} 7. Qxa8 a6 {Too stop Qxa7 when the Queen escapes. Now it's best to play 8.Qf3} 8. Nf3 {This plausible move carried the lesson - do relax when winning.} 8... Bb7 9. Qa7 {The Queen stayed on a8 for one move too long.} 9... Nc6 {Possibly best here is to jump ship with as much booty as you can and play 10.Qxa6} 10. Qc5 e5 11. Qd5 Nf6 {The White Queen is trapped.}
The book does look at 3.e3 but it is relegated to a few pages in an odds and sods chapter
at the end of the book without mentioning 3...b5. The book, written for Black’s point
of view, concentrates on 3.Nf3 after 2...dxc4 as it prevents Black from playing 3....e5.
Fair enough but I think it could have been pointed out to avoid any reader having an
accident. Also the reader might be a Queens Gambit player. A line worth knowing.
There is another sideline featuring the same idea (Qf3 and taking the a8 Rook) and
this too is popular on Red Hot Pawn (over 280 times) in OTB games I have over
40 examples but this time the whole idea is faulty and only 10 times has Black found
the refutation on RHP. In OTB games 20 times Black has known about the best move.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nc3 {Another 3rd move relegated to the odd and sods chapter.} 3... c6 {The book only covers 3.....e5. which is a far better move} 4. e3 {White spots an idea. But it is not the same as the Greco Qf3 trap.} 4... b5 5. Nxb5 {This is wrong, thought it looks tempting and has been played numerous times.} 5... cxb5 6. Qf3 Qc7 {The trap in the main version. Here it is the best move and gives Black a good game.} 7. Qxa8 Bb7 {Because in this line the a-file is not opened there is no need to play a6.} 8. Qxa7 e5 {Black is now threatening Nc6 winning the Queen.} 9. d5 {Trying to wriggle out of the trap White has placed themselves in.} 9... Bc5 10. d6 Bxd6 {To save the Queen White has to play...} 11. Bxc4 bxc4 12. Qa4+ {Before Black plays Na6 and Bc5. Queen trapping ideas worth knowing.} 12... Bc6 13. Qxc4 Bxg2 {Black is well on the way to winning.}
What else have I found on Red Hot Pawn. Oh Yes! both Queens capture all four
Rooks in the space of 3 moves each. When the last Rook is taken it is checkmate.
Markus3105 - Neilster RHP 2012
FEN
1r4k1/p4ppp/8/3p2q1/2pQ4/2N5/PrPR1P1P/2K4R w - - 0 26
[FEN "1r4k1/p4ppp/8/3p2q1/2pQ4/2N5/PrPR1P1P/2K4R w - - 0 26"] 26. Qxd5 {A piece down it would be unwise for Black to trade Queens. So they set a trap.} 26... Qf4 {Hoping Black will try Qd8+ Rxd8 and only then realise that the d2 Rook is pinned.} 27. Re1 h6 {Luft before White finds a back rank tricks that works.} 28. f3 {Saving the h2 pawn. Qe5 is more challenging.} 28... Qf6 {Spotting a tactical shot.} 29. Re3 {White has missed the idea.} 29... Qxc3 {Rxc3 Rb1 mate. But now Qxf7+ Kxf7 Rd7+ and Rxc3 White has a flight square on d2.} 30. Qd8+ {The same idea as Qxf7+ but this way does not work.} 30... Kh7 {I wonder if White thought they were still winning this game.} 31. Qxb8 {The first Rook is captured by a Queen.} 31... Qxe3 {The second Rook is captured by a Queen.} 32. Qxb2 {The third Rook is captured by a Queen.} 32... c3 {A little pawn move before the fourth Rook is taken.} 33. Qb3 {The only move to avoid checkmate was Qxc3 going into a totally lost ending.} 33... Qxd2+ {The Fourth Rook is taken and it is checkmate next move.}
