On the 21 February 2015 Red Hot Pawn was 22 Years old. So….
Three things I love more than anything else in the whole wide world.
A good bum on a woman, under promotion with a check and a Quest.
So whilst browsing through the January 1959 edition of Chess Review
I came across an article by Walter Korn (yes he who does MCO) about
readers comments on the recently published Modern Chess Openings 9.
Walter writes he gets fan mail from punters who claim some of the moves
in MCO are simply wrong and their next door neighbour has busted them.
Most of the suggestions and improvement are simple oversights by the
writers but some letters do spot genuine errors in analysis or blunders
The article then continues with analysis sent in by readers of MCO.
I do not have MCO 9. There are missed checkmates in it…..….This is a QUEST!
So before you can say “Nick Nacky Noo” I hot foot it down to McSweens Books.
The swindling dog had it, but it was priced at £11.99.
Now a quest is a quest but £11.99 is nearly £12.00.
So I ripped out the page I was after (don’t worry I’ll put it back.)
Then into ‘Mates’ to look at the game in question.
r1b1k2r/ppp3pp/1bn2p1n/1B2p3/4q3/BQP2N1P/P4PP1/RN1R2K1 w kq - 0 14
[FEN "r1b1k2r/ppp3pp/1bn2p1n/1B2p3/4q3/BQP2N1P/P4PP1/RN1R2K1 w kq - 0 14"]
14. Bd3 Qf4 15. Qd5 Bxh3 16. gxh3 a6 {And this is where MCO 9 stops with the 'unclear.' statement.} 17. Bg6+ {Check all Checks. (even the ‘unclear’ checks.)} 17... hxg6 {Only move.} 18. Qd7 {That looks like Checkmate.}
The Quest is over. Beware of what you read boys. Analyse the Analysis.
OK. Next step, anyone here play a Bg6+ and Queen mate down the d-file.
FvG1 - S Taylor RHP 2013
FEN
r1bqk2r/npp2p1p/6pb/pP2p3/P1P3n1/2NBPN2/1B1Q1PPP/R4RK1 w kq - 0 15
[FEN "r1bqk2r/npp2p1p/6pb/pP2p3/P1P3n1/2NBPN2/1B1Q1PPP/R4RK1 w kq - 0 15"]
One from the Black side. This sadly is a mistake laden game by White but I’ll note it up.
I feel there are a few things worth pointing out. Infact there are 54 reasons to note it up..
be hot - pikejohn RHP 2012
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 {The Scotch Game. Named after the Scotsman John Cochrane who suggested the move for London when London played Edinburgh in the 1823-1829 correspondence match. After losing to this move Edinburgh returned the compliment and played it v London winning the critical 5th game winning the match.} 3... exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bd3 {Incredibly this mistake has been played 54 times on RHP.} 5... Nxd4 {Black is a piece up.} 6. Be3 Nc6 7. a3 d5 8. Bb5 Bd6 {Black sets a Sneaky Pete. He is of course wanting White to win the pinned Knight with 8.exd5 when he had the trick 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Qxd5 Bb4+ winning the White Queen up his threadbare sleeve.} 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. exd5 cxd5 11. Qe2 O-O 12. Bg5 {That's not good. White has obviously not seen Black's next move.} 12... Re8 13. Be3 {Back where it was one move ago.} 13... d4 {And now the poor e3 Bishop is gone.} 14. Qf3 dxe3 {I was expecting White to nick the a1 Rook here. 15.Qxa1 exf2+ mates in a few.} 15. fxe3 Bg4 16. Qf2 {Black could now have played the cute 16...Bg3 17.Qxg3 Qd1+ 18.Kf2 Ne4 mate.} 16... Ne4 17. Qf1 Bg3+ {The mating theme of this week's blog.} 18. hxg3 Qd1
Also in the 1959 Chess Review I found this bright little game.
Posch - Dorrer, Vienna 1958
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxd4 exd4 6. e5 dxc3 7. exf6 cxd2+ {This pawn grab is very dangerous as Black now falls way behind in development . Better to leave the thing on d2 alone and play 7...Qxf6.} 8. Bxd2 Qxf6 9. O-O Be7 10. Re1 O-O {Black got castled OK but the Queen is exposed and tied to defending the e7 Bishop.} 11. Bc3 Qg5 12. Re5 Qf6 13. Bd3 {With the Queen winning threat of Bxh7+ and Rh5+. In the next game the RHP player comes up with possibly a better idea.} 13... h6 {That stops that little idea. White now brings out his Queen with a crafty wee trap.} 14. Qg4 {Clever. If the obvious 14...d6 hitting the e5 Rook and the Queen White intended 15.Qe4 winning the e7 Bishop with a threats of mate on h7 and Rxe7.} 14... Qh4 {Black panics. 14...d5 stops the Qe4 hitting h7 and Rxe7 idea and White will need to move his Queen. 14...Qh4 also stops 15.Qe4 but....} 15. Qxg7+ {...Black missed this shot.} 15... Kxg7 16. Rg5 {Double Check and Mate.}
So has anybody on here played a similar game in this pawn grab variation.
rpsjr - Wiabj RHP 2008
We join the game just after Black has snatched the d2 pawn.
FEN
r1bqkb1r/pppp1ppp/5P2/1B6/8/8/PPPp1PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 8
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/pppp1ppp/5P2/1B6/8/8/PPPp1PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 8"]
8. Bxd2 Qxf6 9. O-O Be7 10. Re1 O-O 11. Bc3 Qg5 12. Re5 Qf6 13. Bd3 {Is White going for the same Queen winning trap as in the above game.} 13... Bd6 14. Rh5 {Apparently not. This move actually looks better.} 14... Bxh2+ {A piece of desperation that one. Black was looking for Kxh2 and Qd6+ getting the Queen out from under attack with a tempo but the Black position is way past help.} 15. Rxh2 Qf4 16. Bxh7+ Kh8 17. Bf5+ Kg8 18. Rh8+ {A nice wee wrap up.} 18... Kxh8 19. Qh5+ Qh6 20. Qxh6+ Kg8 21. Qxg7 {All good fun.}
We end with the ever miserable trip to RHP’s Corridors of Shame.
A popular feature this, I often get sent games to appear in this bit.
The Theme this week is players missing mate and getting mated.
kenny campbell - donut RHP 2008
FEN
2r5/1R1bk2p/6p1/3Pp3/2q2n2/5Q2/5PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 36
[FEN "2r5/1R1bk2p/6p1/3Pp3/2q2n2/5Q2/5PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 36"]
36. Rxe5+ Kd8 {White now spots his weak back rank so creates some air for the King.} 37. g3 {The wrong window for the King to jump out off. Black can now mate with Qc1+ And Qxe1 Checkmate. Lovers of the Queen sac will have seen Qf1+ Kxf1 and Rc1+ Re1 and Bh3+ which also checkmates White.} 37... Bh3 {It's an overkill on g2. Black covers a flight square already covered by the f4 Knight.} 38. Re1 {White defends the back rank just in time.} 38... Ne2+ 39. Kh1 {Black had the chance to play a sound Queen sacrifice a few move ago. Now he offers his Queen in the forlorn hope White takes it.} 39... Qc1 {Of course if Rxc1 then Rxc1 is mate. White saw that...He also saw...} 40. Qf8 {Checkmate.}
Same idea only this time by missing the mate Black actually sets
himself up to be checkmated. There must be a chess term for this.
percival86 - clarencecuasay RHP 2008
FEN
6k1/p4p2/2p1r1p1/8/3r1q1p/P1Q5/1PP3R1/1R3B1K w - - 0 34
[FEN "6k1/p4p2/2p1r1p1/8/3r1q1p/P1Q5/1PP3R1/1R3B1K w - - 0 34"]
34. Re1 h3 35. Rh2 Rxe1 36. Qxe1 Qf3+ 37. Kg1 {Black now checkmates with...} 37... Rg4+ 38. Bg2 {...and Rxg2+. On the surface an easy mate to see and I'm pretty sure if White had been threatening a mate here Black would have played Rxg2+. Instead Black played....} 38... hxg2 {Some players have all the luck. Not only does this move prevent Black from Checkmating White. It allows....} 39. Qe8+ Kg7 40. Qh8 {....White to checkmate Black.}
Right I’m off to glue that back page into McSween’s over priced book.
