The Revenge of Chess Computers

[FEN "1r3rk1/2pnqppp/p3p3/2P5/P1pR4/2N1P1P1/1PQ2P1P/R5K1 w - - 0 18"]
18. c6 Ne5 19. Qe4 {Attacking the Knight, stopping Nf3+ and protecting the c3 pawn.} 19... Qc5 20. Nd5 {This move kicks things off. it's now a question of who handles the complications better with the clock ticking.} 20... Nd3 21. Nxc7 {White now could have been expecting 4....Rxb2 and replying with 5.Rxc4 which is OK for White.} 21... Nxf2 {It is this move that raises the game into the brilliant category.} 22. Kxf2 Rxb2+ 23. Kf1 Qh5 {With a simple threat of mate in two. The White King is open to Queen and Rook checks and White has to tread very carefully.} 24. Qg4 Qxh2 {Again with the mate threat. The good guys do not expect a one move mate to be missed, they expect to tie down a piece preventing it.} 25. Qf3 {In this case the Queen is on mate prevention duty.} 25...c3 {The Black c-pawn is more dangerous than the White c-pawn. Black uses it to create confusion in the White camp.} 26. Rc1 e5 {A lovely move to play. It kicks the Rook off the d-file. If for instance 10.Rd3 then 10...e4 and the Queen cannot move from f3 without allowing a checkmate.} 27. Rh4 Qd2 {It's great to see a wonderful game like this being held together with one move threats which we can all understand.} 28. Rd1 Rd8 {Brilliant! Another mate in two on the board starting with 11....Qxd1+ I'll show in the next game analysis what happens on 12.Rxd2.} 29. Nd5 {A good try in a lost position to confuse matters. It weakens the Black back rank, clears the path for the c6 pawn. It could have created doubt (what have I missed?) } 29... Rxd5 30. Rd4 {Again same as above. This had to be worked out carefully by Black. If the White pawn gets to c7 Black will struggle to stop it.} 30... Rxd4 31. exd4 {White can hang on here if Black plays the obvious 14...c2 but Black has this move up his sleeve.} 31... Qxd1+ {Wonderful. White resigned. One way to finish this is....} 32. Qxd1 c2 33. Qc1 {I've selected this line leaving Black with one move options, it also show how dangerous that White c-pawn was.} 33... Rb1 34. Ke2 Rxc1 35. Kd2 Rd1+ 36. Kxc2 Rxd4 {The only move to win but it is good enough.} 37. Kc3 Rd6 {Now it's over.}

[FEN "5rk1/2N2ppp/p1P5/4p3/P2R4/2p1PQP1/1r5q/2R2K2 w - - 0 27"]
27. Rh4 Qd2 28. Rd1 Rd8 {Instead of 3.Nd5 we look at.....} 29. Rxd2 Rdxd2 {Even with the Queen gone the checkmate threats are still on the board.} 30. Kg1 {Only move to avoid checkmate.} 30... Rb1+ 31. Qf1 Rxf1+ 32. Kxf1 c2 33. Rc4 Rd1+ 34. Ke2 c1=Q 35. Rxc1 Rxc1 {White picks up the c-pawn and wins.} 36. Nd5 {Last try. I told you that White c-pawn was tricky. Rxc6 meets Ne7+ and White wins} 36...Kf8 {Black should have no trouble winning this now.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 h6 {3....Be7 is a better way to stop the later threat of Ng5.} 4. d4 f6 {Too many pawn moves. The Black Kingside is now looking like a string vest.} 5. dxe5 fxe5 6. Bf7+ {No doubt inspired by Black's previous moves White sets off on an incorrect sacrifice.} 6... Kxf7 7. Nxe5+ {The idea being if 7...dxe5 8.QxQ} 7... Ke6 {That is an OOPS!. 7....Kf6 was the better move. White now has a forced mate.} 8. Qd5+ Kf6 9. b3 {A counter OOPS!. 9.Qf7+ Kxe5 10.Bf4+ mates in two.} 9... Ne7 {The last mistake. White is now allowed to put his 9.b3 idea into play. 9...Qe8 to strop Qf7+ was the move.} 10. Qf7+ Kxe5 11. Bb2+ Kxe4 12. Nd2 {A Mirror Checkmate.}

[FEN "rn2kbnr/ppp1q2p/6p1/4Q3/3NP3/8/PP3PPP/RNB1K2R w KQkq - 0 10"]
10. Qxh8 Nf6 11. O-O Nbd7 12. Nc3 O-O-O 13. Ncb5 {Setting up a Mirror Knight Fork. Black blinded by the Queen trapping idea fails to spot it.} 13... Bg7 14. Nxa7+ Kb8 {See it. Both Knights are attacking c6.} 15. Qxd8+ {Bravo!} 15... Qxd8 16. Nac6+ bxc6 17. Nxc6+ Kc8 18. Nxd8 {And White the double exchange and 3 pawns up easily converted this to a win.}

[FEN "2k4r/p2r1p2/1p4p1/2pNp2p/3qP3/3P4/P1R1K2P/2R2N2 w - - 0 31"]
31. Nd2 {Black has a Queen and 3 pawns v Two White Knights and is winning easily.} 31... Qa4 {Black was possibly worried about White trying to trap the Queen on d4 with Rb1 and Rc4 but this move gives White other ideas.} 32. Nc4 {With the threat of a double hit on b6. Black should cut out all this counterplay and just play Rxd5.} 32... f5 {OOPS! Black has missed it.} 33. Ndxb6+ axb6 34. Nxb6+ Kd8 35. Nxa4 {Suddenly White is a piece up and Black's three extra pawns are now one. White won it fairly easily.}

[FEN "r1r3k1/3q2pp/p1p2p2/2Rpp3/Q7/3P4/PP3PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 22"]
22. Rfc1 d4 23. Rxc6 {Material wise everything is level. and after....} 23... Rxc6 24. Rxc6 {You could say with confidence the position is also level.} 24... h5 {A very handy move in Queen and Rook endings. But was it a pawn bait trap. If so then h6 served it's purpose better.} 25. Qc4+ {If it was a trap then White has put his foot in the noose. Will he trigger the trap.} 25... Kh8 26. Rxa6 {OOPS! h3 first to give the White King some air was called for.} 26... Rc8 {The trap has been sprung. If the Queens moves then Black back rank mates.} 27. Ra8 {This saves the Queen but it does appear to be a futile gesture.} 27... Rxa8 28. a3 {OOPS! White fell for one trap and now by saving a pawn he is jumps back into the same trap.} 28... Qb7 {Black missed it. Rc8 with the same idea as last time except here White has no Rook to save the Queen.} 29. Qc2 Rc8 30. Qd2 Qb3 31. g3 {A bit too late for luft now. Some would resign here but it’s always a player’s choice when to resign...and you never know in chess...anything can happen.} 31... Rc2 32. Qd1 {Careful Black that h5 instead of h6 opening the luft window a bit too far may let a burglar in.} 32... Rxb2 {OOPS!} 33. Qxh5+ Kg8 34. Qe8+ Kh7 35. Qh5+ Kg8 36. Qe8+ {That's a perpetual and here the game ended in a draw.}