On another site everyone was talking about Fabiano Caruana scoring seven out of seven in one the strongest chess tournaments ever held, the 2104 Springfield Cup.
The young posters (anyone born after 1972 and all that) were gushing and jumping about in a state of euphoria not seen since Fischer’s 6-0 match wins over Taimanov and Larsen.
Some of the older posters (those who were alive and thinking in 1972) mentioned a few, to be fair to Caruana, ‘weaker’ tournaments where a player has dominated the whole field.
One player to be named was Victor Korchnoi and his almighty victory in the Asztalos memorial in Gyula in 1965, In sparkling form he played 15 with 14 wins and one draw.
(another 7 players took part.)
This is one of the chess players who took part. (I’ve no idea who it is.)
Apparently in the one draw (v Lengyel), Korchnoi claimed his opponent was lucky! I looked at the game in question, I could not see a clear win but I did spot the Korchnoi trap!
Korchnoi - Lengyel, Asztalos mem 1965. Black to play.
Black cannot play 1….Qxh3 due to 2.Bg4 winning the Black Queen.
Of course someone of Lengyel’s class is not going to fall into that but …. …….and that is how a Blog is born. I dive into the pit of misery that is the RHP Database.
Nallapuh - Mahoutsoukai RHP 2008
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FEN
rn1q1rk1/pp2ppbp/2pp1np1/8/2PP2b1/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "rn1q1rk1/pp2ppbp/2pp1np1/8/2PP2b1/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 1"] 1. h3 Bxf3 2. Bxf3 Qd7 {Black has gained a developing tempo with this hit on the h3 pawn.} 3. e4 {White holds the h3 pawn tactically.} 3... Qxh3 {But Black wants to see it.} 4. e5 {It's this pawn push the Black never saw coming.} 4... dxe5 5. dxe5 Nfd7 6. Bg4 {Now you see why White want the Knight off f6. The Black Queen has been Korch'd.}
The same theme is supplied by x9002243 (1331) - oiregor RHP 2011
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FEN
rn3rk1/1p1q1ppp/8/p1bPp3/8/P2P1BPP/1P3P2/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "rn3rk1/1p1q1ppp/8/p1bPp3/8/P2P1BPP/1P3P2/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Rxe5 Qxh3 {Black possibly spotted that 2.Bg4 was no good because Black is actually now threatening Qxg3+} 2. d4 Bd6 {And with Qxg3+ no longer a threat.} 3. Bg4 {The Queen goes back in the box. White strolled onto a win.}
We have an example from the White side. orgelsimon - pelle1000 RHP 2006
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FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp3pb1/2np1npp/4p1B1/2P5/1NN3P1/PP2PPBP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp3pb1/2np1npp/4p1B1/2P5/1NN3P1/PP2PPBP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Bxf6 Bxf6 2. Qd2 Re8 {Go on then. I dare you to take the h6 pawn. I double dare you....I triple dare you.....} 3. Qxh6 Bg5 {The White Queen..............she is lost. 0-1.}
And whilst looking for Qxh3/Qxh6 tricks I was bound to stumble upon this wee beauty.
besaswp - vuelve RHP.2008
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FEN
2r2rk1/p4p1p/1pP2bp1/1bp1p1q1/4Q3/2P1P2P/PP3PP1/R1BBR1K1 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "2r2rk1/p4p1p/1pP2bp1/1bp1p1q1/4Q3/2P1P2P/PP3PP1/R1BBR1K1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Qf3 {White leaves the c6 pawn to it's fate. Black should ignore it and play Bg7 (hindsight).} 1... Bxc6 {Gaining a tempo on the White Queen...Yes.....but....} 2. e4 {Stopping the attack on the White Queen and highlighting the Black Queen as an over-worked piece. Queens defending things are asking for tricks.} 2... Qh4 3. g3 {The f6 Bishop is lost.} 3... Qh5 4. Qxf6 Qxh3 {The theme of the week though here the setting and result are slightly different. Watch.} 5. Bg4 {Excellent. If a piece up look for a way to sac it back. First the Black Queen was kicked away from defending the f6 Bishop. Now she is kicked away from defending the square h6.} 5... Qxg4 6. Bh6 {Black was mated on g7 on the next move.} *
Round two of the RHP Championship is under way but as I’m doing crap in it I’ll not bother doing a report.
(Greenpawn….a report…Now!…………….Russ)
Round two of the RHP Championship is under way. Here are a couple of games.
WernherK - NN Cheap RHP Ch. Rd2 2014
Black builds a gallows, White puts his head in the noose.
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rn1qk2r/1p3ppp/p2bpn2/3p4/1P6/P1NQPN2/2P2PPP/R1B1K2R w KQkq - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "rn1qk2r/1p3ppp/p2bpn2/3p4/1P6/P1NQPN2/2P2PPP/R1B1K2R w KQkq - 0 1"] 1. e4 {Threatening 2.e5 winning a piece.} 1... Nc6 {Cunning and Instructive. Black offers up his d-pawn laying down a wee trap the unwary player falls into.} 2. exd5 exd5 {First part of the trap complete. Will White take the forbidden fruit on d5.} 3. Nxd5 {Yes! What happens next is a common trick that has caught 100's of players on both sides of the chessboard.} 3... Nxd5 4. Qxd5 {An undefended piece on the board (the Queen on d5). Is there a check in the position.....} 4... Bxb4+ {Yes!. White resigned, he is losing his Queen.}
sbacat - Burnsider RHP Ch. Rd2 2014
White builds his own gallows and puts his own head in the noose.
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FEN
r1b2rk1/ppqn1ppp/2pbp3/8/2BP4/P3P1B1/RPQN1PPP/4K2R w K - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "r1b2rk1/ppqn1ppp/2pbp3/8/2BP4/P3P1B1/RPQN1PPP/4K2R w K - 0 1"] 1. Ne4 Bxg3 2. hxg3 h6 {White spots a shot.} 3. Ng5 {3...Nf6 is OK. Perhaps White was hoping for 3....g6 when 4.Nxe6 nails Black. Black spots a return shot that actually works.} 3... Qa5+ {And the g5 Knight falls. White resigned.}
A couple of mad moments from the games between me and sbacat
sbacat - greenpawn34 RHP Ch. Rd2 2014 (White to play)
White worrying about a possible h5 & g4 should play Rh1 or even c5 Instead, he told me after the game he was playing and watching television, he played g4 and resigned…
When I played Nf4+ allowing me to record what looks like my only win in this round.
In our game with me as White this happened.
greenpawn34 - sbacat RHP Ch Rd2 2014
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3rk1nr/2pbq3/R4pp1/1pp4p/3NP3/3P4/2PNQPPP/1R4K1 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "3rk1nr/2pbq3/R4pp1/1pp4p/3NP3/3P4/2PNQPPP/1R4K1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Nxb5 Bxb5 2. Rxb5 Nh6 {I'm looking good. The Black King was chased from a Queenside castled position back to e8 and I have all the play.} 3. h3 {Luft and keeping the Knight off g4. Missing....} 3... Nf5 {With a potential Knight fork on d4. I cannot take the Knight because the e-pawn is pinned. However being an (ahem) good player, you must consider all moves.} 4. exf5 {After winning the Queen in our other game I could not resist this move. And why not? These games are purely for fun - get into the spirit of the thing.} 4... Qxe2 5. Re6+ {The point.} 5... Qxe6 6. fxe6 {OK I'm the exchange down but I'll be picking up pawns. Not easy for both sides. We agreed a draw a few moves later.}
We end in the traditional fashion. Players from Round 1 walking into a checkmate.
masibill - vdramire RHP Ch Rd1.2014
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FEN
6k1/5pp1/B4b2/8/r7/5P1P/8/2R3K1 w - - 0 35
PGN
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/B4b2/8/r7/5P1P/8/2R3K1 w - - 0 35"] 35. Bd3 {Covering the flight square h7. White has to ride 3 checks hoping Black misses the back-ranker.} 35... Bd4+ 36. Kg2 Ra2+ 37. Kf1 Rf2+ 38. Ke1 Rxf3 {I see a pawn, I pick it up, the rest of game I'll have good luck.} 39. Rc8 {Bad Luck.}
Pariah325 - THPaladin RHP.2014
Where we see Black being given a free Rook, in return Black gives White a King.
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1k6/1pp2n2/pq3p2/3R4/4PPp1/2P3Pr/PB4QP/4R2K w - - 0 30
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[FEN "1k6/1pp2n2/pq3p2/3R4/4PPp1/2P3Pr/PB4QP/4R2K w - - 0 30"] 30. c4 Qb4 31. Rd7 {OOPS - White has just chucked a Rook with check!} 31... Qxe1+ 32. Qg1 Qxe4+ 33. Qg2 {Now Qe1+ and Qe4+ is a draw and half a dozen moves ago Black would have sold his soul for a draw.} 33... Qb1+ 34. Qg1 Qxb2 35. Rxf7 {Black now can play Rh8 but he sees a trick.} 35... Qxa2 {See it? Black is expecting White to play Rxf6 when Black can play Rxh2+ and Qa1+ picking up the f6 Rook. Seeing only your ticks and missing threats is a very common error.} 36. Rf8 {That is checkmate.}
musirapha - Villain RHP Ch 2014 Last week I praised the White player - At least this shows I have no favourites.
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FEN
r3k2r/1pp3p1/5p1p/p1p1p1q1/2PnPnQ1/P1BP4/1P3PBN/3R1RK1 w kq - 0 20
PGN
[FEN "r3k2r/1pp3p1/5p1p/p1p1p1q1/2PnPnQ1/P1BP4/1P3PBN/3R1RK1 w kq - 0 20"] 20. Bxd4 cxd4 21. Qxg5 hxg5 {Put this one down to the fact the Queens are off and White is a piece up. He expects to freewheel downhill to a win.} 22. Ng4 Ne2 {The game went downhill alright. That is Mate.}