The Chess Playing Automaton.
Yes but I can now reveal there was actually a man inside operating it!
This is delightful. All I know about it is it was in a Russian Magazine in 1937.
White to play and draw. (author anybody?)
[FEN "k3K3/1p6/7p/1P6/1P6/8/PP6/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kd7 h5 { Black's best attempt to win is to run this h-pawn. I’ll give other tries in the notes.} 2. Kc7 {2...Ka7 3.b6+ Ka6 4.b5+ and White wins.} 2... h4 3. Kb6 {If now 3...Kb8 4. Ka5 b6+ 5. Ka4 with the same idea as in the game.} 3... h3 4. Ka5 h2 5. b6 h1=Q {Taking a Knight does help either.} 6. b5 {And Black cannot stop White from building a stalemate nest with a4 and b4.} 6... Qe1+ {Nothing can avoid it, even taking a pawn fails. 6...Qa1 7. a4 Qxb2 is stalemate.} 7. b4 Qa1 8. a4 {Black has to allow the stalemate, but in a funny twist...} 8... Qxa4+ 9. Kxa4 {White cannot win that either, the Black King cannot be forced out of the corner.}
Now for some interesting and instructive play from a couple of RHP games.
It’s good play never to ignore your opponents threats but maybe, just maybe
you can disregard the threat if you can create a more serious counter threat.
In this game Black spots White’s threat and reacts to it poorly allowing White
to carry out their threat. There was a better move, a counter threat that would
have muzzled White. A few moves later Black has a threat. White correctly
ignores it and sets up a bigger threat cum trap. Black steps on the landmine.
nawadaP - Zenic RHP 2011.
[FEN "3r2k1/3r1pp1/1b3q1p/pN1p4/P7/1P1Q4/1PR2PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
1. Nc3 d4 {Black blocks the hit on f2 and gives e4 to the Knight. better was 1...Re7 fighting for the file.} 2. Ne4 Qg6 3. Rec1 {Threatening Rc6 forking the Queen and Bishop. Ignore it. 3...Re7 and hit the pinned Knight.} 3... Rb8 {Instead Black defends the Bishop...but does it?} 4. Rc6 Qg4 5. Rxb6 {5...Rxb6 6.Rc8+ Kh7 7.Nf6 is checkmate.} 5... Re8 {A threat, attacking the e4 Knight. White ignores it and sets up a bigger threat.} 6. Rxh6 {6...gxh6 7.Nf7+ is a Royal Family Fork. King, Queen and both Rooks.} 6... Qxe4 {I suspect Black maybe knew what was coming but wanted us to see it.} 7. Qxe4 Rxe4 8. Rc8+ {Checkmate.}
What I love about this blog is I get to do daft chess jokes, indulge in silliness
and at the same time bring to light otherwise never to been seen tactical jewels.
This next game, an accidental discovery, had me laughing, crying and longing for
my youth when I too played liked this. (who am I kidding, I still do but hopefully
with a bit more craft.) This one is joyfully brutal with a good time being had by all.
I’m honoured that I have been given the privilege of rescuing this game from obscurity.
White catches Black in the Tennison Gambit trap (Otto Tennison 1834-1909) and
wins the Black Queen, but they were lucky to do so as Black missed a trap-buster.
Then White spots a counter shot for Black that wins back the Queen and smartly avoids
it only to fall for the same idea a few moves later. All this packed into 14 glorious moves.
soulstriker - mig21 RHP 2019
1. Nf3 {Another way is 1.e4 d5 2.Nf3. This transposes.} 1... d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Ng5 Nf6 4. d3 {Offering the gambit pawn.} 4... exd3 {This is OK and it is what White wants..} 5. Bxd3 {The threat is Nxf7 Kxf7 and Bg6+ winning the Black Queen.} 5... Nc6 {But White did not want that, the c6 Knight protects the Black Queen.} 6. b4 {White wants to shift the c6 Knight but there is a slight flaw in that idea.} 6... Nxb4 7. Nxf7 {OOPS! Black can play 7...Nxd3+ here and the trap is a dud.} 7... Kxf7 8. Bg6+ Kxg6 9. Qxd8 {White has won what looks like an expensive Black Queen.} 9... Nxc2+ 10. Kd2 {White sees that Ke2 or Kd1 and Bg4+ wins back the Queen.} 10... Nxa1 {A Rook, Knight and Bishop for the Queen, but White should win back the a1 Knight.} 11. Bb2 {Black now thinks. If I can move my f8 Bishop with a check. I'll win White's Queen.} 11... Kf7 {To make g6 possible. 11...e5 may have alerted White to the obvious Bb4+} 12. Bxa1 g6 {Now will White spot the tripwire stretched across the chessboard.} 13. Re1 {Nope. Check all checks for and against you.} 13... Bh6+ 14. Ke2 Rxd8 {White resigned.}
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 188908
I have decided to leave the comments off as I have no way other than keep coming
back here to see if any have been made. Any corrections etc just use the above link.
