The Torch + The Triple Hit

[FEN "r1bqk2r/p3ppbp/2p3p1/3p4/2B1N3/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq D5 0 1"]

1. Bb3 dxe4 2. Qxd8+ Kxd8 3. Bxf7 e6 {And that f7 Bishop is in trouble.} 4. Bg5+ Kc7 5. Be7 {A very awkward move to play. But it has to be done to stop Rf8 winning the f7 Bishop. What an odd position. Black should be OK here. Must be better.}

[FEN "r1bqk2r/p3ppbp/2p3p1/3p4/2B1N3/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq D5 0 1"]

1. Ng5 {That's looks better. Black cannot take on c5 because after the Queens swap Qxd8+ Kxd8 Nxf7+ picks up a pawn and the exchange. But...} 1... h6 2. Nxf7 Kxf7 3. Qf3+ Bf6 4. Bb3 e5 {This has got all messy. as well. We need something we like. So let us leave the developed pieces alone and try something else.}

[FEN "r1bqk2r/p3ppbp/2p3p1/3p4/2B1N3/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq D5 0 1"]

1. Qf3 {This I like. It's called developing. It's incredible how good a position becomes if one just simply develops one's pieces. Now 1...dxe4 allows 2.Qxf7+ so Black takes the Bishop.} 1... dxc4 2. Rd1 {Another developing move grabbing the only open file with tempo. Now 2....Bd7 allows 3.Nc5 winning the pinned Bishop, so Black has to move the Queen to c7, b6 or a5 and in each case White gains further development tempo hitting the sad Queen with the c1 Bishop.} 2... Qb6 3. Be3 {Perhaps by playing 2...Qb6 attacking b2 Black though he had prevented this move. Let us for the sake of instructive value see the complete refutation of 3..Qxb2.} 3... Qxb2 {I wonder if history really is correct about the Black Queen taking on b2 and losing. After this I'll do a stats search on all the Qxb2's I can find. OK let's look at the forcing moves first. Always look for the forced replies, it is much easier to calculate.} 4. Nd6+ {4...Kf8 5.Qxf7 mate and if the King strolls onto the d-file then the discovered Knight check wins the Black Queen. Though hiding in there is a White Queen sac mate. (I'll show it next.)} 4... exd6 5. Qxc6+ Kf8 {Now don't even contemplate taking that a8 Rook. We have a King on the ropes.} 6. Qxd6+ Kg8 7. Qd8+ Bf8 {And now one of the main reasons why I have dragged you here. The winning move is about to be played and this where a lot of you fall down. The obvious 8.Bh6 fails to 8...Bb7! when suddenly Black is winning. The move is....} 8. Bd4 {Black losses a tub load of material. Black has to give up his Queen 8...Qb6 to prevent White from playing 9.Qf6 and 10.Qxh8 mate.}

[FEN "r1bk3r/p3ppbp/2pN2p1/8/2p5/4BQ2/PqP2PPP/R2R2K1 w - - 0 1"]

1. Ne8+ {Rather a cute way to wrap up.} 1... Kxe8 2. Qxc6+ {2...Kf8 3.Rd8 mate.} 2... Bd7 3. Qxd7+ Kf8 4. Qd8+ Rxd8 5. Rxd8# {What fun we are having.}

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. O-O Nf6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nxe4 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Nxe4 {This is the position we discussed earlier. Black did not play 9...d5.} 9... e6 {STOP! what would play here.} 10. b3 {This just blunders a Rook.....Yes?} 10... Bxa1 {White now played 11.c3 but look at those dark squares in the Black position.} 11. Bg5 Qc7 {If 11...f6 12.Qxa1 0-0 13.Nxf6+ White is winning that one.} 12. Qxa1 {White is dancing all over the dark squares.} 12... Rg8 13. Nf6+ Kf8 14. Bh6+ Ke7 15. Nxg8+ {White is coasting.}

[FEN "r1bqk2r/p2p1p1p/2p1p1p1/8/2B1N3/1P6/P1P2PPP/b1BQ1RK1 w kq - 0 1"]

1. c3 d5 {Now 2.Qd4 and White drums up all kinds of threats.} 2. Bg5 Qc7 3. Nf6+ {White is on the right track again.} 3... Kf8 {Now 4.Qd4 and once again White has threats all over the place. Sadly White simply did realise the potential this position holds. Dropping the a1 Rook was a blunder but it was also a good move. (we need a new chess term for such a move.) Chess Luck?} 4. Bd3 {This let's the a1 Bishop back into the game.} 4... Bxc3 5. Qc1 Bxf6 6. Bxf6 Rg8 7. Qh6+ Ke8 8. Qxh7 Kf8 {Now 9.Qh6+ and 10.Qh7 and the game most likely ends in a perpetual. Instead White has spotted the undefended Queen on c7 and tries to lure the f7 pawn into a capture on e6 and g6.} 9. Re1 a5 10. Rxe6 {This is simply wrong.} 10... Bxe6 11. Qh6+ Ke8 12. Qh7 Kf8 {12...Kd7 and White has nothing. White should have tried 13.Qh6+ again to see if he could get a perpetual. Instead he goes back to tempting the f7 pawn to move.} 13. Bxg6 {13...Rxg6 is playable, but Black spots the weak back rank.} 13... Qf4 14. Bb2 fxg6 {At least the plan of getting the pawn to take on g6 worked. Sadly with the Black Queen off c7 it no longer matters.} 15. Bg7+ {A last check before resigning.} 15... Rxg7 16. g3 Qc1+ {White resigned. It's a pity. That Rook sac deserved better.}

[FEN "8/8/5k1K/6r1/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]

1... Ra5 {It does not matter which square on the rank the Rook goes to as long as it is a5-e5.} 2. Kh7 {Forced.} 2... Ra8 3. Kh6 {Forced.} 3... Rh8 {Mate. In the actual game Black missed this and chased the White king around the board before giving up and agreeing to a draw.}

[FEN "8/r7/5K2/3k4/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]

1... Rb7 { This is just a tempo waster, the idea of losing a move never occurred to Black in the game. The player with the Rook wants Kings lined up like this....} 2. Kf5 {....with the Rook player to move. It can easily be forced all you have to remember is to lose a move when you need to.} 2... Rf7+ {The check forces the King back to the side of the board.} 3. Kg6 Rf1 4. Kg5 Ke4 {Now if 5.Kg4 the Kings face each other again and a Rook check forces the White King onto the h-file. White tries to avoid the King v King pattern.} 5. Kg6 Ke5 6. Kg7 Ke6 7. Kg8 Rf7 {Traps the King on the back rank.} 8. Kh8 Kf6 9. Kg8 Kg6 10. Kh8 Rf8

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 {White has thrown two pawns at Black for development. The chances are even. At this level the best tactician, the player who is alert enough to take his tactical chances will win.} 5... Nc6 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O {This I like. Castle first philosophise later.} 7... Nf6 {Blunder. This position is known to opening theory, best is 7...Be6. White should now kick off the attack with 8...Ng5 when to stop Nxf7 or Bxf7+ Black has to play 8...Be6 and White wins back a pawn and keeps the attack.} 8. Nd4 {Where is this going?} 8... Be7 9. Nxc6 {Brilliant. White has sacced two pawns to double Black c-pawns. The Duck frowns.} 9... bxc6 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Qb3 Bd7 12. Rfd1 a5 13. Rab1 Nxe4 {The right idea. Swapping pieces to take the sting out of the position but this is the wrong method. White is back in it. 13...Rb8. or Ng4 with Ne5 ideas looks better.} 14. Nxe4 d5 15. Qg3 {Tempting but the Duck likes 15.Qd3 prevents Black from taking back on d4 or e4. Tactics.} 15... f6 16. Bb3 {This does not save the piece another idea was 16.Rd2 and if 16...dxc4 or 16...dxe4 17.Rbd1 winning the d7 Bishop. You have to look out for tactical ideas in these positions.} 16... a4 17. Bc2 dxe4 18. Bxe4 Ra6 {Blunder. Unprotected piece on the board - a check in the position. Tactical ideas present themselves. 19.Bxh7+ Kxh7 20.Qd3+ wins the a6 Rook. Looks good....is there a better move? Good moves are 10 a penny. Look for the best move.} 19. Qd3 {The Duck like this. A triple hit. White is on h7 with a check, a hit on the a6 Rook and the d7 Bishop. It's great playing a triple hit over the board. You watch their eyes go from threat to threat as their face gets gloomier and gloomier. A triple hit is better than splashing about in puddles on a rainy day. (that is a duck thing.)} 19... Bg4 {Triple hits induce big time blunders and this is one. There was no good move for Black everything losses serious material. White now simply plays 20.Qc4+ and takes the Black Queen. 1-0.} 20. Bxh7+ {Oh dear....} 20... Kh8 21. Qxd8 Bxd8 22. Bd3 Rb6 23. Rdc1 Be6 24. Bc4 {Blunder. Black should now play 24...Bxc4 25.Rxc4 a3 wins the b2 Bishop.} 24... Bf5 {Looks good but looking good is not always best. (look at greenpawn he looks pretty good but he's just back dated.) Now White should play 25 Ba3 and the game is still in the pot. Instead White has a brain storm.} 25. Rc3 Bxb1 26. Rh3+ {Checkmate!} 26... Bh7 {er….OK. White resigned.}