Trick, Trap or Tragedy

[FEN "8/8/P7/8/1p3p2/5p1p/5K1p/6nk w - - 0 1"]

1. a7 b3 2. a8=B {White has to take a Bishop. Promoting to a Queen or Rook will stalemate Black after he takes the promoted b-pawn and taking a Knight would of course lose.} 2... b2 {Black cannot move the Knight due to Bxf3 mate.} 3. Be4 b1=Q {If White had taken a Queen or Rook, he could have taken this Black promoted Queen but in doing so he would have stalemate mate Black.} 4. Bxb1 Ne2 {Only move.} 5. Be4 {Bishop v Knight Zuggers. If 5...Ng8 then 6.Bd5 Ne2 7.Bxf3 mate} 5... Nd4 6. Bd5 {No matter where the Knight goes White plays 7.Bxf3 mate.}

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bd3 e5 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. g4 Nxg4 {This type of sacrifice only works if the King is castled and the defending player does not have Be2.} 9. hxg4 Bxg4 10. Rg1 h5 11. Be2 {See previous note.} 11... Nc6 12. Bg5 f6 {The Bishop should now centralise dropping back to e3.} 13. Bh4 g5 14. Bg3 {Now it is biting granite and suddenly those Black Kingside pawn look menacing.} 14... Qc7 {Why not Qb8 taking advantage of the offside Bishop.} 15. Nc3 h4 16. Bh2 Be6 {Black correctly centralises his Bishop. If given the choice and unless for tactical reasons centralisation should always be preferred.} 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. exd5 Nb4 {A threat that is easily handled.} 19. c3 Na6 20. Qa4+ Kf7 {Now instead of nicking a harmless doubled a-pawn White should have played 21.Qg4 with Qe6+ and Nxg5+ ideas. The thinking being always be ready to sac-back an extra piece if it opens up the King.} 21. Bxa6 bxa6 22. Qxa6 Rb8 23. Qa3 {A couple of moves ago the White Queen should have been kicking a King instead this mighty attacker (and that is all she does) is reduced to defending a pawn.} 23... Qc4 {Offering another pawn - with check but hiding the threat of Qe4+ winning the f3 Knight.} 24. Qxa7+ Kg6 {This move blunders away a Rook. 24...Be7 saves the Rook. (trick, trap or tragedy…you decide) White now sees if he takes the b8 Rook then Qe4+ picks up the f3 Knight so he throws in the Knight for a pawn before picking up the Rook.} 25. Nxe5+ dxe5 26. Qxb8 Qe4+ 27. Kd2 {Black calmly ignores the d-pawn and sets a trap.} 27... g4 {See it? We interrupt this game to show you Helder pondering his next move}

[FEN "1Q3b1r/8/5pk1/3Pp1p1/4q2p/2P5/PP1K1P1B/R5R1 b - - 0 27"]

27... g4 {White should end this with 28.Qe8+ and Qe6 hitting the g-pawn. Instead being a whole Rook up he misses the trick.} 28. Rae1 Bh6+ {A jaw dropping check to meet when you log on to see if your opponent has decided to resign.} 29. f4 Bxf4+ 30. Bxf4 Qxf4+ 31. Kc2 Rxb8 {Black has spun the game right around. White has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It ended....} 32. d6 h3 33. Ref1 Qe4+ 34. Kc1 f5 35. d7 {Black can just ignore this d-pawn and play h2.} 35... Rd8 36. Rd1 Qc6 {Merciless. There is no way Black intends to botch this.} 37. Rd3 Rxd7 38. Rxh3 Rh7 39. Rd3 Qa6 40. Rd5 Qxa2 41. Rgd1 Qa1+ 42. Kc2 Rh2+ 43. R1d2 Rxd2+ 44. Rxd2 g3 {That's it, White has seen enough.}

1. e4 Nf6 2. f3 {Don't turn your theoretical nose up at this move. It's what I played on numerous occasions as White when playing v the Alekhine. The idea being if...} 2... e5 {I would now play f3-f4 and have a genuine Latvian Gambit in reversed. My opponents often did not realise what had just happened. took my for a ninny and got slapped.} 3. h4 {You can see the thinking behind this move. White can see Black is looking at playing Nxe4 and Qh4+ so this move stops Qh4+. However stopping the threat (Nxe4) with a developing move 3.Nc3 was better.} 3... d5 4. Nc3 {Now White just encourages the Nxe4 idea.} 4... dxe4 5. Nxe4 Be7 {Black is determined to get in a check on h4. This has been his prime thought since seeing 2.f3.} 6. h5 {White can see there is no way to stop the coming h4+ so instead of just letting it happen and playing Bc4 to give his King the f1 square he saves the h-pawn.} 6... Nxe4 7. fxe4 Bh4+ 8. Rxh4 {This is no good, White had to play 8.Ke2 and ride the coming storm.} 8... Qxh4+ 9. Ke2 Qxe4+ 10. Kf2 Qd4+ {And now the trap I mentioned.} 11. Kg3 {White offers the juicy g1 Knight as bait. If 11....Qxg1 then 12.Bb5+ wins the Queen. Alas....} 11... Qf4 {...Black took the checkmate instead.}

[FEN "r1b2rk1/pppp1ppp/5n2/8/3QP2q/2NB3P/PPP2PP1/R4RK1 w - - 0 12"]

12. Nb5 Nd5 {Not a blunder as in moving a piece to be take for no reason, Black thinks he has pinned the e-pawn and White thinks the same. Both players have forgotten that Knights can move backwards. White can play exd5 because the b5 Knight is holding the Queen. Ne8 was the move.} 13. Qxd5 {What Black was expecting.} 13... c6 {He wins back the piece and stops the Nc7 attack.}

[FEN "r4rk1/1Q3ppp/p2P2q1/3B4/8/8/PPb2PP1/4RRK1 w - - 0 25"]

25. d7 {White is threatening 2. Qxa8 Rxa8 3.Re8+} 25... Rab8 {So now White can play the same trick on a different square 2.Qxb8 Rxb8 3.Re8+} 26. Qc7 Bd3 {White can still play Qxb8 he now blunders away a piece.} 27. Be4 Bxe4 28. f3 {Now Bc6 and he stops the Qxb8 shot. Instead...} 28... Rb7 {White can play d8=Q and win his piece back....} 29. Qc4 {...but that was too simple. White does it the hard way.} 29... Bd3 {Now it's looking serious and Black forces White to look at his opponents weak back rank and the pawn on d7.} 30. Re8 {In the game Black took the Queen and was mated. See the next game to see what should have happened.} 30... Bxc4 31. Rxf8+ Kxf8 32. d8=Q

[FEN "5rk1/1r1P1ppp/p5q1/8/2Q5/3b1P2/PP4P1/4RRK1 w - - 0 30"]

30. Re8 {Now instead of chopping the Queen as Black did in the actual game.} 30... Qb6+ 31. Kh1 {It does not matter where the King goes or if White plays Rf2. Now Black can take the Queen….} 31... Bxc4 {..because the Rxf8+ idea fails.} 32. Rxf8+ Kxf8 33. d8=Q+ Qxd8 {The point of the QB6+ .Check all Checks even if it means not grabbing a Queen.}