Updated Master Chess with RHP Games

[FEN "8/7p/5k2/P1R2pp1/1r1Pp3/4P2P/5PP1/6K1 w - - 0 34"]

34. a6 {Black is two pawns down and that a-pawn is a runner. Three choices: Resign, try a futile attempt at halting the passed pawns or go for glory.} 34... f4 {Black decides to go for glory.} 35. Ra5 g4 36. a7 g3 37. a8=Q {White missed the critical change in the position from the last time he looked at it.} 37... Rb1 {Checkmate.}

[FEN "r3r3/2q2pkp/2pp2p1/5b2/NP2n3/4PB1P/5PP1/2QRR1K1 w - - 0 22"]

22. Nc3 d5 {This is a bad blunder. The c7 Queen is undefended and the c6 pawn is pinned. White could have and should have picked up a healthy central pawn here with Nxd5.} 23. Be2 {White missed it. Black must have been sweating on this reply because....} 23... Rac8 {....now he prevents the Nxd5 trick by protecting his Queen.} 24. Nxe4 Bxe4 25. Qb2+ {This is not a blunder nor a pointless check. (Check because you must, not because you can.) White is vacating c1 with tempo for a Rook.} 25... f6 26. Rc1 {resurrecting the pinned c6 pawn idea with a pawn push b4-b5.} 26... Qd7 {Black has seen it.} 27. Red1 Qf5 {A TRAP! Black deliberately sets his Queen up for a Skewer on the c8 Rook.} 28. Bg4 {The Skewer. White has put his foot on the trap door and Black.....} 28... Qg5 {...puts his hand on the lever ready to drop White into a pile of sticky goo. All White need do is to slip in f4!! and the masked attack on g2 is no more.} 29. Bxc8 {White plays the move he intended to play the moment he played Bg4 missing.....} 29... Qxg2 {Checkmate. That's two good games by aga3 in back to back Championships where he has chucked a win out of the window by missing a mate in one move. I wonder what the 2014 RHP Championship will bring.}

[FEN "4r1k1/5p2/1p1pr1bp/p5p1/2P5/qP3P1P/P2QB1P1/3RRK2 w - - 0 1"]

1. g3 {This pawn move underfeeding the f3 square is the root cause of what happens. Beware the of the slack pawn move.} 1... a4 2. bxa4 {Innocently unaware of what is about to happen.} 2... Rxe2 {This exchange sac leaves f3 hanging.} 3. Rxe2 Qxf3+ {The game now went 4.Rf2 Qh1 checkmate. But there is a lovely transposition to a clear won ending hiding in here.} 4. Ke1 Qxg3+ {Nicking another pawn - the f-pawn is now a passed pawn. This continuation is forced.} 5. Kf1 Qf3+ 6. Ke1 Rxe2+ 7. Qxe2 Qxe2+ 8. Kxe2 Bh5+ 9. Ke1 Bxd1 10. Kxd1 f5 {An elementary won endgame.}

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 {White did not want to get involved with any non classical lines so swung this into a Giuoco Piano.} 2... e5 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bc5 5. d3 O-O 6. Be3 {Often asked about this move in this type of position and is this capture....} 6... Bxe3 {...good or bad.} 7. fxe3 {I've come to the conclusion that if White wins by using the half open f-file then it's good. If White gets caught out with a weakened King position then it is bad. (I don't know it has plus minus points.)} 7... Re8 8. O-O Na5 9. Bb3 Nxb3 10. axb3 {White now has double pawns but two half open files. It is the a-file and f-files that allow White to win this game....Read on.} 10... c6 11. d4 exd4 12. exd4 Nxe4 13. Ne5 {Black has a pawn in his pocket and should now drop the Knight back to f6. Instead he has an idea.} 13... f6 14. Nxe4 fxe5 15. Nd6 Re6 {Black is all cramped up. White should now play 16.dxe5 and keep the Knight on d6 as it is preventing Black from developing. Black really has to take pawn (neglecting development and Nf7 cause all kinds of problems for Black.} 16. Nxc8 {Instead he grabs this undeveloped piece to win back his pawn.} 16... Rxc8 {16...Qxc8 would have saved the pawn but Black has an idea.} 17. Rxa7 Qb6 {This hit on the Rook and pinning the d-pawn was the idea.} 18. Ra4 d5 19. Qg4 {This has an x-ray attack on the c8 Rook. Two choices. 19...Ree8 (best) or...} 19... Rce8 {The open A and f-files now show their worth.} 20. Qxe6+ {Black resigned.} 20... Rxe6 21. Ra8+ {Mate in two.}

[FEN "8/p1p2r1k/2p4p/3p1P2/3P3q/P1P4P/2P1Q3/5R1K w - - 0 41"]

41. Qg4 {White is trying to get the Queens off putting his faith in the passed f-pawn.} 41... Qf6 {Black is having none of it.} 42. Qf4 h5 43. Qe5 {Another offer of a Queen swap.} 43... Qh4 {Again Black is having none of it.} 44. Kh2 Qg5 {White can only see the threat of Qd2+ and Qxc2. He should play f5-f6 here (passed pawns must me pushed.). Black has no time to nick the c2 pawn because after f4-f5 the h5 pawn would hang with a check.} 45. Rf2 {Stops the Qd2+and Qxc2 idea but the square g1 is now exposed.} 45... Rg7 {And Black homes in on g1. (Note f4-f5 on the previous move would have also prevented Rg7.) The threat is Qg1 mate.} 46. Qe1 {Stops Qg1 mate but allows a wee Queen shuffle mate.} 46... Qg3+ 47. Kh1 Qxh3+ 48. Rh2 Qf3+ {Mate next move.}