What Happened Next? (Disasters from RHP)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 {The Giuoco Piano, so named because it was first analysed on Albert Giuoco’s Piano shortly before he composed Chopsticks in D Minor.} 4... Nf6 5. Qe2 {Playable but not as solid as 5.d3. It does have a sham threat. 6.Bxf7+ and Qc4+ followed by Qxc5. But this is simply thwarted by a natural developing move.} 5... d6 6. h3 {Castles was a good option. 6.h3 prevents Ng5 or Bg5 but the weakening of the g3 square figures in White seeing future ghosts.} 6...0-0 {Black carries on getting developed leaving White alone as he is doing a fine job getting himself into a mess.} 7. d4 {This just has to be wrong. White is opening up the game with the King still uncastled and his King and Queen are sitting on the same file..} 7... exd4 8. b4 Bb6 9. b5 Re8 {This woke up White.} 10. 0-0 Nxe4 {White should take the c6 Knight. I cannot see any harmful discovered attacks on the Queen. It appears White saw 11...Ng3 coming so moved his Queen.} 11. Qd3 dxc3 {Black over rates his chances, he should have moved the c6 Knight, however.....} 12. Nxc3 {White under rates his chances and plays it safe.} 12... Nb4 {This is OK even it if it does allow White to carry the latent threat he has had on the board since he played 5.Qe2.} 13. Bxf7+ Kxf7 14. Qc4+ d5 15. Qxb4 Bc5 16. Qb3 Be6 {Another good move. White now plays a faulty combination the refutation of which is often missed at this at this level. This is another example.} 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Ng5+ {Looks good until you see that Black can play 18...Qxg5! 19.Qxe6+ Rx6 20.Bxg5. Black is a pawn up in an ending. Not much I hear you say...It's better than what happened in the game.} 18... Ke7 {White now misses mate in two with 19.Qxe6+ Kf8 20.Nxh7 mate. However he has another idea in mind.} 19. Nxe6 Qd6 20. Nxc5 Qxc5 21. Ba3 {So after all the White Queen winning fun down the e-file at the beginning of the game it ends up with the Black Queen getting pinned to her King.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6 4. d4 Bg4 5. Bxf7+ {White plays his two move trick.} 5... Kxf7 6. Ng5+ {And Black resigned! Play should have continued...} 6... Qxg5 {The move they all miss.} 7. Bxg5 Bxd1 8. Kxd1 {Count them...Black is a piece up.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Bg4 4. d4 exd4 5. Bxf7+ Kxf7 6. Ng5+ {Now 6....Qxg5!} 6... Ke8 7. Qxg4 {Black resigned.}

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 d6 5. d4 Bg4 6. O-O Nd7 7. c3 Nb6 8. Bxf7+ {Off he goes down the path of doom.} 8... Kxf7 9. Nxg5+ Qxg5 {Er...I missed that...but....} 10. Rxf4+ {...does that work?} 10... Qxf4 {No.} 11. Qb3+ {What about this?} 11... Be6 {No.} 12. Bxf4 Bxb3 {White resigned.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4 Nxe4 {Intent on answering 5.Nxe4 with 5...d5 wining back the piece with a comfortable game for Black.} 5. Bxf7+ {Though this looks attractive with sensible play Black can build up quite a nice looking position.} 5... Kxf7 6. Nxe4 d5 7. Nfg5+ Kg8 {Theory is 7...Ke8 but the move played is OK it produces a tricky hurdle or two to jump over.} 8. Qf3 Qe7 {Note here that if White tries (and it has been in the past) 9.Qb3 the only answer is 9...Qd7. After 9...Be6 it gets all messy after 10.Qxb7.} 9. Ng3 Qxg5 {One of those hurdles I was mentioning. 9...e5 was the move.} 10. Qxd5+ {It's mate next move.}

[FEN "8/8/p2n4/1bN4k/1P3K2/8/8/8 w - - 0 45"]

45. Ke5 Nc4+ 46. Kd4 Nb6 {White is lost so he shuffles the cards and sees if he can cut himself an Ace.} 47. Nxa6 Bxa6 48. b5 Bxb5 {....and just as Black was reaching for an endgame book on how to mate with a Knight and Bishop...} 49. Kc5 {...he remembers that Kings too can fork chess pieces.}

[FEN "r2q1rk1/1b4b1/p2pp1pp/1ppn4/4pP2/PPPPB3/N3B1PP/1R1Q1R1K w - - 0 19"]

19. Bg1 Nxf4 20. dxe4 Bxe4 {It's this attack on the b1 Rook that grabs White’s attention. Nothing else matters. He must save the Rook.} 21. Rb2 Bxg2 {The Bishop gives the mate.}

[FEN "2R2n1k/1p1n1Q2/5p2/6p1/1BP5/2KB1p2/7q/6R1 b - - 0 43"]

43... Qxg1 {Both player to have failed to notice that the f8 Knight is pinned so now Qh7 mate is a valid move.} 44. Bxf8 {Removing the pinned Knight.} 44... Qe1+ {Now Kb2 and the checks dry up.} 45. Kd4 {White successfully finds the only square that allows a mate in one. This is gifted play. It's not just anyone who make moves like this.} 45... Qe5

[FEN "rnb1k2r/pp1p1ppp/8/2p1q3/2B2pn1/3P4/PPP3PP/RNBQR1K1 w kq - 0 10"]

10. Bxf4 Ne3 {White can of course play Rxe3 but that only wins the Queen. The object of the game is.....} 11. Bxe5 Nxd1 12. Bc7+ Kf8 13. Bd6+ Kg8 14. Re8 {....Checkmate.}

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. h3 {A popular move as it shackles the c8 Bishop. As a Pirc player, I like to see this as White has to think twice before pushing a middle game f-pawn. Then you have Nh5 Bd4+ and Ng3 tricks up your sleeve.} 5... c6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O b5 8. Be3 b4 {This push is far too soon. It does have a idea behind it. Black is looking at the pawn on h3 for all the wrong reasons and wants to get rid of his c8 Bishop It's a very common shot at the lower levels, Watch how a good player takes care of it.} 9. Ne2 Ba6 10. a3 {Right away White highlights the flaw in Black's plan.} 10... Bxd3 11. Qxd3 bxa3 12. Rxa3 {White has obvious pressure down the a-file. Forget the a-pawn, it's the fact White will have full control of the a-file that really matters.} 12... Nbd7 13. Rfa1 a5 14. b4 a4 15. Rxa4 Rxa4 16. Rxa4 Nb6 17. Ra7 {There is a tank on the 7th Rank. Look and learn how you use the 7th rank.} 17... d5 {Black has to do something in the centre to disturb White.} 18. e5 Ne4 19. Qa6 e6 {White now switches into top gear. with some very good play.} 20. Ng3 {This well calculated move is actually an attack on the g7 Bishop. Watch...} 20... Nxg3 21. Bg5 {A smashing Zwischenzug (an in-between move played instead of an apparently forced move - 21.fxg3) It looks at first glance that White has failed to spot that the Knight can move backwards.} 21... f6 22. Qb7 {The idea behind 20 Ng3. But....} 22... Nf5 {The attacked Knight drops back to safety and covers the mate on g7. This is the kind of heart breaking move that is easily missed by the attacking player.} 23. exf6 {But not here. It has all been worked out with precision. Black has to return the piece and will find himself the exchange down.} 23... Rxf6 {This the best move to limit the damage in the Black camp. The g7 Bishop cannot move due to Qxh7 Mate and White is threatening f7+ winning the Black Queen.} 24. Bxf6 Qxf6 25. Qxb6 {Black resigned. A very good game of Chess by White....What's that? Black can win the d-pawn. No.} 25... Nxd4 26. Rxg7+ {The easiest way} 26...Kxg7 27. Qxd4

[FEN "r2q1rk1/1p1b1pbp/p1nppnp1/2p5/2B1PP2/P1NP3P/1PP3PN/R1BQR1K1 b - - 0 11"]

11... Nh5 {Unleashing the g7 Bishop and looking at the g3 square. All White can see is that Black is going to play Bxc3 and he will be saddled with the dreaded double pawns. This mortal fear of doubled pawn is often the root of defeats amongst students of the game. } 12. Bd2 {No doubled pawns for me says White.} 12... Bd4+ {White now must play 13.Be3 } 13. Kh1 {Note that Kf1 meets the same reply. The instructive point given to us by two 1300 players is the weakness of the g3 square after h3 and f3/f4} 13...Ng3