Brillancy Dept.

[FEN "5rk1/p5pp/2pP2r1/2Bq4/8/1P2Q2P/PN5K/4R3 w - - 0 1"]

2. Re2 {Defends the mate on g2.}
2... Rf1 {Threatens mate on h1.}
3. Qe8+ Rf8 {And it was here a wee lamp lit up.}
4. Qxf8+ Kxf8 5. d7+ {OK it does not work - see next.}

[FEN "5rk1/4Qppp/2pP2r1/2Bq4/8/7P/5P1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
{Black has mate on g2 and White cannot defend it.}
2. Qxf8+ Kxf8 3. d7+ Qxc5 4. d8=Q {And that is how it ended - what ever it was.}

1.e4 e6 2.d4 b6 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Qe2 d5 6.e5 Nfd7 7.Nfd2 c5 8.c3 c4 9.Bc2 b5 10.b3 a5 11.O-O Nc6 12.a4 cxb3 13.Nxb3 b4 14.Bd3 bxc3 15.Nxc3 Qb6 16.Rb1 Bb4 17.Nb5 O-O 18.Qg4 {alea iacta est} Rfc8 {sees it coming and clears the way} 19.Bh6 {an obvious mate threat} Bf8 {or g6 but that's the kind of move you don't like to make} 20.Nd6 {adding the knight} Rc7 21.Nc5 {adding a 2nd knight} Nb4 {clever but it spells doom} 22.Bxg7 {sac!} Bxg7 23.Nxe6 {sac!} fxe6 24.Qxe6+ {mate (eventually)} Kh8 25.Nf7+ Kg8 26.Nh6+ {and black resigned.I'll add the end} Kh8 27.Qg8+ Rxg8 28.Nf7 {checkmate}

[Event "Challenge"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2007.11.01"] [EndDate "2008.01.11"] [Round "?"] [White "miniched"] [Black "hunterknox"] [WhiteRating "1745"] [BlackRating "1450"] [WhiteElo "1745"] [BlackElo "1450"] [Result "0-1"] [GameId "4212419"] 1. e4 Ng8f6 2. Nb1c3 d5 3. e5 d4 4. exf6 dxc3 5. fxg7 cxd2 6. Bc1xd2 Bf8xg7 7. c3 Bc8f5 8. Qd1f3 Qd8c8 9. Bf1b5 c6 10. Bb5c4 Bf5e6 11. Bc4d3 Nb8d7 12. Ng1e2 Nd7c5 13. Ne2f4 Nc5xd3 14. Qf3xd3 Be6f5 15. Qd3g3 Bf5g6 16. Nf4h5 Qc8e6 17. Bd2e3 Bg7h6 18. Nh5f4 Bh6xf4 19. Qg3xf4 O-O-O 20. O-O Rh8g8 21. Be3xa7 {Pure oversight on my part. Better start issuing threats as if I know what I'm doing...} Bg6e4 22. f3 {22. Qb8+ Kd7 23. Rd1+ is another defensive labyrinth for black} Qe6h3 {In for a penny, in for a pound} 23. Qf4b8 Kc8d7 24. Qb8xb7 Kd7e8 25. g3 Rd8d2 {Piling on the pressure. An obvious move under normal circumstances, but white's counterplay is going to need some knife edge defending...} 26. Qb7b8 Ke8d7 27. Qb8b7 Kd7e6 {The move! Try working out the variations and you'll see} 28. Ba7f2 Be4xf3 29. Qb7b3 Bf3d5 30. Ra1e1 Ke6f5 31. Qb3xd5 Rd2xd5 32. Bf2d4 Kf5g6 33. Re1xe7 Rd5f5 34. Rf1xf5 Qh3xf5 35. Re7e2 c5 36. Bd4e3 Rg8e8 37. Kg1g2 c4 38. h3 h5 39. a4 Qf5d7 40. a5 Qd7b5 41. Kg2f2 Qb5xa5 42. Be3b6 Re8xe2 43. Kf2xe2 Qa5xb6 0-1

[Event "October 2010 Mini Banded Octet II 1800-1900"]
[Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"]
[Date "2010.11.10"]
[EndDate "2010.11.14"]
[Round "1"]
[White "moon1969"]
[Black "ZonaGrad"]
[WhiteRating "2135"]
[BlackRating "1860"]
[WhiteElo "2135"]
[BlackElo "1860"]
[Result "1-0"]
[GameId "7915861"]

1. e4 e5 2. Ng1f3 Nb8c6 3. Bf1c4 {Thinking Giuoco Piano (or maybe two knights defense) but the opening ends up an odd one.} h6 {I know his h6 may ultimately prevent my N or undeveloped B from moving to g5. Yet, the h7 to h6 weakens his king-side somewhat in my opinion, and also an h6 pawn can become available as a sac-attracting pawn.} 4. d4 Bf8d6 5. O-O Ng8e7 6. dxe5 Nc6xe5 7. Nf3xe5 Bd6xe5 8. Qd1h5 {Arguably a premature queen move but being agressive. His earlier h6 move helps me.} Ne7g6 {I do not remember why he didn't just castle instead of interposing with the knight. Maybe he didn't like the possibility of my Bxh6 sac.} 9. Bc4xf7 {Here is the unharacteristic sac for me, without a forced mate planned, but thinking I may can at least f-pawn pin and get his knight at g6. Though I do realize I will lose initiative if I f4 and then he Bd4+ which was annoying.} Ke8xf7 10. f4 Be5d4 {Expected} 11. Kg1h1 {Now he (black) gets his extra move.} Qd8h4 {I understand him (black) wanting to trade Qs but I do not think Qh4 was the best move for him.} 12. Qh5d5 Kf7e8 13. Qd5xd4 {Regaining the piece. Now at least my bishop sac at f7 was justified even if not an imminent mate?} d6 14. Qd4xg7 {Not just a pawn grab but more in mind. Though my queen side remains undeveloped.} Qh4h5 {Protecting the knight?} 15. f5 {Blocking the scope of his bishop and more importantly setting up to win his knight (or his rook at h8, or possibly more).} Qh5e2 {He (black) threatening QxR mate} 16. Qg7xg6 {Check} Ke8f8 17. Bc1xh6 {I don't think he saw this move Bxh6+.} Kf8e7 {I think he had to Rxh6(B) to stop the mate (instead of moving his K).} 18. Qg6g7 Ke7d8 {Ke8 instead of Kd8 might have slowed the mate, because I had no move to give as he was threating QxR mate, and his K at d8 allowed me to position my B at g5 setting up for the mate with a check.} 19. Bh6g5 Kd8e8 20. Qg7e7 1-0

[Event "2012 Championship"]
[Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"]
[Date "2012.02.01"]
[EndDate "2012.03.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "ljuk1978"]
[Black "moon1969"]
[WhiteRating "1478"]
[BlackRating "2135"]
[WhiteElo "1478"]
[BlackElo "2135"]
[Result "0-1"]
[GameId "9037228"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 {I have been doing the Slav or Semi-Slav against the Queen's Gambit.} 3. e3 {I actually like it better when White does not do an early e3 (i.e., instead moves his knights), which with the white e-pawn remaining at e2 leaves the possibility against more inexperienced players that I can dxc4 and keep the gambit pawn.} Ng8f6 4. Nb1c3 e6 5. a3 Nb8d7 6. Ng1f3 Bf8d6 7. cxd5 exd5 {The games database usually indicate to take here with the e-pawn instead of the c-pawn. And it makes sense.} 8. Bf1d3 O-O 9. O-O Rf8e8 10. b4 a6 {Been thinking I would do a6 if needed.} 11. h3 Nf6e4 {I always like doing Ne4 if I can.} 12. Qd1c2 Qd8e7 13. Bd3xe4 dxe4 {Blocking his e-pawn.} 14. Nf3d2 f5 {The only way to protect my e-pawn?} 15. Qc2b3 {Thought he (white) might do that but didn't see it as bad for me.} Kg8h8 16. Rf1e1 Nd7f6 17. Bc1b2 Bc8e6 18. Qb3c2 Nf6d7 {Moving my knight back and forth. I did not want his knight to end up at g6, and also I was opening my play toward his king-side.} 19. Nc3a4 {I thought he would do that. I didn't like the idea of him posting at Nc5.} Be6d5 {Protecting my c-pawn so that I can push my b-pawn to b3 if needed. Also my B at d5 blocks his d-pawn and thus limiting the scope of his fianchetto bishop which I love to do. And leaving my Q at e7 guarding my N. And leaving my queens rook at home to protect the a6 pawn.} 20. Nd2f1 Re8f8 {I wasn't sure what to do here. Remove some of my pressure from the e-file but thinking the R at f8 might help support an f4 pawn push and I also may do a rook lift.} 21. Nf1h2 Rf8f6 {Doing a cumbersome and maybe risky rook lift. I do like where my bishops are posted, and that my Q can eventually go king-side.} 22. Ra1c1 {I am glad my B is protecting my c-pawn.} Rf6g6 23. Na4c5 {Expected.} b6 {Drive the N away.} 24. Nc5xd7 {Kind of expected.} Qe7xd7 {Now my Q is free but her access to the king-side a little more blocked.} 25. Kg1h1 {Diffused one of my plans. Moreover, I want to push my f-pawn but I do not want his N to post at g4. Thus I think to do Bxh2 (N) but do not.} f4 {My decision to push the pawn to f4 here included that I would sac my R into white's N if white posted his N at g4.} 26. Nh2g4 {Expected. That is why I almost took his N with my B when his N was at h2, but I wanted to save my black square B and had decided to do the RxN sac.} Rg6xg4 27. hxg4 Qd7xg4 {I just do not want him to be able to get Q over or protecting the squares on the second rank above his K. But my bishops will help even if that happens. Even my white-square B while blocked by my e-pawn offers alot.} 28. g3 {A gift. He had other moves.} f3 {Keeps his f2 pawn in place, excluding his Q from play. White resigns.} 0-1