Level
5-Queen
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #88"][Date "2009.09.25"][Result "1-0"]1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5!? d5!? 5.Nbd2 Nc5!? 6.Nb3 Ne6!? 7.Nbd4 Nxd4 8.Nxd4!? Be7 9.Bd3 c5 10.Nf5 O-O
Losing in under 20 moves happens quite often in junior games. One side either does not know the opening, or falls into a trap and the game is over. However very few resign hoping the opponent will blunder and they will have another chance. This is fine as long as they try to do something and attack; if they do not and just play randomly, they are wasting their time. In Grand Masters play losing so fast is logically much rarer. When it happens everyone hears about it and those games are published for the whole World to see it. You can understand why you do not want to be on the losing end of one!... Today we are looking at the following short game between 2 Grand Masters, courtesy of Canadian GM Kevin Spragget. Please replay the first 10 moves of the game. Your tasks:
a) Name the opening - 5 points
b) White to move and win - 10 points
c) Explain your solution - 10 points
Total available points for this puzzle is 25. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #89.
Puzzle #87 solution:
Very good work this time by most of you. It was hard to choose the best answer, so I chose two instead of one. Rick and Karl had the same moves. The annotations were roughly the same for both as well. See solution:
[Event "Puzzle #87"][Date "2009.09.18"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "1k1r4/r4p2/1q2p1p1/2bnP2p/pp1pBP2/3R1Q2/PPP2BPP/1K1R4 w - - 0 34"]{Choice A} 34.Bxd4 ({Choice B} 34.Bxd5 Rxd5 {This s a pointless exchange; the center is too blocked for White to do anything}) ({Choice C} 34.Ka1 {Should not be considered because it is a waiting/defensive move. Probably not a good idea to let Black attack first}) 34...Bxd4 35.Rxd4 {With the d-file now open, 4 pieces are aiming directly at Nd5. Black can't move the Knight because it's pinned to Rd8. If he just leaves it there, Bxd5 wins a second pawn plus an alarming attack. But Black smiles and plays his trump card} 35...Nc3+! {Black breaks the pin, threatens to win Rd4 or checkmate} 36.Qxc3!! (36.bxc3 bxc3+ 37.Ka1 Qb2#) 36...bxc3 37.Rxd8+ Qxd8 (37...Kc7 38.R1d7#) 38.Rxd8+ {White wins}
Correct solutions:
Rick, Andy Q, Karl - 20 points
Owen - 15 points
James, Katerina - 10 points
Humphrey - 5 points
Standings:
Rick, Karl - 35 points
Andy Q - 34 points
Owen - 30 points
Jeffrey - 15 points
James - 12 points
Katerina - 10 points
Humphrey - 5 points
Wilson - 2 points
a) Name the opening - 5 points
b) White to move and win - 10 points
c) Explain your solution - 10 points
Total available points for this puzzle is 25. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #89.
Puzzle #87 solution:
Very good work this time by most of you. It was hard to choose the best answer, so I chose two instead of one. Rick and Karl had the same moves. The annotations were roughly the same for both as well. See solution:
[Event "Puzzle #87"][Date "2009.09.18"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "1k1r4/r4p2/1q2p1p1/2bnP2p/pp1pBP2/3R1Q2/PPP2BPP/1K1R4 w - - 0 34"]{Choice A} 34.Bxd4 ({Choice B} 34.Bxd5 Rxd5 {This s a pointless exchange; the center is too blocked for White to do anything}) ({Choice C} 34.Ka1 {Should not be considered because it is a waiting/defensive move. Probably not a good idea to let Black attack first}) 34...Bxd4 35.Rxd4 {With the d-file now open, 4 pieces are aiming directly at Nd5. Black can't move the Knight because it's pinned to Rd8. If he just leaves it there, Bxd5 wins a second pawn plus an alarming attack. But Black smiles and plays his trump card} 35...Nc3+! {Black breaks the pin, threatens to win Rd4 or checkmate} 36.Qxc3!! (36.bxc3 bxc3+ 37.Ka1 Qb2#) 36...bxc3 37.Rxd8+ Qxd8 (37...Kc7 38.R1d7#) 38.Rxd8+ {White wins}
Correct solutions:
Rick, Andy Q, Karl - 20 points
Owen - 15 points
James, Katerina - 10 points
Humphrey - 5 points
Standings:
Rick, Karl - 35 points
Andy Q - 34 points
Owen - 30 points
Jeffrey - 15 points
James - 12 points
Katerina - 10 points
Humphrey - 5 points
Wilson - 2 points
Opening blunders (part 1)