Saturday 27 June 2009

Caro-Kann Advanced Variation (Trap#1)

1. e4 c6
2. d4 d5
3. e5 Bf5
4. h4 e6? (Black should really consider h6 or h5 here ... instead they've set themselves up for a cheap Noah's Ark trap)
5. g4 Be4
6. f3
(Black can now play for time with 6 .. Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Qa5 8.Nc3 but if 8 .. Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Black's Queen must retreat and Black's white squared Bishop will fall with 10. fxe4)
6 .. Bxf3 Nxf3 or
6 .. Bg6 h5! (Noah's Ark trap)
7. Bxh5 gxh5

Queens Gambit Declined (Trap#2)

1. d4 d5
2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. Bg5 Nd7
5. Nf3 Bb4
6. Bxf6 Nxf6? (when Black plays Nd7 they often do it to protect the Knight on f6 - but this doesn't work here ... )
7. Qa4+ (wins Bishop on b4 - White should win now)

Queens Gambit Declined (Trap#1)

1. d4 d5
2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. Bg5 Nd7
5. cxd5 exd5!
6. Nxd5 (White thinks they've won a pawn ... )
.. Nxd5 (This will win a piece for Black)
7. Bxd8 Bb4+
8. Qd2 (this is the only move ... )
.. Bxd2
9. Kxd2 Kxd8 & Black should have comfortable game with the extra piece.

Closed Sicillian (Trap#1)

1. e4 c5
2. c3 d6
3. d4 cxd4
4. cxd4 Nc6
5. Nf3 Bg4?
6. d5 Ne4
7. Nxe4 (White wins a piece here ...)
.. Bxd1
8. Bb5+ Qd7
9. Nxd7 Bg4
10. Nxf8+ Kxf8
11. O-O & White will win with the extra piece. Black cannot castle and will experience difficulties developing the Castle on h8.

Queens Gambit Accepted (Trap#1)

1. d4 d5
2. c4 cxd4
3. e3 b5
4. a4! c6? (greedily defending the pawn)
5. axb5 cxb5?
6. Qf3 (wins Rook on a8 because neither Knight or Bishop can intervene - and the Black Queen cannot offer help .... )

Monday 15 June 2009

French Defense

Recently at the Golders Green rapidplay tournament I was faced with:

1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3.Nc3 (.... hoping for a Winawer ! 3..Bb4 4.e5)
.. c5
4.

Does anyone have any ideas about how White should reply to 3..c5
perhaps 4.Nf3 ?- any suggestions would be welcome ...

Friday 12 June 2009

Golders Green Rapidplay

On Saturday the 13th June 2009 Adam Raoof hosts another of his monthly rapidplays (you get half an hour per player for the game) at Golders Green.

The event is six rounds, so you get six games. They start promptly at 10.30am, finish at 5.45pm at the latest and you can even enter online now and save yourself some money at http://www.goldersgreenchess.blogspot.com/ - you can also find complete crosstables from events going back four years!