Reloader Tactic

Here is a technique to knockout your opponent quickly - 'the reloader tactic'. I initially saw examples of this tactic in Martin Weteschnik's excellent book, Understanding Chess Tactics. Admittedly I got a little lucky in this game (blitz 5 mins each) - I was busy tormenting my opponent's Queen when I realised just in time that I had my Knights ideally placed for the reloader ...

For those that are not sure what this is, essentially the reloader tactic involves sacrificing a piece (e.g. Knight-1) which MUST be taken due to the threat it poses ... but once this threat has been expunged then the same threat can be recreated (reloaded) with another piece of the same type or movement (e.g Knight-2).

In this game I used Knight-1 to create the first threat (my opponent resigned here but if Knight-1 had been eliminated then I could then have reloaded the threat with Knight-2!).

As usual - any comments welcome!!

1. d4 Nf6 2. d5 c5 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 e5 5. dxe6 Bxe6 6. Bd3 Be7 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. Ng5 Bg4 10. Be2 Bxe2 11. Qxe2 Nd4 12. Qd2 Nd7 13. Nh3 Nb6 14. a4 Nc4 15. Qd3 Ne5 16. Qd2 Ndf3+ 1-0

PGN Viewer courtesy of http://chesstempo.com/

Breaking down the walls ...

I have started playing Chess Genius Lite on my Android phone. I had an interesting game as White yesterday - admittedly Chess Genius only had 1 second per move, but it's a computer, so I have no sympathy for it!!! Here is the game I managed to win - a Pirc, and it shows readers the technique of throwing pieces at a defense in attempt to smash it down (I think it's called the Argentinian Attack...?) My mentality was simply 'no matter how many pieces it takes, if I can checkmate my opponent then I've achieved my objective, so keep the attack going!'.

As usual - any comments welcome!!

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f3 c6 5. Be3 b5 6. Qd2 Bg7 7. h4 Qc7 8. Be2 O-O 9. Bh6 Bxh6 10. Qxh6 b4 11. Nd1 c5 12. d5 Qa5 13. b3 Nbd7 14. g4 Ne5 15. g5 Nh5 16. f4 Nxf4 17. Ne3 Ba6 18. h5 Rfc8 19. Nf5 gxf5 20. g6 hxg6 21. hxg6 Nexg6 22. Nf3 fxe4 23. Ng5 Ng2 24. Kf2 e3 25. Kg1 Bxe2 26. Qh7 Kf8 27. Qf7# 1-0

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20 Minute Exercise - Carlsen Game

Below is a link to the recent World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Astana. If you click on the link and scroll down you will find a game contested by Kazhgaleyev (W) and Carlsen (B). This one is a traditional e4 - e5 opening. If you follow the game through until about move 9. you find yourself deep into the middlegame. This is where you should start thinking about the plan, for your chosen colour. Let's say you choose Black ... Play move 9. for White but don't look at Black's next move. Instead, make a list of all the candidate moves for Black. Choose which you think are the 3 most promising. Now reason through each of the 3 candidate moves in turn to test that a) they are tactically sound and b) that they have a solid goal in mind ... The goal might be tactical - i.e. you can win a pawn or piece or it might be strategical - i.e. you can improve the position of one of your pieces with a further longer-term aim in mind ... Take 20 minutes maximum for this exercise.  Once this technique is perfected then you will become a great player!

http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/world-rapid-and-blitz-championships-2012

Concept of open 'h' file

I lost many games online last night, but managed to win one in the end :) I remembered a concept that I'd seen on a DVD by Roman Dzindzichashvili. The idea is to sacrifice the Bishop on g5 and open the h file. I ended up with a Queen and Rook mate threat and plenty of time to capitalise on my opponent's uncastled King. Here is the game - a 5 minute Blitz.

As usual - any comments welcome!!

1. e4 e6 2. d4 c6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e5 Bb4 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Bg5 O-O 8. h4 Qd7 9. Be2 h6 10. Qd3 hxg5 11. hxg5 Ng6 12. Qh3 f5 13. Qh7+ Kf7 14. Bh5 Ke7 15. Qxg6 Kd8 16. Ne2 Qe7 17. Nf4 Na6 18. Rb1 Nc7 19. Rb3 Bd7 20. Rxb7 Be8 21. Qh7 Qxg5 22. Rxc7 Qxf4 23. Qxg7 Qc1+ 24. Bd1 Qxa3 25. Rh7 Qxc3+ 26. Kf1 Qb4 27. Qg5+ 1-0

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Petroff's Defence, Marshall Trap

Here is another one in this short series of chess traps. I feel it is worth learning these well known traps in case they are sprung against you ... You should always have a refutation ready if possible, which means that you will need to spend less time working out all the possible responses and more importantly avoid blundering!

Frank James Marshall (August 10, 1877 – November 9, 1944), was the U.S. Chess Champion from 1909–1936, and was one of the world's strongest chess players in the early part of the 20th century. He was born in New York City, and lived in Montreal, Canada from ages 8 to 19. He began playing chess at the age of 10 and by 1890 was one of the leading players in Montreal. He won the U.S. chess championship in 1904, but did not accept the title because the current U.S. champion, Harry Nelson Pillsbury, did not compete. Marshall was best known for his great tactical skill. One aspect of this was the "Marshall swindle", where a trick would turn a lost game around.

As usual - any comments welcome!!

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 Black plays Petroffs Defence 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 Bg4 9. cxd5 f5 10. Re1? White should have played 10.Nc3 ... 10...  Bxh2+! Right Hook! 11. Kxh2 Nxf2 Black forks the white queen and bishop queen must move 12. Qe2 Nxd3 13. Qxd3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Qh4+ 15. Qh3 Qxe1 wins rook 1-0

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Bogo-Indian Defence, Monticelli Trap

In this article I introduce you to a trick against the Bogo-Indian Defence. In the variation below it is still apparently possible for Black to draw after 10. ... Ne4! (but only if you have the skills and vision of Capablanca ...)

Here are some good opening variations for the Bogo-Indian Defence: http://chessopeningbogo-indiandefense.blogspot.co.uk/
As usual - any comments welcome!!

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ Black plays the Bogo-Indian-Defence. 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 b6 6. g3 Bb7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. Nc3 Ne4 9. Qc2 Nxc3 10. Ng5! 1-0

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Blackmar-Diemer Gambit - Halosar Trap

I have to admit that I don't think I've ever played the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit as White but perhaps I'd better start doing so ... ? This can be a trappy opening as the variation in this post proves.

The Blackmar–Diemer Gambit arose as a development of the earlier Blackmar Gambit, named after Armand Blackmar, a relatively little-known New Orleans player of the late 19th century who popularized its characteristic moves (1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.f3) and was the first player to publish analysis on the opening in the chess literature."

Here are some lines in the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit ... This is very sharp and although White is said to have the advantage with the passed a-pawn, I expect it's still quite difficult to convert for White!

As usual - any comments welcome!!

1. d4 d5 2. e4?! This is the start of the Blackmar–Diemer Gambit. 2...  dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 is normal here but by capturing with the queen White lays a trap - Ryder Gambit. 5. Qxf3?! Qxd4 6. Be3 Qb4?! Better is 6...Qg4 Black thinks that castling is prevented because of ...Bg4 but White castles anyway. 7. O-O-O Bg4?? Walking into the trap. 8. Nb5!! After 8... Qc5 White threatens mate with 9.Nxc7#. The Black queen cannot capture the knight because 8...Qxb5 9.Bxb5+ is check and loses the queen. 8...  Na6 9. Qxb7 Qe4 Black lost quickly in Diemer–Halosar, Baden-Baden 1934, after 9...Rc8 10.Qxa6 1-0. 10. Qxa6 Qxe3+ Worse is 10...Bxd1 11.Kxd1 Rd8+ 12.Bd2 and White is winning, for example 12...Ng4 13.Nxc7+ Kd7 14.Qxa7. 11. Kb1 Qc5 12. Nf3 The White threat of 13.Qb7 wins the black a-pawn by force. With even material and a passed a-pawn, White will have a winning advantage. Even stronger seems 12. Qb7! with the idea 12. ... Bxd1 13. Qxa8+ Kd7 14. Nc3 and White has a winning attack. 1-0

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Blackburne Shilling Gambit Trap

Here is a gambit with a nice trap that Blackburne used to play ... but before this - an amusing anecdote concerning Joseph Henry Blackburne courtesy of Wikepedia:

Blackburne's fondness for drinking whisky at the board once led him to down an opponent's glass. Shortly afterwards, the opponent resigned, leading him to quip, "My opponent left a glass of whisky en prise and I took it en passant". In an interview with a liquor industry publication, Blackburne once claimed that drinking whisky cleared his brain and improved his chessplay."

Here is a line in the Blackburne Shilling Gambit. White elects to take the pawn on f7 with the Knight ... This is duly punished with a nice mate ...

As usual - any comments welcome!!

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4!? 4. Nxe5 Qg5 5. Nxf7 Qxg2 6. Rf1 Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Nf3# 0-1

PGN Viewer courtesy of http://chesstempo.com/