July Chess Games

Unusual King Pawn Opening

Computer is white against me in this reverse French opening.
	White	Black
1.	e3	e5
2.	Qh5	Nc6    Black intends to punish this premature sortie by white's queen.
3.	Bc4	d5     The attack on black's king is easily repulsed.
4.	Bb5	Bd6    White switches the attack to black's king pawn.
5.	Nf3	Qe7    

Position after move 5.
6.	Nc3	Nf6    Black has held against the all-out attack! White is out of ammo.
7.	Qg5	Bd7    Offering a pseudo-sacrifice of a pawn.
8.	Nh4	h6     Now the sacrifice is a real offering!
9.	Qxg7	O-O-O  Black's point: castle queenside and use the knight file for attack.
10.	Qg3	Rd8g8  White saves his queen.

Position after move 10.
11.	Qf3	e4     Black now controls the center, an ideal situation for an attack.
12.	Qe2	Ng4    Exposing attack on the white knight.
13.	g3	Be6    Black shifts the field and sacrifices a pawn on the queen side.
14.	Bxc6	bxc6   
15.	Qa6+	Kd7    The king is perfectly safe. White's queen is drawn off in the pawn hunt.

Position after move 15.
16.	Nd1	Qf6    White anticipates black's attack on the king's bishop pawn.
17.	Qxa7	Ne5    White takes the "free" pawn.
18.	Qd4	Nf3+
19.	Nxf3	Qxf3   Black has eliminated the knight defender.
20.	Rg1	c5     Black drives out the white queen.

Position after move 20.
21.	Qa4+	Ke7
22.	Nc3	h5
23.	h4	Rxg3   White is helpess against the onslaught.
24.	fxg3	Bxg3+
25.	Rxg3	Qxg3+

Position after move 25.
26.	Kf1	Bh3+
27.	Ke2	Qf3+ White resigns

Four Knights Game

Computer is black against me in this innovative continuation. White wants to play an Italian Four Knights Game (move 4), but black's surprising continuation seems to be without a direct refutation. The book continuation is 4. ... Bc5.
	White	Black
1.	e4	e5
2.	Nf3	Nc6
3.	Nc3	Nf6     The Four Knights Game, known for 500 years.
4.	Bc4	Nxe4    Black's move taking the pawn is the innovation. It's not listed in Horowitz's opening book.
5.	Nxe4	d5      There doesn't seem to be a refutation. Alternatives to taking the knight fare poorly.

Position after move 5.
6.	Bd3	dxe4    Other possibilities for white include Bb5 as well as Bxf7.
7.	Bxe4	Bd6     This move is probably best for black.
8.	O-O	f5      Castling is probably best here. White needs to get castled anyway in other continuations.
9.	Bxc6+	bxc6    Avoiding giving up the minor exchange lets black have an easy game.
10.	Re1	e4

Position after move 10.
11.	d3	Be7     White's d3 is solid but leads to no clear advantage for white.
12.	Ne5	Qd6     Black's only move to save the pawn and prevent Qh5+.
13.	Bf4	O-O     Moves other than Bf4 lose the initiative.
14.	dxe4	fxe4    The pawns must be exchanged sooner or later.
15.	Bg3	Bf5     Black's Bf5 holds everything.

Position after move 15.
16.	Qe2	Qc5     White needs to keep the queens on the board if he hopes to take advantage of black's somewhat exposed king.
17.	c3	Bd6
18.	Nc4	Bxg3    This bishop exchange seems unavoidable.
19.	h2xg3	Ra8b8
20.	Ra1d1	Be6     White hopes to make use of the open queen file, but black can close it off at will.

Position after move 20.
21.	b3	Bf5     Black has the minor exchange (bishop against a knight), but his pawns are a mess.
22.	Rd4	g5      Exposing the black king even more, but white is unable to capitalize on it.
23.	Re1d1	h6
24.	Qd2	Qb5
25.	Ne3	c5?     White wins a pawn.

Position after move 25.
26.	Ra4	Be6
27.	Rxa7	Qc6
28.	Qc2	Ra8
29.	Rxa8	Rxa8
30.	c4	Bd7     White's a pawn up now but it's a long hard slog to the end.
31.	Nd5	Re8
32.	Re1	Bf5
33.	Qc3	Kf7
34.	Qe3	Qd6
35.	Rd1	Bg4
36.	Rd2	Qc6
37.	Nc3	Re5
38.	Rd5	Rxd5
39.	Nxd5	Bf5
40.	Nc3	Kf6
41.	Na4	Qa6
42.	Qxc5	Qd6
43.	Qxd6+	cxd6
44.	Kf1	Bg4
45.	Ke1	Kf7
46.	Kd2	Bf5
47.	Ke3	Kf6
48.	Nc3	Ke5
49.	a4	h5
50.	a5	h4
51.	gxh4	gxh4
52.	a6	Bc8
53.	a7	Bb7
54.	Nd5	Bc6
55.	Nc7	Kf6
56.	a8=Q	Bxa8
57.	Nxa8	Ke5
58.	Nc7	Kf5
59.	Nb5	Ke5
60.	b4	d5
61.	cxd5	Kxd5
62.	Nc3+	Kc4
63.	b5	Kc5
64.	Kxe4	Kb6
65.	f4	Kc5
66.	f5	Kd6
67.	Nd5	h3
68.	gxh3	Kc5
69.	b6	Kc6
70.	f6	Kd6
71.	h4	Kc6
72.	h5	Kb7
73.	h6	Ka6
74.	h7	Kb5
75.	f7	Kc4
76.	b7	Kb3
77.	b8=Q+	Kc2
78.	f8=Q	Kd2
79.	h8=R Black resigns

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com


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Last updated August 1, 2016 by Rick Wagner. Copyright © 2016, all rights reserved.