This week – William, Dylan, and the case of the trapped knight…
We’ll start off this time with William’s final-round win against Mervyn Honner. It looked like going horribly wrong at the start, but ended in a successful king hunt which earned the title of Leinster Junior Champion.
William Kenny (1295) v Mervyn Honner (1252); Malahide Millennium Junior round 6; 02/05/16
Notes by William Kenny
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Be7 4. Bc4 Bh4+ 5. Nxh4?
I should play 5. Kf1 because after 5. Nxh4 Qxh4+ 6.Kf1, this would be a worse version of 3. Bc4 Qh4+ where I would have a knight on g1 that can kick black’s queen and make my king safer.
(It’s also worth noting that, after 5. Kf1, black can’t develop his king-side knight at the moment, or his bishop hangs – so this line means that while white can’t castle, black has to waste time moving his bishop again. And I can’t let this pass without noting the Bertin Cunningham Gambit – 5. g3!? fg 6. 0-0 gh+ 7. Kh1,when the main line continues 7. … d5! 8. BxP Nf6 9. NxP+ KxB 10. NxB – Kevin)
5. Qxh4+ 6. Kf1 d6 7. d4 Nf6 8. Nc3 Nh5 9. Qd2
My idea was just to let him take my rook and afterwards I was hoping I could get an attack on his king. I moved my queen to d2 because after he takes my rook on h1 he can’t swap off queens. I could’ve played 9. Qe1 so I can prevent Ng3+ – 9. Qe1 Ng3+ 10. Kg1. I’d say this is my best move here and this leads to just a slightly worse position for me but I thought my best chance of winning this game was with 9. Qd2.
(Fritz also mentions 9. Nd5 Kd8 10. Kg1 as just a slight edge for black – Kevin)
9. Ng3+ 10. hxg3 Qxh1+ 11. Kf2 fxg3+ 12. Kxg3 f6?
Pointless – I don’t really get why he played this. If he was worried about Bxf7+ then why didn’t he just play 12. Be6 or castle? If he castles here then I’m just losing. 12. 0-0 13. b3 Be6 14. Bb2 Qh5. The same goes for 12. Be6.
I think black’s best move here is 12. … h5. The idea is black could further push his h-pawn and/or play Rh6 and get his rook in the game. After 12. … h5 I should play 13. Qf4 to prevent Rh6. Play might continue like this – 13. Be6 14. Nd5 Kd7 15. Kf2 Nc6 16. b3 Qd1 (If black plays 16. Nxd4 then 17. Bb2 wins a queen.)
13. Nd5 Kd8 (D)
14. e5
Explosion.
14. Qg5 was an interesting possibility too. If 14. … PxQ 15. Bxg5+ 15. Kd7 and you win black’s queen on h1 with 16. Rxh1. Then after 16. … c6 17. Nf6! gxf6 18.Bxf6, Black’s best move here is 18. … d5. If black tries to save his rook with something like 18. … Rf6 then white has a draw with 19. Rxh7+ Ke8 20.Re7+ Kd8 21. Rf7+ and white can keep checking and get a draw. If black plays 18. … d5 then 19. Bxh8 cxd4 20. Rxh7+ Ke6. The computer says this is a equal position.
(It’s worth noting 14. Qg5 Bh3! 15. Kf2 PxQ 16. BxP+ Kd7 17. RxQ Be6 18. NxP BxB 19. NxR a6 20. Be3 and black has developed his bishop outside his king compared with 14. Qg5 PxQ 15. Bxg5+ Kd7 16. RxQ. The developed piece is the difference between being better (the first line) and being maybe equal (the second line, where the bishop is taking no real part in the game) – Kevin)
14. Qh5 15. Qf4
An alternative was 15. exd6. The game might continue like this – 15. Qg4+ 16. Kf2 cxd6 17. Qa5+ b6 18. Qa3 Re8 19. Qxd6+ Qd7 20. Qxd7+ Nxd7. This is slightly worse for me.
15. … dxe5?
15. Be6 16. exd6 Qg6+ 17. Kf2 Qxc2+ 18. Bd2 Qxc4 19. dxc7+ Kd7 20. cxb8Q Rhxb8 21. Nb4 Qc7. I am worse here.
16. dxe5 Qxe5??
I am just winning now. Black should play 16. Qg6+ because my attack when the queens come off is too strong. The game might continue like this – 16. Qg6+ 17. Kf2 Be6 18. exf6 Bxd5 19. Bxd5 Nd7 20. Bxb7 Rf8 21. Be4 Qxf6 22. Qxf6+. The position is equal here.
17.Qxe5 fxe5 18. Bg5+ Kd7 (D)
19. Rd1 Kc6
If it was white’s move then it is mate in 2 with Nb4+ Ke8 and Rd8#.
20. Ne7+?
20. Nc3 is completely winning for me. If white gets 2 free moves here then it’s checkmate after Be3 and Bg5#.
If 20. … Kb6 then it is mate in 8…. I’ll let you figure that out. (This one’s well worth doing as a calculation exercise – it’s not straightforward at all! – Kevin)
20. … Kc5 loses to 21. Rd5+ and if 21. … Kxc4 then 22. Bd2 c5 23. a3 Bh3 24. b3# or if 21. … Kb6 then 22. Be3+ c5 23. Rxc5 a6 24. Nd5+ Ka7 (D)
(There’s now only one mate in one – what is it? – Kevin)
25. Rc7#. (The rook move gives discovered check while also pinning the only piece that can block – Kevin)
Black needs to play either 20. … a6 or 20. … b6 or something like 20. … Nd7 21. Be3 b6 to stop checkmate but he’s just losing afterwards because he drops a rook. 20. Nc3 Nd7 21. Be3 b6 22. Bd5+ Kd6 23. Bxa8+ Ke6.
20. … Kb6
If he plays 20. Kc5 then it’s mate in 6 – 20. Kc5 21. Rd5+ Kb6 22. Rb5+ Ka6 23. Nd5 b6 24. Rc5+ b5 25. Bxb5+ Kb7 26. Rxc7#. If he takes my bishop then 22. Bd2 c5 23. a4 followed by b3#.
21. Nd5+?
21. Be3+ is better because I can win black’s rook. 21. Be3+ c5 22. b4 Nd7 23. Nd5+ Kc6 24, b5+ Kd6 25. b6 axb6 26. Nxb6+ Kc7 27. Nxa8+ Kb8 28. Be6 Nf6 29. Bxc8 Rxc8 30. Nb6.
If 21. Ka5 then 22.Rd5+ c5 23.Rxc5+ b5 24. Rxb5+ Ka6 25. Nd5 followed by Nb4#
21. … Kc5??
This is now mate in 4 – 22. Be3+ Kd6 23. Ne7+ Ke7 24. Bg5+ Kf8 25. Rd8#. He should’ve repeated the position with 21.Kc6.
22. Nxc7??
I MISSED MATE IN 4! I thought after 22. Kxc4 I had mate in 3 after I played Rd5, Bd2 and b3# but after 23. Rd5 black has 23. … Bf5! and now I’m just losing. If I try 24. Bd2 then black takes the c-pawn and b3 isn’t checkmate.
22. Kxc4 23. Rd5? Nc6??
He missed 23. … Bf5. (Na6 also stops white’s attack – Kevin)
24. Bd2 (D)
(Mate is now unavoidable – 24. … Na5 (or d4) 25. b3+ NxP 26. ab# – Kevin) 1-0
Before moving on to Dylan’s game, a quick interlude to look at a tactical sequence in my opening round match against Paddy Divilly. In this position –
I have black. I figured I was on the attack, but then, like that picture that changes from a duck to a rabbit depending on how you look at it, my view of the game changed, and I realised White was simply threatening to win my knight by Qg2 and then h3. So – how to proceed?
Is this a picture of a strong attack or of a trapped piece?
1. … e5 is the only way for Black to continue here. If 2. Qg2 QxQ 3. KxQ ef 4. h3?? NxP+, winning material. If 4. ef e3+ 5. Nf3 RxP 6. h3 Raf8 and white’s knight is falling too. White can block up the diagonal with 2. d5 ef 3. RxP RxR 4. PxR e3 5. Nf1 Qh4, and the white queen is now tied to the defence of his rook, while black can consolidate around the big pawn on e3. I probably should have spotted this in fairness – anything that undermines white’s pawn on e3, after which my bishop can come into the game, can’t be bad.
But I didn’t play that though… I played 1. … Rf5??, with the idea of saccing my queen after 2. Qg2 Qxe3+ 3. RxQ NxR+ 4. Qh3 NxR 5. KxN RxP+, but Fritz doesn’t reckon I’ve enough here. I had planned on 6. Kg2 Rf8, but maybe we both missed my pawn on e6 hanging with check – and so Paddy ducked out of the queen sac and played 2. Kh1. And of course, now the threat is Rg1, and my knight is still trapped. How to get out of this one?!
There’s a couple of ways here actually, including 2. … e5 again, though it’s a very different line – 3. Rg1 Nxe3 4. QxN QxQ 5. RxQ ef 6. RxP BxR 7. NxB Re8, and I’ve a rook and pawn for the two pieces, lots of space for my two rooks and a passed pawn on f4. Maybe the simplest is 2. … h6, when 3. gh NxP is obvious. 3. Rg1 h5 and my knight is protected, and the h-pawn can’t attack the knight as it’s now pinned.
But what I played is good too – 2. … Raf8. It’s in keeping with my last move anyway, but it does require seeing the follow-up – which, truth be told, I can’t remember if I did or not! So white replied 3. Rg1, and my knight is trapped again. Now what?
I now played 3. … Rxf4, for which I’ll give myself partial credit! The rook can’t be taken – 4. PxR?? e3+ 5. d5 (anything else is mate in 2) Nf2+ and white has to give up the queen and a rook for the knight. If white tries – as he did – 4. Rg3, I’ve now got a queen and a rook hanging, while the mate threat is gone as the white king has g1 available. But I can play 4. … Nf2+ 5. Kg1 Rg4, and my queen is now indirectly protected. (5. … Rh4 is also an option, just giving up my queen – 6. RxQ NxR+ 7. Kh1 Rf2 8. Qd1 Ng5 – hitting h2 and threatening mate – 9. Nf1 RxB, with a bishop, rook and two pawns for the queen)
But full marks if you spotted the stronger 3. … Rxg5! Again, the rook can’t be taken – 4. PxR?? Nf2+ 5. QxN – the only move – RxQ 6. Nf3 QxN+ 7. Rg2 QxR# If 4. Rg3 Qh4 5. PxR? Rf2 and though it isn’t mate, white does have to give up his queen for two rooks, and I’ll be a pawn or two up with an attack – and of course, 3. … Rxg5 threatens Rg6 and Nh6.
Anyways, in the game, white now swapped off pieces – but after 6. QxR QxQ 7. RxQ NxR 8. Re2 – my knight is still trapped! Whatever next?
Here, I can play the nice 8. … Rf3! e3 is falling, so white has to go in for the sac – 9. NxR PxN 10. Rd2 Nxe3, and I’ve two pawns for the exchange, one of which is a monster on f3, although white may be able to sac back the exchange and hope for a draw in the resulting opposite-coloured bishop endgame.
I didn’t spot that, though and played 8. … Rf5, and after 9. h3, my knight is STILL trapped! So one last time – how to get out of this one?
I’m still a pawn up from my earlier, declined, rook sac – so the best I can do is to get two more pawns for the knight. So I played 9. … Ne5! 10. PxN RxP+ 11. Rg2 RxP, and I’ve three pawns for the piece, and white’s pawns are shattered. 9. … NxP 10. RxN RxP+ 11. Kf2 d5 12. cd ed is also an option, but Fritz gives this only as equal – though I’ve a protected passed pawn now, white’s own pawn structure is mended as well.
In the game, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a way to win any more of the pawns – the knight covers a surprising amount of entry points, and it’s hard to push my own pawns without mending white’s pawn structure – and I ended up having to settle for a draw.
Denis Ruchko (1458) v Dylan Boland (1722); Malahide Millennium Intermediate round 4; 01/05/16
Notes by Dylan Boland
1. d4 e6 2. c4 d5 3. Nc3 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bf4 a6
The idea is to simply take on c4 and follow up with b5 and Bb7.
6. e3 dc
White can play a4, preventing Black from playing b5 after bxc4; however this weakens the b4 square severely and black can exploit this straight away with Nd5 or Bb4.
7. BxP b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. Qc2 Nbd7 10. 0-0 c5 11. dc NxP
Black stands fairly well after the first few opening moves. His usually bad c8 bishop is superior to its white counterpart; furthermore his knight on c5 is very active and controls the key e4 square…in short, black has equalised.
12. Be2 Rc8
At this point, I was expecting the very natural developing move Rd1 – after Qa5 from black he would apply more pressure to the knight shielding the white queen on the c-file
13. Nd4 0-0 14. Rfd1 (D)
The computer informs me that Ncd7 is crushing, threating e5 and b4. Instead I played the quick Qb6 which I had been analysing heavily on his time. (White can just get come through 14. … Ncd7, though the move is still strong – 14. … Ncd7 15. Bg5 b4 16. Qb3 PxN 17. QxB Rb8 18. Qxa6 cb. White has avoided losing a piece, but does have to face a pawn on b2 – Kevin)
14. … Qb6 15. Bf3
A critical point in the game. This was the first time I really stopped to think on my own time.
15. … Nce4 16. Qb3 NxN 17. PxN BxB 18. PxB
A strange move that I felt he might think he had to play when in actual fact NxB was a little better.
18. … Qc5
The pawn structure has crystalised and black is positionally better. The queen and rook on the c-file tie down White’s pieces, and black is also able to bring a knight to d5 and a bishop to f6
19. Ne2
Preventing e5, winning a piece
19. … Nd5 20. Rac1
At this point, I declined 20. … Bf6 – a seemingly good move winning the c pawn. However, I rejected it because I thought White had the saving 20. Bd6 Qxd6 21. e4 where he would have gotten back in the game. However, I needed to look one move further with Qe5, when the e pawn is pinned to the knight on e2.
20. … Rfd8 21. Kh1
This move prevents the potential tactic after Be5 Nxe3 Pxe3 Qxe3+, winning immediately.
21. … Bf6 22. Rd3 Nxf4 23. RxR+ RxR 24. NxN Rd2 (D)
Invading the second rank with threats.
25. Kg1 h6
Time out to give the king luft.
26. c4
The climax has been reached. I looked at Rb2 – THE WINNING MOVE – but got distracted by a seemingly simpler continuation.
26. … bc 27. Rxc4 Qb5 27. QxQ ab
And a draw was agreed shortly after. ½/½
stbenilduschessclub 
In the Cunningham defence black’s bishop on h4 doesn’t have to move twice and black can get away with playing Nf6. 5. Kf1 d5 6. Bxd5 Nf6 – if white takes the bishop here then black will take the other bishop and if white plays something else like 7. Bb3 then black can play Bg4 pinning the knight and black doesn’t have to move his bishop on h4 twice.