Sunday, November 22, 2009

Traps and Zaps - Center Game

From Bruce Pandolfini's Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps. 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Bc4 Ne5 6. Bb3 Bb4+ 7. c3?! Bc5 8.Qg3?



Black to play and win

Play through the board to see the answer!


2 comments:

Frederick Rhine said...

Ah yes, one of my favorite miniatures. According to Chernev in 1000 Best Short Games of Chess, p. 9, this is Amateur-Leonhardt, Leipzig 1903. According to Chernev(!) and Reinfeld (him again) in The Fireside Book of Chess, p. 203, it is Amateur-Swiderski, Leipzig 1903. I almost pulled off this exact game on the Internet (mine began 1.d4 e5?! 2.d4), but alas my opponent fell for 8.Qxc5?? Nd3+.

Frederick Rhine said...

Er, 2.e4 that is. I also played an offhand game that had a similar finish - winning a queen by one of two forks by either of two knights. N.N.-Rhine, 1977 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d3 e5 4.Qf3 Bg4!? 5.Qg3! (winning a pawn) dxe4 6.Qxe5+ Be7 7.Nxe4 0-0 8.f3? Nc6 9.Qg3 Nxe4! 10.Qxg4 (10.dxe4?? Bh4) Bb4+! 11.c3 Nxc3! 12.Bd2 Nd5 (12...Re8+! is even stronger) 13.Bxb4 Ndxb4 14.Qc4 Nd4! 15.0-0-0 (15.Qxb4?? Nc2+) a5! 16.a3? b5! and White resigned after he realized he was losing his queen (17.Qc3 Na2+; 17.Qc5 Nb3+).