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A beautiful finish from one of Kieran's games. White is clearly winning but what's the decisive move? 27. Nh7! and Black resigned due to 27... Rxh7 alternatively, 27... Kg8 28. Qh6 Qd8 29. Nf6+! Qxf6 30. exf6 Rxh6 31. Rxh6 and Black is helpless against Rch1 and Rh8 mate! 28. Rxh7+ Kxh7 29. Rh1+ Kg8 30. Qh6 and mates 1-0 |
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This position should either be a draw or a win for black because of white's dreadful bishop and weak back rank 1... Rd2? This move allows White to force a draw - perhaps Black should try Ra6!? 2. exf4 exf4 3. Rc8+ Kh7 4. Bxf4! gxf4 5. Rcc7 Raxb2? Black can draw by 5... Ra1+ 6. Kh2 Rdd1 7. Rxg7+ Kh8 8. Rh7+ Kg8 9. Rbg7+ Kf8 10. Rf7+ and White must take a draw by perpetual 10... Kg8! 6. Rxg7+ Kh8 7. Rh7+ Kg8 8. Rbg7+ Kf8 9. Ra7 Kg8 10. Rhg7+ Kh8 11. Rgf7 Kg8 12. Rxf4 Re2 13. Re7 Rb1+ 14. Kh2 Rbb2 15. Kg3 Rb3+ 16. Kh4! Rbb2? 16... e3 is Black's best chance to hold the end-game 17. Ref7 e3 18. Rf8+ Kg7 19. R4f7+ Kg6 20. f4! Rb4 21. g4 h5? 22. f5+ Kh6 23. Rh8# 1-0 |
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Last round of the Olympiad, white has been thowing pieces at the black king throughout the game but it looks like the position has started to settle. But there is one threat lurking ..... Will black spot it? 35... b6? black's best defence is: 35... Qb6 36. Qh5 Qh6 37. Bxf7+ Kh7 38. Rxc5 keeping the rook active and winning a pawn 36. Qg6!! threatening Rg5 or Rh5 36... Qd7 36... Qe7 37. Rg5 Qxg5+ 38. Qxg5+- 37. Rg5 with no defence to the mate 1-0 |
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White has swapped off to go into an endgame with a comfortable material advantage and is now looking for the quickest way to win. She comes up with the idea of doubling Q and R on the back rank. 29... Nf8 to regroup as fxe5 just helps white 30. Rd1?? Starting the planned manoeuvre Rd1- Rd8, Qb8. Whoops, the plan was good but is slightly diffcult to follow through without a queen 30... fxe5 Ahhh, no rook to recapture with and resigns. Winning game to loss in 1 move! 0-1 |
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A very sharp position, both sides having strong threats. 36... Qc2? Direct, but not direct enough! Winning was 36... Rxg2+! 37. Kxg2 (37. Kh1 Rh2+ is similar) 37... Qc2+! 38. Kh1 (38. Kh3 Rf3#) 38... Qe4+ 39. Kg1 (39. Kh2 Rf2+ 40. Kg3 Qg2#) 39... Qg4+ 40. Kh1 Qh3+! 41. Kg1 Rg8+ winning, as Kf2 is met by Qg2 mate, and any knight move drops the queen. 37. Qc7+ Ka7 38. Rxa6+! white takes his chance, and plays a brutal combination 38... Kxa6 39. Nxc5+ Ka7 40. Qxb7# 1-0 |
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Black is by far the stronger player in this game, so white decides to booby-trap the position. White has just played Kh1, setting up the next move. 17... c6 18. g4 the bait to lure Black in 18... Bxg4 blasting white's kingside open, but.. 19. fxg4 Qxg4 20. Bf5! and the queen is swallowed whole. Black tried ..Bf4 but ended up 2 bishops down 1-0 |
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After a long struggle against a strong player, Black has reached a position which is drawn despite the two pawn deficit. The absence of the White king means Black can mop up the pawns. 51... Kb3 52. Ne5! Kxb2?? the wrong pawn! black had to go after the other pawn first with 52... Ka4 53. Nc4 Kb5 (or 53... Kb3 repeating the position) 54. b3 Nc6 55. a6 Kxa6 is drawn 53. Nd3+! decoying the knight away from a6, and allowing the pawn free passage 1-0 |
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Kathy's favourite type of position. Time to smash through! 21... g3! a typical King's Indian move, the pawn acts as a battering ram, and Qh4 is threatened. Meanwhile, white's pieces are falling over each other. 22. hxg3 22. Be1 Qb6+ picks up the loose knight 22... fxg3 hitting two pieces, so white tries 23. Be3 Qh4! ignoring the threat to Bh6, and going for the kill 24. Bxh6? 24. Bd1 Qh2+ 25. Kf1 Qh1+ 26. Ke2 Nf4+ 27. Bxf4 Bxf4 28. Qe1 Qxg2+ 29. Kd3 a5! and the White king will not survive long 24... Qh2+ White's king is hemmed in by his own bishop on e2 25. Kf1 Qh1# 0-1 |
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White has just played Rc6 which turns out to be a losing move. What move wins outright for Black? 40... Qxh3! threatens mate in 1 and cannot be taken. White's only way out is 41. Qxe5+ 41. Rec2 Rxg2 was the actual continuation, and white resigned 41... dxe5 42. Rxh6+ Kg7 43. gxh3 Kxh6 but then white is a rook down 0-1 |
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White takes advantage of Black's last move (Bc5?) to win a piece.. 12. Qxf6! gxf6 13. Nxc7 a6 but the White knight remains trapped. White could cash it in for a pawn.. but wants more 14. Bf4 threatening Nxe6 and winning the rook, so 14... d6 15. Rfd1 Rd8 16. b4! Bxb4 forced 17. Rab1 Ba3 17... a5 18. Nb5 18. Nxa6! and the knight is rescued 1-0 |
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I needed to seal in this position. My team captain was so confident, he'd already marked the scoresheet as 1-0! It seemed I had the luxury of choices.. Qf6+ and Bf5 both looked like they were mating, so I chose the 'shorter' path.. 35. Bf5?? unfortunately this turns it round completely, and I had to resign without resuming! Had the game continued, it would probably have gone the other choice was mate-in-5: 35. Qf6+ Kh7 36. Bf5+ Kg8 37. Bh7+! Kxh7 38. Re7+ Kg8 39. Qg7# 35... Qe1+ 36. Kg2 Rd2+ 37. Kh3 Qf1+ Bf5?? has kindly given f1 to Black 38. Kg4 38. Kh4? Rxh2+ 39. Kg4 Qe2+ 40. Kf4 Rf2# 38... Rg8+ and it's all over, the queen has to go 39. Qxg8+ 39. Bg6 Qxf7 loses the queen outright 39... Kxg8 0-1 |
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Sometimes the obvious moves are the strongest ones! I played the following in the hope of cutting off the black queen. 45. Nd4+? I should have looked longer at 45. Ng5+ Kh8 (45... Kg7 loses to 46. Qf7+ Kh6 47. Qxh7+ Kxg5 48. Qh4#) 46. Qf7 threatening mate in 1 46... Qg7 as Bxg5 loses to Qf8#. White now has defendable position after 47. Qxa2! which eliminates the strong passed pawn. Unfortunately I'd rejected this move as it leaves my knight en prise. However, the knight cannot be takenbecauseof 47... Bxg5 48. Qa8+ Qg8 49. Qa1+ Qg7 forces the draw. Black can give back the bishop but the white queen still rules the black diagonal 45... Kg7 46. Qe5+ Bf6 47. Qc7+ Kh6 and the black king escapes 0-1 |
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It was the last round of a weekend tournament many years ago.... I'd not been doing well and was on the verge of resigning this position and going home. However an ostrich-like refusal to face the facts led to me playing .. 1. f5! the first part of a cunning plan .. 1... gxf5+ fine, but had he made the other recapture, I would have gone home 2. Kf4 with as much dignity as I could muster 2... Kh6?? his plan was to advance the king to g2 via h4. However ... 3. Rxh3+! Rxh3 stalemate! I laughed all the way home despite my poor score 1/2-1/2 |
