BDGs at the South Wales International Open

There were a couple of nice Blackmar-Diemers played this month at the 6th South Wales International Open. Here’s one of them:


Fletcher,J (2027) - Bridges,P (1884)
6th South Wales International Open (2), 12.07.2009
BDG, Zeller Defense

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Bf5 4.g4 Bg6 5.Bg2




5...c6

[5...e5 6.Nge2 exd4 7.Nxd4 Bb4 8.0-0 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Ne7 10.Rb1 b6 11.f4 exf3 12.Qxf3 c6 13.Ba3 0-0 14.Rbd1 Qc7 15.Rfe1 Re8 16.Nb5 cxb5 17.Qxa8 f6 1-0 Ginat,M-Ponomarev,M/Denver, Colorado op 1992]

6.Nxe4 Bxe4 7.Bxe4 Nf6 8.Bg2 e6 9.g5 Nd5 10.Ne2 Bd6 11.c4 Ne7 12.Qb3 Qc8 13.h4 Nd7 14.h5 Bc7 15.Bd2 Rb8 16.Bb4 a5 17.Bxe7 Kxe7 18.Qe3 Bb6 19.0-0-0 Qc7 20.Nf4




20...g6?! [Black might have tried to get his King to some semblance of safety with 20...Rbf8 followed by Kd8.]  

21.Bd5!?




[21.c5 first is stronger.]

21...e5 [21...Qe5 22.Be4]

22.c5 Ba7 23.hxg6 hxg6 24.Bxf7 Kxf7 25.Qb3+ 1-0




and White mates.

Play through the game and download PGN here.

Theo Hommeles and the Blackmar-Diemer

As promised, more on Theo Hommeles and the Blackmar-Diemer. Here is a game with his notes from BDG WORLD 76 (Jan-Feb 1997). Notice that once again h7-h6 gets Black in trouble in the Euwe Defense.

Theo Hommeles - IM Vladimir Chuchelov (2490)
Dieren, 1992
BDG, Euwe Defense

Nowadays Chuchelov is a grandmaster. For me it was the first time to test the BDG on a player with a title. For him it will be also a life-long remembrance I expect.

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.0-0 c5 9.Bxf6 Nxf6 10.dxc5 Bxc5+ 11.Kh1 0-0



All very well played by Black. In order to keep the attacking bishop White had to change the one of the black squares.  

12.Ng5 h6?




But this is certainly not the best reaction. 12 ... g6 seems reasonable though white may have the typical BDG compensation. As IM Erik Hoeksema showed me later, 12 ... Be3! is probably the refutation of White's setup. After 13. Rxf6 Bxg5 the capture 14. Rxf7 is impossible because of 14 ... Rxf7 and the black queen is protected by the bishop. Therefore we must conclude that 12. Ng5?! is mere speculation.

13.Nxf7!




13...Qd4!

A real blow for my opponent. He invested a whole hour trying to find the best way to even continue. [It is clear that 13...Rxf7? 14.Bh7+ Kxh7 15.Qxd8 is no option at all,; while 13...Kxf7 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Qxc5 leaves Black behind in development, with an awkward e-pawn to defend and still an unsafe king.]

14.Nb5



14...Qg4!

[Chuchelov had also been thinking of the cunning 14...Qe3 after which 15.Rf3 Ng4 16.Rxe3?? Nf2+ loses outright. In time he saw 16.Nxh6+! winning a sound pawn. After 14.Ne2 (instead of 14.Nb5) it would be a very good try.]  

15.Ne5 Qxd1 16.Raxd1 Nd5 17.Rxf8+ Bxf8 18.Bc4 a6




19.Nc3

[Perhaps it was better to go for 19.Bxd5 axb5 20.Bb3 though after 20...Ra6! which Chuchelov had planned, the advantage has vanished.]

19...Nxc3 20.Rd8?

[To a dead draw leads 20.bxc3 Be7 21.Nd7]

20...Nd5 21.Ng6 Kf7 22.Rxf8+




[It now became clear to me that things were not as simple as they appeared before. I had planned 22.Nxf8 Ke7 23.Nxe6 Bxe6 24.Rxa8 Nb6 25.Bxe6 Nxa8 26.Bc8 but Black can interfere with 23...Nb6, winning a piece. Perhaps Caissa felt I deserved the draw since Chuchelov refuses to take full advantage of my overextended play.]

22...Kxg6 23.Bd3+ Kg5 24.g3




24...Ne3?!

[Winning is only 24... 24...e5! 25.h4+ Kg4 26.Kg2 Nf6 27.Rf7 e4 etc, but not 24...Nf6? 25.Rf7 and it's Black who has to fight for the draw.]

25.h4+ Kh5 26.Be2+





26...Kg6

[Or 26...Ng4 27.Kg2 e5 28.Kh3 Kg6 29.Bd3+ Kh5 30.Be2=]

27.Bd3+ Kh5 28.Be2+ Kg6 29.Bd3+ 1/2-1/2

Chuchelov just couldn't believe what had happened.

Play through the game and download PGN here.

Theo Hommeles at the Canadian Open

Back in the 1990s in BDG World I published a number of Blackmar-Diemers played by the Dutch FM Theo Hommeles. Last year I posted a couple of those old games here. I think it’s time to reprint a few more.

Hommeles is in the chess news these days due to a great performance in the just-concluded Canadian Open in Edmonton. The Open was a nine-round Swiss with very strong IM and GM participation (Alexei Shirov and Michael Adams among others).

As Peter Doggers wrote in Chess Vibes, “Hommeles can be satisfied with a a fine tournament in which he defeated IM Samsonkin (2612) and GM Ni Hua (2702), to find himself playing for first place against Mark Bluvshtein in the last round.” Unfortunately, a bit like Tom Watson on the links of the British Open on the same Sunday, he came up short at the end. GM Bluvshtein won the game and the tournament on tiebreaks.

Chess Vibes has a final report on the tournament, which includes a picture of Hommeles at the board in his game with Ni Hua.

The Ni Hua game itself, with commentary by GM Alexander Shabalov is here.

And here are Hommeles’ two BDGs I posted last year. I will pull several more together and post them later this week.

More on the Euwe Defense and h7-h6

As we mentioned in the last post, one of the several drawbacks to the move h7-h6 is that it weakens (often decisively) the field g6. White can then often complete the weakening of g6 by removing the f-pawn with a direct Knight sacrifice upon the pawn itself. Or White may sometimes achieve the same effect by deflecting the f-pawn with a sacrifice on e6. Here are a few games illustrating the latter method.

Diemer,EJ – Anonymous
Simultaneous Exhibition, Hunnebostrand, Sweden, 1958
BDG, Euwe Defense

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bd3 b6 7.0-0 Bb7 8.Bg5 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nbd7 10.Rae1 h6?



11.Rxe6+ fxe6 12.Bg6+ Ke7 13.Nd5+ Kd6 14.Bf4+ e5 15.dxe5+ Nxe5 16.Bxe5+ Kd7 17.Nxb6+ 1-0

Diemer,EJ – Kotek
Kaernten, 1965
BDG, Euwe Defense

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 c6 8.0-0 h6 9.Bf4 Nd5 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Qd2 Be6 12.Rae1 Nd7?
 


13.Rxe6 fxe6 14.Bg6+ Kf8 15.Ng5 hxg5 16.Bc7+ Nf6 17.Bxd8 and White won. 1-0

Molnar,Bela - Szaz,Ferenc
HUN-chT2 Hungary, 1997
BDG, Euwe Defense

1.e4 d5 2.d4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bf4 Nd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.Qd2 Be6 11.0-0-0 Nd7 12.Rde1 g5?
 


13.Rxe6 fxe6 14.Bg6+ Kf8 15.Qe2 Kg7 16.Qxe6 Rf8 17.Bxc7 Qxc7 18.Qxe7+ Kxg6 19.Ne5+ Kh5 20.g4+ Kh4 21.Qh7 Qd6 22.Qd3 Qxe5 23.dxe5 Kxg4 24.Rg1+ Kf4 25.Qd4+ 1-0

Flude,David - Dalton,Sam
Canterbury Summer Swiss 2008 (2), 27.12.2008
BDG, Euwe Defense

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Qd2 h6 8.Bf4 Nd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 Be6 11.0-0 Nd7 12.Rae1 Bf6



13.Rxe6+ fxe6 14.Bg6+ Kf8 15.Ne5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Kg8 17.Bg3 Nc5 18.Qf2 Qe7 19.Bh4 Qd7 20.Qxc5 h5 21.Rf7 Qa4 22.Rxc7 Qc4 23.Qxc4 dxc4 24.Bf7+ Kh7 25.Bxe6 Kh6 26.Bxc4 g5 27.Be1 Rhd8 28.Bd3 Rd5 29.Bc3 g4 30.Bd2# 1-0

Diemer,EJ composition
Letter to TVP, 1978
Alapin-Diemer Gambit

1.d4 d5 2.e4 e6 3.Be3 dxe4 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.f3 Bb4 6.Bg5 exf3 7.Nxf3 Nbd7 8.Bd3 c5 9.a3 Ba5 10.0-0 cxd4 11.Ne4 Bc7 12.Nxd4 h6



13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Qh5+ Nxh5?? [14...Ke7] 15.Nd6+ Bxd6 16.Bg6# 1-0

Play through these games and download PGN here.

The Euwe Defense and the Move h7-h6

In the first year of BDG World (1983) I wrote an article with the title of this post, in which I quoted Diemer (from the 2 January 1956 issue of Schach) on the move h7-h6:

"All instruction books warn of too many pawn moves in the opening. In this category is the move h6--enthusiastically played mostly by beginners, but often enough also by experienced players."

After noting that h6 is not "of itself" bad, Diemer goes on to enumerate its drawbacks:

1) It loses time and neglects development.

2) It weakens (often decisively) the field g6.

3) After Black castles Kingside, it offers White the opportunity to tear open the position through a g2-g5 pawn storm, or through a sacrifice on h6.

In the article I noted that h7-h6 appears frequently in the Euwe Defense, a natural reaction to White’s placing his Bishop on g5. The other day I came across a new game that reminded me of this article. It’s from a blog, called Korch Chess, which is worth a visit. The link is at the end of this post. Korch (2017) - Viner (1942) 16 min rated, Playchess, 10.07.2009 BDG, Euwe Defense 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bh4 8...a6 [In a (fondly remembered) correspondence game from thirty years ago my opponent played 8...Nc6 here. See Purser-Carra below.] 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Kh1 g5 11.Bg3 Bd6 12.Ne5 Nxd4 13.Ne4 [Korch remarked that he missed 13.Bg6! After 13...fxg6 14.Qxd4 Black hurts for a good move. Note that if Black’s h-pawn were still on its original square Bg6 would not work.] 13...Nf5 14.Nxd6+ Qxd6 15.Rxf5 exf5 16.Nxf7 Qf8 17.Nxh8 f4 18.Ng6 Qc5 19.Qe2+ Kf7 20.Bf2 Bg4 21.Ne5+ Kf8 22.Bxc5+ 1-0 I was living in Germany when this next game was played in a postal tourney of the Rheinland-Pfalz Schachbund. The tourney, a Blackmar-Diemer thematic, was organized by longtime BDG-devotee Viktor Kuntz, who died shortly after it began. Purser,Tom – Carra Correspondence, Germany, 1979 BDG, Euwe Defense 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 Be7 8.Bd3 Reaching the same position as in the previous game. 8...Nc6 9.Qd2 Nb4 10.0-0 Nxd3 11.Qxd3 0-0 12.Ne5 Nd5 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Ne4 Nb4 15.Qg3 Nxc2? 16.Nf6+ Kh8 [And again, White’s next move was made possible by the weakening h7-h6.] 17.Qg6! gxf6 [17...Qxf6 18.Rxf6 fxg6 19.Rxf8+ Kh7 20.Rc1 (Another interesting line is 20.Nf7 g5 21.Rf1 Ne3 22.Rh8+ Kg6 23.Ne5+ Kh5 24.Rf3 g4 25.Rxe3) 20...Nxd4 21.Rxc7+-] 18.Qxh6+ 1-0 [18.Qxh6+ Kg8 19.Rf3 and mates.] Play through the games and download PGN here. Visit Korch’s blog here.

Think Like a Grandmother, Part 4

With this post we conclude the examination of grandmother thinking from my article in BDG World 46, July 1991: 

This month I ventured up to Atlanta to play in my annual OTB event, and got in two BDGs. I present them both. The first I'd considered withholding for a contemplated book, Schachmutter denken, but it is such a formidable example of grandmother thought that to delay presenting it would be criminal. It also provides an opportunity to discuss a rare position in the Vienna Defense.

Purser,Tom - Curry,Charles
Atlanta, GA Class CS, July, 1991
BDG, Vienna Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.Nc3 Bf5 5.fxe4 Nxe4 6.Qf3 Nd6 7.Bf4 Nc6



8.0-0-0 [Gee, I wish he'd taken on c2! All I could remember here was that Diemer had a game with this in his book. I looked at 8.Bxd6, but couldn't see through the complications. Here are some of them:
8.Bxd6 Nxd4 9.Qxb7 Nxc2+ 10.Kf2 Nxa1 11.Nd5

a) 11.Nb5?! Rb8? (11...Rc8! 12.Nxc7+ (12.Bxc7 Qd2+=/+) 12...Rxc7 13.Bb5+ (13.Bxc7 Qd4+=/+) 13...Rd7! 14.Bc7 Be4!~~) 12.Nxc7+ Kd7? Mate in 3 (12...Qxc7 13.Qxc7 Rxb2+ 14.Kg3 exd6 was Black's only try.) 13.Bb5+ 1-0, Haralson-O'Malley, corr 1967. (13.Bb5+ Kxd6 14.Qd5+ Kxc7 15.Qc6#) ;

b) 11.Bb5+ Bd7 12.Bxc7 Qc8 13.Bc6 Qxb7 14.Bxb7 Roughly equal, but White has some play while Black works to save his Knight, e.g. 14...Rd8 (14...Rc8 15.Bxc8 Bxc8 16.Nf3 Nc2 (16...Kd7 17.Ba5!) 17.Rd1!+/=) 15.Bxd8 Kxd8 16.Nf3 Nc2 17.Rd1 Kc7 (17...Nb4? 18.Ne5!; 17...e6? 18.Bc6!) 18.Be4 Nb4 19.a3 Na6 20.Ne5 Be8 (20...Be6 21.Bd5!) 21.Bd3 Nc5 22.Bb5!+/=; 11...exd6? (11...Qc8! 12.Nxc7+ (12.Bb5+ Bd7 13.Nxc7+ Kd8 14.Qxa8 Qxa8 15.Nxa8 exd6=/+) 12...Kd8 13.Qb5 (13.Qxa8 Qxa8 14.Nxa8 exd6=/+) 13...exd6 14.Nxa8 Qc5+=/+) 12.Bb5+ Bd7 13.Nxc7+ Ke7 14.Qe4+ Kf6 (14...Be6?? 15.Nd5#) 15.Nd5+ Kg5 Diemer-Zeller, Game 210 (Diemer); Frage V (wie geht es weiter?)]

8...Qd7 9.h3 0-0-0 10.g4 Bg6 11.Qe3?!



11.Bg2, 11.Rh2, 11.h4--any were probably better. 11...h5! 12.d5 
 


12...Nb8 [12...Nb4 13.Qxa7 c6 14.Qa8+ Kc7 15.Qa5++-]

13.g5? [This was a bit like taking an extra teacake. Not good for granny, I knew, but...just this once... (Yes, yes, just develop the Knight to f3). 13.Bxd6 exd6 14.Nb5 Re8 15.Nxa7+ Kd8 16.Qb3 c6 17.dxc6 Nxc6~~]

13...e6 14.Nf3 exd5 15.Ne5 Qe6 



16.Nxd5? [16.Rxd5 Be4 is just as good for Black; White was obliged to remove the Bishop with 16.Nxg6.]

16...Be4! 17.Nxc7 Desperation grabs hold like a bad case of grandma's gout. [17.Bc4 Nxc4 18.Qxe4 Nxe5 19.Qxe5 Bd6-/+]

17...Kxc7 17...Qxa2 was even better. 18.Qc5+ Nc6 19.Bc4 Qf5



The teacake's revenge--curse that 13th move! 20.Rhf1 f6 21.gxf6 gxf6 22.Bh2 
 


22...Qxh3 [22...Bh6+ 23.Kb1 Bxc2+ 24.Ka1 Bf4 is good for Black, but unnecessarily complex.] 23.Nxc6 Bxc6 24.Qa5+ b6? 25.Qxa7+ Bb7



26.Bg1?? Granny never could accept a gift graciously. 26...Nxc4 She had counted on 27.Rxd8, forgetting that the Bishop was the only thing holding the Rook at f1. 0-1

Well, there was some redemption in the other BDG in Atlanta.

Purser,Tom - Jackson,Ken
Atlanta, GA Class CS, July, 1991
BDG, Teichmann Defense

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6 8.g4 



8...Qxd4 [A recent correspondence game tested a line in this variation: 8...e6 9.g5 Nd5 10.Bd3 Be7 11.Rf1 0-0 12.Ne4 Nd7 13.a3 b5 14.Qh5 f5 15.gxf6 N5xf6 16.Nxf6+ Nxf6 17.Qh4 g6 18.Rg1 Nd5 19.Qh6 Bh4+ 20.Kd1 Qf6 21.c3 Qf3+ 22.Kc2 Qf2+ 23.Bd2 (all 'book' to this point, if your book is BDG WORLD 24) 23...Rf3 24.Bxg6 hxg6 25.Rxg6+ Kf7 26.Rg7+ Ke8 27.Qxe6+ Ne7 28.Re1 Kf8 29.Qh6 1-0 Purser,T-Harabor,M. corr APCT 1989/90]

9.Be3 Qe5 10.0-0-0 e6



11.Bc4 [In my original notes I wrote that "Gegner recommended 11.g5 and on 11...Nd5 12.Nxd5 but 12...exd5 leaves this grandma yearning for her warm milk and cookies." However, now this looks fine for White; one small victory over senility, maybe. 13.Bf4 Qe6 14.Qg3 threatening both Bxb8 and Re1. ]

11...Be7 12.Rhf1 Rf8 13.Bf4 Qa5 14.Nb5!?



14...Na6 My opponent played this with only a moment's thought, which I found offensive, considering how long I'd taken to analyze--well, muddle over--the possibilities: [14...cxb5 15.Qxb7 bxc4 16.Qxa8+-; 14...Nd5 15.Rxd5! cxd5 (15...exd5 16.Nc7+ Kd7 17.Nxd5 cxd5 18.Bxd5+-) 16.Nc7+ Kd8 17.Nxa8+-] Obviously one of us didn't grasp the gravity of the situation.

 15.Nd6+ Bxd6 16.Bxd6 Rg8



17.Qb3?! The start of a series of ghastly grandmotherly moves by both sides. 17...Qb6



18.Qf3 [18.Bxe6! Qxb3 19.Bxb3 Nd5 20.Bxd5 cxd5 21.Rxd5+-]

18...0-0-0 19.g5 Nd5 20.Bxd5 cxd5 21.Be7 Rde8 22.Qxf7 Qe3+ 23.Kb1 Qxh3
 


24.Rd3?! [24.Bd6! Qg4 25.Rd3 d4 26.Ra3 Qe2 27.Rxa6+/-] 24...Qg4? [24...Qxf1+ 25.Qxf1 Rxe7=] 25.Bd6+-
 


25...Qxg5?? (White mates in 4) 26.Rc3+ Kd8 27.Bc7+ [27.Qxb7 mates one move sooner] 27...Kc8 28.Bf4+ 1-0.

Enough of this nonsense (for now). But still to come: The Grandmother of all BDGs!

Play through these games and download PGN here.

Thank Like a Grandmother, Part 3

We continue with our grandmother thinking article reprinted from BDG World 46, July 1991.


Purser,Tom - Schiller,Eric
Correspondence USA Today LINC, 1990
BDG, Euwe Defense

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6
 


I was thinking about playing 4.Bg5, but with his second or third move Black had transmitted something to the effect of "I stand behind what I write," which led me to believe that the Euwe was in the offing. A grandmother's intuition, you might say, but since my opponent had recommended the Euwe in both Unorthodox Openings and Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, maybe it was more than that.

4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Qd2



Diemer played 8.a3 here, to preserve his Bishop on d3. I wanted to see what Black's loss of time in exchanging was worth. Not enough for White to allow it, I'm afraid.

8...Nb4 9.0-0-0 Nxd3+ 10.Qxd3 0-0 11.h4 c5 12.Bf4 Nd5 13.Ng5



Trying to provoke some weakness in Black's Kingside pawn structure.

13...g6 Rewarded with (potential) holes at f6 and h6 and a target for the h-pawn at g6. 14.Qf3 Nxf4 15.Qxf4



Now Black has the two Bishops, although he's only playing with one.

15...Qd6 16.Qf3 cxd4 17.Nce4
 


All this bobbing and weaving is rough on granny's lumbago.

17...Qd5 18.Nf6+ Bxf6 19.Qxf6 Qxa2



Wouldn't you? Almost a grandmotherlike move.

20.h5 Well, at least Black has something to think about back home now. White just might play h5-h6 or Nxh7.

20...Qa1+ 21.Kd2 Qa5+ 22.Kc1 Qf5 23.Qe7



23...Bd7! [23...h6? 24.Nh7 Kxh7 25.Qxf8]

24.hxg6 Rac8 25.gxf7+ Kg7



26.Rd2 [26.Rxh7+ beckons, but it loses: 26...Kg6 27.Rd2 Qf1+ 28.Rd1 Qxg2 29.Rd2 Qg1+ (29...Qxg5?? 30.Rg7+ wins) 30.Rd1 Qxg5+-+]

26...h6 27.Qxd7 Qxg5 28.Qxe6 d3 29.c3 Rc6 30.Qd7



30...Rxf7 [On 30...Ra6 White parries the threatened 31...Ra1+ with 31.Qd4+ Qf6 (best) 32.Qxf6+ Rxf6 33.Rxd3=]

31.Qxd3 Ra6 32.Rh3 Rg6 33.Rf3 



[And the game is equal here, although Black blundered on the next move with 33…Rgf6?? 34.Rg3 1-0.]

To be continued…

Play through this game and download PGN here.

Think Like a Grandmother, Part 2

Continuing with our Think Like a Grandmother report… The next game features the best combination that ever got away from this grandmother.

Purser,Tom – Jeffers
Savannah Open, 1984
BDG Euwe Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Qe1



9...c5 10.Qh4 Re8 11.Ne5 Nf8 12.dxc5 Bxc5+ 13.Kh1 Be7 14.Rf3 Nd5 



15.Rxf7 Bxg5 16.Rxf8+ Kxf8 17.Qxh7 Bf6 18.Ng6+ Kf7 19.Ne4 Ne3 20.Re1 Nf5 21.Rf1 Bd7??
 


I played 22.g4? and the game was drawn a couple of moves later. How many moves do chessplayers see ahead? For grandmothers, the max must be two. I missed a forced win with 22.Nd6+! Nxd6 23.Ne5+ Ke7 [23...Kf8 24.Qh8+ Ke7 is the same] 24.Qxg7+!




This is what I missed--that the Bishop can't take because then 25.Ng6+ would be mate. 24...Nf7 25.Qxf6+ Kd6 26.Nxf7+ Kc7



27.Qe5+ Of course 27.Nxd8 wins, but White has better--would you believe a forced mate in 19 after Black's 21st? (Okay, prove to granny she's wrong.) 27...Kc8 28.Nd6+ Kb8 29.Nxe8+ Kc8 30.Nd6+
 


A couple of variations: 30...Kc7

[30...Kb8 is a little faster: 31.Rf8 b5 (31...a6 32.Nb5+ Kc8 33.Qc7#; 31...Qxf8 32.Nb5+ Qd6 33.Qxd6+ Kc8 34.Qc7#; 31...b6 32.Ba6 Qxf8 33.Nb5+ Qd6 34.Qxd6#) 32.Rxd8+ Kc7 33.Rxa8 b4 34.Qc5+ Bc6 35.Nb5+ Kd7 36.Qd6#]

31.Nf7+ Kc8 32.Nxd8 a6 33.Nxe6 Bxe6 34.Qd6 b5 35.Qxe6+ Kd8 36.Rf8+ Kc7 37.Rf7+ Kb8 38.Qe8#

To be continued…

Play through this game and download PGN here.