Sunday 30 August 2009

Trap du jour

I have mixed feelings about opening traps. I enjoy playing them, and will try and memorise them when I can, and yet I feel uneasy about teaching them to the players I coach. I'm happy to use them as an example of chess tactics, but less so as a way of collecting points in tournaments. I guess this is as a natural reaction to seeing players who's opening knowledge (and chess careers) didn't extend much beyond Scholars Mate.
But when I do come across an enjoyable trap I am happy to share it with the world. The following game is included in "The Mammoth Book of Chess", which is one of the great single volume books that any improving chess player should have in their library. However, there seems to be two versions of the game. The Chessbase version lasts a little bit longer, and has a slightly less interesting mate than the finish given in the book version. I've included the more spectacular finish in the notes to the game, along with a diagram showing it.

Runau - Schmidt [B00]
3/90-28, 1972

1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 0-0-0 6.c4 Qh5 7.d5 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Qe5+ 9.Be3 Qxb2 10.0-0 Qxa1 11.dxc6 Rxd1 12.cxb7+ Kb8 13.Rxd1 c6 14.Bxc6 Kc7 15.Rd7+ Kb8 [15...Kxc6 16.b8N# (D)] 16.Rd8+ Kc7 17.b8Q+ Kxc6 18.Qc8# 1-0

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nice game, Shuan but I agree teaching opening traps to kids produces poor players in the end.

Umm... like me!

See ya.

Lee.