TEAM Match Games
Metcalf A 2.0 10.0
Metcalf B 2.0 8.0
Salem Hills 1.0 6.5
Friendly H. 0.5 3.0
Metcalf C 0.5 2.5
Faithful S. 0.0 0.0
Rd3 FHMS vs MetA, SH vs FS, MetB vs MetC
Rd4 FHMS vs MetB, SH vs MetA, FS vs MetC
PROBLEM 1
Here's a position from Shanmuka's (Friendly Hills) game on board 4 against Metcalf C.
The game has been fairly well-played on both sides with neither side getting much of an advantage.
Black has just played f6 and it's Whites turn (Shanmuka's). What's White's best move?
Ke8 (blocking with either rook looses material) 3.Qh5+ Kf8 4.Nd3 leaves White with a sight advantage but if Black had made any mistakes, it could be over.
PROBLEM 2
Luke from Friendly Hills is playing black and comes up with a nice combination. Can you find his next two moves?
A little decoy followed by a fork. 1....Rxd3 2. Rxd3 Qb1+!
PROBLEM 3
Owen from Friendly Hills played a game that was close all the way. He had managed to gobble up a pawn on b5, but black advanced his d pawn threatening to queen. What's the best way for Owen to stop that pawn?
Owen tried Rd5 thinking he would gobble up the d-pawn, too. Imagine his horror when his opponent played Rf5+ forking the rook. Owen can take the rook, but the pawn queens. Instead, Owen should have played 1. Rb1 Rd7 2. Rd1 Kf7 3. Kf4 Kf6 4. Ke3 Kf5 5. Rxd2 Rxd2 6. Kxd2 with a draw.
PROBLEM 4
Lennox from Salem Hills had a wild game against Metcalf. After getting ahead in position (see diagram below), he fell behind by a knight, only to come back and checkmate his opponent with the blind pig mate!
Here Lennox has a chance to put his White out of his misery. What's Black's killer move?
If you said Qc3, that's what Lennox tried. But that let his opponent escape by castling. Look at White's King - it has nowhere to go. The correct move is to castle kingside threatening checkmate. All attempts by White to save his king fail - try it out on your own board, or click on analyze game on your school's chess blog page and enter this position.
PROBLEM 5
Here Zachary from Salem Hills, playing black, has mopped up some pawns with his Queen. Black blocks check with his queen. How should Zach proceed?
Zachary rightly remembered that when you're ahead, trade. Plus it gave him time to save his knight.
He played 1. Qxe2+ Kxe2 2.Nd5. But his 2-pawn advantage slipped away. Nevertheless with some good endgame play he managed to queen a pawn and win. However, he could have made it much easier with 1.Ne4+ Kf3 2.Qxe2 Kxe2 3.Ng3+ picking up a rook and making the endgame easier.
PROBLEM 6 (Hard)
Luke (Friendly Hills) vs Michael (Salem Hills) - a wild game. It was well-played and even, until Luke made an ill-advised pawn move. Though the edge went from Luke to Michael it remained basically even until Michael got a KR fork with his knight. By move 20 Stockfish (the chess analysis engine) had Michael up 12 points.
Michael struggled to come up with a killer move and by move 29 Luke had some severe threats going in spite of being down in material. They agreed to a draw though the computer had Luke up 5.
Here's the position when Michael had the 12 point lead. Can you find Black's winning line of play.
Michael tried Qa5+ but eventually Luke's King found refuge among his kingside pieces. The correct answer, according to Stockfish, is Re8. This grabs that open file and keeps Luke's King in the open. For example, Ke3 is met with Qe7 and there is no way to save the pinned Bishop and Black's pieces come flooding in. If instead, Luke plays f3, Michael plays d5 and once again the King is in the open.
The game might continue 24.Bd3 Qa5+ 25. Kd1 Qxa2 26. Qh6 Qb3+ 27. Kd2 Qxb2+28.Kd1 Qg2 29. Rf1 Nb3 (It's not quite over but it will be soon.) Sometimes it's really hard to come up with the right move even when you've got the lead and a strong position.
