Six Interesting positions from Jan 25

I went over some of the notated games and found some interesting positons. I also discovered that some boards were set up wrong with queens on the wrong color, white pieces on ranks 7 and 8. Etc. Let's try to do a better job at that next week. I'll remind everyone to check their board before they start.

Anton from Friendly Hills has just played Bb5. Why is this a mistake? What should Simon from Farnsworth play? Answers below.

In this next position at board 1, Tom from Friendly Hills finds a weakness after Cowboy from Washington Tech played c5 attacking Tom's knight.

Josh from Friendly Hills was down a piece and almost in checkmate against Seth from Farnsworth. Josh lost on the next move by playing Rxc4, but he could have finished the game in style. How?

Since you all have a few snow days off, I'll give you more. Here Josh, playing black, found a nice move against Pov, but then Pov almost found a way to save the game.



Magnus from Friendly Hills, playing white,  shows one reason Friendly Hills is in first place with a sweet move against Pahlee from Farnsworth.

Answers

1. This was the deciding games between the top two teams. If Simon had found this move and gone on to win, Farnsworth would be in first place and Friendly Hills in second. Nxe5 snatching a nice central pawn. If dxe5 Bxb5 and if Bxe7+ Nxe7!

Game 2 continues Tom showed why he is 3-0 at board 1. 1.Qa5+ Kd7 (the knight and h-pawn are both pinned preventing 1. ... g6. Else 2. fxg6 cxd4 3. g7+)

2. Ne6 Qe8 3. Qxe8 Kxe8 4. Nxc7+ with a nice fork.

Seth was lucky to go 3-0 on day one. He should not have won this game. In game 3 Josh should have proceeded as follows 1.... Qd2+ Kb3 2.Qd1+ Ka3 3.Qc1+ Qb1 with a perpetual check and draw. If Seth would try to escape it would be disaster. 4.Kc3 Qc1+ 5.Kd3

 (Kd4 is mate next turn) Qxd4+ 6.Kd2 Rd8+ 7.Ke1 Qe4+ 8.Kf2 (Kf1 is met with Rd1+ then Qe3#) Qe3 9. Kf1 Rd1# Almost always a Q and R can deliver checkmate against a lone King. That's a good thing to remember. But Josh has to remember to keep him in check every turn else Seth checkmates Josh.

In position 4, Josh from Friendly Hills found Bf8! attacking the trapped Queen. But then Pov found a way to save his queen with Ne6!

Magnus played Qd5 with two powerful threats. He picked up the knight and she was so rattled, she left her bishop out there for him to take next.  I saw lots of evidence of panic in the games I went over. Chess is part mental and part psychological. Don't let your opponents' good moves rattle you. Don't look back and regret your last move. Just take a deep breath and resolve that you're going to move forward, take your time and play hard - especially on that next move after making a mistake. The bigger mistake usually happens on the next move.