Annotated chess game: Damiano Defense Trap

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ANNOTATED GAME

Damiano Defense Trap
joshshadowfax (1200) vs. le-ny (908)
Annotated by: joshshadowfax (1225)
Chess opening: Damiano's defence (C40)

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This game shows an easy way for black to lose, via the damiano defense.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f6	f6? better would be nc3 or d6.
	3 comments shambobala (1816) on 19-Aug-07: Don't play f6 in this position. White brings too much hurt too quick. Maybe go for a Scotch game instead or standard Ruy Lopez joshshadowfax (1225) on 23-Aug-07: Just showing the trap. ruachessnut2 (1200) on 01-Sep-07: So play them. Winning against poor moves is easy. Show us how to win against good moves. Why not Nf6? The Petroff defense. You did nothing to cause 2...f6. It is not a trap. Just a dumb move.


3. Nxe5	Nxe5! A deadly sac offering.



3... fxe5	Black foolishly accepts.
	1 comment ruachessnut2 (1200) on 01-Sep-07: So if 2 out of 3 moves of black are bad, you will show us how to win. You showed move 2...f6 to protect the pawn. Next move you say f6 doesn't protect the pawn. Why waste my time?


4. Qh5+ Ke7 5. Qxe5+	Forcing black in a corner.
	1 comment ruachessnut2 (1200) on 19-Aug-07: Really, what corner?


5... Kf7 6. Bc4+	Black is done for.
	3 comments ruachessnut2 (1200) on 18-Aug-07: 6...d5 & thanx Steverand67 you're right. Move 2...f6 is not the best. joshshadowfax (1225) on 23-Aug-07: After 7. Bxd5+, black most likely plays kg6. Then white plays h4. black responds by h5, else white plays h5+. Then white plays Bxb7, winning the rook, as if black takes with the bishop white plays Qf5#. What I am trying to point out is that black should not play f6. And if black does, then hs/she should not take the knight. steverand67 (1200) on 28-Sep-08: ya, 7. Bxd5+, but you're missing that black now controls the f5 square, which keeps him alive. While 2. f6 is a mistake, the annotator may be overstating the severity of it.


6... Kg6 7. Qf5+ Kh6	Anyone remember that age-old rule about not putting your king out in the middle of the board? Yeah...
	3 comments romanlegionary (1200) on 17-Aug-07: Not really in the middle. joshshadowfax (1225) on 17-Aug-07: As I already said, white would play 7.Bxd5+ and never even think about playing Qf5+ in that situation. Every move you suggest here is a huge blunder and is not what any player would play. ruachessnut2 (1200) on 01-Sep-07: 7. Qf5+ Bxf5 & white resigns! You started suggesting bad moves with 2...f6. I have never seen any one play 2...f6. Are you going to TAKE BACK 7. Qf5? The only move I suggested was d5 & that's not a blunder.


8. d4+	d4, a discover check and mate in a few, no matter how black plays this.
	2 comments joshshadowfax (1225) on 17-Aug-07: yes it is, a discovered attack with the queen's bishop. ruachessnut2 (1200) on 18-Aug-07: 8. d4 is not a check. My king is on g6. I moved 7...Bxf5. You need to TAKE BACK move 7.


8... Qg5	Black decides to go easily.
	2 comments romanlegionary (1200) on 17-Aug-07: The correct move for black is 8...g5 9 h4! and double check is coming on g5 and if black tries 9...Kg7, 10 Qf7+ Kh6 11 hxg5# ruachessnut2 (1200) on 19-Aug-07: Black will win because white has no queen! His king is at g6. Black won"t move Qg5. You still need to TAKE BACK move 7! Why does black go easily? Show how to win against good moves.


9. Qxg5#	So, remember that if you're ever black and it's your second move after 1. e4 e5 2. nf3, don't play f6, unless you like losing odds.
	3 comments far1ey (1200) on 18-Aug-07: Actually f6 Qe7! Is not all bad... Of course there are plenty of better openings out there so yea probably better not to play f6. ruachessnut2 (1200) on 01-Sep-07: Or like getting a free knight & queen. But yes Farley is right. I have never played 2...f3 & I never will! The queen doesn't mate. She was taken at move 7. You must RESIGN or TAKE BACK move 7. jotheblackqueen (1200) on 02-Sep-07: Yes, far1ey the following is an improvement on 3..... fxe5?? (loses exchange + pawn at least), it is called the MacGregor-Chigorin Variation:- 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 f6?(!) 3. Nxe5?!* (Bc4) Qe7 4. Nf3 d5 5. d3 de 6. de Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Nc6 (at last!) 8. 0-0 Bd7 9. Nc3 Qf5 (Black then finds time to castle queenside and this leads to obscure play) I confess to playing Damiano's Defense but in over the board chess games in my local chess club and not yet on gameknot. I tested it out against 4 players rated higher than me and came to grief against this. 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 f6?(!) 3. Bc4 (this is a difficult move to deal with because the a2 - g8 diagonal is open and controlled by the c4 bishop - this means black cannot castle kingside and will have difficulty getting his pieces out) and lost 3 out of 4 (the game that I won was when me and my opponent castled on opposite sides and I got my checkmate in first, but even in that game it took me ages to develop my king knight and king bishop so that I could clear the space needed for my queen rook!). So, the jury is out on Damiano's Defense. jstevens1