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tactical_abyss 22-Apr-13, 16:21	Quick mates on GK... Any club members are free to list any of their quick mate games in this string,either regular corresp games or blitz games,and chat about them if you want.The term "quick"mates is relative,but 15 moves or less I think is a good scale,rather than 20 moves like some prefer to define as a quick game,I don't exactly concur on that issue. I'll give you the first one.In this game(blitz)I decided to play straight up,no sacrifices.So I went with one of my favorite pets...the Hodgson Attack.I consider it a variation of the Trompowksky Attack.The Hodgson,however,has a bit more trappy type of lines in it compared to the slower positional buildup of the regular Tromp which is 1.d4,Nf6 2.Bg5.So,because this is a blitz game,traps can surface suddenly,as it did in the game below.I have no idea of how strong my 1200 opponent actually was,so I figured i'd test him with an old trap to find out. Not much to say here.I start to build up my pawn center and so does black.I figured blacks 6th move was to even exchange which would establish a stronger outpost for his e pawn on e4 after the exchange,which worked fairly well...I had to retreat my knight to f2.But his own psychology outdid himself in my estimation.With that exchange he now "see's" a deep centralized pawn which is not "supported" and needs some kind of support.There was only two ways to support that black e pawn...either 8....Ndf6 or 8...Ngf6 or 8....f5 With 8....Ngf6,black would have been fine.But he simply made the wrong decision in haste,I suppose.....8.f5. And thats the trap as you can see below.Game over in 10 moves.I'm sure he would have seen that trap coming up in a regular 3 day game,but then I would not have played a Hodgson in a 3 day game,nor would I have played a 1200 rated player,except maybe an unrated game,but I don't play those very often anymore.One must judge what "style"of game they should play,based upon many factors of your opponent...rating,losses/win record and other things.In blitz,one does not have the time to check all these things out(unless you have actually checked him out previously)...so playing lines or openings that have "trap"like styles like the one below,can be advantageous in 3 or 5 min blitz. [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site "gameknot.com"] [Date "2013.04.22"] [Round "-"] [White "tactical_abyss"] [Black "perica45"] [Result "1-0"] 1. d4 d5 2. Bg5 c6 3. e3 h6 4. Bh4 Bf5 5. Nf3 Nd7 6. Bd3 Be4 7. Bxe4 dxe4 8. Nfd2 f5 9. Qh5+ g6 10. Qxg6# 1-0
tactical_abyss 22-Apr-13, 17:11	Correction:Above I said there were 2 ways to support that black e pawn.I meant to say that there are 3 ways.And I showed those 3 ways.Just a typo!
knightgator 23-Apr-13, 08:21	This is my quickest Mate. Team match game, I wrote this off as both players throwing defense to the sideline. game
tactical_abyss 23-Apr-13, 08:43	Good one kightgator!Typical fools mate.White really played weak in that opening.Just on move #3 alone,white should have moved 3.d5....not 3.dxc5 which would have forced you back into your Knights original starting position or if you moved it forward (3.d5,Ne5)white could attack and advance his pawn again on your Knight(4.f4),gaining devastating central control and tempo,while "reattacking" your Knight again. But good short game,indeed!And that was a "team"game?Wow!
tactical_abyss 24-Apr-13, 19:39	A rarer Basman Defense quick mate.I once argued with some 2100+player in the general GK forums about my successful wins using the Basman Defense and won over 95% of my games using.1.e4,g5 as black....even against 2200+players.He of course did not believe me,stating "chess statistics"could not back this up.Well,in blitz that so called "stat"is not the same as a long corresp game or OTB game's.And since I mentioned about blitz and the blitz sites,his arguments had "triple flaws" in it.The Basman IS an excellent weapon not only in blitz but a players long correp games,because it moves out of book quickly and can have unusual pawn chain configurations that can confuse some players that have had no exposure to it.This is only logical!Now,yes,there are weakness's in blacks g pawn move and it is certainly not nearly the best choice of the opening defenses,but its weakness has a hidden sting in it many times like the game below!And it IS a superb weapon in many blitz games.I do not promise that you will have the same equal success with the Basman...but do not forget,it takes practice and study and research into any opening to become better at it. I heard some opponents say,"I tried the Basman two or three times and lost every time...its a terrible opening for me"! So you tried it and that makes it terrible?Have you really studied it for months?Weeks?Played against a program a few hundred times even with that program in a decreased strength level? You say no to this???? Then how can you sit there and say its a terrible opening when you haven't even touched the surface of that opening?????Becoming good at something requires alot of work,not just paging through a few books and saying..."ok,I got it now,and the book says its a lousy defense".I studied the Basman defense on and off for 10 years!!!!Now,I win all the time with this so called weak and terrible opening!!!Forget what the books say!!!!Look below at this quick mate,and after you read that the Basman is a bad defense again in some book.....I want you to light that book on fire and step on the ashes till it blows away in the wind!!! Mate in 10 against a 1733 player: [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site "gameknot.com"] [Date "2013.04.24"] [Round "-"]5 min zero increment [White "hugh-jwang"]1733 [Black "tactical_abyss"]2523 [Result "0-1"]mate in 10. 1. e4 g5 2. d4 h6 3. f3 d5 4. e5 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. Bxd4 Bxe5 9. Bxe5 Nxe5 10. Nd2 Nd3# 0-1
tactical_abyss 24-Apr-13, 20:03	Deleted by tactical_abyss on 26-May-13, 06:55.
knightgator 25-May-13, 21:22	Missed the mate on the move before, the last, but it was still there. gameknot.com
tactical_abyss 26-May-13, 07:03	I listed this game under TA's Queen sac games,but it was so short a mate and highly rare,that I thought i'd list it again in this thread of short mates.Its a blitz game,yes,but still,a mate in 8 with no Queen on my side!Even Capablanca or Morphy if they were alive would have atleast raised an eyebrow on this game or had a good laugh! Its a mate in 8 and AFTER I sacrificed my Queen on move # 3! [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site "gameknot.com"] [Date "2013.04.14"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment. [White "tactical_abyss"]Rating:2519 [Black "monkeykungphu"]Rating:1305 [Result "1-0"] Abyss mates black in 8 moves. 1. e4 c5 2. Qh5 a6 3. Qxf7+ Kxf7 4. Nf3 h6 5. Ne5+ Ke8 6. Be2 d6 7. Bh5+ g6 8. Bxg6# 1-0
baddeeds 26-May-13, 10:19	Here's another quick mate. This game, however, happened before I realized how important it was to think ahead. At the time, I was very upset with dmaestro because he made me feel discouraged and I took it as an offense. Still, this game proves that sudden tactics and strategies are, as important as, planning ahead. That game is shown in the annotation below. gameknot.com
tactical_abyss 26-May-13, 14:42	Deleted by tactical_abyss on 26-May-13, 14:46.
tactical_abyss 26-May-13, 14:46	Deleted by tactical_abyss on 26-May-13, 14:59.
tactical_abyss 26-May-13, 14:59	Deleted by tactical_abyss on 26-May-13, 16:42.
baddeeds 26-May-13, 15:45	Yep that helped. Thank you. Now, I've got to try and remember this.
tactical_abyss 26-May-13, 16:13	Deleted by tactical_abyss on 26-May-13, 16:43.
tactical_abyss 26-May-13, 16:42	Jkarp, Don't feel too bad,because in reality I have made a quick analysis of babalue's moves and they were in my opinion,even weaker than your moves starting from move #4.You may not have seen this weakness,but thats besides the point.If babalue would have moved 4.g4 against me,it would have been the beginning of his demise,period.Whites second move 2.c4,is a bit unusual,but not out of many book lines.It still is in range of a B20 Sicilian. Sometimes meeting a weak pawn thrust(whites weak pawn thrust) with a counter thrust and opening up a file for black,can be and would have been the start of YOUR edge in the game. Moves like... 4.g4,h5 5.gxh5,Nf6 6.Nc3,Rxh5 7.Nd5,Rh4 This line would have opened up the h file fairly well and give your h file Rook more attacking freedom on the e,c files as well as the 4th rank. But lets go with the game.... 4.g4,Nc6 Even here(by the end of move #4),Jkarp,you have a small positional edge,including the fact that your Bishop on c8 has more powerful freedom of movement and attacking capability than any of whites Bishops. 5.Now,unlike someone elses's analysis,whites move 5.Ne2 is simply weak.Why? Well,it contributes little to whites already overextended center and gives black a more powerful attacking game on the flanks..... Because 5.....h5 6.gxh5,Rxh5 leaves black having again,a positional advantage,a more powerful free Rook and leaves white by move #6 a disconnected h3 pawn which will need defending in time.Black has no disconnected pawns.Again,you may not have followed through like a stronger player may have....however,from my view,white really was worse off than you. But lets go back a bit.The game followed through as: 5.Ne2,Bg7 Even here,the game is approx equal,but I give black a slight edge. NOW white moves 6.d4.Big mistake of course for white as mentioned.However,6...Nxd4 is weaker and NOT recommended by me.Blacks pawn on d4 by 6....cxd4 gives black a much better control/powerful center than 6...Nxd4. 6.d4,cxd4 7.Bg2,h6 8.0-0,h5 9.gxh5,g4 10.Nf4,gxh3! And the rest of the game will give black the winning edge with whites h file doubled pawns pretty much burnt toast and leaves whites King wide open to future attack.Any variated moves above from # 7 from white will cause white to fall like a fly attached to a 5 ton weight dropped from a B-52. So,Jkarp,you missed some moves,but white,in my opinion was WORSE OFF than you as early as move # 4 and #5....and I would have crushed white to the size of microdust particle,especially from move #5 and/or move #6. Hope this helped a bit!
tactical_abyss 26-May-13, 16:43	Well,the hidden meaning of my "crush"words is that your opponent or DM should examine his own weakness's first,before he trys to "discourage"or lessen your move responses in any way...because as far as I see it,with the exception of the end of the game,you really were OUTPLAYING your opponent.You may not have know it,but my vote would be in your favor in that game,with the exception of the very tail end of the game.
tactical_abyss 26-May-13, 16:44	(I had to make some corrections above,thats why the deletes.)
knightgator 29-May-13, 18:33	This mate I seemed to stroll right into, quite unexpected. gameknot.com
baddeeds 30-May-13, 15:39	BTW, I annotated the game, that tactical-abyss showed, against monkeykungphu. At one point, Joe added comments to that. It just proves that sometimes you can win by giving up a Q, especially in blitz chess. But, it usually only happens when you're rating is super high (like 2000+), and you are against a much lower rated opponent. The annotation is shown below. gameknot.com
tactical_abyss 30-May-13, 21:24	Not always against much lower rated opponents.... The player below was an "A" rated player of over 1900 and I saced my Queen and won.In addition I have done the same thing with a few 2200 rated players and one 2300 rated player on GK.So,again,its not always players that are a 1000 rating points below me.A 1900 player should have done better than the game below,but did not.....Proof?Its below: [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site "gameknot.com"] [Date "2013.05.25"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment [White "tactical_abyss"]2500+ [Black "jerbcan"]1931 [Result "1-0"]white mates,no time-out. 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Qxf7+ Kxf7 4. Bc4+ Ke8 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. d3 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. O-O Be6 9. Re1 Bd6 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. Bxe6 Nb5 12. c3 Qe7 13. Bc4 a6 14. Bg5 Qd7 15. d4 h6 16. dxe5 hxg5 17. a4 Nba7 18. exd6+ Kd8 19. Be6 Qe8 20. Bg4 Qf7 21. Nxg5 Qf4 22. Ne6+ Kd7 23. Nc5+ Kd8 24. Nxb7# 1-0
tactical_abyss 31-May-13, 07:37	Also,let me add to my post above...that it is a common misconception that the rating differences have to be vastly above another player to win in a Queen sac game,or expected.This was alluded to by someone in Jkarps annotation of my blitz game.Technically,this is incorrect. There is much more to blitz play than simply outsmarting your opponent in ploys,strategies,tactics,ect.There is a host of other factors that can contribute to a win.Thats why I have beaten 2200-2300 players and an occasional 2400 player in blitz...with a Queen sac!Some 2400 players,for example,are fantastic at regular corresp or OTB games with regular long time controls,but are not very good at blitz.Yes,they can play fairly well,but not on what I deem is a 2400 level,but perhaps a 1900 level or even lower.Some players that are,say,only 100-200 points below me in corresp rating "chill up"in very fast time controls!In a one to four minute game with no incremental time control,their minds are not completely "adapted" to speed and they stumble along or miss one ex-ray attack and its curtains when they lose a Knight.Also,you must consider that the type of equip they are using can easily contribute to a blitz loss due to timing-out.There are special mouse designs and weights and surfaces that must be used to optimize ones movement,click and slide speed.Just a microsecond faster on my side combined over several moves can yield a win for me,even if my opponent is going to mate me in one more move! Just my mouse alone for blitz was designed for me by an engineer that you cannot purchase in a store at any cost.I paid several hundred dollars just for the mouse!So,do I take my chess seriously,including blitz?Take a guess! The other factors that contribute to my Sac wins in blitz are that I have tons of experience playing blitz,both OTB at Washington Square Park,my club and on several high quality blitz sites for many,many years.I was in first place several times on some of the major blitz sites. So,its alot more to consider than rating differences.Sure,its much easier to sac my Queen and win against a 1400 player,but its also very possible to beat players above 2200 with a Q sac if they are not prepared in blitz as well as in long corresp games.Keep in mind,many,many players corresp or OTB rating is much higher than their blitz rating and some corresp/OTB players do not even have a blitz rating or have played blitz very little.So,if a 2300 rated player on GK has played blitz only a few times in his life,it is very conceivable that I could beat him with one of my Q sacs in say, a 3 min game with no increment....and yes,I have!!!!!!!!! Blitz is a totally different kind of game and involves alot of psy and tactics that "are"unfamiliar with some players that are within only 100-300 points in rating less than my 2500 rating.Now,due to my experience in blitz,I have been able to maintain an approx 2500 and up to 2600 rating in blitz.So I do not fall into the category of a standard drop in rating of 200-300 points less in blitz as opposed to the long corresp game rating. Yes,brain freeze can occur in blitz regardless of ones rating in corresp.The trouble is,that on GK,there are not many "strong"players that play against me on the GK blitz rooms.This is primarily a corresp site,not a blitz site,so it is very rare for a 2200-2500 player to suddenly appear as my opponent in a 3 min game...and for me to give you an example of my win with a Q sac against a very strong player is rare.But like above,I can give you wins against a fairly strong 1931 player and I can post,if you like Q sac wins against alot of 2000-2100 rated players!But then,if I play a 2200-2300 player in blitz,my strategy changes!Yes,I will still sac my Queen in some cases,BUT I will alter my strategy and play to "time-out"my opponent,not win by mate!See?And winning by timing-out my opponent involves a special set of strategies that has taken me decades to master.
tactical_abyss 01-Jul-13, 04:12	Deleted by tactical_abyss on 01-Jul-13, 04:21.
tactical_abyss 01-Jul-13, 04:21	13 moves to opponent resignation... Yes,yes,I know,my opponent is only 1200 rated in this blitz game,but I am not truly aware of his "real"strength,because since 2006,this opponent has never even played one regular long corresp. game on GK!A bit unusual,I must say.In the past,however,he has played me in the blitz room and I estimate his strength after about 10-15 games to be approx 1700 or so....so he is no beginner. But in this game,he left himself wide open to attack and a good number of actual set up sacrificial moves by me,which by taking the piece or not,would have spelled doom for my opponent.I highly suggest going through the 13 moves of this game and see how white(me)blends a perfect cup of java with this Philidor Defense.It really illustrated the weakness of the Phil,if you do not know how to handle its pitfalls in the first few moves and open yourself to a massive attack.And "massive attack"in these small 13 moves is an understatement!Take particular note to the moves from #8 onward!Quite beautiful,even by my standards! [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site "gameknot.com"] [Date "2013.06.01"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment [White "tactical_abyss"]2500+ [Black "bob_sapp_the_bea"]1200 [Result "1-0"]white wins,black resigns on move #13. 1.e4,d6 2.d4,Nd7 3.Nf3,e5 4.Bc4,c6 5.0-0,f6 6.a4,a5 7.Nc3,g5 8.Nxg5,d5 9.Qh5+,Ke7 10.Nxd5+,cxd5 11.Qf7+,Kd6 12.Qxd5+,Kc7 13.Ne6+,and black resigns. Notice where blacks King is located by move #13....on c7!And with a fork of his Queen!Yes,no need for black to continue on at this point!Threats on top of threats!Also notice the pitfalls of not castling early,which black either forgot to do or avoided.But after just a few moves of mine,I was not going to permit him to castle!Too late,no turning back!Now time for some real Java!No,make that an espresso!
tactical_abyss 06-Jul-13, 07:54	Q sac,Q trap and mate all wrapped up in one...18 moves. I just got done grinding and brewing some great fresh custom blend coffee from Jamaican Blue Mt and Kona,sat down and this opponent popped up on my blitz screen.Yes,I noticed he was at a 1281 rating,so I said to myself,I might as well get rid of my Queen on move #3 again!I know,I know,the David and Goliath thing,but didn't David bring down the giant?So I don't want to hear that thing about taking advantage of the meek and weak!Shut up for a change...that means YOU!Ha ha!But seriously!!! But in this game,my opponent did indeed play sloppy,lost major pieces as fast as a Hoover vacuum picking up dust mites,but I wanted to bring this game to attention because of how I gained his Queen back through a series of events that started on move #6.,...which was actually before the vacuum began its roll across the chessboard.Its a semi classic type of Queen trap that you do not see all the time and its needs to be shown as a lesson to others. This is where alot of 1200-1400 players go wrong.They concentrate on one area of the board,like my opponent did,trying to move in for a King kill/mate or piece capture and completely overlook and pay no attention to their major pieces on a wide open diagonal that may be prone to attack.Just like OTB without a touch rule at your friends place,hover that Knight over my pawn,but before you place it down,look BACK at your side of the board and ANY open diagonals especially with your King uncastled BEFORE you release that piece!In corresp blitz,you can do that....hover your piece over an opponents square,but take a moment to look at your defensive structure for just a few seconds first! [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site "gameknot.com"] [Date "2013.07.06"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment [White "tactical_abyss"]2511 [Black "harpeeagle"]1281 [Result "1-0"]Black loses to mate in approx 2 minutes. 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nf6 3. Qxf7+ Kxf7 4. Bc4+ Ke8 5. d3 Bc5 6. Nf3 Ng4 7. O-O Bxf2+ 8. Rxf2 Nxf2 9. Bg5 Qxg5 10. Nxg5 Ng4 11. Nc3 Rf8 12. Nd5 Kd8 13. Nxh7 d6 14. Nxf8 Nc6 15. Rf1 Be6 16. Nxe6+ Kd7 17. Rf7+ Kxe6 18. Nxc7# 1-0 Position after blacks 7....Bxf2+ Then black follows through on what he perceives as as easy capture of more pieces of mine,little knowing that he has sprung his own Queen trap! Position after 8.Rxf2,Nxf2 and then my move #9.Bg5! Now,nowhere to go for your Queen buddy! After his Queen was gone,his plans of destroying the giant were disappearing and he was having trouble finding pebbles to put into his slingshot!This is actually very common with 1200-1400 players.When you take away their lady,its like a huge psychological blow to them.Why?Well the answer is that many of the lesser rated players overly DEPEND upon that lady of theirs to try and win games.You heard the story before,right?Many lesser rated players will bring out their Queen way too early and subject it to early attacks and more.But now,that my opponents Queen is gone,whats he going to do he's thinking?Yes,there is plenty of game left for him to win,but now the game odds are much more even.And if you count up the points right after I trapped and captured his Queen....I have a total piece value of 21 points and he has a total piece point value of 26 points.So he is still "up"the equivalent of a Rooks value or say a Knight and two pawns(5 points),so he has an strong edge.But remember,its a blitz game,not a long corresp game,so time is of the essence!But he lost his Queen he's thinking. Well,the reverse Q sac worked because shortly after that it was blunder after blunder with the time pressure on and then I mated him. So in summary,I give my Queen away,win his Queen back later on with a trap and then move on to mate him in only 18 moves! Ok,time for a second cup of that great coffee!Yes,its 87 degree's outside here,but I still need my coffee! Next!
baddeeds 08-Jul-13, 14:47	Actually, my favorite is shown in the annotation below. gameknot.com
tactical_abyss 08-Jul-13, 17:48	Yes,Joe there are many tactical situations that do not require looking ahead and that is a fine example above. Of course,if I could teach you somehow to envision a mate in 23 like I can,i'd be a miracle worker!

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