After a long period of abstinence, I finally managed to play a couple of long games this Sunday. I played in the STC Sunday Swiss at the Internet Chess Club (ICC), a three round swiss tournament, and the results were just what my ego needed after a losing streak in the past weeks: I won all my games in the tournament (During the past two weeks, I managed to use a series of lost blitz games to drive my blitz rating to an unprecedented low and blundered a rook away in a correspondence chess game that could have been a won endgame - I think, but it is hard to prove now...).

In my first round game I was playing white using the Colle-Zukertort opening system (See the comment on another game for some interesting background information on this opening which should be called Zukertort-Rubinstein system because Colle apparently never played this variation provided by Edwin). Directly after the game I felt rather good about myself because I sacrificed a piece twice(!) to get an attack, something I believe I have never done before. The post-game analysis, however, was humbling because it showed me that I missed two chances for forced mates. Anyway, the position shown here is after Black played 25. ... c4. How can White win the game? See the game with annotations for the solution.

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written by dwv16, May 28, 2007

How about 25. Bxf5 exf5, 26. Rxf5 and not much can stop 27. Qh8++?

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written by Sciurus, May 28, 2007

That was exactly my plan during the game and my opponent resigned after I played 25. Bxf5.

However, there is an even shorter path to checkmate here because after 25. Bxf5 exf5 26. Rxf5 Black can sac his queen with ... Qf6 and after Black captures with 27.exf6 White gets the chance to delay mate with checking the White king: 27. ... Bc5 28.fxg7 Bxe3+ 29.Kf1 Bh6 30.Qxh6 cxb3 31.Qh8#

Does anyone see the shortcut to checkmate? Hint: mate in 4.

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written by Sciurus, May 28, 2007

Correction: I just noticed that the position shown above occured after 25. ... c4, not after Black's 24th move as in the original post.

I also don't know where the stupid smile in my previous comment comes from...

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written by Atomic Patzer, May 29, 2007

Congratulations on a fine tournament and this nice game! Sounds like you broke that losing streak.

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written by Loomis, May 31, 2007

Bxf5 exf5 e6! covers the f7 square and Qh8 can only be delayed by Qh4 Rxh4.

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written by Sciurus, June 01, 2007

Congrats to Loomis who calculates like my computer !

What is it with these pawns that I always consider them as static obstacles instead of helpful pieces?

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