Count the Pieces, the Key to Success

A very short but interesting game of chess. It features the idea of chess mobility and development. When you have many pieces developed than your opponent, it may be wise to look for ways to end the game quickly.

Winning a game hinges on one idea: Counting the Pieces, that is, when your attacking pieces is greater than the defending pieces of your opponent, you have a greater chance of crushing your opponent's defenses, and win.

See this game at Chess.com, or scroll down below for an embedded board.

briskwarlock (1900) vs. medelev (1548)
Let's Play! | Chess.com | 26 May 2013 | ECO: D20 | 1-0

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 The Opening is the Queen's Gambit Accepted. A pawn is sacrificed so that White can build a strong center. The pawn may be captured later, or not. But sometimes, the initiative, even without taking back the pawn, could be quite strong.

3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bf4 e6 5. e4 There it is - the big pawn center. But my chess buddy said that 4. e3 could have been stronger. White center thrust has actually given the initiative to Black, which could have played 5... Bb4 now.

5... c6 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. Bxc4 Nxe4 Black has won a pawn. But take note, there are many mobilised White pieces than Black's. Mobilisation, that is bringing your pieces out for attack and defend, is very important in the opening phase of a chess game.

8. Qc2 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Ba5 The Bishop is out of play here. 9... Bd6 is slightly better, neutralizing the sting from the f4 White bishop.

10. O-O O-O 11. Rfe1 b5 12. Ng5 g6 13. Bb3 Bb7 The losing move. It weakens the e6 point. 13... b4 is OK, trying to attack the base of White's center pawns, thereby creating an isolated pawn at White's d4. An isolated pawn is a pawn that can not be supported by another pawn.

14. Rxe6 Best, I guess. That's because of the new threat at the g6 point, which as you will see, Black fails to see.

14... Bc8 The big blunder. Not only that it acknowledges that 13... Bb7 is a mistake, it also moves the same piece twice, i big no-no in the opening. But Black may have been surprise at the e6 Rook sac!

(While 14... fxe6 15. Bxe6+ Kg7 16. Be5 +Kh6 17. h4 is a position that is very hard to defend as the queen is coming to c1 or d2 for a deadly discovered check. )

15. Rxg6+ Great shot! The queen will mate at h7, no matter how Black plays, so Black resigns. The secret of this position is that silent Bishop at b3 pinning down the f-pawn to the Black King. Another secret: there are many White pieces attacking than Black's defending. That's one assurance of victory.

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briskwarlock
Rating: 1707

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Positional Squeeze in the French Defence

When all your chess pieces are poised, while your opponents are not, look for the way to break through. Opposite castling almost always suggests pawn storms against each other's King. 

In this game, White is denied his own pawn storms, while black proceeds undeterred.

Egyptian_Assassin (1794) vs. briskwarlock (1703)
Let's Play! | Chess.com | 17 May 2014 | 0-1

1. e4 e6 Again, my favorite: French! This opening had never been part of my repertoire until recently when I read some books on the French defence. It's ability to strike surreptitiously at the unsuspecting attacker is quite good.

2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 Be7 6. Be3 O-O 7. Nbd2 Bg4 8. c3 Nbd7 9. Qc2 c5 This c5-pawn counterstrike in the center is the secret of the French. That should be made the earliest possible time, or else, the position become a torture for black. The other breaking out move is f6, if the e5 White pawn were there. In this game, there is none. 

10. h3 Bh5 11. g4 Bg6 12. Bxg6 fxg6 I like this move. It frees my f8-Rook.

13. O-O-O c4 I also like this one. It limits White choices, while Black is getting ready for the pawn storm.

14. Ne5 Qc7 15. f4 b5 Here we go!

16. g5? The move is bad. It allows the Knight to gain the defensive h5-square for free. Once the Knight is there, White's chances for attack is greatly reduced. 

16... Nh5 17. Ndf3 a5 (17... Nxf4 was tempting, but as I said, I would not be tempted. My position is robust with the Knight at h5. )

18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. Ne5 Qb7 In this square, the Queen also protects the d5-pawn.

20. Qd2 b4 20... Ng3 must be good, too. But I don't like removing my defensive knight at its h5 cozy perch! Instead, the pawn storm must proceed undeterred. It is not advisable to switch plan once it is already been decided, unless you have an obvious reason to do so.

21. Ng4 bxc3 22. Qxc3 Bb4 23. Qc2 c3 24. b3 a4 25. bxa4?? Clearly an error! But everything else also loses. Do not ask me why! The White position is just clearly bad. It's taxing to look into all of the variations, just follow your instinct. A naked King is always Weak.

 
25... Ba3+ The reward of Black energetic play. White is mated in the next move. So White resigns.

Play through the game here: 

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briskwarlock
Rating: 1703

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Toying with the King! Are you Brave Enough?

This game illustrates the point that sometimes, pieces can be shed one after another when there is chances that the King will fight out alone in the open without any artillery support.

In chess, a naked king will surely meet his doom soon. You won't need to calculate great numbers of variations. Just go at it, but be sure of course that you have a preponderance of pieces near your enemy King. Otherwise, please go home packing and crying.

brendankiwi (1578) vs. briskwarlock (1690)
Let's Play! | Chess.com | 17 May 2014 | 0-1

You may want To Jump to the Game Board on Chess.com, or you may scroll down below for the embedded game board.


1. e4 e6 I frequently employed this e6 move now because of the books that I have read about this charming defense. It is called French Defense. It will give you a Kiss of Death, not French Kiss. 

2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Be76. Bf4 O-O 7. Bd3 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 A sad necessity if White does not want to destroy its Kingside pawns early in the game. Though, it would not have mattered since His King is still in the center. It can transfer to the Queenside by castling there, and then, slugfest! 

9. Be2 c6 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Nh2 Bxe212. Nxe2 Re8 13. Ng3 Nf8 14. Qd3 Bd6 15. Bg5 h616. Bh4 Could be an error. Though, the resulting position if I would have to corral the Bishop would be so bleak for my King. But I am fierceless, anyway! :) 

16... g5 Let's go!

17. Nf5 Bxh2+ First, let us remove possible attacking pieces! 

18. Kxh2 gxh4 Chop! 

19. Nxh6+ Kg7 20. Nf5+Kh8 21. Nxh4 Ng4+ Why not? The h4-knight is en prise, unless, the King will prance into the Open and met his death. :D Confidence! 

22. Kg3 Oh! My dear friend is very brave. Braver done me. :D 

22... Qd6+ The start of the move that should divorce the White King from his family. I think, that's lovely, even though, it might not be the best move. The mere thought of being able to force the King forward is full of hopeful winning chances. 

23. Kxg4 Re4+ 24. Kh5 Of course not 24. Kf3 as 24... Qf4# is mate!

24... Rxh4+ Another lovely idea. Chess Players are always happy to find such idea. Even though, it could be wrong! But the removal of another good defender of the King can give dividend later. No need to calculate variations! We are just having fun here! :) 

25. Kxh4 Ng6+ You see, that's the trick. The White Queen must kill herself or Her King will be killed first. Take your pick. 

26. Qxg6 Other moves like 26. Kh5 is met by Nf4+ , and a Royal fork!  While 26. Kg5 Qf4+ 27. Kh5 or similar would be killed by 27... Qh4# , an epaulette mate. Or whatever, as long as it is a mate! 

26... Qxg6 27. f4 Qxc2 28. Rg1Rg8 That keeps the King imprison in the corner side of the Board. 

29. g4 Qf2+ 30. Rg3 Qxf4 That's it. The King can not escape mate in a couple number of moves. Well, I hope. White Resigns. 0-1 

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briskwarlock
Rating: 1694

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How do you like the game? Well, I like it so much.