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See More About: chess basics openings There are an endless number of possible variations in chess, even after just a few moves have been played. That said, some chess openings are time-tested and popular. Recognizing and understanding the basics of these openings will increase your confidence in the opening phase of the game. Ruy Lopez All diagrams © Ed Scimia The Ruy Lopez (also known as the Spanish Game) is named after the Spanish priest who analyzed this opening in 1561. Nearly half a millennium later, the Ruy is now one of the most popular chess openings at all levels. Numerous variations have been deeply studied, and a wide variety of strategic plans are available to both White and Black. The starting position of the Ruy Lopez is reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. Popular lines in the Ruy Lopez include - but are certainly not limited to - the Morphy Defense, the Steinitz Defense, and the Berlin Defense. Each of these and several other popular variations leads to numerous sub-variations. Sponsored Links Chess Masters School1-year program for serious results Professional approach at 34 USD/mo Chess Video TutorialGet free lessons by GM Smirnov: "Finding the Best Moves; Quickly"chess-teacher.com 30,000 Tactical Positions/+\ /+\ /+\ /+\ /+\ /+\ /+\ /+\ . Italian Game First developed in the 1600s and perhaps the oldest of chess openings, the Italian Game is reached by the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4. It remained quite popular through the 19th century, but today has been supplanted by the Ruy Lopez as White's favorite choice on the third move. Bc4 eyes Black's potentially weak f7 pawn, but improved defensive technique has shown this to be less dangerous to Black than Bb5. Still, the Italian Game often leads to aggressive, open positions which can be fun to play. This opening is still seen at all levels - and is quite popular among club players. Popular variations in the Italian Game include the Giuoco Piano, the Two Knights Defense and the Hungarian Defense. Sicilian Defense The Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) is currently Black's most popular response to e4, especially at the highest levels of chess. By playing c5, Black immediately fights for the center and attacks d4, but avoids the symmetry of e5. The Sicilian Defense typically leads to a complex and dangerous struggle where both sides can play for a win. There are many distinct variations in the Sicilian Defense, each of which lead to different types of positions; some of the most popular include the Closed Sicilian, the Classical Sicilian, the Dragon Variation and the Najdorf Variation. French Defense The French Defense (1. e4 e6) concedes central space to White and limits the scope of his king's bishop, but prevents tactics against f7 while allowing Black to have activity on the queenside and counterplay in the center. After the most typical line of 2. d4 d5, White's e-pawn is immediately pressured, and White must decide how to deal with this - leading to several popular variations. Some of the most common include the Exchange Variation, the Advance Variation, the Tarrasch Variation, the Winawer Variation and the Classical Variation. Caro-Kann Defense Like the French, the Caro-Kann Defense (1. e4 c6) prepares d5 on Black's second move to challenge White's e4 pawn. The Caro-Kann is extremely solid, but not as dynamic as many of Black's other defenses against e4. Compared to the French, Black has avoided blocking his king's bishop, but will require a second move to play c5 - a source of counterplay in both defenses. Popular variations in the Caro-Kann include the Classical Variation, the Advance Variation, the Exchange Variation and the Panov-Botvinnik Attack. Pirc Defense Originally seen as an inferior opening, the Pirc Defense (1. e4 d6) is today known as a solid choice. Black allows White to build an imposing center, then attempts to turn that center into a target for attack. Some common variations in the Pirc Defense include the Classical System and the Austrian Attack. Queen's Gambit White players who prefer a quieter, more positional game tend to prefer 1. d4 to 1. e4, after which the c4 break is the best way to play for an advantage (either on the second move or soon after). The Queen's Gambit, marked by the moves 1. d4 d5 2. c4, is one of the oldest known chess openings. This classical approach "offers" a pawn (in reality, Black cannot expect to hold onto the pawn if he chooses to capture it) in exchange for a stronger center. Black has several options, including the Queen's Gambit Accepted, the Queen's Gambit Declined, and the Slav Defense. Indian Defenses After 1. d4, Black is not obligated to play d5 in response. Today, the most popular response to d4 is Nf6, which leads to a collection of openings known as the Indian Defenses. These openings, while less solid than the classical d5, offer more immediate opportunities for counterplay. There are many popular lines arising after Nf6, including the King's Indian Defense, the Nimzo-Indian Defense, the Queen's Indian Defense and the Grünfeld Defense. English Opening The English Opening is a flexible choice for White. The English often transposes into openings normally seen after 1. d4, either exactly or with slight variations due to move order. It is also possible to enter a "reversed" Sicilian Defense if Black responds with e5, where White is playing the Sicilian with an extra tempo. One well-known setup that can arise from the English Opening is the Hedgehog Defense. Réti Opening The Réti Opening (1. Nf3) is named after the great chess master Richard Réti. Like 1. d4 and 1. c4, the Réti also generally leads to closed positions, and all three moves can transpose into similar setups. One possible formation for White is the King's Indian Attack.

The Damiano Defence (Knight Capture): Black’s Worst Choice By Michael Quigley 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 Although, not technically Black’s worst choice (3…g5 is mate in 5) it is bad enough to have this title, for Black’s first move after our initial position. White responds with an immediate check on the Black King. 4.Qh5+ Black has 2 options: • 4…g6 blocking the check section 1.1). • 4….Ke7 moving the King out of check (section 1.2). Despite Black’s choice, White should play the same move. 5.Qxe5+ 1.1 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5+ At best, this move losses the Black player the exchange (a Rook for a Knight). Black has four options: • 5…Qe7 – blocking with the Queen • 5…Ne7 – blocking with King’s the Knight • 5…Be7 – blocking with the King’s Bishop • 5…Kf7 – moving the King out of check We will now examine these four options in the order they are listed above. 1.1.1 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5+ Qe7 If Black chooses to block with the Queen White should take the Rook, as any Queen exchange favours Black. 6.Qxh8 This is the 3rd Queen move (4.Qh5, 5.Qxe5+, 6.Qxh8) in the thematic move order for White, which we will see repeated in the other defences after Black plays 3…fxe5 and 4…g6. Any resulting position after these two moves is a winning position for White. White is a Rook and two Pawns up for the loss of a Knight. Black cannot trap the White Queen and capturing the pawn on e4 with check allows White to capture the h7 pawn and create an escape route for his Queen. Both of these are analysed further below. Analysis Black cannot trap the White Queen, because after the moves 6…Nf6 7.d3 the White Queen’s Bishop can come to Bg5 allowing the White Queen to escape. Analysis The second option open to Black is to try to re-gain some material by taking the White pawn on e4 with check. 6…Qxe4+ forces 7.Kd1 due to the fork on the g2 pawn. Now, Black has to either move his King’s Knight (7…Ne7 8.Qxh7) Or protect the Knight (7…Qe6 8.Qxh7). Although, White has lost the ability to castle and is behind in development his material advantage should win this game comfortably. 1.1.2 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5+ Ne7 Black takes his King out of check by blocking with the Knight. However, White can go material up and hold a winning position. 6.Qxh8 White will be looking to bring his Bishop to h6 to put pressure on the f8 Bishop or remove the pawn on h7. The White Queen cannot be captured. 1.1.3 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5+ Be7 Here Black chooses to give White more material to go with his won Knight-Rook exchange. 6.Qxh8 And the Knight is lost to any move, except a King move, because White can play his bishop to c4 and stop the King defending the Knight. 6…Kf7 7.Bc4+ d5 Forced, because 7…Ke8 (7…Kf8 8.Qxg8#) 8.Qxg8+ 9.Bf8 Qf7#. 8.Bxd5 Be6 (8…Ke8 9.Qxg8+) 9.Qxh7+ Kf6 10.Bxb7 After examining all three possible blocking manoeuvres, to get the Black King out of check we can easy surmise that Black loses material without any real compensation. Black’s fourth and final option is to move the King out of check. 1.1.4 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5+ Kf7 Black places his King in a position where he has no escape square. White needs to exploit this fact rather than snatch of the Rook on the h8. 6.Bc4+ d5 7.Bxd5+ Analysis Black’s moves are forced and he must now give up his Queen with 7…Qxd5 8.Qxd5+ or suffer mate in 9, which follows the forced moves 7…Be6 8.Qxe6+ Kg7 9.Qf7+ Kh6 10.d3+ Qg5 11.Bxg5+ Kxg5 12.h4+ Kh5 (12…Kh6 13.Qxf8+ Kh5 14.Qf4 Nf6 (can be any move) 15.Qg5#) 13.Qf4 Bb4+ 14.Ke2 Nf6 (can be any move) 15.Qg5# From this analysis, we can see that Black should not block the check from 4.Qh5+ with 4…g6. Now we will examine what happens when Black moves his King out of check with 4…Ke7. 1.2 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+ Ke7 Analysis shows that the move 4…Ke7 is worse for Black than 4…g6. Again, White takes the e5 pawn with check, forcing Black’s reply. 5.Qxe5+ Kf7 6.Bc4+ d5 Black is forced give up material with the move 6…d5 or suffers a forced mate, analysed below. Analysis Black’s other option is mate in 11 with the best moves played. 6…Kg6 7.Qg5+ Kh6 8.h4 Qe7 9.d3+ g5 10.Bd2 d5 11.hxg5+ Kg7 12.Bc3+ Nf6 13.gxf6+ Kf7 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Qxd5+ Be6 16.Qxe6+ Qxe6+ 17.Bxe6# 7.Bxd5+ Kg6 Black now has an escape square, but White has a winning position. 8.h4 A great move setting up many lines of attack: leaving Black’s position lost. 8…h5 Or the move 8…h6 are Black’s best options, giving up the Rook on a8, but providing escape squares for the struggling King. 9.Bxb7 Black’s best move is 9…Bd6 where White should play 10.Qa5 for maximum advantage. Analysis If Black does take on b7 there is a forced mate in 8. 9…Bxb7 10.Qf5+ Kh6 11.d4+ g5 12.Qf7 Bb4+ 13.c3 Bxc3+ 14.bxc3 Bxe4 15.hxg5+ Qxg5 16.Rxh5# From this chapter we can clearly see that Black’s immediate re-capturing of the White Knight, with the move 3…fxe5, will lead to either a quick victory for White or a middlegame were White has both material and positional advantages.

Principle 1 – Rule of the SquareIn King and Pawn endgames the King plays the part of both the attackerand defender. This endgame principle looks at both of these aspects. TheKing has to both attack the Pawn whilst defending the Pawn's promotionsquare.In this example, the Pawn is advanced on the f5 square, but cannot beprotected by the White King. The Pawn has to try and advance to f6, f7and f8 to promote. However, the Pawn the can be caught by the BlackKing.To tell whether the King is close enough to the Pawn to catch it before itpromotes we have two choices. One way, is that we can count the numberof squares and work out the possible variations. For example, the Pawntakes 3 moves to promote (on the f8 square). The King also needs at least3 moves to reach the promotion square. In this case we can see the King isquick enough to catch the Pawn before it promotes. However, in a morecomplicated position with numerous pawns counting squares can takevalue time and lead to mistakes.A quicker way to check whether the King is close enough to the Pawn is todraw a line from a Pawn to the promotion square. Use this line as oneside of a square, which must be drawn towards the side of the board thatis furthest away from the Pawn. If the King is inside the drawn square heis close enough to the Pawn to capture the Pawn. This is shown below.Note that if the Pawn advances to f6 the Black King must go to either d6or d7 to remain inside the square, which will now be a 3 by 3 square.If the Black King was on b4, in this example, he would be outside thesquare. Here, with the Black King on b4 and White Pawn on f5 whoevermoves is important. If White was to move, there would be a win for White,if Black was to move then after bringing his King to c5 (inside the square)a draw is possible.This principle and the understanding of the square rule becomesextremely important when examining endgames where Pawns are used asdecoys or sacrificed, so that other pawns can promote.Principle 2 – OppositionOpposition is one endgame principle that cannot have its importanceoverstated. Whilst primarily a defensive tool, opposition can also be usedto put your opponent in zugzwang.Having the opposition can allow the King to gain better control of squaresand advance to a better position. There are numerous types of opposition(some of which shown below) that occur when the Kings are on the samecolour square with an odd number of squares between them. WhicheverKing was last to move has the opposition.Looking through the King and Pawn endgames will show how oppositioncan be used.Vertical (near) OppositionDiagonal (near) OppositionHorizontal (near) OppositionDistant OppositionVirtual OppositionPrinciple 3 – Key SquaresIn King and Pawn endgames there are a number of important principlesto follow. The importance of obtaining the opposition and keeping theKing in reach of the promotion square (see: Pawn Endgame Principles 1and 2). Another principle that cannot be over-stressed but of equalimportance is understanding the key squares, which depends on thePawn's position on the board.Key squares are those squares, which when occupied by a King, force awin for the attacking side and a draw for the defending side. Key squaresare best illustrated in simple diagrams, but as you work through thepositions on this site you will see arise in more complicated endgames.Key squares depend on the position of the Pawn or Pawns in question.Position 1 - Pawn in Attacker's Half of the Board (Files b to g)In this first example the pawn is in the attacker's half of the board, i.e. onthe 2nd, 3rd or 4th rank. When this is the case the key squares are thesquare 2 ranks in front of the pawn, on the same file, and one squareadjacent to this. In this example, the pawn is on c3: the key squares areb5, c5 and d5.If the Pawn was on g2 the key squares would be f4, g4 and h4. Similarly,if the pawn was on e4 the key squares would be d6, e6 and f6.If the attacker (White in this case) can manoeuvre his King onto any of thekey squares, whilst protecting his Pawn, the attacker can force a win. It isworth noting that these positions rely heavily on gaining or maintainingopposition.It should also be noted that if the pawn moves the key squares change.In the example shown, if the White King was on the d6 square there arethree possible moves to get the White King onto a key square. Movingthe King from d6 to either c5 or d5 are two moves. An alternative wouldbe to move the Pawn from c3 to c4. If the Pawn moves to c4 the Kingwould be already standing on one of the key squares, which would havechanged to b6, c6 and d6.Position 2 - Pawn in Defender's Half of the Board (Files b to g)The closer a pawn gets to the 8th rank the greater it's value. It thereforemakes sense that once a pawn has passed into the defenders side of theboard it becomes harder to defend. The result of progressing passed the4th rank is that the number of key squares doubles. The original keysquares are the same key squares as a pawn in the attacker's half plus the3 squares directly in front of the pawn. In this example, the pawn is on c5:the key squares are b6, c6, d6, b7, c7 and d7.If the Pawn was on g6 the key squares would be f7, g7, h7, f8, g8 and h8.It is the objective of the attacking king to manoeuvre onto one of the keysquares, whilst protecting the pawn.The pawn's "force of radius" (squares it attacks) being the ones directly infront of it on the diagonals. In the example the pawn being on c5 meansthe force of radius is on the squares b6 and d6 (both key squares). Theopposition King cannot occupy these squares, making them naturaltargets for the attacking King, but they can be defended by the defendingKing (usually by occupying the square directly in front of the pawn).If the pawn progresses to the 7th rank the 3 squares directly in front ofthe pawn on the 8th rank are the key squares. For example a pawn on e7has the key squares d8, e8 and f8.Position 3 - Pawn on the Flank (Files a or h)The number of key squares for flank pawns drops dramatically, and moreimportantly do not exist until the pawn has progressed to the 6th rank.The reason for both of these principles is that flank pawns are harder topromote.If the defending King can get to the promotion square there is no way offorcing the King out of the corner, and the pawn cannot promote, becauseboth key squares are covered.The promotion square and square directly in front of the Pawn are alsonot key squares, in the example the squares a7 and a8. This is becausethe defending King can trap the attacking King on the flank by gainingdirect horizontal opposition, by occupying the squares c7 and c8respectively.The defending King should be aiming to occupy the one key square it can,in the example above this is the square b8.It is worth noting that even if the pawn is not as advanced as the 6th rankthe defending King does not have to "attack" the pawn. Simply movingbetween the corner square and adjacent square, on the same rank, willresult in a draw. For example a pawn on h2 can be stopped frompromoting by the defending King moving between g8 and h8, repeatedly.For examples of where these principles are applied in order to win or drawgames see www.michael-quigley.com .– Michael Quigley

Fool's mate, also known as the "two-move checkmate", is the quickest possible checkmate in the game of chess. The checkmate occurs extremely rarely in actual games, since it requires the player with the White pieces to be a willing accomplice in his own downfall. There are several possible variations on the Fool's Mate, all of which result in White being checkmated after just 2 moves, but the most common form is: 1.f3 e5 2.g4 Qh4#

The Game of the Century usually refers to a chess game played between Donald Byrne and 13-year old Bobby Fischer in the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament in New York City on October 17, 1956. It was nicknamed "The Game of the Century" by Hans Kmoch in Chess Review. (Others, such as Larry Evans,[1], have offered different games as candidates for this description, such as the game between Garry Kasparov and Veselin Topalov at the Wijk aan Zee Corus tournament in 1999.)[2] The term "Game of the Century" is a bit hyperbolic. Byrne's play (11.Bg5?; 18.Bxb6?) was weak; had a strong grandmaster rather than a 13-year-old played Black, it would still be an outstanding game, but probably not the Game of the Century. Many players consider the game inferior to later games of Fischer's, such as his stunning win over Donald's brother Robert at the 1963 U.S. Championship.[3]Donald Byrne (1930–1976) was one of the leading American chess masters at the time of this game. He had won the 1953 U.S. Open Championship, and would later represent the United States in the 1962, 1964, and 1968 Olympiads.[1] He became an International Master in 1962, and would likely have risen further if not for ill health. Robert "Bobby" Fischer (1943-2008) was at this time a promising young master. Following this game, he had a meteoric rise, winning the 1957 U.S. Open on tiebreaks, winning the 1957-58 U.S. (Closed) Championship (and all seven later championships he played in), qualifying for the Candidates Tournament and becoming the world's youngest grandmaster at age 15½ in 1958. He won the world championship in 1972, and is considered one of the greatest chessplayers in history.In this game, Fischer (playing Black) demonstrates brilliance, innovation, improvisation and poetry. Byrne (playing White), after a standard opening, makes a seemingly minor mistake on move 11, losing tempo by moving the same piece twice. Fischer pounces, with brilliant sacrificial play, culminating in an incredible queen sacrifice on move 17. Byrne captures the queen, but Fischer gets far too much material for it – a rook, two bishops, and a pawn. At the end, Fischer's pieces coordinate to force checkmate, while Byrne's queen sits, helpless, at the other end of the board.Graham Burgess, John Nunn, and John Emms suggest three lessons to be learned from this game, which can be summarized as follows:In general, don't waste time by moving the same piece twice in an opening; get your other pieces developed first. Material sacrifices are likely to be effective if your opponent's king is still in the middle and a central file is open. Even at 13, Fischer was a player to be reckoned with.[2] Contents [hide]1 The game 2 Footnotes 3 References 4 External links [edit] The game Fischer's game score, in descriptive notation.1. Nf3 A noncommittal move by Byrne. From here, the game can develop into a number of different openings. 1. ... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 Fischer defends based on "hypermodern" principles, inviting Byrne to establish a classical pawn stronghold in the center, which Fischer intends to target and undermine with his fianchettoed bishop and other pieces. 4. d4 0-0 Fischer castles, bringing his king to safety. 4...d5 would have reached the Grünfeld Defence immediately. After Fischer's 4...0-0, Byrne could have played 5.e4, whereupon 5...d6 6.Be2 e5 reaches the main line of the King's Indian Defense. 5. Bf4 d5 (Grünfeld Defence, 5.Bf4, D92) The game has now transposed to the Grünfeld Defence, usually initiated by 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5. 6. Qb3 A form of the so-called Russian System (the usual move order is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3), putting pressure on Fischer's central d5 pawn. 6. ... dxc4 Fischer relinquishes his center, but draws Byrne's queen to a square where it is a little exposed and can be attacked. 7. Qxc4 c6 Also possible is the more aggressive 7...Na6 (the Prins Variation), preparing ...c5 to challenge White's center. 8. e4 Nbd7 In later games, Black played the more active 8...b5 followed by 9...Qa5.[3][4] An example is Bisguier-Benko, U.S. Championship 1963-64.[5] Fischer's choice is a little slow, although one would not guess that from the subsequent play. 9. Rd1 Nb6 10. Qc5 An awkward square for the queen, which leaves it exposed to a possible ...Na4 or ...Ne4, as Fischer brilliantly demonstrates. Since both of those squares are protected by Byrne's knight on c3, he understandably did not appreciate the danger. 10.Qb3 would have left the queen better placed, although it would have invited further harassment with 10...Be6. 10. ... Bg4 Byrne's pawns control the center squares. However, Fischer is ahead in piece development and has castled, while Byrne's king is still in the center. These factors would not have been very significant had Byrne attended to his development on his next move. The position after 11. Bg5.11. Bg5? Byrne errs, moving the bishop a second time instead of completing his development. Burgess, Nunn and Emms, as well as Wade and O'Connell, suggest 11. Be2, protecting the King and preparing kingside castling.[6][7] Flear-Morris, Dublin 1991, continued 11. Be2 Nfd7 12. Qa3 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 e5 14. dxe5 Qe8 15. Be2 Nxe5 16. O-O and White was slightly better.[8] Byrne doubtless thought that Black's slight lead in development would be transitory, not anticipating the maelstrom that his young opponent now initiates. 11. ... Na4!! Fischer offers an ingenious knight sacrifice. If Byrne plays 12.Nxa4, Fischer will play Nxe4, leaving Byrne with some terrible choices: 13. Qxe7 Qa5+ 14. b4 Qxa4 15. Qxe4 Rfe8 16. Be7 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Bf8 produces a deadly pin. 13. Bxe7 Nxc5 14. Bxd8 Nxa4 15. Bg5 Bxf3 16. gxf3 Nxb2 gives Fischer an extra pawn and ruins Byrne's pawn structure. 13. Qc1 Qa5+ 14. Nc3 Bxf3 15.gxf3 Nxg5 regains the sacrificed piece with a better position. 13. Qb4 Nxg5 14.Nxg5 Bxd1 15.Kxd1 Bxd4 16.Qd2 Bxf2 with a winning material advantage (Fischer) 12. Qa3 Nxc3 13. bxc3 Nxe4! Fischer again offers material in order to open the e-file and get at White's uncastled king. 14. Bxe7 Qb6 15. Bc4 Byrne wisely declines the offered material. If 15. Bxf8, Bxf8 16.Qb3, Fischer analyzes 16...Nxc3! 17.Qxb6 (17.Qxc3?? Bb4 wins the queen) axb6 18.Ra1 Re8+ 19.Kd2 Ne4+ 20.Kc2 Nxf2 21.Rg1 Bf5+, which he considers winning for Black. Also strong is 16...Re8 17.Qxb6 (17.Be2 Nxc3!) 17...axb6 18.Be2 Nxc3 19.Rd2 Bb4 20.Kf1 Ne4 21.Rb2 Bc3 22.Rc2 Nd2+! 23.Kg1 (23.Nxd2 Bxe2+ 24.Kg1 Bd3! 25.Rc1 Bxd2 leaves Black with a winning material advantage) Rxe2 24.Rxc3 Nxf3+ 25.gxf3 Bh3 26.Rc1 Rxa2 leaving White absolutely paralyzed. 15. ... Nxc3! Now if 16.Qxc3, Rfe8 pins the bishop to White's king, thus regaining the sacrificed piece with an extra pawn. 16. Bc5 Rfe8+ 17. Kf1 Byrne threatens Fischer's queen; Fischer brings his rook into play, misplacing Byrne's king. Now Fischer's pyrotechnics seem to be at an end. Surely he must save his queen, whereupon White can play 18.Qxc3, with a winning material advantage. After 17. Kf1. Instead of protecting his queen, Fischer will launch a stunning counterattack with ...Be6.17. ... Be6!! This stunning resource is the move that made this game famous. Instead of saving his queen, Fischer offers to sacrifice it. Fischer pointed out that 17...Nb5? loses to 18.Bxf7+ Kxf7 19.Qb3+ Be6 20.Ng5+ Kg8 21.Nxe6 Nxd4 22.Nxd4+ Qxb3 23.Nxb3.[9] 18. Bxb6? Byrne takes the offered queen, hoping to outplay his 13-year-old opponent in the ensuing complications. However, Fischer gets far too much for his queen, leaving Byrne with a hopeless game. 18.Bxe6 would have been even worse, leading to a smothered mate with 18...Qb5+ 19.Kg1 Ne2+ 20.Kf1 Ng3+ 21.Kg1 Qf1+! 22.Rxf1 Ne2#. 18.Qxc3 would have been met by 18...Qxc5! and if 19.dxc5, Bxc3. White's best chance may have been 18.Bd3 Nb5!, which Kmoch wrote would also result in "a win for Black in the long run".[10] 18. ... Bxc4+ Fischer now begins a 'windmill' series of discovered checks, picking up material. 19. Kg1 Ne2+ 20. Kf1 Nxd4+ 21. Kg1 Ne2+ 22. Kf1 (21.Rd3? axb6 22.Qc3 Nxf3 23.Qxc4 Re1# Fischer) 22...Nc3+ 23. Kg1 axb6 Fischer captures a piece, simultaneously attacking Byrne's queen. 24. Qb4 Ra4! Fischer's pieces cooperate nicely: the bishop on g7 protects the knight on c3, which protects the rook on a4, which in turn protects the bishop on c4 and forces Byrne's queen away. Perhaps Byrne overlooked this move when analyzing 18.Bb6, expecting instead 24...Nxd1? 25.Qxc4, which is much less clear. Otherwise, it is hard to explain why Byrne played 18.Bxb6, since Black now has a clearly winning position. 25. Qxb6 Unfortunately for Byrne, he has nothing better than this pawn-grab, since he has no queen move available that would protect his threatened rook on d1. After 25... Nxd1. Fischer has gotten more than enough material for his sacrificed queen.25. ... Nxd1 Fischer has gained a rook, two bishops, and a pawn for his sacrificed queen, leaving him ahead the equivalent, roughly, of one minor piece – an easily winning advantage in master play. White's queen is far outmatched by Black's pieces, which dominate the board and will soon overrun White's position. Moreover, Byrne's remaining rook is stuck on h1 and it will take precious time (and the loss of the pawn on f2) to free it. Byrne could resign here, but gamely plays on until checkmate. One of Byrne's chess students later recounted Byrne's explanation (scroll down to No. 241 at the end) why he played on: "First of all, you have to remember that in 1956 no one knew that Bobby Fischer was going to become Bobby Fischer! He was just a very promising 13-year-old kid who played a great game against me. When it got to the position where I was lost, I asked some of the other competitors if it might be a nice thing to let the kid mate me, as a kind of tribute to the fine game he played. They said, 'Sure, why not?’ and so I did." After 35... Bc5+; mate is inevitable.26. h3 Rxa2 27. Kh2 Nxf2 28. Re1 Rxe1 29. Qd8+ Bf8 30. Nxe1 Bd5 31. Nf3 Ne4 32. Qb8 b5 Note that every piece and pawn of Black is defended, leaving White's "extra" queen with nothing to do. 33. h4 h5 34. Ne5 Kg7 Fischer breaks the pin, allowing the bishop to attack as well. 35. Kg1 Bc5+ Now Fischer "peels away" the white king from his last defender, and uses his pieces in concert to force checkmate. Byrne-Fischer, 1956 Final position, after 41... Rc2#36. Kf1 Ng3+ 37. Ke1 Bb4+ Kmoch notes that 37...Re2+ would have mated a move sooner.[11] 38. Kd1 Bb3+ 39. Kc1 Ne2+ 40. Kb1 Nc3+ 41. Kc1 Rc2# 0-1 This game in PGN-format.

Hey guys! If you are under a 1480 rating, please go to the Chess Unlimited Challenge match and register. They already have a huge list waiting to start. Us, not so much. Stand up for the Shooting Stars! Or, am I the only one under 1480??? HB

The Cochrane Defense is a method for drawing in the chess endgame with a rook versus a rook and bishop, shown here. It was discovered by John Cochrane. This combination of material is one of the most common pawnless chess endgames. Accurate play is required for the defense. The defense is most effective near the center of the board, and doesn't work on the edge (Nunn 2007:161ff). The Cochrane Defense works when: the defending rook pins the bishop to the king on one of the four central files (c through f) or ranks (3 through 6), and there are two or more ranks or files (respectively) between the kings (de la Villa 2008:213-16). Contents [hide]1 Details 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading [edit] DetailsBudnikov-Novik, 1991 Cochrane defense. Black to move, draw with either side to move.The defense is most effective near the center of the board. In this position, if the pieces on the e-file were moved to the f-file, then if 1. Ke5 the response 1... Kg8, puts the black king dangerously close to the corner (Nunn 2007:161ff). The defense does not work on the edge of the board. In this position from a 1991 game between Alexandar Budnikov and Maxim Novik, White would like to get his king to d6 and bishop to d5, to win by a method of Philidor (see Philidor position#Rook and bishop versus rook) – however the pin of the bishop to the king prevents it. If White plays 1. Kd5 or 1. Kf5 then Black moves his king in the opposite direction, so if the bishop then moves, the black rook cuts off the white king. There is another drawing method in positions with this set of material, called the "second rank" defense (with the king and rook both on a rank or file next to the edge of the board). However, the Cochrane Defense is more popular among grandmasters (Nunn 1999:174ff). There are some key ideas for the defender to observe: wait by moving the rook between e1 and e2 answer Kd5 with ... Kf8 and Kf5 by ... Kd8 drive the rook away from the seventh rank at the first opportunity move the king away from the eighth rank, as near the center of the board as possible once the king has left the back rank, hold off the king for a few moves when the white king gets back to the fifth rank (or equivalent in other directions), switch the rook around and head for the Cochrane position again (perhaps rotated 90 or 180 degrees). This phase is important because the opposing king must not be allowed to reach the sixth rank (or equivalent). The game continued: 1... Re1 2. Kd5 Kf8! 3. Bf5 Re7! 4. Ra8+ Kf7 5. Ra1 Kf6 6. Bc8 Re5+ 7. Kd6 Re2 8. Rf1+ Kg5 9. Bb7 Re3 10. Kd5 Re2 11. Kd4 Re7 12. Bd5 Re8 13. Rf7 Rb8 14. Ke5 Rb5 and the position is back to the basic Cochrane position, rotated 90 degrees, and the fifty move rule is closer to coming into effect. The Budnikov-Novik game continued, with the Cochrane position being reached again. Eventually a draw was claimed by the fifty move rule (Howell 1997:145-47).

The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins: 1. e4 e5 2. f4 White offers a pawn to divert the Black e-pawn and build a stronger center with d2-d4. Theory has shown that in order for Black to maintain the one pawn advantage, moves must be made that seriously weaken the position of the Black pieces. King's Gambit is one of the oldest documented openings as it was examined by the 17th century Italian chess player Giulio Polerio.[1] It is in an older book by Luis Ramirez de Lucena [2] The King's Gambit is now rarely seen at the master level. Black can obtain a reasonable position by relinquishing the extra pawn at a later time and consolidating defensively. The King's gambit may either be accepted (black takes the f pawn) or declined