Difference between revisions 25838 and 25859 on enwiki

=== Sample Game ===

 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''r''' | '''n''' | '''b''' | '''q''' | '''k''' | '''b''' | '''n''' | '''r''' | 8
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
(contracted; show full)
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''R''' | '''N''' | '''B''' | '''Q''' | '''K''' | '''B''' |   | '''R''' | 1
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
   a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h 


⏎
White makes another fine move.
He is mobilizing his forces by bringing them forward into attack position.

White could have moved out his queen instead, but that would be dangerous.
The queen is too valuable to trade for any other piece, so it can't do much by itself unless the opponent carelessly leaves pieces unprotected.
It is better to wait until there are other pieces in the fray which can serve as shock troops for her highness.

White also could have moved out his bishop.
That would not be bad, but it isn't clear yet whether the bishop wants to be at c4, b5, or possibly even behind the pawns.
The knight, on the other hand, usually goes to f3 anyway.  On h3 it would not attack the center, and on e2 it would be temporarily in the way.

2... f6

 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''r''' | '''n''' | '''b''' | '''q''' | '''k''' | '''b''' | '''n''' | '''r''' | 8
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''p''' | '''p''' | '''p''' | '''p''' |   |   | '''p''' | '''p''' | 7
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   | '''p''' |   |   | 6
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   | '''p''' |   |   |   | 5
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   | '''P''' |   |   |   | 4
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   | '''N''' |   |   | 3
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' |   | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' | 2
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''R''' | '''N''' | '''B''' | '''Q''' | '''K''' | '''B''' |   | '''R''' | 1
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
   a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h 

Black makes a worthless move.
He needed to defend his pawn with Nc6 or counter-attack white's pawn with Nf6.
Either knight move would maintain the balance of the game by contesting the center.

The move 2... f6 appears to defend the threatened e-pawn, but this is an illusion, as the game shall demonstrate.
Black has weakened his king side, allowing attacks on the f7 square, which is protected by nothing other than the king itself.

3. Nxe5

 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''r''' | '''n''' | '''b''' | '''q''' | '''k''' | '''b''' | '''n''' | '''r''' | 8
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''p''' | '''p''' | '''p''' | '''p''' |   |   | '''p''' | '''p''' | 7
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   | '''p''' |   |   | 6
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   | '''N''' |   |   |   | 5
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   | '''P''' |   |   |   | 4
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 3
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' |   | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' | 2
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''R''' | '''N''' | '''B''' | '''Q''' | '''K''' | '''B''' |   | '''R''' | 1
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
   a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h 

White attacks immediately.
This move is somewhat speculative, because white does not yet have enough pieces out to develop a convincing attack.
A purer play would be Bc4, attacking the weakened f7 square and hoping to build a coordinated, irresistable attack.

On the other hand, after the display of weakness in black's second move, white can hardly be faulted for going for the jugular.

3... fe

 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''r''' | '''n''' | '''b''' | '''q''' | '''k''' | '''b''' | '''n''' | '''r''' | 8
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''p''' | '''p''' | '''p''' | '''p''' |   |   | '''p''' | '''p''' | 7
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 6
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   | '''p''' |   |   |   | 5
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   | '''P''' |   |   |   | 4
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 3
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' |   | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' | 2
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''R''' | '''N''' | '''B''' | '''Q''' | '''K''' | '''B''' |   | '''R''' | 1
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
   a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h 

Another poor move by black.
The only way to try for an equal game was 3... Qe7, ''skewering'' the white knight, pawn, and king.
That is to say, the queen would indirectly be attacking everything in the e-file.
After the knight moves away, the queen can take on e4 with check, safely regaining the pawn.

Retaking the knight now merely invites the white queen to jump into the battle.
The fact that black can't afford to take the knight shows that 2... f6 didn't really protect the pawn at all.

4. Qh5+

 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''r''' | '''n''' | '''b''' | '''q''' | '''k''' | '''b''' | '''n''' | '''r''' | 8
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''p''' | '''p''' | '''p''' | '''p''' |   |   | '''p''' | '''p''' | 7
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 6
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   | '''p''' |   |   | '''Q''' | 5
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   | '''P''' |   |   |   | 4
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 3
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' |   | '''P''' | '''P''' | '''P''' | 2
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 | '''R''' | '''N''' | '''B''' |   | '''K''' | '''B''' |   | '''R''' | 1
 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
   a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h 
⏎

⏎