Friday 6 February 2009

A coaching game

Here is a game I use quite a lot in the various groups I coach. It is by Joseph Blackburne from the 19th Century and embodies all the useful things that you want new players to master. Quick development and control of the centre followed by a mating attack! I've left in the comments I use, which point out the good and bad ideas in the opening. (NB There is normally some shading between the extremes of good and bad, but for the point of the exercise I have left it black and white)

Blackburne,J - Gundry,W [B15]
1862

1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 Challenging control of the centre (Good) 3.d4 Playing e4 and d4 in the opening (Good) 3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Moving the same minor piece twice in the opening (Bad) 4...Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 Ending up with double pawns. (Bad) 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Bd3 Bg4 8.0-0 Getting the king to safety and developing the rook. (Good) 8...Qc7 9.Re1+ Putting a rook on an open file (Good) 9...Kf8 No longer able to castle (Bad) 10.h3 Bxf3 Moving the same minor piece twice in the opening. (Bad) 11.Qxf3 Nd7 12.c3 Re8 13.Bd2 Connecting rooks (Good) 13...Rxe1+ 14.Rxe1 Kg8?(D) At this point the opening stage would be over and we move into the middle game. 15.Re8+ Nf8 16.Qf5! Qb6 17.Qd7 [ 17.Bf4 was missed by Blackburne here. 17...Bxf4 ( 17...Qc7 18.Rxf8+ Kxf8 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qc8+ Ke7 21.Qxh8 wins a piece.) 18.Qxf4 and Qd6 is a huge threat. 18...g6 a) 18...g5 19.Qxf6 h6 20.Bc4 Rh7 (a) 20...Qc7 21.Qg6#) 21.Qg6+ Rg7 22.Bxf7+ Kh8 23.Rxf8+ Rg8 24.Rxg8#; b) 18...c5 19.Qb8 g6 20.Rxf8+ Kg7 21.Rxh8; 19.Qh6] 17...Qc7 18.Qf5 Qb6 Hoping for a draw by repetition. 19.Bc4 Qc7 20.Bh6 c5 21.Qg4 g6 22.Qf4! as capturing the queen leads to mate on f8. 1-0

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