Chess Player's Mating Guide Vol 1: Learn some lethal smacks

by Davide Nastasio
11/6/2017 – Pieces are tossed in like fuel to burning fire, a king’s pawn shelter ripped apart. One player sees bone-chilling nightmares; his opponent couldn’t hold his thumping heart. More pieces come marauding in, hacking off every defender. The king begins running for his life; in the end, it’s caught en prise. An aesthetic murder is engineered. It’s checkmate! For those romantics who crave for such excitement in their chess games, Robert Ris has selected examples from his professional coaching practice with the aim of helping them understand the method behind what seems madness. | Graphic: 4fingerprodigy

One of the first lessons you learn in chess is to bring your king into safety by castling – be it on the kingside or the queenside - after having developed your minor pieces. By ignoring this rule of thumb, not only may your king end up in trouble, but your other pieces and in particular, your rooks, may never end up playing much of a role, and before you know it, things are looking grim. Even at the highest level, the consequences of neglecting this basic element of opening theory has been frequently underestimated. In this first volume of the new Mating Guide series, the emphasis will be on how to exploit a vulnerably placed king in the centre. A must-have for ambitious chess players who want to improve their own attacking skills.

A review

I chose this DVD because I had 7 hours to kill. My wife and I were driving to Florida. But since my wife is a total control freak, I wasn’t allowed to drive. Of course, there was the radio. But the programs played on it were strictly of her choice.

Map of Florida

So I had to have something for myself during this long journey.

As soon as I hit the play button, Ris treated me with a beautiful example from the Smith-Morra gambit. In the final position, Black had all his pieces on their original squares when his king was caught in a mating net.

 
What wonders a lead in development can produce!

But the DVD also treats many other important topics, like different kinds of sacrifices (for example, sacrifices to destroy the pawn shield in front of the enemy king, or sacrifices to open lines or create space), how to destroy a closed center, the importance of the e-file and even some esoteric topics like exploiting a complex of weak squares. All this is covered in ten different chapters which contain one or more illustrative games per chapter.

The subject of this DVD is of the utmost importance because we all tend to miss chances in our games. And among these are missed opportunities which could have led to memorable victories.

In fact, in the DVD, Ris showed that even masters aren’t immune to this. While commenting on some of his own games, he didn’t shy away from pointing out how many times he had missed playing a stronger move which could have ended the game sooner.
 
The DVD comprises 20 tutorial videos (plus one for the introduction) and 10 puzzle clips in which Ris presents some positions and asks the viewer to find the right move. If the wrong move is entered, a feedback is given; if the entered move is right, Ris explains why the move was the best choice. 

A snippet from Robert Ris' DVD, 'The Chess Player's Mating Guide: Volume 1'

An example from the puzzles using the ChessBase interactive training system

Ris elucidated upon the game from the beginning. When the critical position was reached, he used the interactive training system and posed the following questions:

  • How do you proceed with white?
  • How do you take advantage of white's development?

Take this opportunity to find the solution to the position above; it will be quite surprising!
 
Here's the game with annotations by GM Motylev. However, Ris has commented on the game till the end. So it is quite pleasant to watch the video and learn from him. 

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 For some reason Michele Godena decided not to use his main weapon - the Arkhangelsk variation. 4.d4 exd4 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Bxc6 Qb4+? I've never seen this intermediate check before. And after this game I doubt that we'll see itagain in grandmaster practice. 8.c3 Qxb2 9.Ba4 I spent about half an hour here and was very happy with my decision but the impassive computer after a brief thinking time shows that this move perhaps deserves more "?!" than "!" mark, because 9.Bd5! was probably just winning the game. 9.Bd5! Qxa1 9...dxc3 10.Qd4 Qxa1 11.0-0 f6 12.Nxc3+- 10.0-0 Qb2 10...Ne7 11.Qd2+- 11.Qxd4 f6 12.Bb3+- Before humans had tried only 9.Qxd4 (or 9.0-0 bxc6 10.Qxd4) that is not so clear - bxc6 10.0-0 Qxa1 10...Ba6 11.Nbd2! 11.Qxh8 Bxf1 12.Qxg8+ Ke7 13.Qxa8 Bd3! 11...Bxf1 11...f6!? 12.Rfb1 Qa3 12...Qc2 13.Ne1 13.e5+- 12.Rb1! Qxa2 13.Qxh8 f6 14.Kxf1 Qf7 15.e5+- Smikovski,I (2495)-Ajrapetjan,Y (2420)/Moscow 2005/Chess Informant 95/ [Smikovski,I] 11.Qxh8 Kf8 12.Ng5 Ba6 13.Nxh7+ 13.Rd1!? Qxa2 13...Be2 14.Qe5 f6 15.Nxh7+ Kg7 16.Nxf6 14.Nxh7+ Ke7 15.Qd4 d6 16.e5 Kd7 17.exd6 Qd5 13...Ke7 14.Qe5+ Kd8 15.Rd1 Be2 16.Qg7 Ke7 17.Qe5+ Kd8 18.Qg7 Ke7 19.Re1 Rb8 20.Qe5+ Kd8 21.Qg7 Ke7 22.Qe5+ Kd8 23.Qg7 Ke7 24.Qe5+ 1/2 Spasov,V (2598)-Radulski,J (2578)/Borovets BUL 2008/ 9...Qxa1 10.0-0 Here my opponent fell into deep thought, but nevertheless he choose the wrong way. Of course, it's only for computers that it is easy to calculate such positions. b5? 10...Qxa2! was the only move. I calculated 11.Qxd4 11.Bb3!? Qa6 12.Qxd4 f6 13.e5 Qb6 14.exf6 Qxd4 15.f7+ Kf8 16.fxg8Q+ Rxg8 17.Nxd4 Rg7∞ 11...f6 12.e5 Qe6 and it looks almost winning for White, but my computer doesn't find a win here. 13.Re1 13.Nbd2 Kf8 13...fxe5 14.Nxe5 Nf6 15.Bb3 d5 16.Ng4 Rf8 17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Qxd5 Qd6 19.Ba4+ Kd8 20.Qg5+ Qf6 21.Qd5+= 14.Bb3 fxe5 15.Nxe5 Qd6 16.Qe3 Qe7 17.Nf7 Kg7∞ 13...Kf8 14.Nbd2 d6 15.exf6 Qxf6 16.Qc4 10...c5 was also not good enough 11.Qb3!? Nf6 11...a6 12.cxd4 cxd4 13.Ne1 d3 14.Nc3 Qc1 15.Nxd3 Qg5 16.Nd5+- 12.cxd4 cxd4 13.Ne1 d3 14.Nc3 Qc1 15.Qb4 Qh6 16.Nxd3+- 11.Bb3 Perhaps even easier was 11.Qxd4 bxa4 11...f6 12.Bb3+- 12.Qxh8 Kf8 13.Ng5 Ba6 14.Nxh7+ Ke7 15.Qe5+ Kd8 16.Nf6+- But I saw the knight sacrifice and didn't hesitate in my choice. 11...c5 12.Nxd4! cxd4 There was no salvation. Both black king and queen are in equally miserable situations. 12...a6 13.Qd2!? cxd4 14.Qxd4 f6 15.Qd5 Ne7 15...Rb8 16.Qf7+ Kd8 17.Qg7 16.Qf7+ Kd8 17.Qxf6 ∆Re8 18.Qb6# 12...Ba6 13.Nc2 Qb2 14.Qd5+- 13.Qxd4 f6 14.e5 Bb7 15.Na3 Qb2 16.exf6 Nh6 16...0-0-0 17.Nxb5 Bc6 18.Nxa7+ 18.Nd6+ Kb8 19.Nc4 Qe2 20.Rb1 Ka8 21.Nb6+ Kb7 22.Nd5 Qb5 23.a4+- 18...Kc7 19.Nxc6 Kxc6 20.Bd5+ Kc7 21.Qa7+ Kd6 22.Bb3+- 16...Qxa3 17.f7+ Kd8 18.Qxh8+- 17.Qe5+ Kd8 18.Nxb5 Qd2 19.Qc7+ Ke8 20.Nd6+ The game reminds me of the romantic chess of the 19th century. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Motylev,A2705Godena,M25611–02010C60EU-ch 11th5

The DVD comes with a database of 80 additional games. Some of these games are annotated by Ris and can be used to learn more about the themes treated in the chapters of the DVD.
 
I'd like to show you a couple of these games because I was not aware of them and I'm sure the readers will also find them exhilarating. After all, how often do we see a world champion to lose in 12 moves?

An image of Emanuel Lasker

Any guesses who this world champion was?

 
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1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 Qg5 6.Nf3 Qxg2 7.Rg1 Bb4+ 8.Ke2 Qh3 9.Bxf7+ Kd8 10.Bxg7 Ne7 11.Ng5 Qh4 12.Ne6# 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Bird,H-Lasker,E-1–01892C21Newcastle on Tyne game

I think the selection of games was particularly important. In the beginning, I watched the games using famous names as selection criteria. But then, I began to watch in chronological order and I discovered that Ris had followed the themes he had taught in the videos. It was quite stimulating when I was able to discover what the theme of the game was and what Ris was trying to teach through that game!
 
One of the games in the 80 games database was by Morphy, one of the best players to learn about development. However, there was a suspicious annotation in the following diagram.

 
Paul Morphy vs Alonzo Morphy

The annotation went 17.Rxe7 Kf8 18.Re5 c5 with decisive advantage for Black. I disagreed because I thought all Black pieces are on the wrong side of the board while White pieces are centralized on open files; it is impossible Black is winning.
 
I asked myself if there was a better move than 18.Re5 and I thought of 18.Rb1. But I also thought how I would play after 18...c5 and found 19.Nd4. I'm not claiming that the moves I have suggested are the best. I haven't checked them with an engine. But the point I'm trying to make is that if one thinks he can learn chess by just being force-fed on Ris' videos, or just passively watching the games he has collected, he's in for a bad surprise. Chess learning cannot come in that way. One needs to be involved in the material. Hence, I made a note of all these positions I didn't understand. Next week, I'll meet my studying partner and show them to him!
 
Another reason for watching the games on the DVD is to stimulate our own attacking skills. For example, Morphy's games are like watching a Tal on steroids! (Or for the millennial generation Hulk on a rage spell!)

 
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1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.d4 gxf3 6.0-0 d5 7.Bxd5 c6 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.Qxf3 Nf6 10.c3 Bh6 11.Bxf4 Bxf4 12.Qxf4 h5 13.e5 Be6 14.Nd2 Nbd7 15.Ne4 Qe7 16.exf6 Nxf6 17.Nxf6 Kf8 18.Nd5+ Qf7 19.Qd6+ 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Morphy,P-NN-1–01858C37New Orleans sim

The cover of Robert Ris' DVD, 'The Chess Player's Mating Guide: Vol 1In my opinion, this kind of DVD, with topics of general interest especially to amateurs, can also be used by chess coaches for giving some interesting positions to their students. 
 
But the most important part is that thanks to Ris' videos (especially when he points out some important moments in the game), we become more skilled in analyzing our own games and understand what went wrong and when, and eventually learn to recognize some manoeuvres played by professionals in their games.

To conclude, the DVD is great to learn the use of the open e-file against the enemy king in the centre or to reinforce such knowledge if one has already studied such material. It also teaches how to destroy a closed centre using many games from greats like Kasparov as examples.

Before signing off, I would also like to tell readers that this DVD is part of a series. ChessBase has recently published its second volume which I will acquire before the trip back from Florida!


The attention will be paid to the castled king and in particular on ways of exploiting the weakened kingside. Several well-known themes, pawnformations and other attacking weapons are covered in 8 chapters.


Davide is a chess aficionado who regularly reviews books and DVDs.

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