Christmas knights

by Jonathan Speelman
2/20/2022 – Star columnist Jon Speelman continues to link chess positions with Monty Python sketches. Readers pitched in with further suggestions, and in particular one noted the unexpected absence of the expectedly ‘Unexpected Spanish Inquisition’!
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The Inquisition is here

Monty Python[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]

A fortnight ago, I attempted, somewhat spuriously, to link chess positions to Monty Python sketches. As requested, readers pitched in with further suggestions, and in particular one noted the unexpected absence of the expectedly Unexpected Spanish Inquisition.

So this time I’m continuing with a few more, more or less tenuous, links. The Inquisitors will drop by when, I hope, I’ve diverted you sufficiently for them to be something of a surprise. But first from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The Knights who say Ni!

(Watch the sketch)

This nice finish was suggested in the comments to the previous column as an example of this.

 
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1.e41,166,62354%2421---
1.d4947,29855%2434---
1.Nf3281,60256%2441---
1.c4182,10256%2442---
1.g319,70256%2427---
1.b314,26554%2427---
1.f45,89748%2377---
1.Nc33,80151%2384---
1.b41,75648%2380---
1.a31,20654%2404---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d395450%2378---
1.g466446%2360---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c343351%2426---
1.h328056%2418---
1.a411060%2466---
1.f39246%2436---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.c4 In this pivotal game during the famous match in Baguio, Korchnoi gained the advantage but then, after allowing Karpov to equalise, blundered horribly at the end of a time scramble. Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.d4 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5 6.d5 b5 7.dxe6 fxe6 8.cxb5 a6 9.Nge2 d5 10.0-0 e5 11.a3 axb5 12.Bxb5 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Ba6 14.Rb1 Qd6 15.c4 d4 16.Ng3 Nc6 17.a4 Na5 18.Qd3 Qe6 19.exd4 cxd4 20.c5 Rfc8 21.f4 Rxc5 22.Bxa6 Qxa6 23.Qxa6 Rxa6 24.Ba3 Rd5 25.Nf5 Kf7 26.fxe5 Rxe5 27.Rb5 Nc4 28.Rb7+ Ke6 29.Nxd4+ Kd5 30.Nf3 30.Nc2 Rxa4 31.Bf8 would have gained a very nice and safe advantage. 30...Nxa3 31.Nxe5 Kxe5 32.Re7+ Kd4 33.Rxg7 Nc4 34.Rf4+ Ne4 Karpov has coordinated his pieces brilliantly and should now hold. 35.Rd7+ Ke3 36.Rf3+ Ke2 37.Rxh7 37.Re7 Ncd2 38.Ra3 Black keeps the h-pawn but is a little tied up. 37...Ncd2 38.Ra3 Rc6
39.Ra1?? Blundering into a horrible trap. 39.g3 would draw easily enough after Nf3+ 40.Kg2 Ne1+ 41.Kg1 Nf3+ 39...Nf3+! And Korchnoi had to resign since 39...Nf3+ 40.gxf3 or 40.Kh1 Nf2# 40...Rg6+ 41.Kh1 Nf2# is mate 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kortschnoj,V2665Karpov,A27250–11978E47World Championship 29th17

But there was no hint of a shrubbery, and I was wondering what else to add when I came across this in the latest edition of Chess magazine as a Christmas solution. The clumps of Black pieces are at least plausibly shrubby, and I’m grateful to Chess’ editor Richard Palliser for kindly endorsing my plagiarism here.

 
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In this nice study, which is perhaps more a construction task, a deluge of checks by the shrubbery loving knights (I looked for an adjective meaning bush loving but was helpfully directed to Kate Bush) leads to an unlikely repetition, a full 16 moves later!
1.Ng4+ Ke7 1...Kg6 2.Ne5+ 2.Nf5+ Kd7 3.Ne5+ Kc8 4.Ne7+ Kb8 5.Nd7+ Ka7 6.Nc8+ Ka6 7.Nb8+ Kb5 8.Na7+ Kb4 9.Na6+ Kc3 10.Nb5+ Kd3 11.Nb4+ Ke2 12.Nc3+ Kf2 13.Nd3+ Kg3 14.Ne4+ Kg4 15.Ne5+ Kf5 16.Ng3+ Kf6 And the knights, who are presumably now saying "Ekke Ekke Ekke Ekke Ptang Zoo Boing!" gee up for round 2. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Harman,J--½–½1970White to play and draw2

 

There’s also some shrubbery allied with several horses in this study by a Dutch composer, which was championed a few years ago by Jim Plaskett. I knew of it but couldn’t recall more than the outline, and indeed finally tracked down on Luke McShane’s advice by googling “Plaskett’s puzzle”. I have a vague memory that it may have appeared in Chess too, possibly even as part of a Christmas competition.

 
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If you're feeling strong, you might like to try to solve this glorious study in which in a sense everything unfolds precisely as it ought to...
1.Nf6+ Kg7 1...Kg6 2.Bc2+ Kxf6 2...Kg7 3.Nh5+ Kf7 4.d8Q 3.d8Q+ 2.Nh5+ Kg6 3.Bc2+ Kxh5 4.d8Q! Nf7+ 5.Ke6 Nxd8+ 6.Kf5 With the king trapped on h5, Black's army strugles to defend him against the rampant white-squared bishop and the only way to delay defeat is to create two newborn foals: e2 7.Be4 e1N! 8.Bd5 c2 9.Bc4 c1N! 10.Bb5 Nc7 11.Ba4 The d1-h5 diagonal cannot be defended so it's mate in 3 more moves at most. 1–0
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Van Breukelen,G-White to play and win-1–01970

The Bishop

(Watch the sketch)

In the Van Breukelen study it is the Bishop who is boss, and we continue with a famous study in which, with the help of a single fierce pawn, a bishop outplays a queen and knight.

 
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1.Qc8! When I was first shown this beautiful and highly thematic study, I simply failed to find the first move and spent some time analysing the prosaic - and insufficient - Qd6+. Hence the anlaysis of it here. 1.Qd6+ Kg8 2.gxh7+ Kh8 3.Be7 3.Kf5 Qb5+ 3.Bxa5 Nc7 3...Qc8 4.Bd8 4.Qe5 Qg4 4...Qc3+ 5.Kxf7 Qg7+ 6.Ke8 Nc7+ 7.Bxc7 Qxc7 4.Bxc7 4.Bc3 Qe6+ 4...Nb5 5.Qg3 Qe6+ 5.Kg5+ 4...Qa8 5.Qg3 Qa6+ 6.Bd6 Qf1+ 3.Qd4 Qf8 4.Kf5+ Kxh7 3...Nb6 3...Nc7 4.Qxc7 Qb5 4...Qa8 5.Qg3 5.Qc8+ Kxh7 6.Qc2+ 3...a4 4.Qg3 4.Bf8 Qe2 4...Qc6+ 5.Bd6 4.Kg5 4.Qxb6 Qa8 5.Qd4 5.Kxf7 Qd5+ 5...Qf3+ 4...Kxh7 4...Nd5 5.Kh6 5.Qd3+ Kg8 6.Kh6 Qc6+ 1...Kg8 2.Bc7 Qxc8 2...Nxc7 3.gxf7+ 3.gxf7+ Kh8 4.Be5 Qc5 5.Bb2! If instead White plays Ba1, then it is he who ends up in zugzwang. 5.Ba1? Nc7 6.Bb2 a4 7.Ba1 a3 5...Nc7 6.Ba1 a4 7.Bb2 a3 8.Ba1 a2 9.Bb2 a1Q 10.Bxa1 Nd5+ 10...h5 11.Kg6+ 10...Qf8 11.Kf5+ Qg7 12.f8R# 11.Ke6+ Nc3 12.Bxc3+ Qxc3 13.f8Q# Poetry! 1–0
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Matous,M-White to play and win-1–01975

The Dirty Hungarian Phrase Book

(Watch the sketch)

This was mentioned by a reader who suggested either a dirty trap in the Hungarian opening or a dirty trap laid by a Hungarian player.

I looked up the former and found a little video by Sagar Shah.

 
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1.e4 This "trap" is rather messy and indeed inconclusive, but it does occur in the Hungarian Defence with 3...Be7 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d4 exd4 5.c3 dxc3 6.Qd5 Simply 6.Nxc3 gives very decent compensation for the pawn. 6...Nh6 7.Bxh6 0-0
8.Bc1? 8.Bxg7 Kxg7 8...Nb4? 9.Qe5 d5 10.Qg3+- 9.Nxc3 And White is better but Black has the two bishops. 8...Nb4 9.Qd1 9.Qh5! Nc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.Nxc3 is also at least equal for Black though much messier. d5 12.exd5 c6 9...c2 10.Qd2 cxb1Q 11.Rxb1 c6
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Hungarian trap--1975C50

This sketch ends with the shopkeeper Graham Chapman being thumped by John Cleese's Hungarian. But perhaps it was “only a scratch”, as the Black knight claims.

The Black Knight 

(Watch the sketch)

An 18-year-old Garry Kasparov faces a 52-year-old Tigran Petrosian.

 
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1.d4 This beautiful game features a truly brilliant resource by Petrosian in which his king proved that all the pressure really was just a scratch. d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.h3 Bh5 7.Nc3 a6 8.g4 Bg6 9.Ne5 Nbd7 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Bf1 c6 12.Bg2 Qc7 13.0-0 Be7 14.f4 Nb6 15.g5 Nfd7 16.Qg4 0-0-0 17.Rb1 Kb8 18.b4 Nd5 19.Na4 f5 20.Qg3 Nxb4 21.Bd2 Nd5 22.Rfc1 Ka7 23.Qe1 Ba3 24.Rc2 Qd6 25.Rb3 Qe7 26.Qe2 Rb8 27.Qd3 Bd6 28.Nb2 Rhc8 29.Nc4 Bc7 30.a4 /\ a5, Rcb2,M Qb1 b5 This brave move isn't much liked bty the engines but shows wonderful fighting spirit. 31.axb5 cxb5 32.Ra2! Kb7 !!? 32...bxc4 33.Rxa6+! 32...Bd6 33.Rxb5 Rxb5 34.Nxd6 Qxd6 35.Qxb5± 33.Bb4? 33.Na3! Bb6 33...N7b6 34.Nxb5 axb5 35.Qxb5 Rd8 35...Ra8 36.Bxd5+ exd5 37.Qxd5+ 36.Bb4! Qe8 37.Qa6+ Kc6 38.Bc5 Kd7 38...Ra8 39.Rxb6+ 39.Bf1!+- 34.Nc2! Ra8 35.Nb4 Qd6 36.e4 fxe4 37.Qxe4 Ra7 38.Qxg6 Bxd4+ 39.Kh1 N7b6 40.f5!+- 33...Qe8! 33...Qd8? 34.e4! fxe4 35.Qxe4 Qe8 36.Qxd5+ exd5 37.Bxd5+ Ka7 38.Rxa6+ Kxa6 39.Ra3+ Ba5 40.Rxa5# 34.Bd6 34.Ba5 Qe7! 34...Ra8 35.Qb1
35...Kc6‼ An incredible idea which totally changes the geometry by unpinning the b-pawn. It turns out that Bxc7 should now lead to an equal ending but, unsurprisingly, Kasparov was totally discombobulated and wilted. When I looked in Megabase, I found that this was one of three times that Petrosian beat Kasparov as Black in five games. Admittedly, when he got older, Kasaprov won the final two of these. 36.Rba3? 36.Bxc7 bxc4 36...Kxc7 37.Nb2 Kd8 38.Qe1N 37.Rb7 Rxc7 38.Rxa6+ Rxa6 39.Qb5+ Kd6 40.Qxa6+ Ke7 40...Rc6? 41.Qa3+ 41.Bxd5 Rxb7 42.Bxb7 42.Qxe6+? Kd8 43.Qxe8+ Kxe8 44.Bxb7 c3-+ 42...Qb8 43.Kf2= 36...bxc4 37.Rxa6+ Rxa6 38.Rxa6+ Bb6 39.Bc5 Qd8 40.Qa1 40.Qb4 Ra8 41.Qa4+ Kb7 40...Nxc5 41.dxc5 Kxc5 42.Ra4 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kasparov,G2630Petrosian,T25850–11981D22Interpolis7

And finally.

The Spanish Inquisition

(Watch the sketch)

 
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1.e4 In this famous game, Karpov gained a space advantage and then played a fabulous move to cement his advantage. e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Nc6 12...cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6 14.Nb3 a5 15.Be3 a4 16.Nbd2 Bd7 17.Rc1 Qb7 13.d5 Nd8 14.a4 Rb8 15.axb5 axb5 16.b4 Nb7 17.Nf1 Bd7 18.Be3 Ra8 19.Qd2 Rfc8 20.Bd3 g6 21.Ng3 Bf8 22.Ra2 c4 23.Bb1 Qd8
23...Rxa2 24.Qxa2 Qd8 25.Qa6 24.Ba7! This beautiful move prevents Black from exchanging off all the rooks on the a-file and maintains a pleasant advantage. Ne8 24...Qc7 25.Bc2 Na5 25.Bc2 Nc7 26.Rea1± Houdini is still telling me that this is only about 3/4 of a pawn, but in practice it was deeply unpleasant and Unzicker was extremely unlikely to hold. Qe7 27.Bb1 Be8 28.Ne2 Nd8 29.Nh2 Bg7 30.f4 f6 31.f5 g5?! 31...gxf5 32.Ng3 Maybe this isn't as vile for Black as it looks. At least that's what the software is claiming after f4. 32.exf5 e4 33.Qd4 32...f4 33.Nf5 Qf8 32.Bc2 Bf7 33.Ng3 Nb7 34.Bd1 h6 35.Bh5 Qe8 36.Qd1 Nd8 37.Ra3 Kf8 38.R1a2 Kg8 39.Ng4 Kf8 40.Ne3 Kg8 41.Bxf7+ Nxf7 42.Qh5 Nd8 43.Qg6! Kf8 44.Nh5
A fitting finish to a beautiful game. Choked to death, Black resigned. 44.Nh5 Qf7 45.Bb6 Rxa3 46.Rxa3 Rb8 47.Qxf7+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karpov,A2700Unzicker,W25351–01974C98Nice3

I think that’s enough Python for the moment, though please do send any other ideas for a later date. It did occur to me that the comfy chair might be the opening 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 b5, which I sometimes encourage as White when I want a very quiet game – but I’ve also lost this position a couple of times, perhaps through getting too comfy...

In a fortnight we’ll move on to something a bit more serious. I haven’t decided what yet, so any suggestions in the comments would be most welcome.

Considered a master of prophylaxis, Petrosian sensed dangers long before they actually became acute on the board. In his prime, Petrosian was almost invincible. Let our authors introduce you into the world of Tigran Petrosian.

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Jonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.

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