Trust, But Verify

"Intuition" has its place in chess, as long as it doesn't totally replace analysis. How many times have we read that a chess master looked briefly at a position on the board and then commented "The Knight obviously must go here"?

For club players, there is a saying to apply to their own intuition: Trust, but verify.

perrypawnpusher  - hudders
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5

The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4

7...Re8

A reasonable alternative to 7...Bd6; both keep Black's advantage.

8.dxc5

The correct capture, although the alternative has been seen: 8.dxe5 Nxe4 (8...Rxe5 9.Bf4 Re7 10.e5 d6 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5+ Be6 13.Qf3 Kg8 14.0-0-0 Bxa2 15.b3 Rf7 16.e6 Rf6 17.Rhe1 Qe7 18.Qd5 c6 19.Qc4 b5 20.Qe4 d5 21.Qe5 Re8 22.Qb2 Rxe6 23.Be3 Bxe3+ 24.fxe3 Rxe3 25.Rf1 Qg5 26.Qxa2 Rxb3+ 27.Rd2 Rbe3 28.h4 Black forfeited on time, yorgos - Castled, FICS, 2009) 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Nxe4 d6 11.Nxc5 Rxe5+ 12.Qxe5 dxe5 13.Be3 Kg8 14.0-0 b6 15.Rad1 Qe8 16.Ne4 Bf5 17.f3 Qc6 18.Nc3 Bxc2 19.Rc1 Bd3 20.Rfd1 Be2 21.Nxe2 Qa4 22.Nc3 Qb4 23.b3 Qa3 24.Rc2 Qb4 25.Nd5 Qf8 26.Rxc7 Rc8 27.Ne7+ Kh8 28.Rxc8 Qxc8 29.Nxc8 e4 30.Rd8 checkmate, ljar - pyronaut, FICS, 2005.

8...Nc6

Three playable alternatives:

8...Nc4 9.0-0 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Nxe4 Ne5 12.Bg5 c6 13.Qd6+ Re7 14.Bxe7+ Qxe7 15.Qxe7+ Kxe7 16.Nd6 b5 17.Rfe1 Ke6 18.f4 Kd5 19.Rxe5+ Kd4 20.Rd1 checkmate, theep - peteplumber, FICS,2000;

8...Qe7 9.0-0 Qxc5 10.Be3 Qe7 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5+ Kf8 13.f4 Ng6 14.f5 c6 15.Qb3 Ne5 16.f6 gxf6 17.Bh6+ Qg7 18.Bxg7+ Kxg7 19.Qg3+ Black resigned, ARUJ - cippolippo,FICS, 2009;

8...Kg8 9.Bf4 d6 10.Nb5 a6 11.Nd4 dxc5 12.Nb3 Qxd1+ 13.Rxd1 Nxe4 14.0-0 Ng6 15.Bxc7 Bf5 16.Rd5 Be6 17.Rd3 c4 18.Re3 cxb3 19.axb3 Rac8 20.Ba5 Rxc2 21.b4 Nd2 22.Rd1 Rxb2 23.b5 axb5 24.Bxd2 Kf7 25.Rf3+ Kg8 26.Rc3 Bg4 27.f3 Bd7 28.Rc7 Ne5 29.Rxb7 Nc4 30.Rxd7 Nxd2 31.R7xd2 Rxd2 32.Rxd2 Re1+ 33.Kf2 Rc1 34.g4 b4 35.Rb2 Rc4 36.Ke2 h6 37.Kd2 g5 38.Kd3 Rf4 39.Ke3 Rf8 40.Rxb4 Kg7 41.Rb5 Re8+ 42.Kd4 Re2 43.Rb3 Rxh2 44.Ke4 Re2+ 45.Re3 Rb2 46.f4 gxf4 47.Kxf4 Rb4+ 48.Kg3 h5 49.g5 Rg4+ 50.Kh3 Kg6 51.Re5 Black resigned, yorgos - foti, FICS, 2009.

9.0-0 Kg8 10.Bg5 Re5

This double attack (pawn at c5, Bishop at g5) is superficially attractive, but it is an example of sending a Rook to do a pawn's job. Better was 10...d6

11.f4 Rxg5

A panic reaction.

Black had to continue as planned with the lesser capture, 11...Rxc5, and realize that after 12.e5 it was time to give the piece back with 12...Nxe5 13.fxe5 Rxe5, preparing to defend the pawn-down game.

White can stir things up, however, after 11...Rxc5 12.e5 Nxe5 by playing 13.Ne4!? instead of capturing at e5. After 13...Neg4 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.Nxc5 White has won the exchange.

analysis diagram





The text move, instead, gives up the exchange but leaves the Knight at f6 still in danger.

12.fxg5 Ne8

The only safe place for the Knight, but it leaves Black's King at risk.

13.Qd5+

Black resigned, as mate follows