Welcome! Chess fans, to the Games showcase post, where we will look at some interesting games from the fourth round of the Saturday Weekly Tournament.
The highlighted games feature either brilliant tactics, resilience, or good upsets. Game winners will share in the reward for their games being featured in this post. Rewards would be paid in Liquid.
In the last game feature post, I paid @maestroask and @jaki01 1 HBD each which is 40% of the previous post reward. 20% of this post will be shared among the featured players and it will be paid out in liquid.
Please don't forget, if you feel confident of any of your games during the Saturday weekly event, drop a link in the comment section in the report post next Sunday
Game 1:
@toluwayme 0-1 IM @stuffings
The first game today would be this instructive game by one of the International Masters we have here on Hive. If you ever wondered how to setup on the black side of the popular ruy Lopez opening, here is a game for you.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4
Here we can see it's a typical ruy Lopez opening.
5. d3 b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. c3 O-O 8. Nbd2 d6 9. Nf1
In this position, white maneuvers the knight from b1 to g3. White delays castles in this process, a typical idea in the open game positions. The aim is to focus the pieces and attack on the king side since black castles there. How does black respond?
9... Be6 10. h3 a5 11. Ng3 a4
Black ignores whites coordination and expands on the queen side. Gaining more space and advancing the pawns forward.
12. Bc2 h6 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. exf5 d5 15. O-O Re8 16. Re1 Bc5 17. Nh2 e4 18. d4 Bd6 19. Ng4 Nxg4 20. Qxg4
Here it looks like white has some attacking play, however it is black that has a little edge because of the pawns on the queen side.
20... Kh8 21. Bd2 b4 22. f3 a3 23. bxa3 bxc3 24. Bxc3 e3 25. a4 Qf6 26. Re2 Bb4 27. Bb2 Rab8 28. Bb3 Bd2 29. Rd1 Na5 30. Bc1 Nxb3 31. axb3 Bxc1 32. Rxc1 Rxb3 33. Rxc7
In this position, after Rxc7, white is lost. The immediate 33.Rb1+ wins on the spot.
can you spot it?
Answer and game concluding moves were 33... Rb1+ 34. Kh2 Qd6+ 35. Qg3 Rh1+ 0-1
White resigned!
Here is the link to the game
https://lichess.org/wHdN4Jz3/black#70
Game 2
@dadapizza 1-0 @justola1
Knighthammer7 on Lichess who has won the best upset crown three times in a row, was about losing his crown. With 12 straight loses and his final game was against @justola1 who was over a 1000 Elo higher, Resilience paid off!
The game started with a very unorthodox opening moves
1. e3 d5 2. d3 Nf6 3. d4 Nbd7 4. c3 Nb6 5. b3 Bd7 6. c4 e6 7. c5 Nc8 8. a3 b6 9. b4 a5
Opening principles of pieces development was ignored and when the pieces start getting out. It was white than benefited and went two pawns up!
10. Qb3 a4 11. Qc3 Ne4 12. Qc2 b5 13. Nc3 Nxc3 14. Qxc3 Ne7 15. Bd3 Ng6 16. Nf3 Be7 17. h4 Bf6 18. g3 Ne7 19. Nd2 Nc6 20. Nf3 e5 21. dxe5 Be7 22. e4 Be6 23. exd5 Bxd5 24. Bxb5
Game kept on and white played a very bad move which turned out the winning move as black missed the free piece.
24... Bxf3 25. Qxf3 O-O 26. Bxc6 Ra6 27. b5 Ra7 28. Bb2 Bxc5 29. Rd1 Qe7 30. Rd7 Qe6 31. Bd5
Black missed the rook and on the next play missed an escape again. Two bad plays and what was next on the board was a checkmate!
31... Qg6 32. Rxf7 c6 33. Rxf8#
Very nice photo finish by @dadapizza!
Link to the game
https://lichess.org/G9QkuniQ/white#65
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In two days, The reminder post with the game link and time will be up. Looking forward to the next round. Special thanks to @edicted for the idea of rewarding brilliant games weekly.
See You on Saturday!