A Colorful Chess Game

(The following chess game is presented in "algebraic notation." Here's an explanation of how to follow the moves.)

This game was played in the 1985 San Francisco Class Championship.

White: Cha
Black: Resnick

1.  e4	   e5
2.  Nf3	   Nc6
3.  Bc4	   Nf6
4.  Ng5	   Bc5?!

This is called the Wilkes-Barre Variation, named for a city near my hometown of Havertown PA. It may be unsound, but has definite shock value. One point is that after the tempting 5. Nxf7, Black gets an attack with 5. ... Bxf2+, 6. Kxf2 Nxe4+ and 7. ... Qh4.

5.  Bxf7+  Ke7
6.  Bd5	   Qe8

At this point, my friend and fellow player Michael walked by and did a double-take. He thought I had mixed up my King with my Queen!

7.  Nc3	   d6
8.  Nb5	   Rf8
9.  Nxc7   Qg6
10. d3?	   Bxf2+!

White can't take the Bishop, because of 11. Kxf2 Nxd5+ and 12. ... Nxc7.

11. Kf1	   Bg4
12. Qd2	   Be3!

Again, the Bishop is poison: 13. Qxe3 Nxd5+.

13. Qe1	   Nxe4+
14. Nf3	   Rxf3+!
15. gxf3   Bh3+
16. Ke2	   Nd4+
17. Kxe3   ...

Or 17. Kd1 Nf2+

17. ...	   Qg5+
18. Kxe4   Bf5# mate

Back to "Fun and Games"