Coffee for Dessert

The golden rule, chess edition: guard your own king the way you hope your opponent forgets to guard theirs. A little humility helps with this one.

1.e4 g5. Borg. White gives up the knight on f3 and opens lines early. By move 17 White’s queen is on h7 and the rook grabs the pawn on e6.

rn2kr2/pp2n2Q/4Rb2/6q1/8/2P5/PP3PPP/RN4K1 b q – 0 17

Black to move. White’s rook just left the first rank. Look at c1, d1, e1, and f1. Who is guarding them?

17…Qc1+.

rn2kr2/pp2n2Q/4Rb2/8/8/2P5/PP3PPP/RNq3K1 w q – 1 18

White has exactly one legal move. Find it. Then ask what Black does next. The sheet says 0-1. You were hunting their king and left your own back rank open. Do not do to yourself what you want them to do.

I wish you the best of luck!!

The Chess Zone – Coffee For Dessert.

Check Coach Chad’s mistakes in the full game.

[Event "?"]
[Site "Chess.com iPhone"]
[Date "2024.08.17"]
[White "Guest5828568597"]
[Black "Guest3264570200"]
[Result "0-1"]

1.e4 g5 2.Nf3 g4 3.d4 gxf3 4.Qxf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 d5 6.exd5 c5 7.d6 Be6 8.Bxe6 fxe6 9.dxe7 Nxe7 10.dxc5 Rf8 11.Qh5+ Ng6 12.Bg5 Qa5+ 13.c3 Qxc5 14.O-O Bf6 15.Qxh7 Qxg5 16.Re1 Ne7 17.Rxe6 Qc1+ {0-1}