Black to Play

Pete Tamburro on Apr 1, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The fifth in our series of instructional games. White starts out with an odd fourth move, for which we give instruction in the notes, but still manages to get the better game. Black uses his one chance—the f-file, and it becomes an exciting king hunt as the White king marches up the board to his fate, which is a great lesson in itself. The game up to the diagram: Hermann,F. - Hussong,H. (C68) Frankfort, 1930 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 (For the serious student, this is the line of the regular two knights to show you why it's bad to play Bc4 after a6 in the Ruy Lopez. 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5 Qd5 11.d4 exd3 12.Nxd3 Qxg2 13.Bf3 Qh3 14.Bd2 Nb7 15.Bxc6+ and White is easily winning.)3...a6 4.Bc4? (4.Ba4) 4...Nf6 5.d3 (White can't follow the two knights line above because of this-- 5.Ng5 d5! 6.exd5 Na5 7.Be2 h6 8.Nf3 e4 9.Ne5 Qxd5 10.d4 exd3 11.Nxd3 Qxg2 12.Bf3 Qh3 13.Nf4 Qh4)5...Bc5 6.Be3 d6 7.Nbd2 Be6 8.Bxe6 fxe6 9.Bxc5 dxc5 10.Nc4 Nd7 11.a4 Qf6 12.c3 0–0 13.0–0 Rad8 14.a5 Ne7 15.Qb3 Ng6 16.Qxb7 Nf4 17.Ne1 Qg5 18.Kh1 Rf6 19.Ne3 Rdf8 20.Qxc7 R8f7 21.Qc8+ Nf8 22.Qxc5 Qh5 23.Rg1 SEE DIAGRAM Even if you can guess at the first move, see if you can work it out to mate.

23...Qxh2+!! 24.Kxh2 Rh6+ 25.Kg3 Ne2+ 26.Kg4 Rf4+ 27.Kg5 Rh2 28.Qxf8+ Kxf8 29.Nf3 h6+ 30.Kg6 Kg8! 31.Nxh2 Rf5!! 32.Nxf5 Nf4 mate

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.