the best blunders and swindles
I consider it a matter of disquiet that the most heartfelt tributes to my chess prowess include the following:
- {*FrankNStein says: Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaastaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard*} [BICS]
- "f***ing cheapo, bl**dy swindling b*gg*r" [OTB National Club Championships]
- {*Walt tells you: you played me a set of dirty schwindles*} [Dutch ICS]
The sporting achievements that led to these fine compliments are to be found here, but below are the ones I am proudest of... You might also enjoy:
- Swindle your way to success
- An introduction to the ignoble art, which uses some games from below.
gray,t (1695) - regis,d [A40]
SWINDLE: Ian Miles Chp., Andover CC, 1983
1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. Nf3 Bb7 4. e3 f5 !? 5. Nc3 Bb4 !? 6. Be2 Nf6 7. Qb3 ! 7... a5 7 ... Na6 8. a4 O-O 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 Qe7 11. Ba3 d6 12. c5 Nbd7 13. cxd6 cxd6 14. Ne5 ! (zok) 14... Ne4 15. Rad1 Kh8 16. Bb5 ! (pow) 16... Nec5 17. dxc5 Nxe5 18. c6 (kazango)
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18... Nxc6 19. Bxd6 Qg5 !? 20. Bf4 [20. g3] 20... Qg6 21. f3 e5 22. Bg3 f4 23. exf4 exf4 24. Be1 Ne5
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25. c4 Rac8 26. Qa3 Qf7 27. Rd6 Nxc4 28. Bxc4 Qxc4 29. Rxb6 Ba6 30. Rf2 Rfe8 31. Rb1 Re3 32. Qa1 Qc5 33. Kh1 ? [33. Rd1 Rce8 34. Qb1 Re2 35. Qa1 Qe3 36. h3]
33... Bd3 ? Surprisingly, Black still has enough to win a piece 34. Rb7 [34. Rd1 Rxe1+ 35. Rxe1 Qxf2 36. Re7 Rg8] 34... Qe5 35. Qxe5 Rxe5 36. Bc3 ?! 36... h6 ! 37. g3 Rxc3 38. gxf4 Rf5 39. Kg2 Rxf4 40. Kg3 g5 41. Rd2 Kg8 42. Ra7 Rxa4 43. Rb2 Rb4 44. Ra2 Be4 45. R2xa5 Rxf3+ 46. Kg4 Rf4+ 0-1
willis,r - regis,d (1855) [A40]
SWINDLE: exeter club ch'p #2, 1994
1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. Nc3 Bg4 5. e3 Nc6 6. Be2 e5 7. d5 Nce7 8. O-O
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8... f5 9. Ng5 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 Bh6 11. Ne6 Qd7 12. Nb5 c6 13. Nbc7+ Kf7 14. Nxa8 cxd5 15. cxd5 [15. Nac7 +-] 15... Nxd5
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16. Nec7 [16. Qc4 Qxe6 17. Nc7 +-] 16... Nxc7 17. Qc4+ [17. Nxc7 Qxc7 18. Bd2 +-] 17... Ne6 18. Nc7 Qxc7 19. Qxc7+ Nxc7 Whew... 20. Bd2 Nf6 21. Rac1 Ne6 22. Bb4 Rd8 23. Rfd1 d5 24. Bc3 d4 25. Bd2 Ne4 26. Rc2 Nxd2 27. Rcxd2 e4 28. Rc2 d3 29. Rc4 Bg7 30. b3 Bb2 31. Rd2 Be5 32. g3 Ng5 33. Kg2 Nf3 34. Rd1 Rd7 35. h3 Rc7 36. Rb4 a6 37. g4 b5 38. gxf5 gxf5 39. Kf1 Bd6 40. Rd4 Nxd4 41. exd4 Bf4 42. f3 Rc1 43. Rxc1 Bxc1 hang your head in shame... 0-1
fayle,a (1735) - regis,d (1940) [B83]
SWINDLE: exeter univ. v teignmouth, 1986
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 Be7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 a6 9. a4 Nc6 10. O-O Bd7 11. f4 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Bc6 13. Bf3 e5 14. Be3 b5 15. fxe5 dxe5 16. Rfd1 Qxd2 17. Bxd2 Bc5+ 18. Kf1 b4 19. Nd5 Bxd5 20. exd5 e4 21. Be2 Nxd5 22. Bc4 Nb6 23. Bb3 a5 24. Ke2 Kh8 25. Be3 Rac8 26. Bxc5 Rxc5 27. Rd4 f5 28. Rad1 h6 29. g3
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There is only one thing Black has to watch for... 29... Rfc8 30. Rd8+ Rxd8 31. Rxd8+ Kh7 32. Bg8+ Kg6 33. Rd6+ Kg5 34. h4+ Kg4 35. Rg6+ Kh3 36. Rxb6
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36... Rxc2+ 37. Ke3 Rxb2 38. Be6 Kxg3 39. Bxf5 Ra2 40. Bxe4 Ra3+ 41. Bd3 Rxa4 42. Rg6+ Kxh4 43. Rxg7 Ra1 44. Kf4
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Looking tricky... 44... b3 45. Rg6 h5 (?) [45...Kh5!] 46. Rg7 Kh3 47. Kf3 a4 48. Rg5 Kh4 49. Rg7 [49. Kf4 Re1] 49... a3 50. Kf4 Rh1 51. Be2 a2 52. Rg5 Rf1+ 53. Bxf1 a1=Q 0-1
regis,d (1740) - garret, derek (bcf 103, age 50[?]) [D34]
SWINDLE: exeter vs. devon juniors(!), 1993
1. c4 c5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. d4 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Nc3 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. dxc5 Bxc5 [9... d4 10. Na4] 10. Na4 Be7 (!) 11. Be3 b6 12. Rc1 Bb7 13. Nc3 ?! ( brian thought 13 h3 with a quiet build-up was better ) 13... Qd7 14. Nb5 Rad8 15. Nbd4 Nxd4 16. Nxd4 ?! [16. Bxd4 is better: 16... Rc8 17. Qd3] 16... Ng4 17. Qd3 ?! [17. Bf4 I avoided this because of 17... g5 ?! (...Rc8) but after 18. Bd2 Qd6 19. Bh3 h5 20. f3 Nh6 21. Bf5 it's +=] 17... Nxe3 18. Qxe3 Bc5 19. Qd3 Qa4!
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20. e3 ? (idea 21 b3, Qxa2? 22 Ra1 +- ) 20... Ba6 ( oh dear ) 21. Qb3 Qxb3 22. Nxb3 Bxf1 23. Bxf1 Bd6 24. Rd1 Be5 25. Nd4 Bxd4 26. Rxd4 Rd6 27. Bc4 !
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( by this time I had seen the swindle in the distance ) 27... Rfd8 28. Bb3 Kf8 29. Kf1 Ke7 30. Ke2 Ke6 ? 31. e4 !
31... f6 32. exd5+ Rxd5 ? ( unforced, so he must have been going for a draw ) [32... Kf5 33. h3 Re8+ 34. Kd2] 33. Ke3
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33... f5 ?? ( the losing move, I thought: 33...R8d7 must be at least level for Black ) 34. Kf4 h6 35. h4 g6 36. Rxd5 Rxd5 37. Bxd5+ Kxd5 38. h5 ! 38... g5+ 39. Kxf5 1-0
beckett,t - regis,d [A04]
SWINDLE: king's lynn vs. cambridge univ, nmcc, 1981
1. Nf3 c5 2. b3 Nc6 3. Bb2 d6 4. e4 e5 5. Nc3 Nge7 6. Bc4 g6
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7. Ng5 d5 uncooperative 8. exd5 Nd4 9. d6 Nd5 10. Nxd5 Qxg5 11. Bxd4 exd4 [11... Qxg2 12. Nf6+ Kd8 13. Bd5] 12. Nc7+ Kd8 13. Qf3 Bxd6 14. Nxa8 I make that a whole rook down on body count
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14... Re8+ 15. Kf1 Bg4 16. Qxb7 Qxd2 17. f3 Bf5 18. Qd5 Re6 19. Qb7 Re7 20. Qc6 10 minutes left 20... Bf4 21. Qd5+ Bd7 22. Nb6 axb6 23. Qa8+ Kc7 24. Qa7+ Kc6 [24... Kd8 25. Qxb6+ Ke8 26. Qxc5 Be3 27. Be2 d3 28. Qxe7+ Kxe7 29. cxd3] 25. Qa8+ 1/2
regis,d - greet,an [A20]
SWINDLE: torbay open, 1994
1. c4 g6 2. g3 Bg7 3. Bg2 d6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. e4 O-O 6. Nge2 e5 7. O-O c6 8. d3 a6 9. a4 ANG thought this a mistake 9... a5
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10. f4 ?? [10. h3] 10... Qb6+ 11. Kh1 Ng4 12. Qe1 Na6 13. Nd1 Nc5 14. f5 Nb3 15. Ra3 Nxc1 16. Nxc1 Bh6 17. h3 Bxc1 18. hxg4
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18... Bxb2 19. Qd2 Go on, I dare you [19. Ra2 Bc1]
19... Bxa3 20. f6 Kh8 21. Qh6 Rg8 22. Bf3 g5 [22... d5 23. Kg2 Bf8 24. Qh4 Qd8 25. Rh1 h6 26. g5 h5 27. Bxh5] 23. Kg2 Rg6 [23... Qd8 24. Rh1 Rg6 25. Qxh7#] 24. Qf8+ Rg8 25. Qh6 1/2
kelly,mike (1780) - regis,d (1740) [E16]
SWINDLE: vs. totnes (peter rooke memorial K/O), 1993
1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 b6 3. g3 Bb7 [3... Nf6 ( reserving the ...Ba6 line ) 4. Bg2] 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. c4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 [6... Bxd2+ bco/eco] 7. O-O O-O 8. Nc3 d5 ! pachman 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Re1 [10. Qc2 += bco/eco] 10... Nxc3 11. Bxc3 [11. bxc3] 11... c5 12. Rc1 Nc6 13. e3 ?! ( building for e4 looked like the only sensible plan for white, but White had been moving with a lot of speed and confidence, while I was trying to reconstruct some half-remembered theory from Pachman) 13... Rc8 14. Qe2 ?! ( allows ...Nxd4 attacking the queen and thus forestalling Bxb7 in reply ) 14... cxd4 ( I offered a draw here in a loudish voice. MK recently won the Paignton congress, with grade = 178! so disdained offer. ) 15. Nxd4
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15...Nxd4 16. Bxd4 Bxg2 17. Rxc8 Qxc8 18. Qg4 ?? Having publicly declined the draw White finds it too difficult to play Kxg2 =. I am ashamed to say, had I offered a draw more quietly he might have taken it or not tried to push his luck. I don't do things like this any more. Often. 18... e5 [18... e5 19. Qxc8 Rxc8 20. Kxg2 exd4 21. exd4 Bf6 22. d5 Bxb2 23. d6 Rd8 24. d7 Kf8] 0-1