Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Technical questions regarding Openings, Middlegames, Endings etc.
John Sellen
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Joined: Thu May 07, 2020 4:30 pm

Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by John Sellen » Tue Sep 29, 2020 5:50 pm

In about 1980 i played the the following game in the Royal Navy Chess Championships ( me white )
1 f4 f5 2 e4 fe ( a reversed From Gambit ) 3 d3 ed 4 Bd3 Nc6 ?? 5 Qh5+ g6 6 Bg6+ hg6 7 Qg6#

I remember the game so well because :
1. It was my shortest ever mate
2. Arthur Brameld ( a strong player who used to play as a guest as he was a civil servant working with the Navy ) pointed out it would have been more spectacular to sac the Queen on move 6 rather than the Bishop

I have waited 40 years for the opportunity to do this
But yesterday it happened ( albeit in a 5 minute game on Lichess )
Moves as above but I was able to play 6 Qg6 hg6 7 Bg6#
Happy Happy

Kevin Thurlow
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Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm

Re: Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Tue Sep 29, 2020 5:52 pm

I played the Qxg3+ idea as black and John Nunn condemned it as an "unnecessary flourish". (John wasn't the opponent...)

Simon Rogers
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Re: Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by Simon Rogers » Tue Sep 29, 2020 5:55 pm

John Sellen wrote:
Tue Sep 29, 2020 5:50 pm
In about 1980 i played the the following game in the Royal Navy Chess Championships ( me white )
1 f4 f5 2 e4 fe ( a reversed From Gambit ) 3 d3 ed 4 Bd3 Nc6 ?? 5 Qh5+ g6 6 Bg6+ hg6 7 Qg6#

I remember the game so well because :
1. It was my shortest ever mate
2. Arthur Brameld ( a strong player who used to play as a guest as he was a civil servant working with the Navy ) pointed out it would have been more spectacular to sac the Queen on move 6 rather than the Bishop

I have waited 40 years for the opportunity to do this
But yesterday it happened ( albeit in a 5 minute game on Lichess )
Moves as above but I was able to play 6 Qg6 hg6 7 Bg6#
Happy Happy
Cracking game John.
When my junior Chess Club reopens, I will show the children the game on the demo board.
It might be worth putting this as a New Topic in the Best of Chess Section.

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Paolo Casaschi
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Re: Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by Paolo Casaschi » Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:07 pm


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Joey Stewart
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Re: Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by Joey Stewart » Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:00 pm

quite ironic, it is a very similar attack that black would be gunning for if he played the gambit version of this opening. I guess it must be nice for an f4 player to get to take the initiative for once.
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.

John McKenna

Re: Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by John McKenna » Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:43 pm

Supposedly as in this game -


Francis Fields
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Location: London

Re: Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by Francis Fields » Mon Jun 06, 2022 3:04 pm

The question marks were left out 4. g3??

NickFaulks
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Re: Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by NickFaulks » Mon Jun 06, 2022 5:08 pm

Francis Fields wrote:
Mon Jun 06, 2022 3:04 pm
The question marks were left out 4. g3??
Why is it a bad move?
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Francis Fields
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Location: London

Re: Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by Francis Fields » Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:35 am

Do you think that 4. g3? is a blunder

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Mate in 7 repeated after 40 years

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Jun 07, 2022 2:13 pm

Its not the best in that position, but it is the following move that makes it a forced loss for White.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)