Miniatures

Both chess books I had as a child contained a full introductory chapter with miniatures. I never appreciated the educative value of short games (if anybody has an idea, please, let me know) but recently I found an important historical reference. As Garry Kasparov mentions in the very first page of the first chapter of his book "My great predecessors"(Everyman Chess 2003): ?A manuscript of the legendary representative of the ?Italian School? Gioacchino Greco (1600-1634) is full of miniatures resembling those that occur with all novices.?

Statistics

Searching the HCL database with 2003 games I found that there are 10 games with checkmate in only 5 moves. However, a private game holds the absolute record as it ended with checkmate in only three moves:

1.g4 e6 2.b4 Bxb4 3.f4 Qh4+ 1-0

I am not going to mention any name here except for footyhead who has a unique record: He played the same game against two different opponents scoring the point:

1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 d6 3.Bc4 g6 4.Qf3 Nc6 5.Qxf7+ 1-0

It is amazing that he did it twice! Here is a second pair of footyhead's games against two different opponents:

1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nc6 3.Bc4 g6 4.Qf3 Bg7 5.Qxf7+ 1-0

Both (pairs of) games are almost identical. The lesson we learn, is always to study our opponents? games when enrolling in a new tournament. footyhead must follow this instruction too, because he also holds the negative record: He has played 3 games against cantilever and lost all of them in 9 moves with an identical move order!!

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 f6 4.dxe5 Nxe5 5.Nxe5 fxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Qxe5+ Kf7 8.Bc4+ Kg6 9.Qf5+ 1-0

Games between GMs

Very short games happen even between GMs as the following examples show. One player resigns after realizing a decisive blunder in an early phase of the game.

Lautier,J (2596) - Bologan,V (2608) [B10]
Chess Masters 3rd, Enghien les Bains, March 11th, 1999

1.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.exd5 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nbd7 6.Nf3 a6 7.d4 Nb6 8.Ne5 Nbxd5 ?? 9.Qa4+ Bd7 10.Nxd7 1-0

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Here is another game. This time White resigns.

Lutz,C (2590) - Dautov,R (2595) [B12]
Bad Homburg, July 31st, 1997

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.dxc5 e6 5.Be3 Nh6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.c3 Nf5 8.Bf4 Bxc5 9.Bd3 Nh4 10.Nbd2?? Nxg2+ 0-1

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Games from PlayChess database

One may say that a miniature game is a very compact example of a big chess battle including all phases of a game (opening, middle game, endgame). This is not so. A miniature is actually a game that never escapes the opening phase. One side either blunders or underdevelops, offering the chance to the opponent to attack with all of his forces. The following example shows exactly that. White is under pressure and commits a blunder.

HCL-E859-10   (0-1)
fretamoza - kleineme
1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 The Scandinavian variation of Alekhine's defense (ECO B02). The name explains adequately White's next move. A different option 3.e5 Ne4 is most commonly played. 3.exd5 Nxd5 4.Nge2 Nc6 There are only Knights developed, and Black has the centre. White decides to fiancetto his light coloured Bishop and soon finds himself under attack. 5.g3 Bg4 6.Bg2 Nd4

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Three minor pieces attack White's Kingside; the position is crucial. White decides to take the d5 Knight, the safest option since Black cannot take the Bishop (or can he?) 7.h3 or 7.f3 would be much better moves, though White must play very carefully to balance the game. 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nxd5 A beautiful Queen sacrifice and mate in 2 follows: 8... Nf3+ 9.Kf1 Bh3+ 0-1

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Most miniatures have something in common. The checkmate is achieved by the Queen (f7 square for White, f2 for Black) with the support of a Bishop (c4 or d5 for White, c5 or d4 for Black) or a Knight(e5/e4). Here is a typical example.


HCL-M321-6   (1-0)
Bill - Vinci
1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Bd3 f5 4.exf5 Greco has also published a miniature that arrives in this position. However all games in database continue with 4...Bxg2 5.Qh5+ g6 6.fxg6. This game continued with 4... Nf6 5.Nf3 d5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Bb5 a6

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Last move was a mistake. A move like 7...c6 or 7...h5 or even 7...Rg8 would be much better in order to improve Black's defense. As you can see White's attack is tremendous: 8.Bxd7+ Nxd7 9.Qh5+ g6 10.fxg6 Bg7 Development? What for? The end is near. A move like 10...Nf6 can only delay the end. White mates in 2: 11.gxh7+ Kf8 12.Qf7+ 1-0

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Finally there are games that the blunder comes surprisingly. One side, White in the following example, gives the opportunity to his opponent to achieve a quick mate. One must always double check next move especially when hostile pieces have crossed the border.

HCL-E734-4   (0-1)
Berndt - martijn
1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.Nf3 dxe5 4.Nxe5 Bd6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.e3 Ng4

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All games from database arrive in this position a move earlier. The move order is 1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e3 Ng4 At this point the game is about equal. White must protect himself against threatening Black pieces. The g4 Knight, the d6 Bishop and the Queen can prove dangerous. 7.Qe2 should be played here. Following the sequence of moves actually played (but replacing 7.Be2 with 7.Qe2) the White King may escape the Queen check with Kd1 or find protection behind his Queen in f2. However this was not the decisive mistake. 7.Be2 Bxh2 8.Nxh2 This is the blunder. White need not take the Bishop at all. 8.Kf1 is the right move, 8.Rxf2 is inferior. The move played is mate in 3. After 8... Qh4+ White resigns because of 9.Kf1 Qf2# or 9.g3 Qxg3 10.Kf1 Qf2#.

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Posted by Michalis Kaloumenos at January 22, 2004 07:49 PM