Baby Queen Lives Through the Blitz

Chess is learned with a variety of approaches. One of the variables is time. Over the board games with various time limits is one approach. Another is correspondence or postal chess which requires patience,fosters opening study, and allows sufficient time for complex analysis throughout the game. Blitz chess permits practice through many fast games. This lets players try many ideas in just one session. All of these approaches can be utilized by means of computers with which players can challenge each other or chess playing programs.

The following endgame is the result of a five minute game I played with another over 2300 master, when we were both in that category around 1990. From the starting position the game was not played exactly as shown with the clocks running. I won the game playing White, but wanted to analyze my ideas. After the session I placed the position, which I believed was a win, on a chess diagram that was normally used for adjourned games.

White must keep a pawn, a baby queen, in order to win, and the baby has to get through Black's forces. From the start, all of White's pawns are in danger. Black's knight can capture either the f-pawn or the h-pawn, but not both. Black's king can attack and capture the b-pawn. Obviously, all three pawns will not be saved. The first move is the key.

Readers will get better practice by studying the position before looking at the moves.