Disguised "Four Knights" game.

In the year that Good Queen Lilibet came to the throne of England I was 16 and shared a 3-man study with Haggis and Pathrick (with a "haitch") at the Northern end of the School's Study Corridor. Being a Scholarship lad I hadn't much money and so was the School's Smuggler ... bringing in contraband of beer and ciggies for a 10% commission (in "cash" or "kind"). I'd saved up my somewhat ill-gotten gains and bought a copy of Gerald Abraham's then recently published book: The Chess Mind. My grades in Latin immediately slipped from a %-age represented by the 15th prime to that of the 5th (just checking that you are still awake) as I avidly read, re-read and played the pages. It was the only chess book I ever bought.

I rather liked the symmetry of the Four Knights, rather liking the idea of 'forking' my opponent where I could. Pathrick (speaking Russian, ancient Greek, calculus, valencies and the like) was my oft-times opponent. He had a weakness, which this game exposed I think, in that he thought thoughts of the long haul ... I, on the other hand, rather liked a quick dagger in the ribs and a knee in the groin type of game.

Anyway - there it is. I played White and Pathrick, Black. As you see my move 5 was crucial (to force the correct Knight to take) but he must have had, I think, some long distance run in mind. His move 9 was a bit unfortunate and let me lift my knee up. You could hear my cry; "I gloat, I gloat, Oh, Hear me gloat." down at the village as I performed what, at that time, was the precursor of what is now called, I understand, "The Dance".