Miniatures

I WAS much taken by a quote from Bent Larsen in an old copy of the US Chess Federation's Chess Life magazine: "I don’t care very much for miniatures. It’s too risky to play very sharply to beat [my opponents] in 20 moves."

This is no doubt true of the company in which Larsen mixed, but the reality at club level is rather different.

Not only is it different, but quick losses can impart valuable lessons, so in this occasional series I am reproducing my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

T Briggs - Spanton*

Friendly, Ely (Cambs) 1977

Petrov

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d3!?

Hardly a critical continuation, but there are 4,822 examples of the move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, including being played by the likes of Carlsen and Kasparov 

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3...Nc6 4.Bg5

Carlsen has tried a King's Indian Attack-treatment with 4.g3 at least six times, scoring +3 =3-0, while Kasparov preferred 4.c3 in a 1998 blitz win over a 2515.

4...Bc5 5.Be2 d6 6.Nbd2!?

This move does not occur in Mega25.

6...h6 7.Bxf6!? Qxf6

Black is at least slightly better, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1

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8.0-0 Qg6 9.Ne1

Black to play and lose

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9...f5?? 10.Bh5 Qxh5

The old joke about Resigns being a better move is appropriate here.

11.Qxh5+ g6?! 12.Qxg6+ Kf8 13.exf5 Ne7?! 14.Qf6+ 1-0
*I have no further details about my opponent, not even whether he had a grade (I know I did not).

LESSON: clearly Black was a rabbit, but the danger-motif of a queen being on the same diagonal as the king is worth remembering.