You can’t foresee every enemy move.
When you are surprised, calm down, try to find a solid reply and let life go on.
Vincent Bertignac White
Patrick Poslednik Black
Le Touquet 2005
English Opening A29
1 c4 e5 2 ♘c3 ♘f6 3 ♘f3 ♘c6 4 g3
A very common position. Typical replies are 4...♗c5, 4...♗b4 and 4...d5.
4...♘d4
Black seeks a knight swap (5 ♗g2 ♘xf3+ 6 ♗xf3).
5 ♘xe5!?
After 5 ♘xd4? exd4, Black’s d-pawn gains space and gives him a bit of an edge, e.g. 6 ♘b5 ♗c5 or 6 ♘d5 ♘xd5 7 cxd5 ♗c5.
5...♕e7!
If White wasn’t surprised by Black’s fourth move he was by his fifth. It looks ominous because of 6 f4 d6 7 ♘d3 ♗f5 – and 8 ♘f2?? ♘f3 is mate.
Also 8 e3 ♗e4 9 ♖g1? ♘f3+ is bad. And 9 exd4 ♗xh1+ 10 ♔f2 ♗e4 favors Black.
Seeing this should have put White on special tactical alert. But:
6 ♘d3??
He should have looked further at 6 f4 d6 7 ♘d3 because it’s forced. Then he might have found the escape after 7...♗f5.
Question 58: Which?
6...♘f3 mate
Smothered mate isn’t as rare as it seems in the opening. It can happen after logical moves, including:
1 d4 ♘f6 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 ♘g4 4 ♘f3 ♘c6 5 ♗f4 ♗b4+ 6 ♘bd2 ♕e7 7 a3 ♘gxe5 8 axb4?? ♘d3 mate.
Also, if 7...♗xd2+ 8 ♗xd2 ♘gxe5 9 ♘xe5 ♘xe5 10 ♗c3 d6 the game can end with 11 g3?? ♘f3 mate.
And:
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗c4 ♘d4? 4 ♘xe5? ♕g5 5 ♘xf7 ♕xg2 6 ♖f1 ♕xe4+ 7 ♗e2? ♘f3 mate.