A move that confounds an opponent can come from any piece, including a king.
Veselin Topalov White
Alexey Shirov Black
Monaco 2001
Ruy Lopez, Arkhangel Variation C78
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 a6 4 ♗a4 ♘f6 5 0-0 ♗c5 6 c3 b5 7 ♗c2 d5 8 d4 dxe4
Black has few problems after 9 ♘xe5 ♘xe5 10 dxe5 ♕xd1.
9 dxe5 ♕xd1?!
Black should call his bluff with 9...exf3!. White lacks comp after 10 ♕xf3 ♘d5.
Instead, he would have to settle for an equal ending, 10 ♕xd8+, or a balanced middlegame, 10 exf6 ♕xf6 11 ♖e1+ ♘e7.
10 ♖xd1 ♗xf2+
It’s too late for 10...exf3 11 exf6. For example, 11...gxf6 12 ♗e4! ♗b7 13 ♗xf3 with advantage. Even worse is 10...fxg2 11 fxg7 ♖g8 12 ♗h6! and ♗xh7.
Question 398: What about 10...♘g4 ?
Black counted on 11 ♔xf2 ♘g4+ 12 ♔g3 exf3, when he is not worse.
11 ♔f1! exf3?
Black’s pawns are weak after 11...♘g4 12 ♗xe4 ♗b7 13 h3 ♘e3+ 14 ♗xe3 ♗xe3 15 a4!. But now he’s losing.
12 exf6
If White had played 11 ♔h1? Black could safely recapture 12...gxf6. But here 13 ♔xf2 is threatened.
12...♗h4 13 fxg7 fxg2+ 14 ♔xg2 ♖g8 15 ♗h6! ♗g5!
Last trick: 16 ♗xg5?? ♖xg7 17 h4 h6.
16 ♖e1+! ♗e6 17 ♗xg5 ♖xg7 18 h4 h6 19 ♗e4! ♔d7 20 ♖d1+ resigns.
David Baramidze White
Mateus Bartel Black
Bundesliga 2007
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 a6 4 ♗a4 ♘f6 5 0-0 ♗c5 6 c3 b5 7 ♗c2 d5 8 d4 dxe4 9 dxe5 ♕xd1 10 ♖xd1 ♗xf2+ 11 ♔f1! exf3 12 exf6 ♗c5 13 fxg7 fxg2+ 14 ♔xg2 ♖g8 15 ♗h6! ♘e5 16 ♗xh7 ♘g4 17 ♗xg8 ♘xh6 18 ♗h7 ♗b7+ 19 ♔h3 ♔e7 20 ♘d2 f5 21 ♘b3 ♗e3 22 ♘d4 ♗e4 23 g8(♕) ♖xg8 (23...♘xg8 24 ♗xf5) 24 ♗xg8 c5 25 ♗d5 resigns.