That was until I saw white's amazing counter 11. ...Bc2 12. Bb5+!, and he wins the black queen in yet another way totally different from the ones mentioned in kibitzing above -- he moves the bishop (which itself had been attacking the queen) out of the way with tempo to give a discovered attack from his own queen, which needs to escape from black's bishop! 12. ... c6 13. Qxg4!

This line may be the first time I've ever seen that particular unusual tactic -- move a bishop out of the way to allow a discovered attack along the diagonal!

11.Ng1 Qxg2
<if...Qh4 12.g3 Bxg3 13.fxg3 and Queen is lost next move>

12.Bf3
Queen has two options:
12...........Qxh1
13.Bxh1 and Queen is lost
OR

This is a game from <MY OWN COLLECTION> based on a chess book that I HAVE OWNED for almost 20 years and I picked a wrong move, 11.Nd4.

A) 1.Ng5 Qxg2
2.Bf3 Bg4
3.BxQ BxQ
4.RxB and white is up a piece since black can't play 4....PxN 5.Bxb7 and white wins a rook.

This guy was really old. We're not just talking a pensioner, he was positively prehistoric. White eyebrows like tumbleweed and a face that was as lined and pitted as driftwood. He always wore a crusty tweed suit even on the hottest day of summer. None too clean in the trouser department if you know what I mean.

And those eyes. Once upon a time they must have been deep blue, but now they were washed-out and rheumy. He peered out at the world from thick round glasses. And no matter how much he polished his glasses on a green-grubby handkerchief, they never got clean.

The rumour was that he had once been a strong player. He'd played some of the greats too. They even said that he had once played Alekhine in a simul and lasted for all of 27 moves. Back in the days when everything was black and white. I'd have loved to have seen that.

He loved the game. Never missed a club night. He was always one of the first to get there and set up his board in the far corner. Must have been doing that for forty years or more. And every time someone would walk in, he would say the same thing: "Vould you like game?"

It was funny. He'd lived here all his life, but couldn't quite lose his Polish accent.

I played him many times. But there was this one game ...

I was white with this position:

click for larger view

So I'm clearly winning, right? The black queen is gonna get caught. It's just a matter of how to do it. Plenty of time on the clock so I knuckle down to work out the knight moves.

The funny thing is, just about every knight move seems to win. 11. Nd4, 11. Ng5 - heck, even 11. Ne5 seems to do it. If he plays Qxg2 I've got Bf3, protecting my rook and hitting his on a8.

As I am sitting there working it all out, Tomasz is quietly laughing to himself. So I'm thinking he's a senile old fool, maybe trying to put me off, so I block out the sound and focus, focus on my move.

That's it, I've decided. I reach out and play 11. Ng5. Stop the clock, write the move down.

Tomasz smiles at me. "Zat is good move," he says with a chuckle. "Vinning move. But iz not pretty move. Zis, zis is move you must play."

And he picks up my knight on g5 and places it gently down on g1. "Zat iz pretty move. Zat is move you write down. And zat is game. Vell played."

He laid his king on its side and offered me his hand to shake.

It was the last time I played him. Not long afterwards he tripped in the street, broke his hip and never really recovered.

Or B) 11.Ng5 Qh4
12.g3 BxP (
13.fXB Qh6
14.Ne6 QxB
15.Nxc7+ Kf8
16.Nc4 and white is up a rook>

A rook is actually more than a queen for a rook and a pawn, which is "all" Ng1 gets you. :) A good healthy piece is quite equal to that.

Don't forget that in line A, after 4..Nbc6 5. Nge4, Bd6 is exchanged, leaving yet another weakness.

But taking it e. p. is the only move available, else he gets a stalemate draw.

Does Black, who would lose if he captured e.p., have a choice to refuse the capture to get a draw gratis?

Black is probably considering a retreat with the LSB to d7 because the queen has very few available squares.

This suggests 11.Ng5:

A) 11... Qxg2 12.Bf3

A.1) 12... Qxh1+ 13.Bxh1 Nbc6 (13... fxg5 14.Bxb7) 14.Nge4 + - [Q vs R+P].

A.2) 12... Qxg5 13.Bxg5 Nbc6 (13... fxg5 14.Bxb7) 14.Be3 + - [Q vs B+N+P].

B) 11... Qh4 12.g3 Qh6 13.Nf7 Qh3 14.Nxh8 + - [R vs N].

The alternative 11.h3 seems to fail after 11... Qxg2 (12.Nh4 Qd5; 12.Rh2 Bxh2).

Barely out of the opening here. Just glancing at the position, my first thought is that this must be a queen trap.

Let´s see. I think 11. Ne5 ! is the move we want. This cuts off the g6 retreat square.

(a) 11.....Qxg2 12.Bf3. Now best for black is 12....Qxh1 13. Bxh1 Nbc6 (to stop Bxb7) and white can retreat the N on e5, leaving a material advantage of Q for R + P.

If 12....Qh3 13. Bxb7 and black loses the rook on a8.

(b) 11.....Qh4 12. g3 Qh3 13 Bf1 and black will lose Q for two minor pieces after 13,,,,Qxf1 14.´Nxf1 Bxe5.

<11 Ng5 Qh4>

11 ... Qxg2 12 Bf3

<12 g3 Bxg3>

13 Nf3 gxf2+ 14 Bxf2 winning
13 fxg3 Qh6 14 Ne6! Qxe3 15 Nxc7+! winning

<11 Ng1 Qxg2 12 Bf3 Bh3!> Now if 13 Bxg2 Bxg2 14 f3 Bxh8 Black has Rook, Bishop, and Pawn for the Queen, but his Bishop is trapped and probably lost. But better seems <13 Qa4+ Nc6 14 Qh4> winning the Bishop for a Pawn.

However ...Bh3 does not work in the Ng5 line, because the h1 Rook will not be trapped. So Black has nothing better than <11 Ng5 Qxg5 12 Bxg5 fxg5>, and White is up a Queen for two pieces and no pawns. (But not 11 Ng5 Qxg2 12 Bf3 Bg4 13 Bxg2 Bxd1 14 Bxb7 coming out a rook ahead.)

11.Ng5! is better, because it also controls h3:

A) 11... Qxg2 12.Bf3 wins Q for a minor piece (with Ne5, black has Qh3).

B) 11... Qh4 12.Ndf3 (12.g3 Qh6 13.Nf7 Qh3 14.Nxh8 is also winning) Qh6 13.Nf7 Qh5 14.Nxh8 with a rook lead and the double threat of Qb3 and Ne5.

B.1) 12... Qh6 13.Ne5 Qh6 (Qxe2 14.Qxe2 Bxe5 15.Qb5+) 14.Nef7 Qh4 15.g3 wins the Q.

Thanks <Phony Benoni> Thats how it looked to me.

The position occurred in a puzzle. Not only was the e.p. capture the only legal move it was the last as well. The capture resulted in self-mate.