Don ko padakna Mushkil hi nahi, na mumkin hai

~ Don
(The task of entrapping Don is not only difficult but is impossible)
In the last article, I shared four exciting king chases. In this episode, I will share three examples and a pseudo chess study composed by me and my brother. In addition to the examples, I will also share a few tips on how to protect your king and avoid your king getting chased.

In this position, I calculated a variation till mate. Unfortunately, the combination doesn’t work as black has a defence. My opponent ignored the main idea and captured both my rooks!

17.Nc3 Qxh1+ 18.Kd2 Qxa1 (Here, 18…Qh2 would have given winning chances to black. Qh2 covers an important diagonal h2-a7 and stops Bf4 check)
Now, it is white to play and mate soon!

Amazing picture? Thank you, thank you!

In the last article, I shared the game by Wei Yi. It is considered as the Modern day Immortal Game. Stany uses a similar pattern in this game:

The next example is not a king chase, but the king’s safety is certainly an important aspect. I thought of including the game for two reasons:
1. The game gives you a modern day Morphy flavour
2. Queen Chase

Quiz: White to play

Tips:

Pay attention to the RED SIGNAL
If three of your opponent’s pieces are attacking your king, stay ALERT. Three Pieces is a mate – the source of this quote is not known. It is an adage attributed to many authors. Calculate the possible sacrifices and forcing sequences.

Don’t play on autopilot
Don’t capture a piece instantly. Consider all the possibilities, even the most unlikely ones. Most of the threats can be parried if we care to notice them

Don’t violate opening principles
Develop your pieces quickly to the most natural square. Don’t make too many pawn moves unnecessarily and don’t develop the same piece twice/thrice unless unnecessary.

Keep your pawns close and Knight closer
Don’t let your pawns become the hook for the attacker. Think twice before moving your pawns as they cannot go back. Larsen once said that with a knight on f8, you can never get mated. Knight is the best defender, so keep your knight close to the king. Whenever a knight moves away from its king, consider the nuances in the position and be prepared to deal with the distance.

Use the process of elimination
When you are already in a worse position, calculate every possibility and choose the one that prolongs the game or offers a chance of survival. This way, you can still cling on to hope!

Chasing Don!
Thanks to IM Raja Ravisekhar, I tried my hand at composing a position on King Hunt theme. His compositions inspired me to come up with one in 2007. One of the best solvers of India – IM Ramnath Bhuvanesh refuted my study But, the beauty lies in its story. I am looking for some help to make a few changes in the study. Do share ideas on how I could make it better.

Study by NCN and CCN
Here is a position composed by me and my brother – Chidambar in 2007

Before you begin, let me state the conditions.
In fiction, it might be hard to chase Don. But, I thought of making it possible on a chess board.
*The White Queen on h8 is designed as the snow covered mountain. So, the Queen cannot move
*Diagonal a1-h8 is the river area
*Diagonal a1-a8 is the sea
*The mountain range starts from the 6th rank
*The four knights are the Indian Army
*The Rook on h1 is the Chief of the operation
*The White King makes a master plan to catch Don in 10 hours – 10 moves!

Forgive me if the example is too exaggerated. A little of it is allowed at age thirteen

Here is the answer I prepared:

Ramnath’s answer: 1.Bxc2+ Rxc2 2.0-0 Rc1 3.Rxc1 Ka2 4.Rxa1#

From a composer’s perspective, I liked it irrespective of the flaws. I fulfilled my desire of chasing the don and proved him wrong! But, feel free to help me improve the composition

I hope you enjoyed the series Will be back with another article soon.