Some Surprise Mates

In this first game, as White vs. Crailiene on 8/31/97, Black is up 4 Pawns and is about to Queen one of them, when I suddenly find a mate out of nowhere.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 c4 8. b3 Qa5 9. d2 Bb4 10. Na4 Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 b5 12. Qxa5 Nxa5 13. Nb2 c3 14. Nd3 Ba6 15. Be2 Nc6 16. 0-O b4 17. a4 Bxd3 18. Bxd3 a5 19. Bb5 Rc8 20. Ne1 h6 21. f5 Nxd4 22. Bxd7+ Kxd7 23. fxe6+ Kxe6 24. Nd3 Nxc2 25. Rac1 Nd4 26. Nf4+ Kxe5 27. Rce1+ Kd6 28. Nd3 f6 29. Rf4 Nxb3 30. Rg4 Rc7 31. Nf4 c2 32. Re6+ Kc5?? 33. Nd3# {Black checkmated} 1-0

Back rank mates are of course common, but the same thing can happen on the *side* of the board also, as Black finds out here.  I am White vs. stevyweevy on 7/16/00.

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. cxd4 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Be2 O-O-O 8. Nc3 Qh5 9. Be3 e5 10. O-O exd4 11. Nxd4 Bxe2 12. Qxe2 Qxe2 13. Ncxe2 Nge7 14. Rac1 g6 15. Nxc6 Nxc6 16. Nd4 Bg7 17. Nxc6 bxc6 18. Rxc6+ Kb7 19. Rc4 Rd6 20. Rb4+ Ka8 21. Ra4 Rd7 22. Rc1 Rhd8 23. g3 Bxb2 24. Rc2 Bd4 25. Bxd4 Rxd4 26. Rxd4 Rxd4 27. Rc7 Rd2 28. Rxf7 Rxa2 29. Rxh7 Ra6 30. Rg7 Rd6 31. h4 a5 32. g4 a4 33. Kg2 a3 34. Re7 a2 35. Re1 Ra6 36. Ra1 Kb7 37. h5 gxh5 38. gxh5 Kc7 39. Kg3 Kd7 40. Kg4 Ke7 41. f4 Kf7 42. Kg5 Ra5+ 43. f5 Kg7 44. h6+ Kh7 45. Kf6 Kxh6?? 46. Rh1# {Black checkmated} 1-0

In the next game, as Black vs. Skip1 on 12/6/97, I lose my Queen on the 37th move, but later mate with Knight and Rook using the open g file.

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c5 3. d5 d6 4. e4 a6 5. a4 b6 6. Be2 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1 Nbd7 10. h3 Bb7 11. Bf4 Ne8 12. Qd2 Nc7 13. Bh6 Nf6 14. Bf1 Re8 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. g4 Qc8 17. Bg2 Nd7 18. Nh4 b5 19. f4 b4 20. Ne2 a5 21. Ng3 Nf6 22. g5 Nd7 23. c4 Nb6 24. b3 Qd8 25. Rf1 Bc8 26. f5 gxf5 27. Nhxf5+ Bxf5 28. Nxf5+ Kh8 29. Qb2+ f6 30. Rf4 Rf8 31. Raf1 Nd7 32. R1f3 Ne5 33. Rg3 Rg8 34. Nh6 Rxg5 35. Rxg5 fxg5 36. Nf7+! Kg8 37. Nxd8 gxf4 38. Nc6 Kf7 39. Qf2 Nd3 40. Qh4 Rg8 41. Qxe7+ Kg6 42. Qxd6+ Kh5 43. Kh2 Ne1 44. Bf1? Nf3+ 45. Kh1 Rg1# {White checkmated} 0-1

The next mate is not exactly a surprise, but I really like the way I infiltrated his King position with my Queen and Knight, resulting in a neat mate on f7. I am White vs. vorpyl, on 11/14/97.

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Rc1 O-O 9. b3 Nc6 10. Nge2 Bg4 11. h3 Bf5 12. g4 Bd7 13. Bg2 Nb4 14. O-O Nc6 15. Qd2 Qc8 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Nf4 e5 19. dxe5 dxe5 20. Nfd5 Nxd5 21. Nxd5 Nd4 22. Rce1 Qc5 23. Qg5 Qd6 24. Ne3 Ne6 25. Nf5+ Kh8 26. Qf6+ Kg8 27. Nh6+ Kf8 28. Qxf7# {Black checkmated} 1-0

In the next game I have only Bishop, Knight, and 5 Pawns, to his 2 Bishops and 5 Pawns. He innocently moves his King to the center, which you're supposed to do in the ending, and I accidentally mate him there! I am White vs. fianchetto on 8/10/00.

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 d6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Be3 e5 6. d5 Nce7 7. Qd2 f5 8. exf5 gxf5 9. Bg5 Nf6 10. f4 exf4 11. Qxf4 Ng6 12. Qe3+ Qe7 13. Nf3 Kf7 14. Qxe7+ Kxe7 15. Bd3 Kf7 16. O-O-O a6 17. Rde1 Bd7 18. Re2 Rhe8 19. Rhe1 Rxe2 20. Rxe2 Re8 21. Rxe8 Bxe8 22. Nh4 Nxh4 23. Bxh4 Bd7 24. Kd2 Ng4 25. h3 Ne5 26. Ke3 Nxd3 27. Kxd3 Kg6 28. Bd8 c6 29. Be7 Be5 30. Ne2 cxd5 31. cxd5 f4 32. Ng1 Bf5+ 33. Kc4 Be4 34. Nf3 Kf5 35. Nh4# {Black checkmated} 1-0

Again a bit off-topic, but the next game is one of my best games and best attacks, and it does end in mate! I am White vs. wtneveitt on 10/30/99.

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nf3 Bb4 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. Qe2 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 d6 9. O-O Ne7 10. Bb2 O-O 11. Rad1 a6 12. Bb3 Nbc6 13. Nd4 Na5 14. f4 b5 15. Kh1 Nec6 16. f5 Nxd4 17. cxd4 exf5 18. exf5 Nxb3 19. axb3 f6 20. Rd3 Bb7 21. Rh3 Qf7 22. Qg4 Rae8 23. Qh4 h6 24. Rg3 Kh7 25. h3 Re4 26. Rf4 Rfe8 27. Ba3 Qd5 28. Qg4 Re1+ 29. Kh2 R8e7 30. Qg6+ Kh8 31. Rh4 Qf7 32. Rxh6+ Kg8 33. Qg4 Rd7 34. Qh4 Kf8 35. Rh8+ Ke7 36. Rxg7 Qxg7 37. Qxe1+ Kf7 38. Qe6# {Black checkmated} 1-0

In the next I mate using only a Knight and Pawns (and my King).  Note that I could have done the mate a move earlier, and that the Knight could also mate from d6 as well as from the actual e3 square as played in the game. I am Black vs. Engenheiro on 8/19/00.

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c5 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nc7 6. d3 e5 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. O-O Be7 9. Be3 Bd7 10. Rc1 b6 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Bxa8 Qxa8 13. Bf4 Bh3 14. f3 Ng6 15. Rf2 Nxf4 16. gxf4 Bh4 17. Ne4 Bxf2+ 18. Kxf2 O-O 19. Qc2 Ne6 20. e3 Rd8 21. Kg3 Bf5 22. Rg1 Bxe4 23. dxe4 Kh8 24. Qg2 Qc6 25. h4 Nf8 26. Kh3 Qg6 27. Qxg6 Nxg6 28. h5 Ne7 29. Rg2 Rd6 30. a3 Rh6 31. Kh4 Ng6+ 32. Kg5 Nf8 33. Rd2 f6+ 34. Kg4 Kg8 35. Rd8 Kf7 36. Ra8 g6 37. Rxa7+ Kg8 38. hxg6 Rxg6+ 39. Kf5 b5 40. Rc7 c4 41. Rc5 Rg1 42. Rxb5 Rb1 43. Rc5 Rxb2 44. Rxc4 Rb3 45. a4 Rxe3 46. a5 Ra3 47. Rc5 Rxf3 48. a6 Ra3 49. Rc6 Nd7 50. Rc7 Nb6 51. a7 h5 52. Rb7 Nc4 53. Rb8+ Kf7 54. a8=Q Rxa8? 55. Rxa8? Ne3# {White checkmated} 0-1

The next one, played as White vs. kds3 on 10/1/00, is an elegant mate in a simplified setting.

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 d6 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nf3 Qc7 7. Qe2 a6 8. O-O Nf6 9. Bf4 e5 10. Bg3 Be7 11. Rfd1 Be6 12. Bd3 O-O 13. Rac1 Nc6 14. Bb1 Qb6 15. a3 Rac8 16. b4 Nxb4 17. axb4 Qxb4 18. Nd5 Bxd5 19. exd5 Rxc1 20. Rxc1 Nxd5 21. Ba2 Nc3 22. Qc2 Nxa2 23. Qxa2 Kh8 24. Rb1 Rc8 25. h3 Qe4 26. Kh2 f5 27. Qb3 b5 28. Qa2 f4 29. Bh4 Bxh4 30. Nxh4 Rc2 31. Qxa6 h5 32. Ra1 Rxf2 33. Qc8+ Kh7 34. Qf5+ Qxf5 35. Nxf5 d5 36. Ra5 e4 37. Rxb5 e3 38. Rxd5 Rd2 39. Re5 e2 40. Ne7 f3 41. Rxh5# {Black checkmated} 1-0

In the next game, as Black vs. grandfunk on 2/17/01, I am down a Knight and 2 Pawns but stuble on an elegant mate, again in a very simple setting.

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. f4 d5 4. Bb5+ Nc6 5. Bxc6+ bxc6 6. Nf3 d4 7. Ne2 Nf6 8. d3 Be7 9. b3 a5 10. a4 O-O 11. O-O Qc7 12. Ne5 Nd7 13. Nc4 Nb6 14. Nxb6 Qxb6 15. Bd2 Bd7 16. Ng3 Bh4 17. Qe2 f5 18. e5 Qd8 19. Qf3 Rf7 20. Ne2 Qe7 21. g3 g5 22. gxh4 gxf4 23. Qxf4 Be8 24. Qg5+ Rg7 25. Kh1 Rxg5 26. Bxg5 Qf7 27. Nf4 Bd7 28. Rg1 Kf8 29. Bh6+ Ke8 30. Rg7 Qf8 31. Rag1 Kd8 32. Rxd7+ Kxd7 33. Bxf8 Rxf8 34. Rg7+ Ke8 35. Rxh7 Rg8 36. h5 Rg4 37. Nxe6 f4 38. Nxc5 f3 39. Ne4 Rg2 40. Rc7 Rxc2 41. h6 Rc1# {White checkmated} 0-1