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The Great Pawn Hunter
Chess Tutorial

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The wind gently whispered through the leafless branches of trees, now relics. No shade for human nor home for bird. But there was one saving grace for this sad dreary scene. It was the dawn of spring. In the middle of these trees, stood an old majestic figure whose quiet grace could make the trees bud and the birds sing a melody. Old Maestro came here to commune and collect. However, not bottles this time. He came to collect his thoughts, here, where no one camped and even God seemed to leave undisturbed, in quiet reverence for His creation.

My friends, when you get a certain amount of grace, as Old Maestro, God calls you near. Old Maestro sensed the awe of his surroundings. He stood still and glanced around him as a tear rolled down his cheek. He thought to himself "Grace, you're a funny thing. You ebb and flow as a tide unending, bringing new life into your sea and casting others upon the rocky shores. Here I stand amongst the passing and I wonder, Father, how much longer till we meet." Sure haven't we all had times like this. He would have passed from this world right there and then if it weren't for the Talker, who left the gate to the Great Pawn Hunter's yard wide open, in a strange twist of fate. For you see, the Great Pawn Hunter's dog "Checkmate" was in that yard and I want to emphasize the word "was" because, being the true hound that he was "Checkmate" went out the gate, nose to the ground, in hot pursuit of a beguiling scent called Freedom.

Off he went, down mission avenue, past the Talker's residence, where he let out a whale that shook the house and sent the Talker running to the window. "Ahhh!" shouted the Talker, "Checkmate is off the leash again!" Now friends, the last time Checkmate was off of the leash it was winter. Checkmate was walking the chess players home from a chess tournament that day when the Talker started throwing ice balls at them. Now, if you don't know what an ice ball is, it is a snow ball with an evil attitude. Picture an icicle wrapped up in a fist full of snow for a shell. Well, the Talker started throwing ice balls like there was no tomorrow. One of the ice balls hit the Great Pawn Hunter on his leash hand, setting Checkmate free! Ahhh Checkmate, that word, there is a bit of bark in it. The bite came shortly afterwards, right on the Talker's rump. Now, there were a lot of mistakes in the history of this dog. The authorities said, from that day onward, the chess players had to fence in Checkmate! ...much like the game we love so dear.

Well, that was years ago and it has been that way ever since. But, ill feelings die hard and the Talker had been plotting and planning this for months. When Checkmate passed his house, out from his gate went our villain like a jackal stocking his prey. However, Checkmate was illusive as the hound it was and managed to evade capture. Checkmate wandered up the road, turned the corner, and out of site.

Meanwhile, Old Maestro put a knee to the ground. Then he put his hand to his forehead and sat down. Soon, he lay on his back staring up at the tops of trees and, through them, the sky above. He closed his eyes ... and drifted off...

Now, the Talker was arriving home late from a long day's work of hunting Checkmate to no avail. He twisted the knob of his front door and was about to enter his house, when, his keen sense of mischief overtook him. He looked around him and saw Checkmate coming up the street. Friends, sometimes when luring checkmate you have to offer a bone and that is just what the Talker had in his hands...that along with a baseball bat that he picked up from inside his front door. "This is too easy. Vengeance is mine!" thought the Talker to himself. He ran behind a parked car, threw the bone onto the open sidewalk and waited, down wind from Checkmate, with a smile on his face and thoughts to cruel to mention.

Now friends, vengeance has a dreary smell of hatred to it and pay back is a naughty word. But, I refuse to believe that the Talker was that evil, even with the events before us. You must remember he is one of us, a chess player at heart. One that did not get his fair share of love from friend or foe, But I digress. In any case, our loving God proved He had gone to the dogs that day. For, when Checkmate was about to fall into the trap, the wind picked up and blew the Talker's dreary scent in Checkmate's direction. It was just long enough so that Checkmate could escape once again! Checkmate crossed the street and left the Talker behind where the Talker lay in wait long into the night...it serves him right.

Now, Checkmate took a narrow road leading into calmer waters. He wanted to commune with nature too. When Old Maestro made his peace with God above, he was greeted with licks of affection from Checkmate. You might say Old Maestro and Checkmate were good friends...for sure.

I would say that is the end of the story but our story is not over for, the next day, someone, whose name begins with a "T" reported there was a dog on the loose. The police arrived at the Great Pawn Hunter's house. The Restless Knight and the Great Pawn Hunter were on the front porch playing the following game of chess. The Great Pawn Hunter played white and the Restless Knight played black:

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 Pirc Defense 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 The Great Pawn Hunter's queen and bishop line up on the c1-h6 diagonal to threaten Bh6 to remove the dark squared bishop on f8. 5...b5 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.Nf3 the classical center with white bishops on c4 and f4 are many times placed on d3 and e3 to fight against fianchettoed black bishops. This setup gives white many tactical attacking possibilities. 7...Qc7 8.h3 keeping the black knight off of g4 8...Bb7 9.b3 b3, although attacking the Restless Knight's outpost squares on the queen side, is a tempo wasting pawn move. When in doubt move pieces not pawns. 9...Bg7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Bh6 e5 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Rfd1 a6 15.a4 watch the next series of moves of the d7 knight. This is a common maneuver to recenter a knight to occupy central outpost squares. 15...Nc5 16.b4 Ne6 the moves a6 and eventually the double attacking move c5! will unleash an attack against the weak white e4 pawn with the bishop on b7 and the knight on f6 and at the same time attack the queen side pawn on b4! ruining the Great Pawn Hunter's queen side pawn structure. 17.Ne2 c5 18.bxc5 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 Bxe4 there is nothing of the Great Pawn Hunter's to equal the powerful black bishop on e4. Restless has something tricky up her sleeves. She is going to sacrifice the bishop for the f3 knight and ruin the white king's side pawn structure as well 20.axb5 Bxf3 21.gxf3 axb5 22.Rxa8 Rxa8 23.Qc3 watch how the Restless Knight activates her rook and occupies an outpost square. 23...Ra4 24.f4 Rc4 25.Qxe5+ Qxe5 26.fxe5 Rxc2 27.Kf1 the pawns are helpless 27...Rxc5 28.f4 Rc4 29.Kf2 Nxf4 The Restless Knight will trade off pieces march her pawns down the board to get a queen and the game will be in her hands. 0-1

After the game, the police entered through the open gate with the Talker close behind. They asked the Great Pawn Hunter did he see checkmate. The Great Pawn Hunter, looking at the board, responded "Sometimes from the middle game. It depends on the position. It helps to think ahead. Well, really, I guess I left checkmate get out of my hands again." Ahhh, there was the evidence the Talker needed. Now, the Great Pawn Hunter was talking about chess. But, the police didn't know that. It was leaving the police no alternative but to arrest the Great Pawn Hunter for letting checkmate go. Now, just as they were putting the cuffs on his hands and hauling his sorry self into jail, there was a sound, small at first, then louder and louder still. It was a sound of a door knob twisting ...slowly ...slowly and then out came the old majestic one, Old Maestro, with the hound Checkmate sure to follow!

So, you say "Another happy ending?" Dear friends, ....you bet!


...and the Great Pawn Hunter leaves you with this piece of wisdom: