Solitaire Chess Quiz: Too Many Pawns

Ciao!  Time for another Solitaire Chess Quiz with Mrs Jessica E Prescott (aka BoundingOwl).  Get out a paper and a pencil.  In this game, the player with black moves too many pawns in the opening.  Remember, CDC is the best strategy:  Center, Develop, and Castle!  Knights and bishops like to be developed first.

 Let's dance!

Let's see what happens!  You get to play white.  Then pick the best option after black's move.

 

 

 

 

 

1. What would you do on move two?  A.  Nf3   B.  Nc3   C.  Nh3

No peeking till you've written your choice down!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, let's see how black responds to the most common attacking move.  

 

 

 

 

2.  Do you remember the Italian?  What comes next?  A.  Bb5   B.  Bc4  C. Nc3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black's choice is not great.  He moved his weak pawn!  The next move is strange and goes against our regular thinking.  But white has a plan.  You play Nh4--usually you don't want to move the same piece in the opening, especially to the side!--but maybe you can see why white chooses this move?

 

 

 

Pretty pawns?

3.  What should white play here?  A. 0-0  B. Nf3  C.  Qh5+

 

 

 

Pounce!  

 

 

 

 

4.  Now it's mate in one!  Click on the puzzle to solve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RESULTS:

1.  A.  Nf3 is the most common and most attacking move.  5 points!  It aims at the center, lands on its happy square, attacks a pawn, and helps white get ready to castle.  That sure gains a tempo I would say!  B.  Nc3  4 points.  This move isn't bad, but it doesn't do as much as Nf3.  C.  Nh3  1 point.  You might stop the four-move-checkmate this way, but knights on the rim are dim!

2.  In the Italian, B.  Bc4 is correct.  5 points!  A. Bb5 is the Spanish Torture.  It's a great opening, but it's not what we were looking for here.  4 points.  C.  Nc3 is a little boring and doesn't help you castle.  At least it's in the center!  2 points if you chose C.

3.  C. Qh5+ is the best!  5 points.  This is a forcing move, so black can't capture your knight on h4 right now.  A.  0-0 misses the point of Nh4 and black could capture the knight if he wanted.   0 points. B.  Nf3 is silly.  If you have to retreat then you know your last move was no good.  0 points.

4.  Did you find Nf5 checkmate?  Ten points if you found it on the first try, 5 points if you got it on your second try.  0 points after that!!

How did you do?  There 25 points total.  If you got all 25, you win!

Tip of the week:  Develop your knights and bishops toward the center so that you can castle.  If your opponent makes too many pawn moves, though, ATTACK!