Bishop's Defense

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Bishop's Defense
Pratt's Home Page
White: Elden Watson
Black: John P. Pratt
Date: 10 Feb 1986
Location: Hill Air Force Base, Utah

This was my first attempt to create a new defense, which I called the Bishop's Defense. It was working okay until I made a blunder, but it seemed worth including to show the opening.

1. e2-e4, e7-e5.

2. Ng1-f3, Bf8-c5. Here Black ignores the attack on his king pawn and develops his bishop. If 3. Nf3xe5 Black would probably still play d7-d6 and hope for the best. Fortunately White played along and let me try out my new defense.

3. Bf1-c4, d7-d6. Black's first three moves constitute the "Bishop's Defense".

4. 0-0, Ng8-f6.

5. Rf1-e1, 0-0. Both sides have castled before even bringing out their queen knights.

6. a2-a3, a7-a6.

7. b2-b4, Bc5-a7. Black's favorite place to use this bishop for long-range warfare.

8. Bc1-b2, b7-b5.

9. Bc4-b3, Bc8-b7. And both sides like their bishops placed just like this. Who needs knights anyway?

10. d2-d4, e5xd4.

11. Bb2xd4, Ba7xd4.

12. Qd1xd4, Nb8-c6. After trading off those precious bishops, White's queen grabs the center, only to be attacked by Black's knight.

13. Qd4-d3, Qd8-d7. Both queens find a comfortable place.

14. e4-e5, d6xe5. Black expected White's queen knight to develop, but instead the pawn attacks. Black responds with the pawn, rather than the knight as expected, which would have attacked the queen and empowered his bishop. Let's see what he is planning.

15. Qd3xd7, Nf6xd7. Well that helped clear the board, with much focus on Black's king pawn.

16. Bb3-d5, Ra8-b8. White threatens one knight who is guarding the king pawn, but Black's response is to ignore that and prepare for the knight to jump to freedom.

17. Nb1-d2, Nd7-f6. Finally White develops that queen knight, and Black abandons the king pawn to return to his important post at the castle.

18. Nf3xe5, Nc6-d4. With the pawn count even, Black threatens to fork the white rooks and also to take his bishop.

19. Bd5xb7, Rb8xb7. I'm not sure why Black did not fork the rooks. In any case it's now all even with knights and rooks.

20. Ra1-c1, Rb7-b6. White defends the fork and Black jockeys for position.

21. Nd2-e4, Rf8-e8.

22. Ne4xf6, Rb6xf6. White gets rid of that important castle-protecting knight. Black was not surprised.

23. c2-c3, Nd4-f5. Black doesn't see why White made that move.

24. Rc1-d1, Kg8-f8? Black sees that the knight could move threatening Re1xe8 mate, so he moves to king to prevent that. But he doesn't look at just where the knight might move to!

25. Ne5-d7+, Kf8-g8. Disaster for Black!

26. Re1xe8 mate. One needs to be very careful looking at all those places a knight might jump to!

1. e2-e4, e7-e5.
2. Ng1-f3, Bf8-c5.	Here Black ignores the attack on his king pawn and develops his bishop. If 3. Nf3xe5 Black would probably still play d7-d6 and hope for the best. Fortunately White played along and let me try out my new defense.
3. Bf1-c4, d7-d6.	Black's first three moves constitute the "Bishop's Defense".
4. 0-0, Ng8-f6.
5. Rf1-e1, 0-0.	Both sides have castled before even bringing out their queen knights.
6. a2-a3, a7-a6.
7. b2-b4, Bc5-a7.	Black's favorite place to use this bishop for long-range warfare.
8. Bc1-b2, b7-b5.
9. Bc4-b3, Bc8-b7.	And both sides like their bishops placed just like this. Who needs knights anyway?
10. d2-d4, e5xd4.
11. Bb2xd4, Ba7xd4.
12. Qd1xd4, Nb8-c6.	After trading off those precious bishops, White's queen grabs the center, only to be attacked by Black's knight.
13. Qd4-d3, Qd8-d7.	Both queens find a comfortable place.
14. e4-e5, d6xe5.	Black expected White's queen knight to develop, but instead the pawn attacks. Black responds with the pawn, rather than the knight as expected, which would have attacked the queen and empowered his bishop. Let's see what he is planning.
15. Qd3xd7, Nf6xd7.	Well that helped clear the board, with much focus on Black's king pawn.
16. Bb3-d5, Ra8-b8.	White threatens one knight who is guarding the king pawn, but Black's response is to ignore that and prepare for the knight to jump to freedom.
17. Nb1-d2, Nd7-f6.	Finally White develops that queen knight, and Black abandons the king pawn to return to his important post at the castle.
18. Nf3xe5, Nc6-d4.	With the pawn count even, Black threatens to fork the white rooks and also to take his bishop.
19. Bd5xb7, Rb8xb7.	I'm not sure why Black did not fork the rooks. In any case it's now all even with knights and rooks.
20. Ra1-c1, Rb7-b6.	White defends the fork and Black jockeys for position.
21. Nd2-e4, Rf8-e8.
22. Ne4xf6, Rb6xf6.	White gets rid of that important castle-protecting knight. Black was not surprised.
23. c2-c3, Nd4-f5.	Black doesn't see why White made that move.
24. Rc1-d1, Kg8-f8?	Black sees that the knight could move threatening Re1xe8 mate, so he moves to king to prevent that. But he doesn't look at just where the knight might move to!
25. Ne5-d7+, Kf8-g8.	Disaster for Black!
26. Re1xe8 mate.	One needs to be very careful looking at all those places a knight might jump to!