Win vs MartnCoronado (745)
| Opening: Queen’s Pawn | Result: 1-0 (Checkmate) | Time Control: 14 days/move (Daily) | Rated | Event: ForEverOne 2026, Round 1 |
Game Overview
I really enjoyed this game. I was playing against a slightly lower rated player in the tournament so I thought I’d use the opportunity to try an opening I don’t always play: putting two pawns in the centre with d4 and e4. After building a nice pawn chain I spotted a Greek gift sacrifice, got a brilliant move from chess.com, won the exchange, trapped Black’s dark-squared bishop, and then promoted two pawns to deliver checkmate with two queens.
The Opening (Moves 1-7)
1. d4 e6 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. e4 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nxd5 exd5 6. Nf3 Bb4+ 7. c3 Ba5
By move 7 I felt like I had a really nice position: a pawn chain from b2 to e5 and a knight on f3 guarding the two central pawns. I still needed to develop the rest of my pieces but it’s a very good start.
The Greek Gift (Moves 8-13)
8. Bd3 O-O 9. Bxh7+ Kxh7 10. Ng5+ Kg6
After developing my bishop, Black castled and I saw an opportunity. Most of Black’s pieces were over on the queenside and there was a chance to play the Greek gift sacrifice: Bxh7+ check, followed by Ng5+ check. The classic follow-up would be Qh5 going for checkmate, but Black played Kg6 instead of the usual Kg8, which I believe saves them from the quick checkmate threat but leaves the king very exposed.
11. Qd3+ f5 12. exf6+ Kxf6
I played Qd3+ check. My knight on g5 is guarded by my bishop which is still on its starting square c1. Black tried to interpose by blocking the check with f5, but I’d seen that I’d be able to take en passant and keep checking. Black’s king takes my pawn on f6.
13. Nh7+ Kf7
I saw a chance to fork the king and the rook with Nh7+. If I can at least take back the rook for the knight then I’ll have recovered something for the earlier bishop sacrifice. Black played Kf7, guarding the rook.
Cleaning Up (Moves 14-18)
14. Bg5 Ne7 15. Nxf8 Qxf8
I played Bg5, attacking the queen. The bishop is supported by my knight on h7. Black blocks with Ne7. This is a good time to look at all of Black’s pieces: the rook is behind the king, the queen is completely blocked in by other pieces, the light-squared bishop is still on its starting square blocked in by pawns, and the other rook is similarly stuck. This is a good example of where the sacrifice has really paid off. The opponent’s development is terrible and the king is very exposed.
I took the rook with the knight and Black recaptured with the queen.
16. Qf3+ Ke8 17. Qxf8+ Kxf8 18. Bxe7+ Kxe7
I noticed the bishop on a5 is essentially trapped. After winning the exchange and a pawn, the material is roughly equal, so I figured if I trade queens and trade a bishop for a knight I’ll have three vs one pawns on the kingside and very good chances of promoting one to a queen and winning from there. So I went for the endgame.
The Trapped Bishop (Moves 19-22)
19. h4 b6 20. O-O-O d6 21. b4 Bxb4 22. cxb4
Black pushed b6, sealing the dark-squared bishop’s fate. There’s no way for it to get out now. I took the time to castle queenside first, then pushed b4.
After taking the bishop I’m now up an exchange. Black does have five pawns on the queenside versus my three, but I’ve got my king over there to attack them and two of them are doubled up on the d-file. Meanwhile I’m still feeling good about my three pawns over on the kingside.
The Endgame (Moves 23-58)
23. b5 Bg4 24. f3 Bf5 25. g4 Be6 26. Rde1 c6 27. bxc6 Rc8 28. Kb2 Rxc6 29. Rc1 Rxc1 30. Rxc1 b5 31. Rg1 b4 32. Kb3 Bd7 33. g5 a4+ 34. Kxb4 Ke6 35. h5 Be8
Black tried to activate the light-squared bishop, but my pawns were able to kick it back. After placing the bishop in front of the king I was able to pin it using my rook.
36. Re1+ Kd7 37. Rxe8 Kxe8
I saw an opportunity to skewer the bishop, which was now placed behind the king. I sacrificed the exchange but it left me with a clear plan to promote a passed pawn on the a-file.
38. Kxa4 Ke7 39. Kb5 Ke6 40. a4 Kf5 41. a5 Kxg5 42. a6 Kxh5 43. a7 g6 44. a8=Q
I let the Black king hunt down my pawns on the kingside. I didn’t need them. After promoting the a-pawn, I was actually able to promote a second pawn on the f-file and then checkmate with two queens.
45. Qxd5 Kh4 46. Qxd6 Kh3 47. f4 g4 48. Qh6+ Kg2 49. f5 g3 50. f6 Kf2 51. f7 g2 52. f8=Q+ Ke2 53. Qh2 Kd3 54. Qxg2 Kxd4 55. Qc5+ Kd3 56. Qf3+ Kd2 57. Qcf2+ Kc1 58. Qh1#
Engine Review
The engine really likes the Bxh7+ move, scoring it as brilliant and shooting the evaluation up to +4.2. However, the correct follow-up was actually to push the h-pawn to defend the knight and then attack the queen with the knight from e6 to win it outright.
My Bg5 move that threatens the queen was actually a mistake. If Black calmly plays Qe8, they can trade queens and the sacrifice has largely been for nothing. Luckily Black’s reply was also a mistake so the game was still going my way.
With best play it looks like there wasn’t a checkmate, and White ends up up an exchange with a nice position. My choice to go into an endgame when I had the opportunity was fine. The real thing that won me the game was the trapped bishop on a5. Eliminating that piece gave me the advantage to then look at winning through pawn promotion.
Sacrificing the exchange on move 37 was the best move. It’s a winning position, and once the bishop is gone the king can shepherd the a-pawn to promotion.
Reflections
What went well:
- Trying a new opening and a risky move. Getting the brilliant move from chess.com on the Greek gift sacrifice was satisfying.
- Seeing the en passant capture to keep the checks going.
- Recognising the trapped bishop on a5 and going for the endgame with a clear plan.
- Shepherding the a-pawn to promotion while letting the opponent’s king chase the kingside pawns.
What to work on:
- Supporting the knight that goes to g5 with a pawn (h4) is a powerful way to keep up the pressure after the Greek gift. That’s the key takeaway from this game: push the h-pawn to defend the knight, then Ne6 wins the queen.
Full PGN:
1. d4 e6 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. e4 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nxd5 exd5 6. Nf3 Bb4+ 7. c3 Ba5 8.
Bd3 O-O 9. Bxh7+ Kxh7 10. Ng5+ Kg6 11. Qd3+ f5 12. exf6+ Kxf6 13. Nh7+ Kf7 14.
Bg5 Ne7 15. Nxf8 Qxf8 16. Qf3+ Ke8 17. Qxf8+ Kxf8 18. Bxe7+ Kxe7 19. h4 b6 20.
O-O-O d6 21. b4 Bxb4 22. cxb4 a5 23. b5 Bg4 24. f3 Bf5 25. g4 Be6 26. Rde1 c6
27. bxc6 Rc8 28. Kb2 Rxc6 29. Rc1 Rxc1 30. Rxc1 b5 31. Rg1 b4 32. Kb3 Bd7 33. g5
a4+ 34. Kxb4 Ke6 35. h5 Be8 36. Re1+ Kd7 37. Rxe8 Kxe8 38. Kxa4 Ke7 39. Kb5 Ke6
40. a4 Kf5 41. a5 Kxg5 42. a6 Kxh5 43. a7 g6 44. a8=Q g5 45. Qxd5 Kh4 46. Qxd6
Kh3 47. f4 g4 48. Qh6+ Kg2 49. f5 g3 50. f6 Kf2 51. f7 g2 52. f8=Q+ Ke2 53. Qh2
Kd3 54. Qxg2 Kxd4 55. Qc5+ Kd3 56. Qf3+ Kd2 57. Qcf2+ Kc1 58. Qh1# 1-0