April 2012 featuring Daniel King, courtesy of Sam Gracey
DJ King-JTH van der Wiel
Palma de Mallorca, 1989
Ruy Lopez C91
[King]
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0–0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 0–0 8 d4 d6 9 c3 Bg4 10 d5 Na5 11 Bc2 c6 12 h3 Bc8 13 dxc6 Qc7 14 Nbd2 Qxc6 15 Nf1 Nc4 16 Ng3 Re8 17 a4 g6 18 b3 Nb6 19 a5 Nbd7 20 Bd2 Bb7 21 b4 d5 22 exd5 Nxd5 23 Bb3 Rad8 24 Qc2 Kg7 25 Rad1 Nc7 26 h4 f6 27 h5 Nf8 28 Re4 Nce6 29 hxg6 hxg6 30 Rg4 Ng5 31 Bxg5 Rxd1+ 32 Qxd1 fxg5 33 Ne4 Bc8 34 Nxe5 Bxg4
I suppose my attack is fairly straightforward, but this next move I like very much, ignoring the obvious recapture and remaining a rook down, but Black has no defence. I’d seen it coming a few moves off. This was particularly sweet as the game was played on the stage. Kasparov was a spectator at the event – it was run by the Grandmasters Association, his baby, and he was politicking; he was strolling round the boards, but this move stopped him in his tracks and he did a double take. Afterwards everything fits perfectly – I pick up all the sacrificed material and even the endgame flows beautifully.
35 Qd4 Ne6 36 Bxe6 Qxe6 37 Nxg4+ Kh7 38 Ngf6+ Bxf6 39 Nxf6+ Kh6 40 Ng4+ Kh7 41 Nf6+ Kh6 42 Nxe8 Qe1+ 43 Kh2 Qxe8 44 c4 bxc4 45 Qxc4 Qf8 46 Kg1 Qf6 47 b5 Qa1+ 48 Qf1 Qxa5 49 bxa6 g4 50 g3 g5 51 Qc4 Kh5 52 Qf7+ Kh6 53 Qb7 1–0
JM Emms-DJ King
4NCL, 1996
French C09
[King]
This is not a spectacular game by any means, but I’m proud of one move.
1 e4 c5 2 c3 e6 3 Nf3 d5 4 exd5 exd5 5 d4 Nc6 6 Bb5 Bd6 7 0–0 Nge7 8 dxc5 Bxc5 9 Nbd2 0–0 10 Nb3 Bb6 11 Re1 Bg4 12 Be3 Re8 13 h3 Bh5 14 Bxb6 Qxb6 15 Be2 Rad8 16 Nfd4 Bg6 17 Bf3 h6 18 Re3
I had been playing reasonably quickly up till this point but now I stopped. The more I looked the more I realised that playing ‘normal’ moves would just leave me in a horribly passive position White’s moves are very easy to play Qe2 (or Qd2) rook to the e-file, and so on. It was essential that I cut across his plan – even at the cost of material. This is one of those moments I mentioned earlier where it is essential to recognise the pattern of the game. I thought for over half-an-hour here to find an idea.
18…Nc8
I’ve shown this position to a lot of players, and no one has found it. It’s not spectacular, but I think it’s one of the best moves I have ever played. White can take a pawn (and objectively probably still stands better) but the nature of the game has changed, and my opponent couldn’t handle it. The rest of the game isn’t that interesting: I have compensation for the pawn, then I’m better in the endgame, then we traded mistakes at the end before I won.
19 Rxe8+ Rxe8 20 Bxd5 a5 21 a4 Rd8 22 Bf3 Nxd4 23 cxd4 Qb4 24 d5 Nd6 25 Rc1 Qxa4 26 Ra1 Qb4 27 Nxa5 Qxb2 28 Qc1 Qb4 29 Qe1 Qxe1+ 30 Rxe1 Kf8 31 Rc1 Ke7 32 g4 Kd7 33 Nc4 Nxc4 34 Rxc4 b5 35 Rb4 Bd3 36 Rd4 Bc4 37 h4 Kd6 38 g5 hxg5 39 hxg5 Rd7
39…Kc5!
40 g6 fxg6 41 Rg4 Bxd5 42 Rxg6+ Kc5 43 Rg5 b4 44 Bg4 Re7 45 Bf3 Rd7 46 Bg4 Rd8 47 Bd1 Kd4 48 Rxg7 Ra8 49 Rg4+ Kc3 50 Rg3+ Kd2 51 Rg4 Kc3 52 Rg3+ Kd2 53 Rg4 Rg8 54 Rxg8 Bxg8 55 Ba4 Bh7 56 Bb3 Kc3 57 Bf7
57 Ba2=
57…Bd3 58 f4 Bc4 59 Bg6 b3 60 Kf2 Bd3 61 Bf7 b2 62 Ba2 Kb4 63 Ke3 Ka3 64 Bb1 Bxb1 0–1
DJ King-DWL Howell
Staunton Memorial, 2003
Ruy Lopez C88
[King]
For obvious reasons!
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0–0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 0–0 8 a4 Bb7 9 d3 d6 10 Nbd2 Re8 11 Nf1 Bf8 12 Bd2 g6 13 c4 b4 14 a5 Rb8 15 Ba4 Nd7 16 Ne3 Bh6 17 Nd5 Bxd2 18 Qxd2 Nc5 19 Qh6 f6 20 Nh4 Nxa4 21 Nf5 gxf5 22 Re3 Nd4 23 Rg3+ Kf7 24 Rg7+ Ke6 25 Qxf6+ 1–0
