English Chess Forum

Here's a recent rapid play game by Nigel Short as White in which his opponent resigns with all the pieces still on the board. (The Queen is trapped). The opening is vaguely reminiscent of ideas used by Mike Basman with the extended fianchetto created by playing g4, h3 and e3.

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2016-be ... rulich-cup

1. c4 e5 2. e3 Nc6 3. a3 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. g4 h6 7. Bg2 d6 8. h3 Be6 9. Nd5 Qd7 10. Ne2 Nd8 11. b3 Nh7 12. e4 c6 13. Ne3 Qe7 14. Bb2 Bd7 15. d4 O-O 16. d5 c5 17. Qc2 Qh4 18. Nc3 b6 19. O-O-O Nb7 20. Bf1 Ng5 21. Ng2

The position at move 20 is a candidate for the occasional series of "worst move on the board".

[FEN "r4rk1/pn1b1pbn/1p1p2pp/2pPp3/2P1P1Pq/PPN1N2P/1BQ2P2/2KR1B1R b - - 3 20"]

Close, but no cigar. I think 20...Qg3 probably just about edges it.

IM Jack Rudd wrote: I think 20...Qg3 probably just about edges it.

The worst plausible move then. Putting Queens en prise is generally noticeable. Allowing them to be trapped, particularly by responding to a "nothing move" like Bf1 then less so.

Yes, "worst plausible move on the board" is a more accurate title for this genre - though admittedly not as snappy