The Bishop Went to h8

The game, move by move

A Rossolimo Sicilian

1. 1. e4 King’s pawn
2. 1… c5 The Sicilian
3. 2. Nf3 The knight out
4. 2… Nc6 And Black’s
5. 3. Bb5 The bishop to b5 — the Rossolimo Rather than d4. White trades the bishop for the knight and plays for the position instead of for a pawn.
6. 3… e6 e6
7. 4. O-O White castles
8. 4… Nge7 The second knight to e7
9. 5. Nc3 The knight out
10. 5… a6 a6, at the bishop
11. 6. Bxc6 The bishop takes on c6
12. 6… Nxc6 Recaptured
13. 7. d4 d4 at last
14. 7… cxd4 Taken
15. 8. Nxd4 The knight recaptures
16. 8… d6 d6
17. 9. Re1 The rook to e1
18. 9… Bd7 The bishop to d7
19. 10. Nxc6 The knights come off on c6
20. 10… bxc6 Recaptured — the pawns are doubled

The king walks to h8

1. 11. Qg4 The queen to g4, at once
2. 11… e5 e5, blocking her
3. 12. Qg3 The queen to g3
4. 12… f6 f6, propping the pawn
5. 13. Be3 The bishop to e3
6. 13… Kf7 Kf7 — the king walks himself Black never castles. He walks the king to f7 and then to g8 and h8 by hand, and the squares he walks over are the squares the game is decided on.
7. 14. Rad1 The second rook to d1
8. 14… Be7 Be7
9. 15. Na4 The knight to a4
10. 15… Rb8 The rook to b8
11. 16. b3 b3
12. 16… Re8 The rook to e8
13. 17. c4 c4
14. 17… c5 c5, shutting the centre
15. 18. Nc3 The knight comes back to c3
16. 18… Bf8 The bishop back to f8
17. 19. f4 f4 — at the pawn chain
18. 19… Kg8 Kg8
19. 20. Rf1 The rook to f1, behind the pawn
20. 20… Qc8 The queen to c8
21. 21. fxe5 The pawns come off on e5
22. 21… fxe5 Recaptured
23. 22. Nd5 The knight to d5 Where it cannot be taken, and it is pointing at f6 — the square everything happens on.
24. 22… Kh8 Kh8 — into the corner The last quiet move Black makes. Nine half-moves later he is mated on g8, one square from here.

A knight given on f6

1. 23. Rf7 The rook to f7 It sits on f7 being ignored for six half-moves and is finally taken by the king. By then it has done its job.
2. 23… Bg4 The bishop to g4, at the rook on d1
3. 24. Nf6 The knight given on f6 A knight for a pawn, so that the pawn on g7 has to leave and the diagonal to h8 opens.
4. 24… gxf6 Taken — g7 is empty
5. 25. Qh4 The queen to h4
6. 25… Bg7 The bishop to g7, defending
7. 26. Bh6 The bishop to h6, at it
8. 26… Bxd1 The rook on d1, taken Black takes a whole rook and it changes nothing: every white piece left is pointed at one corner of the board.

Bh8, and mate

1. 27. Bxg7+ The bishop takes g7, with check
2. 27… Kg8 Kg8 — forced
3. 28. Bh8 Bh8 — into the corner The move of the game. The bishop steps to h8 where it is surrounded by three of Black’s own men, attacks nothing, and can never move again. From h8 it covers g7, and that is the whole reason.
4. 28… Kxf7 The rook on f7, taken at last And it has to be — otherwise Qxf6 and Qg7 come with the rook still on the board.
5. 29. Qxf6+ The queen takes f6, with check
6. 29… Kg8 Kg8
7. 30. Qg7# Checkmate, on g7 The queen steps to g7 next to the king, held by the bishop standing on h8. She covers h8 and f8 and f7; h7 is Black’s own pawn. A bishop in the corner defending a queen beside a king.