Fun with the Left Hook Grand Prix

I have been playing a lot of fun games with the Left Hook Grand Prix with a3 (1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.a3!?) and thought I'd share two that featured very straightforward attacks concluding with the classic Knight and Queen mating attack on the castled king. Many positions reached via this line are reminiscent of the Wing Gambit against the French, which makes a good repertoire fit.

goeller - anon11 [B23]

ICC 3 0 u/Internet Chess Club 2008

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. a3 e6 6. b4 cxb4?!

Taking the pawn surrenders the center. Probably best here is 6... b6!

7. axb4 Nge7 8. b5 Nb8 9. e5!?

9. Ba3 d5 10. exd5 exd5 (10... Nxd5 11. Ne4!) 11. Qe2 Be6 12. Ng5 d4!

9... d5 10. h4!? O-O 11. h5 Nf5 12. Ba3 Re8 13. g4!?

13. hxg6 hxg6 14. Bd3 with initiative

13... Ng3 14. Rh3 Nxf1 15. Kxf1 Bd7

15... gxh5!? may slow White's attack.

16. Qe2 a6 17. Bd6 Qb6 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. Ng5! Qd4

20. Qh2! white has a decisive advantage

20. Rh8+!! Bxh8 21. Qh2 Bxb5+ 22. Nxb5 Qxa1+ 23. Kf2 etc. is more stunning, but the Queen move has the same idea. Now there really is nothing to be done about Rh8+ etc.

20... Bxb5+ 21. Nxb5 Qxa1+ 22. Ke2

and Black has run out of checks and cannot prevent mate beginning with Rh8+ and Qh7 etc. Oh, wait -- he has one more check.

22... Qf1+ 23. Kxf1

and Black resigns.

1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. a3 d6 6. Bc4 Bd7 7. O-O e6 8. d3 Nge7 9. Qe1 O-O 10. Qh4

White's game develops very naturally and he already has good attacking prospects on the kingside.

10... a6

10... Nd4 11. f5 gxf5 12. Bh6 (12. Bg5) 12... Ng6 13. Qh5 Nxc2 14. Rac1 Nd4 15. Ng5 f4 (15... f6 16. Bxg7) 16. Nxh7! with initiative

11. f5

11. Be3!

11... exf5

11... gxf5 12. Bh6

12. Bh6

Pinning the Knight with 12. Bg5!? followed by Nd5 may be stronger.

12... b5 13. Ba2 Nc8

14. Ng5! Nd4 15. Bxg7

Black resigns as mate will follow 15... Kxg7 16. Qxh7+ Kf6 17. Nd5+ Ke5 18. Rae1 Nxc2 19. Nf3+ Ke6 20. exf5+ Kxf5 21. Qh3# 1-0