In the first part of my blog about sweet chess victories I showed you two very short games. Today’s game is also very short. But maybe even more sweet. Why?

Firstly because I love short victories. Secondly I love them even more when my opponent doesn’t unnecessary drag things on.

But don’t you get a big smile on your face when your opponent resigns in a position that is actually not lost yet? Sorry, I am a bad person, but I can’t help  it: I get a big grin on my face. Everything was over within 13 moves!

Here you can play the whole game in the viewer. Let’s not bother about the first part of the game and have a closer look at the position in which black decided to call it quits (see the diagram). Black’s bishop is attacked. So he has to move it away. For instance 13. … Bg6 In that case white plays 14. Nxg6 and 15. e5 winning a piece. So that won’t work. How about 13. … Bg4? (now it get’s really funny!)

After the game my opponent said ‘I resigned because of 14. f3 and I will lose a piece’. Is this correct? Don’t you think it gets even more hilarious when I tell you that my opponent resigned in a position that is not lost (yet) and he resigned for the wrong reason?

I am sorry to be such a schmuck. This is very sad if it happens to us. In fact it is white who has to resign after 13. … Bg4 14. f3 b5! See the variations in the viewer.

In fact I never thought one moment about playing 14. f3. I was planning to play 14. h3 and thought it would be an easy victory. For example 14. .. Bh5 15. g4 Bg6 16. Nxg6 and 17. e5 But is this the best black can play? Uh, no. He has something better. After 15. g4 he can play 15. … Nxe5! See the complete analysis in the viewer.

Of course white is clearly better, but he still has to work for the whole point. I think good things happen to people who deserve it. First of all this game was played on the 5th of December. In Holland (I am Dutch living in Sweden) this is the day on which you receive presents from Sinterklaas. Usually it is not the real Sinterklaas. He is helped by a lot of stand ins. Maybe also here in Sweden? Who knows. My opponent dutifully served as a generous surrogate.

Second, it was the first day after a quit smoking. I must have felt terrible. So I believe my opponent did me a favor in not letting me suffer in a long and tiring game. I could go home early and suffer in solitude. Thanks Erik!