THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO

One of the reasons for the game of Chess to be so fascinating is that chess games usually replicate real war situations & real war strategy.

Over the years there have been several attempts by chess composers to replicate the battle of Waterloo which famously caused the downfall of the mighty french emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. None is more beautiful & aesthetically pleasing than the one below.

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The storyline goes like this. Two Prussian secret agents (white knights on g4 & h3) are trying to hunt down Napoleon Bonaparte (black king on h7). Two snipers (white bishops on d4 & d5) are placed strategically to assist the two secret agents on their mission.

However at the moment Napoleon (black king on h7) is hiding inside his formidable fortress (pawn structure h5-g6-f7-e6-d6-c7-b6-a5) & two of his own agents (black knights on d8 & c8) are closely watching the two main entrances (c6 & f6) to the castle.

White’s mission is to capture the black king, but to do that he has to force the black king out of his fortress first.

Two secret agents launch the mission by infiltrating the enemy fortress from the right flank & starting ‘the great Napoleon chase’. Notice how the balck king (Napoleon) is restricted to ‘only moves’ all the way, mostly due to the influence of the ‘two snipers’.  

1.    Ng5+        Kg8

2.    Nh6+        Kf8

3.    Nh7+        Ke7

So, both the secret agents managed to get inside Napoleon’s fortress, but the emperor saw the danger & ran away from his royal chamber towards his own secret agents.

The next phase of the mission is to continue the chase while sidestepping the attentions of enemy agents.

4.    Ng8+        Kd7

5.    Nf8+         Kc8

6.    Ne7+        Kb8

The two white knights managed to drive the emperor away from his two protectors & isolate him on the right flank of the castle. But how to get the Black king out of his castle?

7.    Nd7+        Ka7

8.    Nc8+        Ka6

9.    Nb8+        Kb5

Finally the black king is out in the open & away from his precious fortress. That signals the commencement of the final phase of the mission. 

The two secret agents, who risked their lives to to locate, infiltrate & chase the black king, deservedly get the honour of making the final capture.

10.    Na7+      Kb4

11.    Na6+      Ka3

12.   Nb5 #

Waterloo !!!


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