"Quick Chess Knockouts" by Julian Hodgson, 1996 Cadogan
Books, Figurine Algebraic Notation, paperback, 141pp., $15.95
Reviewed by Glenn Budzinski

"Quick Chess Knockouts," by two-time British Champion Julian
Hodgson, is a book of opening traps intended for the novice-level
player. The book contains about 100 games that cover 24 specific
opening variations. Most games are concluded in 12 moves or less,
usually when a significant material gain occurs or, in some cases,
by checkmate.

The ten chapters each focus on one of the following opening
systems: 1 e4 e5 Openings; Giuoco Piano; Ruy Lopez; Sicilian
Defense; Anti-Sicilians (i.e., 2 f4, 2 c3, Smith-Morra Gambit);
Pirc/Modern Defense; French Defense; Caro-Kann Defense;
Modern Black Defenses to 1 d4 (i.e., King's Indian, Benoni, Benko
Gambit); Classical Black Defenses to 1 d4 (i.e.,Queen's Gambit
Declined and Accepted, Dutch Defense, et al). A brief introduction
precedes each chapter. Occasionally, bits of advice are found in
boxes at the bottom of a page.

Some of the traps are nothing more than outright blunders, such as
1 e4 c5 2 f4 Nc6 3 Nf3 g6 4 Bb5 Bg7 5 d3?? Qa5+ 6 Nc3 Bxc3+ 7
bxc3 Qxb5, when Black wins a piece (page 69). In the Wing
Gambit of the Sicilian Defense, after 1 e4 c5 2 b4 cxb4 3 a3 d5 4
exd5 Qxd5, the lemon 5 axb4?? drops a whole rook to Qe5+ 6 Be2
Qxa1. As incredible as it may seem, Hodgson claims that when he
was twelve years old, Russian GM David Bronstein blundered a
rook against him exactly the same way, during a simultaneous
exhibition (page 77).

The majority of the traps, however, can be categorized either as
specific to a certain opening or a tactical motif of general
applicability. Examples of the former include the following line in
the King's Gambit Accepted: 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e5 Nh5
5 Nc3 d6 6 Bc4 dxe5 7 Nxe5 Qh4+ 8 Kf1 Be6 9 Bxe6 Ng3+ 10
Kg1 Bc5+ 11 d4 Bxd4+ 12 Qxd4 Ne2+ 13 Nxe2 Qe1 mate (page
13).

A fascinating line occurs in the Classical Variation of the
Caro-Kann: 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7 5 Bc4 Ngf6 6
Ng5 e6 7 Qe2 Nb6 8 Bd3 h6 9 N5f3 c5 10 dxc5 Nbd7 11 c6 bxc6
12 Nd4 c5 13 Nc6 Qc7 14 Qxe6+!! fxe6 15 Bg6 mate. Hodgson
writes that he is "still secretly hoping to play this in one of [his]
games!" (page 107).

A common tactical idea that can arise out of many openings is the
bishop sacrifice at h7: 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3
bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Ne7 7 Bd3 Nbc6 8 Qg4 0-0 9 Nf3 c4 10 Bxh7+
Kxh7 11 Qh5+ Kg8 12 Ng5 Re8 13 Qh7+ Kf8 14 Qh8+ Ng8 15
Nh7+ Ke7 16 Bg5+ Nf6 17 Qxg7 and White regains his piece with
a two-pawn advantage (pages 92-94). This writer has lost count of
how many games he has successfully used variations of this trap
over the years.

Other frequently seen opening tactics include 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3
Nd2 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Be7 5 Nf3 Nf6 6 Nxf6+ Bxf6 7 Bd3 0-0 8 0-0
Bxd4?? 9 Nxd4 Qxd4, when White wins with an x-ray attack
theme: 10 Bxh7+ Kxh7 11Qxd4 (page 100). Or, instead,
sometimes the bishop can check on f7: 1 e4 c5 2 f4 Nc6 3 Nf3 g6 4
Nc3 Bg7 5 Bc4 d6 6 0-0 Bg4 7 Bxf7+ Kxf7 8 Ng5+ Ke8 9 Qxg4
and White is a pawn to the good (page 70).

In the opinion of this writer, Hodgson's format of presenting
tactical themes in the context of an actual game rather than
providing stand-alone positions as found in numerous other books,
greatly facilitates the student in recognizing situations which may
contain a trap. On the other hand, segregating traps by opening
may not be the most effective approach, given that most are
common to many openings.

Despite the inclusion of perhaps a few too many examples of
careless blunders, "Quick Chess Knockouts" should prove to be
relatively useful to the less experienced player. The book is written
clearly and simply, and it provides a good introduction to recurring
tactical motifs.