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Mate, Don't Take!-- OTB Examples
Compiled by ChessCoachClark
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This game collection is intended for beginners, only. Other players will probably see the deprecated options as either humorous or sad.

The point to be demonstrated to our gentle beginners is that they must look and think before they move and keep greed in check. Not to go with their gut-- yet (it takes proven skills and experience to get the right 'gut').

Not always an easy choice, but it must always be seen as necessary to end the game quickly for multiple reasons. Even a Royal Family Fork is not a viable alternative to checkmate.

ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection in March of 2021 and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance.

Be well.
Be safe.

Don't take Knight-- do 13...Bd4+ or Queen later-- do 16...Rxh2#
J Gocher vs Harrwitz, 1859 
(C39) King's Gambit Accepted, 15 moves, 0-1

Not 9. ... Nxc2 to win the Exchange,but 9. ... Nd3#!!
NN vs E Canal, 1935 
(C20) King's Pawn Game, 9 moves, 0-1

Royal Fork by 53. Rf8+, but mate comes, not taking the Queen!
C H Alexander vs B H Wood, 1957
(C02) French, Advance, 55 moves, 1-0

After 11...Kd6, leave the Queen w/o 12. Bxd8 and do 12. Qxd5#!
Koltanowski vs Day, 1960 
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 12 moves, 1-0

After 14. Qxg2, do not re-take by Nxg2, but Ne2# is better!
H Bohm vs R Hernandez Onna, 1979 
(C69) Ruy Lopez, Exchange, Gligoric Variation, 12 moves, 0-1

Continuation: 19. Nxa4 Bc2+ 20. Kd2 Bf4# and not 19. ... Nc2.
F Berend vs S Coffey, 1982 
(C01) French, Exchange, 18 moves, 0-1

Just before the Houdini 6 M13 ply for mate, leave the b3 Pawn!
M Umansky vs M Blokh, 1983 
(A72) Benoni, Classical without 9.O-O, 38 moves, 1-0

After 23...Qxc4, leave it En Prise-- go for mate!
Suba vs Ibanez, 1993 
(A30) English, Symmetrical, 23 moves, 1-0

After 34...Qf7, do not capture the Bishop! 35. Qxf7# is better!
Huynh Mai Phuong Dung vs T Nguyen, 2005 
(B95) Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6, 34 moves, 1-0

26.Bxh1 Nh2+ 27.Ke1 Rg1# is better than 27. ... Nxf3.
G Milos vs P Carlsson, 2012 
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 25 moves, 0-1

Mate by Three Knights is made w/o taking the last Black Pawn!
A Granovskiy vs U Grochocinska, 2013 
(B06) Robatsch, 77 moves, 1-0

After 39. cxd6 Rxc7, not dxc7, but 40. e5#.
M Mosadeghpour vs V Sanal, 2015 
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 40 moves, 1-0

After 70. g8=Q, not 70. ... RxQ, but Rh3# is far better!
I Miladinovic vs M Admiraal, 2017
(D00) Queen's Pawn Game, 70 moves, 0-1

13 games

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