A chess question

[dragonsamurai77]

I recently happened to stumble upon this (http://www.jeremysilman.com/movies_tv_js/harry_potter.html) article by IM Jeremy Silman about the climatic scene in the first Harry Potter movie that he designed. However, something immediately came to mind: Why did White play 1. Qxd3 in the first place? Qf1 gives back some material (indeed, White ends up with only a rook for two bishops and a pawn), but I can't see any way for Ron's side to quickly mate: after 1...Nh3+?? 2. Qxh3 Rc1+?? 3. Rxc1!, the White Rook guards the key square that Harry needs to occupy in order to actually deliver the checkmate, and any passive move (Rc3 anyway, for example), fails because of White's own mate threat. Thus, Black's best seems to be Rxf1+, with a tricky position for both sides. Still, I'm far from a master and don't have any chess software with me at college, so I could be way wrong; anyone see anything that I missed?

[Mutant Sheep]

I recently happened to stumble upon this (http://www.jeremysilman.com/movies_tv_js/harry_potter.html) article by IM Jeremy Silman about the climatic scene in the first Harry Potter movie that he designed. However, something immediately came to mind: Why did White play 1. Qxd3 in the first place? Qf1 gives back some material (indeed, White ends up with only a rook for two bishops and a pawn), but I can't see any way for Ron's side to quickly mate: after 1...Nh3+?? 2. Qxh3 Rc1+?? 3. Rxc1!, the White Rook guards the key square that Harry needs to occupy in order to actually deliver the checkmate, and any passive move (Rc3 anyway, for example), fails because of White's own mate threat. Thus, Black's best seems to be Rxf1+, with a tricky position for both sides. Still, I'm far from a master and don't have any chess software with me at college, so I could be way wrong; anyone see anything that I missed?

J.K. Rowling has a 10 year old beat magical enchanted chessgrandmaster chess pieces. Details are unavailable.:smalltongue:

[Shishnarfne]

Well... obviously Qf1 doesn't allow for the mating combination seen...

However, the d3 pawn then becomes strong, and the game continues (both kings are quite vulnerable, so caution precludes me stating a clear outcome without a computer analysis engine handy). I think it likely that white will have trouble stopping the d3 pawn from promoting (after playing Rc1 to tie down/exchange a rook... say, 1.Qf1 Rxf1 2.Rxf1 h6 3. Ne8 Rc1, which is probably not best play on move 3 for white).

Oddly enough, the initially attractive Qg4 runs into ...Rc2! That would leave "Ron" undefended, but open a line for "Harry" to checkmate from c5. It's nowhere near as attractive as the final variation, though.

However, as the mating combination is actually a bit unusual (see also, relative lack of pawns on the board), and requires a clearance sacrifice (Rc3) to make way for a deflection sacrifice (Nh3+), it's reasonably well-hidden.

No, I don't think it's grandmaster level play... but I think that I could see a master falling into that particular combination. I wouldn't be surprised if the living chess pieces "only" played at about "master level" anyway... They're still likely able to beat a few years of students without too much trouble.

So, yes, it appears likely that 1.Qf1 is "better", but it's far less exciting, and wouldn't have fulfilled the script requirements. And isn't that what we're expecting from the scene?

Note: also not a master, so be cautious in looking at my assessments.

[DBear]

The opening is the Center Counter. 1. e4 d5 2. ed Qxd5. It is generally seen as an inferior opening, as black develops the queen too early and white can force black to move the queen again, black losing tempo.
I always thought the opening would make a great million dollar WWTBAM question.:smallcool: