Game 9: Znosko-Borovsky vs Mackenzie: Lolli's Mate Returns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGn7hnKuvt8

Games 7 and 8 showed Lolli's Mate in quick attacks under 20 moves. Game 9 shows what happens when the same dark-square theme appears 28 moves into the game: a longer, more modern game where White outplays Black positionally and then delivers the same mating pattern. The lesson: these patterns appear at all levels and all phases.

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Game 9: Znosko-Borovsky vs Mackenzie: Lolli's Mate Returns

Weston-super-Mare 1924 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | C88

This game takes a more modern twist. Unlike Games 7 and 8, which were decided in under 20 moves, Game 9 runs to 29 moves with a long positional buildup before the tactical finish. Znosko-Borovsky exploits dark-square weaknesses methodically, advances his knight to the powerful central outpost d5, and then delivers a knight sacrifice that opens the dark squares and leads to an unstoppable Lolli's Mate pattern.

The critical lesson: 9...g6 was the mistake in Game 7. Here the same dark-square theme reappears much later in the game, with more subtlety. The positional foundation matters as much as the tactical finish.

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The Full Game

What This Game Is About

Znosko-Borovsky vs Mackenzie, Weston-super-Mare 1924, is a Ruy Lopez Closed where both sides play carefully through the opening. White builds up methodically, Black acquires the bishop pair but falls behind in piece coordination. The dark squares around Black's king are not immediately weak, but White systematically targets them.

The key sequence:

18.Nd5! centralises the knight on the most powerful square on the board, creating immediate threats and fixing Black's position.

19.Nxe7+! follows immediately, the knight sacrifice that strips Black's dark-squared defender.

After 19...Qxe7, Black's dark squares around the king are permanently exposed. White's queen, bishop, and knight pour in.

22.Qf6! plants the queen on the permanent dark-square outpost. It cannot be driven away.

The finish is Lolli's Mate: queen on h6 (or g7), bishop on f6, threat of Qg7 checkmate.

The Piece Activity Count

After 19.Nxe7+!, count Black's defenders of the dark squares: zero. The bishop on e7 was the only piece guarding f6, h6, and g7. It is gone. White's queen heads to f6 then h6, the bishop covers g7, and the rook joins from e1. Three pieces targeting the same complex, nothing blocking them.

The Rule of Three

By move 22, Znosko-Borovsky has queen on f6 (the permanent hole), bishop targeting g7, and rook supporting. Lolli's Mate again: three pieces, three squares, one plan. The game took 29 moves to reach but the pattern is identical to Games 7 and 8.

Key Position 1: After 18.Nd5!

The knight lands on d5, the most powerful outpost on the board. From d5 it attacks both sides simultaneously and threatens the winning combination that follows one move later. Can you see what White is planning? The dark squares on the kingside will be the target.

The Decisive Stroke

19.Nxe7+! removes the guardian of the dark squares. Black must recapture, leaving f6, h6, and g7 permanently undefended. Then 22.Qf6! occupies the hole and the position is already lost for Black. The queen will march to h6 threatening Qg7 mate.

Key Position 2: After 19.Nxe7+!

The knight sacrifice. White gives up the knight for the bishop on e7, removing Black's only dark-square defender. Look at the f6 and h6 squares: they are permanent holes. No Black pawn will ever guard them again. Znosko-Borovsky will occupy them with his queen and bishop and force Lolli's Mate.

The Modern Take

Games 7, 8, and 9 all end with versions of the same pattern: Lolli's Mate. It appears at move 19, at move 29, even later. The mechanism is always the same: strip away the dark-squared bishop, occupy the holes with queen and bishop, force mate on g7 or h7.

For players rated 800-1600: the next time your opponent's dark-squared bishop is removed (by trade or sacrifice), immediately ask yourself: which dark squares around their king are now permanently weak? That is where your pieces will go.

Key Takeaways

• 18.Nd5! is the positional masterstroke. The knight dominates the centre and sets up the combination.
• 19.Nxe7+! removes the only defender of Black's dark squares. One sacrifice, decisive result.
• The Piece Activity Count after the sacrifice: 3 White pieces targeting dark squares, 0 Black defenders.
• Lolli's Mate appears again: queen on h6, bishop on f6, threat of Qg7 mate.
• Dark-square patterns appear at all stages of the game. Even in a 29-move positional game, the same mating themes apply.

💬 Tell Us What You Found Most Instructive!

Was it 18.Nd5! the powerful centralisation, 19.Nxe7+! the sacrifice, or seeing Lolli's Mate appear in a more complex positional game? Leave a comment below. I want to know what clicked for players at different levels.

Resources

📺 Watch Game 9 on ChessExcellence YouTube. Subscribe for all 33 games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGn7hnKuvt8

📖 Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev.

♟️ Replay the full annotated study on Lichess:

About This Series

I'm FM Nicholas Van Der Nat, FIDE Master and FIDE Trainer. I'm walking through all 33 games from Irving Chernev's Logical Chess: Move by Move on ChessExcellence. Each game has a YouTube video, a Lichess study, and written analysis.

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