As mentioned on the August 2013 random thread (and in Robert’s article “Harry Potter’s Chess Teacher” in the September 2002 issue of Muse), here is the game finale that international master Jeremy Silman composed for the movie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Harry is the bishop on a3, Ron is the knight on g5, and Hermione is the rook on f8. Ron sacrifices himself on h3 so that Harry can win the game and keep pursuing the villain.
And here’s the alternative scenario that Ron rejected: one in which he could sacrifice Harry and win the game himself:
It’s very cleverly composed. Silman explained that the moviemakers wanted the action to start with a capture — hence the white queen taking the pawn. Then the black rook intervenes to protect Harry (the bishop on a3), only to get clobbered, too.
By moving, however, the rook vacated the c5 square — and that square is very important.
On move two, Ron, commanding the black pieces, faces a crucial choice. If he plays Bc5, the white queen will capture Harry. Then Ron can ride his knight down to h3 and checkmate the white king.
But that would put Harry out of action for pursuing the Philosopher’s Stone. So instead, Ron begins by ordering his knight to h3 (check), knowing that white queen will whack him. She does. Thanks to Ron’s noble self-sacrifice, Harry can then move safely to c5 to deliver check. White’s only move is to interpose the queen. Harry smites her — sweet revenge! and checkmate!
I’ll add the alternate-universe “Bad Ron” scenario below the actual game.
This is super neat!! I really like being able to click through it and I understand it a lot better this way than just the c5 h3 method of numbering etc (I’m a pretty visual/kinesthetic learner). And also very cool to see Ron’s self-sacrificing method vs the other.