Find the Winning Move, Hotshot!

This will be an ongoing series, with new games added regularly. Enjoy and feel free to participate, if you like.

Game 1:

It's the State Open, and you've been in a back-and-forth battle with your long-time rival, Captain Jergwillicutty, for the past hour. You're threatening to dislodge his knight with your pawns, with your pieces all aiming toward his f7 pawn.

To defend, Jergwillicutty has brought his Queen to b6, attacking your rook. "Hah!" he says to you, as he slaps his clock with a fish. "Beat that, Hotshot! I hope you lose all your socks in the drier!"

You place a monocle over your eye (for extra concentration points, of course) and squint at the position for a long time. One hour. Two hours. Five days. Six years. After a decade of thinking (... how have you survived this long, without eating? Nobody knows), you finally play your move.

Find the winning move, Hotshot!

Game 2:

It's the Northwood South-Eastern West Invitational, and your long-time rival, Captain Jergwillicutty, has been scoffing at your Open Sicilian since the dawn of time. "Your c-file is weak and soon to be mine!" he taunts, shaking a fish at you. "I hope you get a tank full of pet fish, and you slowly fall in love with them, and they all steadily ignore you!"

The taunt stings, and you wipe away a few fish-related tears. But then you realize that you've got other plans.

Find the winning move, Hotshot!

I don't remember the last time I saw a good forum like this. Super funny and good puzzles. Keep posting man

hey this a great forum it took me a long while and a few missteps to get the first two -- but hey it was great fun-- even better than losing a game to a lessor player -- please keep this up and lead in is great --- good job --

*Ahem*... these positions are all from your games, Hotshot, against your infamous rival, Captain Jergwillicutty!

And thanks everyone - glad you're liking it!

great, got them all first try

Game 3:

It's the penultimate round of the Pen Ultimate Championship, and you're face to face once again with your longtime rival, the one and only Captain Jergwillicutty.

He has just played his queen into the corner, attacking your bishop on c1. "Take that, Hotshot!" he bellows, shaking a cooked shrimp at you. Cocktail sauce splatters on your brand new apron, and Jergwillicutty laughs so hard that his shoelaces come untied. "I hope you adopt a dog from the shelter, and all your friends and family tell you how wonderful a person you are for doing so, but then the dog turns out to be extremely prissy and will only eat gourmet food that's prepared by a chef named Dante at one in the morning! Hah!"

The taunt hits close to your heart, because you know a chef named Dante, and you know just how expensive his fancy Cheerios are. But you shake the Captain's insult off and finally play your move.

Find the winning move, Hotshot!

I love this

The second was my favorite with the jergwillicutty guy falling down 4 flights of stairs. the question is, how'd he survive?

Game 4:

It's the final round of the Blue Sneaker Invitational, and you've worn your shiny White sneakers to do battle once more with your infamous rival, Captain Jergwillicutty.

The Captain's pieces are tangled up on the queenside, but you know that if you wait too long, he'll eventually get them back into the game.

Jergwillicutty, however, has been shaking a live lobster at you since lunch, splattering the board with seawater and making your stomach growl. The Captain mocks your hunger by shouting, "I hope you go to an expensive restaurant and order the Daily Sandwich Special, and when it arrives at your table it looks and smells so delicious that your mouth starts to water, but when you finally take a bite out of it, it's extremely bland and underwhelming! Ah hahaha!"

The taunt rubs close to home, because you've been thinking of ordering the Sandwich Special all week - but you shake it off when you spot an excellent attacking plan.

Find the winning move, Hotshot!