Cordingley puzzle 3

A well known problem, from Alekhine- Reschevsky, Kemeri 1937.

Solution

The solution is obvious, especially if, like me, you have seen the position before: one of those standard positions which you see so often they become committed to memory, or part of your chess wisdom.

Talking of wisdom, I wasn't so wise when I said, in an earlier blog, that the puzzles in Cordingley's book were in random order, also saying the fact that they weren't themed appealed to me. That latter part is true, they aren't themed, but the puzzles aren't in random order, but are in the should have been fairly obvious alphabetical order by white's name.

What is surprising, for a book published in 1944, which was towards the end of Alekhine's career, was that only one of his white games is included. Maybe though it is not surprising, if Cordingley felt that Alekhine has Nazi sympathies; I have no idea if this might have been known or thought at the time; or maybe Cordingley's selection rationale was more prosaic, to exclude well known examples: he says as such in his preface.

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