Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Tan v Goryachkina, Baku Olympiad 13/9/2016
Solution
A nice one, and one which caused me difficulties.
It took me a while, and then I was pleased, to find 1 Nb5! and if 1…Qe3 2 fe Be5 3 c7 Bc7[] 4 Nc7
And White’s knight can get back to control b1 just in time: chess is a game of one tempo.
The win is then trivial: K to the q-side, gobble the b-pawn, and then back to the kingside.
In the game, Black played 1…Qb5 and I was just about able to see that White could control f2 and also push his pawn, with checking threats meaning his pawn’s advance is faster than the b pawn’s.
2 Qe6+ Kg7 3 Qd6 Qb6 4 Kg2 was played in the game
and Black soon resigned.
FEN
6k1/7p/2Pbp1p1/4q3/1p1N3P/4Q1P1/5P1K/8 w – – 0 46
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Habershon v Hutchinson, Bournemouth 28/7/2016
Solution
1 Nf7! for if 1…Rf7 2 Bd5 wins; or 1…Ra6 2 Nh6+ 1-0.
The game, on Megabase, is well worth playing through. Interesting to see White’s nice attack, and the narrow line (18…Ra6) where Black could have defended.
FEN
r1b2rk1/1p3pp1/5B1p/1p2N2Q/2Pp4/2bP2P1/q4PBP/5RK1 w – – 0 19
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Maze v Jessel, Baku Olympiad 3/9/2016
Solution
1 Bg6! and Black breaks.
If 1…fg 2 Re6+ Kd7 3 Ra6
If 3..Kc8 then 4 Rf8+ Kb7 5 Rfa8 and wins.
Or, 1…Rg6 then 2 Rf7+ Kd8 3 Rf8+ Kc7[] 4 R1f7+ Kb6[] 5 Rb8+ and mates.
FEN
8/4kpr1/b3pR1p/pp1pP3/nP1N2P1/P1rB4/2PK3P/5R2 w – – 0 31
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Efimenko v Ekeberg, Rogaska Slatina, 25/9/2011
Solution
1 Nf7! and after 1…Kf7, 2 Qe6+ Kf8[] 3 Bg6
And Black is helpless. One line is 3..Qc7 4 Bd6+ R5d6 (4…Qd6 5 Qf7 mate: the Q is tied to f7 5 Rd6 Rd6 6 Qe8+! and mates.
Nicely, this whole line, quite deep, is visible from the start: the line is fairly linear, a narrow tree with few branches in Kotov tree terms.
FEN
3r2k1/pb3pp1/3bpn1p/2qrN3/8/3B2B1/PPP1QPPP/3RR1K1 w – – 0 19
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play: analyse 1 Rh7 Bd3 2 Rh5
Maiorov v Atalik, Kavala 2/8/2011
Solution
The solution, given a couple of days ago, is 1 Rf7+, a move I am not sure I would have played. I might have, but I would have had some doubts that the Bishop ending was won. Hopefully I would have understood it should be, by the principle of two weaknesses, but in the pressure of a practical game, such high-minded theories, known in analysis, are often forgotten.
I might well have played 1 Rh7 Bd3 2 Rh5, and I think I would have thought my advantage had been converted, but no, 1…Ra8! or 1…Rb8! and Komodo 10 gives the dreaded three zeroes: 0.00. It is perpetual.
FEN
5r2/1R6/2p1B3/2Pp3p/2bP1k1P/5P2/5K2/8 w – – 0 49
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play : what is the winning method?
Maiorov v Atalik, Kavala 2/8/2011 (variation)
Solution
Yesterday I reached this position, when I wondered if the ending was truly won. I played a few moves on against the engine, reaching:
Not seeing how to advance the h-pawn without losing it. I shuffled around again until reaching:
Now Bc6!! and the bishop is overloaded, and the Black king is too far advanced in order to help control the h-pawn 1-0. (or h6, too wins: for some reason I saw the fancy Bc6 first).
I imagine there are other winning methods, too.
FEN
4B3/8/2p5/1bPp4/3P1k1P/5P2/5K2/8 b – – 0 52
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Maiorov v Atalik, Kavala 2/8/2011
Solution
1 Rb7! and Black resigned. In Suat’s annotations in Megabase, he mentions 1…Re6 2 Rf7 and mate next move.
Better (in a sense) is 1…Rf8 when 2 Rf7+! simplifies into a winning ending.
It took me a moment or so to confirm that White was winning. It comes down to the principle of two weaknesses: White is a pawn up, and Black must defend the Pc6, so his bishop is forced to move to b5/a4. White then advances h4-h5. forcing Kf4-g5, and the White king can then advance.
FEN
4r3/8/2p1B3/2Pp3p/1RbP1k1P/5P2/5K2/8 w – – 0 48
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Gashimov v Nielsen, Khanty-Mansiysk 8/9/2011
Solution
1 Ng7! Kg7[] 2 Qh6+ Kg8 [] 3 gf
and Black is helpless. 3…Rf7[] is forced to defend g7, but this blocks the Be8’s sight of g6, s 4 Rf5, when Rg5+ and Rg7 follows.
FEN
4br1k/2p3pp/p3rp2/4qNP1/2PpP2Q/3P1R2/P5P1/5RK1 w – – 0 33
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play: how to play after 1 Nd5! Qd5
Naoum v Skiadopoulous, Isthmia 23/8/2011
Solution
I had a complete fail with this puzzle, first blogged yesterday: I wonder if my readers fared better?
I couldn’t defeat 1 Nd5! Qd5: but it is perhaps fairly simple. 2 Qa5, which I saw, is actually very strong.
I assumed 2…Qd7 or 2…Rd7 would both hold, especially 2…Qd7. But the Queen is overloaded, tied to defending both rooks. So 3 Rc6 and White is better.
I think I got by judgement wrong because of the centralisation of Black’s pieces: but they aren’t coordinated, and the queen is overloaded.
FEN
3r2k1/3P2pp/2r5/ppq5/4p3/PPNnP3/2RQ2PP/5RK1 w – – 0 29
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Naoum v Skiadopoulous, Isthmia 23/8/2011
Solution
I had a complete fail with this puzzle: I wonder if my readers fared better?
After much effort, I chose 1 b4 as the move I would play, but didn’t think I had much after an exchange of pawns and 2…Qc4. And White doesn’t: it is level
I looked several times at 1 Nd5! but couldn’t make it work.
Even when I looked on Megabase for the solution, I couldn’t see how 1Nd5 worked against 1…Qd5. But first, what I did see was how to beat 1…Qc2, as played in the game.
2 Qa5! (a better move order than my solution, 2 Ne7+, because 2 Qa5 prevents Rc7) Rd7 3 Ne7+! (key, and pretty)
and mates.
FEN
3r2k1/3P2pp/2r5/ppq5/4p3/PPNnP3/2RQ2PP/5RK1 w – – 0 29
allanbeardsworth 