allanbeardsworth

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Cerendagva v Purevžav, 1949

Some form of back rent mate is clearly on the cards (in Purdy terms, White’s King is in a net) so…1…Bd4+! 2 Kh1

and now what?

It doesn’t take too long to see 2…Qd3

and after 3 Bd3 several checks: Nf2+ Nd3+ Nf2+ and finally Nd1+! blocks White’s rook’s sight of f1, so it mate next move.

5r1k/6bp/4Q1p1/3p4/Pp2n3/1q1N4/1P4PP/R4BK1 b – – 0 1

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Prins v Sultanbejev, Hastings 1949

(I am assuming Black was Sultan Khan; but can’t find the game in Megabase; so have left the spelling as in the puzzle book)

Once I had decided who was to play (the book does not say so, leaving it to the reader to work out), it wasn’t too hard: 1….Qf2! breaks White’s defences.

However, Fritz prefers 1….Ng1!: giving it as -3 compared to -2 for 1…Qf2, giving White the ‘save’ 2 Rg6+: but he is still lost.

6k1/1Q3p2/5qp1/4p3/1P6/8/P3n1RP/5rRK b – – 0 1

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Ostropoljski v Ivanovski, SSSR 1949

Fairly standard: the aim, in Purdy terms, is to effect the jump-check Qd8 or Rd8.

So, 1 Qd7+! Rd7[] 2 Nc7+

2…. Rc7[] 3 Rd8 mate.

4kb1r/pr1p1ppp/2p5/1N2P1B1/q3n3/P7/1P1Q1PPP/3RK2R w Kk – 0 1

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Unknown v Mason 1948

So, pretty, this looks almost ‘too good to be true’, since five of Black’s pieces (six, including his king) are on the back rank, and yet there is a forced mate.

1…Bb5! clears the back rank for the Q to reach h8 once the usual double rook sac has cleared the lines, here with the addition of the rank clearing Bc5+.

White can grovel, and play 2 Qf3, but if he then plays (after 2…Bf1) 3 Rf1, the same line follows.

So, 1…Bb5! 2 ab Nhg3+ 3 hg (3 hg drops the LPDO Qe2) hg+ 4 Kg1 Bc5+,

5…Rh1+, 6 Rh8+, 7…Rh1+ 8…Qh1+ and 9….Qh2 mate.

k1q1bbrr/1p3pp1/p7/5n1n/PP2N2p/1NP5/1BB1Q1PP/2R2R1K b – – 0 1

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Crustoph v Muth, Hamburg 1948

Examine all biffs: 1 Bc6+

and if 1…Kd8. 2 Qd7mate, so 1…Qc6[] when 2 Rf8+!

2…Kf8 (2…Rf8 3 Qe7 mate) 3 Qe7+  (3 Be7+ is probably a move or two faster, but Qe7+was the line I worked out when solving the puzzle) Kg8

And now they standard mating moves 4 Qe6+ Kf8[] 5 Be7+ Ke8 6 Bf6+ Kf8[] 7 Qe7+

and 8 Qg7 mate.

4kb1r/4n1pp/3pQ3/1p4B1/2q5/5B2/1PP3PP/5R1K w k – 0 1

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Borisenko v Aramanović, Kujbišev 1948

1…e2! is a standard double attack and White is overwhelmed: 0-1.

1…Qd1 2 Qd1 e2 also works, and was my first thought, since after 3 Qd8+ Bf8 White has no more checks other than the desperado 4 Qf8+ after which Black’s pawn promotes. But 1…e2 is prettier.

1n4k1/p5bp/4N1p1/1P6/PP2B3/4p3/3q1rPP/3RQ2K b – – 0 1

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Steckl v Milner-Barry, Vienna 1948

The first move is ‘obvious’, given that this is a position in a puzzle book: 1…Qh4. (However, Fritz prefers exchanging on d4 first, in the sense that -18 (whatever it means) is better than -9)

The easy point is 2 gh Rg6+ and 3…Nf2 mate.

Harder though is the move played in the game: 2 Nf3. This defence is why 1…Nd4 is probably better.

In a game, I would quickly get out of my depth of vision, and have to judge if my intuition trusted the Q sac: hopefully it would, but it might not be; but it being a daily puzzle with no pressure and ample time, it is easier: 2…N4g5!

3 gh (3 Nh4?? Nh3 mate) Nf3+

4 Kg2! (4 Bf3 Bf3 and Rg6+)

4…Ne1+ 5 Kg3 Rg6+ 6 Kh3 Bg2 mate.

Very hard, especially since White has the 4 Kg2 defence.

r5k1/pbp1q1pp/1p1pn2r/5p2/1PPNn3/P5P1/1BQ1BP1P/R4RK1 b – – 0 1

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Horvat v Udovčić, Zagreb 1948

Examine all biffs quickly leads to 1 Ng6+!, and once it is noted that the Bd7 is pinned by the Rc7, after 1…fg, the Pe6 is LPDO, so 2 Qe6+ is terminal: 2…Kf8[] 3 Qe7 mate.

Black’s only other try is 1….Ke8, but 2 Qe6+!!

2…fe (2…Be6 3 Re7 mate) 3 Re6+ Kf7 (3…Bd7 4 Re7 mate) 4 Re7 mate.

1r1r4/p1RbkppB/1qp1pn2/4N3/P1P5/8/4QPPP/4R1K1 w – – 0 1

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Subarić v Trifunović, Zagreb 1947

Pretty, but not too hard today. 1…Qd4!

2 Bd4 Nf3+ 3 Kf1[] Bb5+ and mate next move.

r3k1r1/pp3p1p/4p3/4n3/b1qNP3/4B2P/P4PP1/R1Q3KR b q – 0 19

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

 

E Schröder v M Schröder, Maribor 1947

An odd one, in that the book’s solution, the game continuation no doubt, is the very hard to see 1 Qg4!, its main point being 1…Bg4 is met by 2 Ne7+ Kf8[] 3 Ng6 mate. In the game, Black played 1…Kf7 met by 2 Qg6+ (2 Nf4 also wins) Kg6 3 Nf4+ and mates. 1…Rc4 is met by 2 Qg6 1-0.

The above lines are fine, but the line I found, 1 Rg7+ is just as forcing, and more obvious. 1…Kg7 2 Qh6+ Kf7

3 Qh7+ Kf8[]

and either 4 Nf4 or 4 Qg6 or the line I saw, 4 Qh8+ Bg8[] 5 Rh7 and mate next move.

When I loaded the position into Deep Fritz, it gave both 1 Rg7+ and the surprising 1 Nf6+ as mate in 7: after some thought it reduced 1 Rg7_ to mate in 6; 1 Qg4 it also gives as mate in 7.

 2rqr1k1/4p1bR/3pbpp1/p2N4/1pB1PQ2/8/PPP2PP1/2K4R w – – 0 1