allanbeardsworth

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

Or, in fact, a further puzzle from yesterday’s game.

White to play and win

Duras v Olland, Karlsbad 1907

Solution

Duras played the prosaic 1 Nf4, bringing another piece into the game, eyeing h5 (if the B moved there) or d5 and f6: So 1-0 after 1…Rh8 2 Nd5 and a few more moves.

But he missed mate in 3.

1 Bf8+! Bh5[] 2 Qh5+! gh[] 3 Rh6 mate.

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

White to play and win

Duras v Olland, Karlsbad 1907

Solution

It would be a crime not to play the first two moves: or at least the first move: 1 R1d5! ed[] 2 Qf6+ Kg7[] (2…Kg8?? 3 Rd8+ 1-0)

Then, several moves win, such as 3 Nf4, bringing more pieces to the party, or the even better, and just as obvious, 3 Bh6! noting that the Kh7 is tied to the Rh8, so the B can’t be taken: 1-0.

The game continued 3 Bh6! Rg8[] 4 Qh4

I will continue commenting on this puzzle tomorrow.

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

White to play and mate Black

Capablanca v Roublicek, New York 1907

Solution

Quite an elegant finish, a variant I have not seen before:

1 Ra7+ Qa7[] 2 Ra5! 1-0. The second move is nice.

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

White to play and mate Black

Vidmar v Teichmann. Karlsbad 1907  (maybe, see below)

Solution

Fairly standard today: 1 Qh7+! Nh7[] 2 Rd8+! Nf8 3 Rh8+! Kh8[] 4 Rf8 mate.

“Maybe”

Megabase 2012 (my latest copy of Megabase) give a more prosaic ending: I suspect the puzzle book is a variation.

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

White to play and win

Teichmann v unknown, 1903

(not worth spending much time on: cooked- perhaps try to find the purported line, and the bust)

Solution

I struggled in vain with this one. My try 1 Qf5 works against everything but Bb7 or Ba6, bringing the Ra8 into the defence. And I couldn’t make 1 Rh6 work, but that is the solution: 1…Nh6[] 2 Qg5 Nf7[] 3 Qd8+ !! (alleged) Nd8[] 4 h6 but simply 4…Ng6 is 0-1, or 4…Ng2 is cuter: 5 Rg2 Qd1+ and 5…Qh5 to defend h7.

White is just lost in the opening position.

A bigger puzzle: how did the game position arise? White is two pieces down; what was Black’s last move?  I have no answers.

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

White to play and mate Black

Chigorin v Znosko-Borovsky, Kiev 1903

Solution

1 Ne7+ is fairly obvious, and if 1…R2e7, 2 Qe7 1-0; so 1…R8e7 when 2 Rd8+ Re8[] 3 Qf8+! is a pretty finale: 3…Rf8[] 4Rf8 mate.

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

Black to play and win

unknown v Scharly, 1903

Solution

Fairly simple: 1…Qg3! and if 2 fg, 2…Bg3+ 3 Ke2 Bd1 mate.

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

Black to play and win

Alapin v Schiffers 1902

Solution

A fairly standard motif: 1…Qg3! 2 hg[] Kg2 and mate down the h-line, Rh8.

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

Black to play and win

unknown v Blackburne, 1902

Solution

Straightforward today: 1… Ng3+ 2 Kg1[] Qg2+! 3 Rg2[] Nh3 mate.

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

White to play and win

Gottschall v unknown, 1901

Solution

Quite pretty. 1 Rdf1! and if 1…Qc4 2 Ng6+

Kg8[] 3 Ne7+ Kh8 4 Rh7+! Kh8[] 5 Rh1 mate.

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