Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White.
Elert v Bohl, Riga 1901
Solution
Not too hard today: 1…Ng4 and if 2 fg, 2…Qh2+!
3 Kh2[] Bf2mate.
If 2Nf4, 3 Ne3 0-1; 2Bf4 Qc5+ 0-1
Posted with BlogsyAnother puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White.
consulting players v Blackburne, Bredford (sic, might be Bradford UK?) 1901
Solution
1..Qa6! and the game ended 2 g4 Qa2! 3 Be3 Bc3!
White can defend differently, but Black either mates or wins prosaically.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black (or win, in some lines; but in others there are fairly pretty mates)
Schlechter v Gunsberg, Monte Carlo, 1901
Solution
Sacrificing on d5 is obvious. 1 Nd5 Rd5 2 Rd5 Bf7 3 Qf7+ Rf7 4 Rd8 1-0
There are other lines. 1…Bh5 2 Nf6+ Kh8[] 3 Rh5+ Bh6[] 4 Rh6+ Kg7 5 Ne8+ Kh6 6 Rh3 mate.
Or 1…Rd5 2 Rd5 Rd5 3 Bd5+ Qd5 4 Qe8 +-; not mate, so not quite in tune with the book’s title, but a convincing 1-0.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White
Jackson v Marshall, London 1899
Solution
This puzzle took me time: the first, if I recall correctly, in the book where I had to set the pieces up on the board, and move them around. And this, despite the fact, that I more or less immediately saw the winning move 1…Kg6: I just couldn’t see the continuation against all defences.
First, the most troublesome one for me: 2 g4 Rg2 (the move which took me a long while to find, having previously looked at 2…Rf3?) and if 3 gf+ Rf5 (again, at first I felt 3…Kf5 with the idea of Re5-e8-h8) and Black mates with either Be7+ or Bf2+.
Next, the pretty one: 2 Bg5 Rf4+!! and if 3 Bf4, 3…Be7+ 4 Bg5[] Bg5mate, or 3…gf Bf2 mate.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Nimzowitsch v Neumann, 1899
Solution
Quite easy, all being forcing moves: 1 Nc7+ Qc7 2 Bf7+ Kd7 3 Qf5+! Nf5[] 4 e6 mate.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Janowski v Schlechter, London, 3/6/1899
Solution
Fairly obvious, given the puzzle is all about mating. 1 Qh7+ Kh7 2 Rh5+ Kg8[] 3 Ng6 and Black can’t escape the net.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White
unknown v Pillsbury, 1899
Solution
Not hard today: a standard pattern: 1…Qf1+ 2 Bg1[] Qf3+ 3 Bf3[] Bf3 mate.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White
Chigorin v Blackburn, Vienna 1898
Solution
White has two queens, and threatens mate, and so only checks will do. It took me a couple of glances to see the win: 1…Qa5+ (after which Chigorin resigned) 2 Ra2[] Qe1+! 3 Ne1 c1(Q) mate. An unusual motif.
It’s a good job the players couldn’t analyse afterwards with Fritz or their engine of choice: White dominated the unusual game; being +21 up before White’s last move before the diagram, 45 Qf4-d4. Most anything else would have won.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Tietz v Rommig, Karlsbad 1898
Solution
Could this be a made up game? Maybe not, but it does appear contrived: 1 Rc6! and if 1…Kc6 then a barrage of checks.
2 Qb5+!
2…Kb5 3 Ba4+ Ka4 4 Nc3+ Kb3[] 5 Nd2 mate.
If 3..Kc4 then 4 b3+ Kd3[] 5 Bb5+ Ke4[] 6 Rg4+ Kf5[] 7 Ne3 mate.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Marco v unknown, simul 1898
Solution
Not too hard, especially when you know it is a “to play and mate” problem.
1 Nc6+ bc[] 2 Qa7+ Ka7 3 Ra1+ Kb6 4 Rhb1+ Kc5 5 Ra5 mate.
allanbeardsworth 