Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and win
Vazzaroni v Mazzochi, Rim 1891
Solution
Another pretty puzzle: intuitively you know that there has to be a mate, probably with Bf7, but how to get all the pieces out of the way/ in what order do you throw things away?
A bit of thinking shows how: 1 Qg4+! Bg4[] (B diverted off the diagonal, escape square blocked) 2 Rh6+! (clearance, stops g7-g6) 2….gh 3 Bf7.
A nice smothered mate.
Posted with BlogsyAnother puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and win
Unknown v Robsson, Newcastle 1891
Solution
A standard deflection first: 1…Rd5+, taking the Q away from g6, so 2 Qd5[] Bg6+ 3 Kc3 (or Kc4) 3….Rc2 mate.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and win
Tarrasch v Meisner, Nurnberg 1890
Solution
A nice one: sac, sac, sac, mate.
1 Bh6! Rh6 (1…Bh6 2 Rg8+ 1-0) 2 Rg7! Ng7 3 Qg7+!
3… Kg7[] 4 f8(Q)+ Kg8
and now check and check and check until mate: 5 Qf7+ 6 Qf5+ 7 g3 mate.
In the game, Tarrasch won in a different move order: 1 Rg7! Ng7 2 Bh6! transposing after 2…Rhh6, since if 2…Rdh6, 3 Qb8+ mates.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and win
Schlecter v Meitner, Bec 1889
Solution
The main idea is easy to see: Kh2 to smother the King, then Bf2 mates, but some preparation is needed. The deflection 1 Qh6+! Qh6 puts the Black Q on a useless square, then 2 Kh2 and 3 Bf2 mate.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and win
Solution
A fairly standard breakthrough: 1…Rd4 2 cd Bd4+.
Now if 3 Qd4, 3…Nf3+ forks the King and Queen, so 4 Kf1 when the pretty 4…Qg2+! mates:
5 Kg2 Bh3.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and win
Mackenzie v unknown, Manchester 1889
Solution
This seems familiar to another classic from the 19th century or earlier, where Qd8+/Bd2-a5+/O-O-O or something similar mates Black.
1 Re5+! de 2 Qe5+!
Qe5 3 Bc6+! Rc6 4 Rd8 mate.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and win
Berger v Kos, Graz 1882
Solution
A nice one. There are prosaic ways to win, but 1 Qa8+! Kh7 2 Qh8+! is pretty: 2…Nh8[] 3 Rg7 mate.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and win
Zukertort v unknown, 1880
Solution
Not too hard, since you know that in the 19th century Queens were sacrificed. In Blitz or Rapidplay, one would play 1 Qf7 without a thought, unless you wanted to be flashy and had the time to calculate 1 gf! Ng6[] (only move in the sense that it is ungentlemanly to not accept a proffered piece) 2 hg+ Kg8
3 Rh8+! (a nice detail, but not an uncommon motif)
Kh8[] 4 f7 and mates on the h file. Black can interpose one or two things to be taken before mate, but mate it will be.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and win
Kostrovicki v Chigorin, Petrograd 1875
Solution
Pretty: but a single forcing line, so not hard to see.
1…Rg3+ 2 hg[] Qh1+! 3 Nh1[] Rg2 mate.
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and win
Rosenthal v Nepoznati, 1873
Solution
Not too hard today: 1 Qh7+ Kh7[] 2 Ng5+ and 3 Rh3 mate.
allanbeardsworth 