White to play and win
Bednarski v Tarazi, Havana 1966
Solution
1 Qg2+ is the natural biff, with 1…Kf8? failing to 2 Rh8+ picking up the LPDO Rb8.
Teschner’s book gives 1…Nfg4 in reply, and after 2 fg fg 3 Qh2; better is 1…Neg4 2 fg fg when the game goes on, partly because the Nf6 is a better defender than the Ne5, but more because 3 Qh2 can be met by 3…Qh5!
simplifying into an ending: 4 Qh5 Nh5 5 Rh5
White is probably winning , but the game goes on- there is some chance for White to mess up.
Black to play and win
Solution
Not too hard today, since the motif is clearly to exploit White’s back rank weaknesses, and 1…Nc5! is a very natural biff.
If White doesn’t exchange of e8, and instead defends by 2 Qc3 or 2 Qg3, then 2…Re1+ 3 Qe1 Rd1 wins the queen. So 2 Re8+ Qe8 is forced.
Then, say 3 Qg3 loses to 3..Rd1+ and 4…Ne4+, winning the queen; so 3 Qf3 is best.
Black then has the nice deflection 3..Bg4! and White’s queen is overloaded: depending on how he replies, 4…Rd1+ or 4…Qe1+ are murderous.
White to play and win
Toran v O’Kelly, Palma de Mallorca 1967
Solution
A standard motif, all that is needed is to check that the King can’t escape: it can’t. the mate being pretty.
1 Qh7+! Kh7[] 2 Rh3+ Nh4[] 3 Rh6+ Kg5[] 4 f4+!
4… Kg4 5 Ne3 mate.
White to play and win
A Zaitsev v Furman, Harkov 1967
Solution
Not too hard today. After rejecting more obvious biffs like 1 Qb8+ and 1 Rg8+?, the examine all biffs approach leads naturally to 1 Ng6+!! the point being that after 1..hg 2 Qh4+ leads to all three major pieces attacking the lone king, noting the the Pf6 is double attacked, and undefended.
Black to play and win
AN Other v Mart, Natanya 1967
Solution
1…e3 is a natural disruptive biff, breaking the connection of the Bf4 and Rd2. 2 Be3 is easy: 2…Be3 and 3 Qd2+ 0-1; 2 fe is prettier: 2…Bb2+
3 Rb2 Qd1+!
4 Rd1[] Rd1+ 5 Kc2[] R8d2 mate.
White to play and win
Faibisovich v Bukhman, Leningrard 1967
Solution
A Ng7 capture is obvious, question is “why might it work?”. When you see that 1 Qa3+ fails to 1..c5, the Ne6 protecting the pawn on c5, the question simplifies to “which N”.
1 Nhg7! and if 1…Ng7 2 Qa3+ is 1-0: 2…Ke8 3 Ng7+; or 2…Kg8? 3 Nh6+ and 4 Nf7+ wins the queen.
White to play and win
Fischer v Dely, Skopje 1967
Solution
I saw the solution, both the initial 1 Rf8+ Qf8, and the subsequent 2 Qa4+, instantly, which probably means, it being a Bobby Fischer game, that I had seen the position before.
The nicest line is 2…Kd8 3 Bb6+Kc8[] 4 Rc1+ Kb8[] 5 Qd7 1-0 If 2…b5 3 Qe4 wins easily.
White to play and win
Hesse- Hauck, Berlin 1967
Solution
Fairly standard Catalan trick: 1 Ng5! and White retains his piece. 1..Bc2 2 Bb7 Bd1 3 Bc8 being the main line, when both sides have a piece on en prise.
Black to play and win
Konoarkowska-Sokolov v Zatulovskaya, Subotica 1967
Solution
Examine all biffs helps here, and 1…Bh4! is game over. 2 Qh4 Nf3+; or 2 g3 Bg3 3 Qg2 and say 3…ef are ruinous.
White to play and win
Kozlovskaya – Kislova, Subotica 1967
Solution
Not too hard today: the combination relies on the threat of a Bh7+ discovered attach on d6.
1 Nd6! and if 1…Bd6 (others don’t help) 2 Bd6 Qd6 3 de wins the Nf6 for if 3…Ne5? 4 Bh7+ picks up the queen.
White therefore wins a pawn.
The whole game, available on Megabase is worth playing through, to see how White nicely exploited her advantage: basically, in the above position, the game continued 3…Qe7 4 ef Qf6 5 Bg6! nicely getting the better minor piece.
allanbeardsworth 