White to play and win
Dely v Brzózka, 1963
Solution
Given that this is a problem, and we know there is a solution, as opposed to a game, it is easier than otherwise, though not easy. 1 Rg7! Kg7[] 2 Bh6+ Kg8[] (2…Kf8?? drops the Rf8) is easy enough, but then what? Eventually I found the key, 3 Nb6!, biffing the queen, and so gained a tempo.
After 3….cb 4 Qg4+ Kf7 5 Qg7+ and 1-0.
Posted with BlogsyThis is an occasional series of postings inspired by a brief discussion on the flight home from Turkey this summer. The flight attendant saw I was reading a chess book (quelle surprise) and, just making polite small talk, said she also liked playing chess, saying that depending on whether other crew members played, she would play on stopovers. Later in the flight she asked me if I had a chess set at home…and that set me thinking. How many chess sets do I have? And since then number is, well, shall we say, quite high, I thought I would blog about them especially those which ‘mean something to me’.
A most unusual design, the set comes with a red and black squared paper board.
A friend who was down-sizing game the set to me.
I can’t date it, nor (in my ignorance) can I explain its design; but quaint.
Rating
4/10:an unusual combination of faux ivory, ornate pieces, and paper board.
White to play and win
Westerinen v Loikkanen, 1963
Solution
Fairly straightforward, since the most obvious biff (examine all biffs) leads to a single forced line: 1 Qf8+ Kf8[] 2 Rd8+ Ke7[] 3 Re8 mate.
This is an occasional series of postings inspired by a brief discussion on the flight home from Turkey this summer. The flight attendant saw I was reading a chess book (quelle surprise) and, just making polite small talk, said she also liked playing chess, saying that depending on whether other crew members played, she would play on stopovers. Later in the flight she asked me if I had a chess set at home…and that set me thinking. How many chess sets do I have? And since then number is, well, shall we say, quite high, I thought I would blog about them especially those which ‘mean something to me’.
A horrible magnetic set. The strength of the magnets are too strong, meaning the pieces stick to the board, but what is more, the board is shiny metallic, and in most lights the white and black squares are hard to distinguish.
Rating
0/10: Where it not forbidden to throw out chess sets (clutter? what clutter?) this would have been thrown out years ago.
White to play and win, after Black plays 1…Bg5
Ofstad v Uhlmann, 1963
Solution
Black could draw by 1…Ne6, forcing a draw after 2 Ne6+ Kf7[] 3 Nf4+ Kf6 (3…Kf8 4 Ne6+ 1/2) 4 Re6+ Kf7[] (4…Kg5?? 5 Nh3 mates). Instead, his 1…Bg5?? loses.
2 Qd6+! Be7 3 Re7 Ne7 and now 4 Qf6+ is a pretty meting line.
4…gf[] 5 Bh6 mate.
This is an occasional series of postings inspired by a brief discussion on the flight home from Turkey this summer. The flight attendant saw I was reading a chess book (quelle surprise) and, just making polite small talk, said she also liked playing chess, saying that depending on whether other crew members played, she would play on stopovers. Later in the flight she asked me if I had a chess set at home…and that set me thinking. How many chess sets do I have? And since then number is, well, shall we say, quite high, I thought I would blog about them especially those which ‘mean something to me’.
A friend gave me this, when clearing out his possessions before down-sizing. I know little about the set, whose design is unusual.
I can’t place the period: “modern” “art deco”?? I have no idea. It was bought from Camden Market.
Rating
1/10: unusual, but the design doesn’t appeal to me.
White to play and win
In the Teschner book, the question is asked ’what happens after 1 Re7 Rc3?’
Lee v Sakharov, Vrnjacka Banja 1963
Solution
Not too hard: examine all biffs leads to 1 Qf7+! being looked at, when 1…Rf7[] 2 Re8+ Rf8[] 3 R(either)f8 is mate.
This is an occasional series of postings inspired by a brief discussion on the flight home from Turkey this summer. The flight attendant saw I was reading a chess book (quelle surprise) and, just making polite small talk, said she also liked playing chess, saying that depending on whether other crew members played, she would play on stopovers. Later in the flight she asked me if I had a chess set at home…and that set me thinking. How many chess sets do I have? And since then number is, well, shall we say, quite high, I thought I would blog about them especially those which ‘mean something to me’.
A friend gave me these pieces (no board) together with several other sets, when he had to have a clear out. In beautiful condition, I assume they are Russian, but don’t know for sure.
I also don’t know how old they are: I suspect they were made for tourists in Russia.
Rating
1/10: they don’t mean anything to me, just a nice design to look at.
White to play and win
Bojkovic v Sakharov, Vrnjacka Banja 1963
Solution
This puzzle is a good example of the effect on the game of engines. The solution given in the Teschner book is short and sweet, and is the line I would play ten times out of time. 1 Rh5! gh 2 Nf5! and it is all over. That is about all Teschner gives, too, and absent engines, that is about all I would do too, perhaps with a little regard to what happens after (1 Rh5) 1….f5 by which Black tries to cling on, noting that both the Rh5 and Nc3 are en prise. I did look at 1…f5, knew it was Black's best try (because it is murky) and felt that after 2 gf Rf6[] 3 e5 I had looked 'deep enough', the idea being that if 3…de, 4 Ne4 biffs the Rf6 at the same time as moving the knight from harm's way.
The engine goes a bit deeper, though. 3 e5 Rf7! 4 ed Qf8! and after 5 Qf8+[] Raf8 6 Re5 we reach this position:
White is winning, clearly: but would you win it if you were white against Magnus Carlsen? There is some scope to mess up.
Engines
Stockfish, on my iPad, finds a far better line.
1 Nf5!! gf:
and now, not the 'ten times out of ten' move 2 Rh5, but the cruel 2 Rdg1!! The human 2 Rh5 permits 2…f6 with a bit of a struggle.
After 2 Rdg1!!, Black can't play 2…f6, because of 3 gf+ biffing the queen, so has to waste a move, 2…Kh8, the effect of which is that White has gained a tempo, which he has used to bring the Rd1 into the attack. So 3 Rh5 f6[] 4 g6:
4…Qg7:
And now rather than the prosaic 5 Qg7+ Qg7[] 6 Rh7+ Kg8[] 7 Rd7 bc, which wins, the machine shows the much more elegant 5 Qh7+! Qh7[] 6 g7+!! Kg8[] 7 gf(Q)+ Kf8 8 Rh7, and White is a whole Rook up. Silicon precision.
This is an occasional series of postings inspired by a brief discussion on the flight home from Turkey this summer. The flight attendant saw I was reading a chess book (quelle surprise) and, just making polite small talk, said she also liked playing chess, saying that depending on whether other crew members played, she would play on stopovers. Later in the flight she asked me if I had a chess set at home…and that set me thinking. How many chess sets do I have? And since then number is, well, shall we say, quite high, I thought I would blog about them especially those which ‘mean something to me’.
Another (and there are more to come) cheap plastic set. I don’t recall ever using it, but when setting it up for this blog series, it is decently made.
Rating
1/10: not the worst of its kind.
allanbeardsworth 