allanbeardsworth

White to play and win

KT Solomon v JJ Stwwnkamp 1997

Solution

Thank you, Mickey Adams, because it was watching one of his games from which I learnt the motif here…which meant I got the solution instantly. Absent Mickey, examine all biffs would make you consider 1 d6!, and looking for LPDOs would reveal that there is a chance the Bd7 and Bd6 could become ones (if 1..Qd6 2 Qd6 Bd6).

So, 1…Bd6 2 Rad1 Re6 3 Nf5 and a LPDO falls.

Nice.

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White to play and win

J Nelson v JA Maloney 2004

Solution

The most natural move is 1 Re8, but this is thwarted by 1…Rg7; so what better? Consider all biffs leads to 1 Bg8+!

Effectively, this just gains a tempo. If now 1…Kg8 then 2 Re8+ and 3 Qh8, so 1…Kh8. Now 2 Rd5+! forces 2…Kg8 when 3 Re8+ Kf7 4 Qh8

and mate follows.

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Black to play and win

White played 1 Ke2 here:

J Wolpert v W Heidenfeld 1955

Solution

Not much of a puzzle today: 1…Nd3 throws white into disorder; he has various moves, but all lead to a loss of a piece, one way or another.

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White to play and win

D Morschel v HJ Beckett 1974

Solution

Stockfish tells me that 1 Qg4 is very good- the king can run but it cannot hide (1…Kf8 2 Bg7+ Ke8 3 Qh5 Bg7 4 Rg7 Nf6 5 Qh8+ Ke7[] 6 Rag1 and now we see the machine's sense of humour, since 7 Rg7+! Kf7 8 Rg7mate is threatened).

However, 1 Rg7+! is an obvious biff to try, and far more human, especially when you see that the defence (after 1…Bg7 2 Rg1) 2…f6 is met with 3 d6+ winning the queen.

Black has a few minor defences such as 1…Kh8, all easily met (that move by 2 Rag1).

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Black to play and win

K Van Zyi Smit v A Pedro 1995

Solution

Fairly straightforward, especially if you examine all biffs, since there is only one (there are various threats to biffs, such as Bc6 or Kc6, but only one biff).

1…Rc4 2 dc d3 and either 3 cd c2, and the pawn queens, or 3 Rb1 d2 followed by Ba4 Ba2 etc.

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Black to play and win

R Van Tonder v Z Milosevic 2004

Solution

Another rest day (in fact, in the next ten days to the last puzzle, most of them are a stroll).

1…Rf3! is a natural biff (it was the second I tried, after 1…Re2+, which is not as good since 2 Be2 Bd5+ 3 Bf3) but reversing the move order by first 1..Rf3 wins. If 2 Kf3 then 2…Bd5 mate (pretty) and if 2 Re7 hitting the LPDO Be7 then many moves win, such as 2…Rf2+ and 3…Re2; though Stockfish tells me 2…Bd5 is mate in 6. It is in fact quite nice to see: 3 Re7 Rd3+ followed by Rd1 if the king moves to the first rank, or Nf2 mate if it moves to h3.

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Black to play and win

Black played here 1…Ne7, met with by 2 Nd4: then what?

M Pines v KF Kirby 1952-53

Solution

A rest day: 2…f5 3 Rh4 Ng6 wins the Nd4; or 3 Rf4 g5 similarly.

However, white's best is 3 Re7+ and the win still has to be earned after 3…Ke7 4 Kd3. No doubt black is better, but would I win against Magnus Carlsen if he were white?!

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Black to play and win

G Plint v J Nelson 2004

Solution

Another rest day: 1..Qh3+ and it is mate next move.

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White to play and win

F Mandizha v A Fraser 2005

Solution

The initial move is obvious, removing black's main attacking thrusts 1 Re5 de:

But then what?

2 Bb2 is obvious, forcing 2…Re8, when 3 Be5+! Re5 4 Qd4?? is terrible (4…Qf1 mate) but 4 Qa1 wins easily.

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White to play and win

I Njobvu v J Mitchelmore 1996

Solution

A rest day today. With black's king in a net, his queen is tied to defending c8. So 1 Ra7! deflects the queen from her task, and it is all over. 1…Rg5 has to be checked, but can easily seen to be hopeless.

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