Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
Black to play and draw
Daniel Fernandez v J Jackson, Newport Pagnall 5/11/2016
Solution
Black played the move I would have played, 1…Ke2, and lost: a pawn queens.
But 1…Rb3 or, I suspect technically better, 1…Rb2 and check-check-check.
For instance, 1…Rb2 2 f5 Rg2+
and 3 Kf6 Rh2, or 3 Kh5 Rf2.
If I were playing either colour, I wouldn’t know the correct evaluation: I would be in “play and pray” mode, thinking I should have studied Dvortesky’s endgame manual. But by playing around on my laptop, always hitting the unprotected pawn, I can see that the harassment causes the position to be drawn.
FEN
8/8/1r5P/p5K1/P4P2/8/8/3k4 b – – 0 50
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play: evaluate 1 Bf7+! Kf7
Glenn Flear v K Bhatia, 4 NCL Reading 19/11/2016
Solution
Yesterday we saw the game continuation, 1… Rf7, which I find easy to compute. For some reason, I struggled more with 1…Kf7.
Eventually I saw 2 Re7+ Kg8[] and 3 Qh6 and it is game over.
I also found, and this is what took so much time, 3 f7+ Rf7[] 5 Re8+ Rf8[] 6 Rf8+ Kf8 7 Qf4+ and if 7…Kg8 8 Re1, with the threat of 9 Re8+ and 10 Qf8 mate, before deciding “long variation, bad variation” (it isn’t that bad: it wins) and taking a fresh look and seeing Qh6.
FEN
1n3rkb/r2p1p1p/5Pp1/2p5/2B5/q1B2b2/P2Q1PPP/R3R1K1 w – – 0 21
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Glenn Flear v K Bhatia, 4 NCL Reading 19/11/2016
Solution
1 Bf7+! was clearly the move, but finding why it worked took some effort. Today, I will deal with the move played in the game, 1….Rf7.
2 Re8+ Rf8[] 3 Rf8+ Kf8 4 Qd6+ forking the king and the LPDO Nb8: the point.
But better still, Black is in a mating net, and after 4…Kg8 5 Qe7 decides: either mate by 6 f7, or 5…Bf6 6 Qf6, win.
FEN
1n3rkb/r2p1p1p/5Pp1/2p5/2B5/q1B2b2/P2Q1PPP/R3R1K1 w – – 0 21
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play (find a move to play, but don’t spend too much time on the puzzle, for reasons which will be explained)
M Carpenter v D Keddie, Huddersfield 2016
Solution
I failed with this puzzle; I would have played 1 e6 to free my black squared bishop and damage Black’s pawns, but I couldn’t see a path to an advantage.
Komodo took a long time -a few minutes on my very modern laptop before switching from 1 e6 +0.2 to 1 f4! +2.33; 1 f4 being the move played in the game. The main line is seen after 1….Qe6 2 f5!
2….gf 3 Qh4+ Kg8[] 4 Bf6!!
Very unusual, very nice. The idea behind f4-f5 is therefore to remove the g6 pawn so that a later Qg5 comes with full force.
FEN
r4r1k/2pq1pp1/p1n3p1/b2pP1B1/B2P4/2p2PQP/P5P1/2R1R1K1 w – – 0 1
Today’s problem is from the Candidates tournament.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play: Ding played 1 Rdd2 and lost; if instead 1 d4 cd, then what?
Ding v Wang FIDE Candidates Tournament, Yekaterinburg, 17/3/2020
Solution
1 d4! cd (1…Rd4 was considered yesterday) 2 Rc2!! a move I wouldn’t have seen.
FEN
3b4/3r2p1/1p2k1r1/pPp1Pp1p/P4P1P/3PNK2/R7/3R4 w – – 0 40
Today’s problem is from the Candidates tournament.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play: Ding played 1 Rdd2 and lost; what should he have played?
Ding v Wang FIDE Candidates Tournament, Yekaterinburg, 17/3/2020
Solution
1 d4! a move I would perhaps have seen, but then rejected because of 1…Rd4 2 Rd4 cd 3 Nc2 Kd5.
But then 4 Nd4! with the point that 4…Kd4 is met by 5 Rd2+ skewering the King and LPDO Bd8.
FEN
3b4/3r2p1/1p2k1r1/pPp1Pp1p/P4P1P/3PNK2/R7/3R4 w – – 0 40
Today’s problem is from the Octoer 1979 edition of Chess Magazine. I’ve gone back down memory lane, and enjoyed reading about the then stars, and future ones such as Short and Kasparov.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
Black to play
S Bouaziz v Tony Miles, Rigs Interzonal 11/9/1979
Solution
A well know classic turnaroud: Tony saved a lost position, and even won after1…Rh3!; White’s previous move, 1 c7, was the losing blunder.
After 1…Rh3, White’s King is dragged into the open:
the end position
The Chessbase graph shows the story:
FEN
5bk1/2P2pp1/p7/8/1p4Pp/5P1P/P1RR1QK1/1q5r b – – 0 45
Today’s problem is from the Octoer 1979 edition of Chess Magazine. I’ve gone back down memory lane, and enjoyed reading about the then stars, and future ones such as Short and Kasparov.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
Black to play
William Watson v Graham Hillyard, Lloyds Bank Open 1979
Solution
1…Rh2 is the obvious move, only obvious because it is a puzzle position. White resigned after 2 cb+ Kb7 3 Qc3 Qh5.
FEN
2kr3r/1p3p2/pPP1pp2/3q4/3P1b2/P4PB1/1Q3P1P/R4RK1 b – – 0 27
Today’s problem is from the Octoer 1979 edition of Chess Magazine. I’ve gone back down memory lane, and enjoyed reading about the then stars, and future ones such as Short and Kasparov.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Andrew Law v van Dijk, Lloyds Bank Masters 1979
Solution
Andrew played 1 Bf4+! and Komodo tells me it is mate in 11; I think equally good, though Komodo says is only +26, was the move I decided upon, 1 h3. Both have the same idea, of preventing …Qg4 (though 1 h3 does permit the suicidal …Qd4-g4).
FEN
1r4k1/3bpp1p/p1R5/4PPB1/1r1q4/6Q1/P5PP/2R4K w – – 0 1
Today’s problem is from the Octoer 1979 edition of Chess Magazine. I’ve gone back down memory lane, and enjoyed reading about the then stars, and future ones such as Short and Kasparov.
As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
Black to play
Solution
1…Re3! ‘trapping’ the knight
2 Kh5[] Kg7 3 h4 h6 winning the piece.
In the game, Black missed 1…Re3, and the game was drawn.
FEN
6k1/7p/8/6N1/6PK/1r5P/8/8 b – – 0 1
allanbeardsworth 