Today’s problem was seen on Twitter, posted hy Olympis G Urcan. It is a lovely puzzle and deep.
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: in yesterday’s problem, why was 4 Re8 the only move? What about, for instance, 4 Rb8?
Position before 4 Re8
unknown
Solution
My solution, alas, was 4 Rb8, but this fails: 4…Kh6. Against 4 Re8, this move “fails” since after 4 Rb8 Kh6 5 Kg4 Black has 5…Be6+ : the rook must only move to e8 to guard the e6 square.
1/2-1/2
Chess is deep.
FEN
5Rb1/6k1/6P1/8/7K/8/8/8 w – – 0 4
Today’s problem was seen on Twitter, posted hy Olympis G Urcan. It is a lovely puzzle and deep.
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
unknown
Solution
1 Ng6+! Ng6[] 2 fg Bg8[]
3 f8(R)[] (though my engine says 3 f8(B) is +0.38, which maybe it is, but maybe it isn’t.
3…Kg7[] 4 Re8[] Kh6 5 Kg4 and eventually White wins- but there is more to study if desired.
This apparently is mate in 13, but I certainly wouldn’t play the position well with either colour.
FEN
5N1k/5P1b/8/4nP2/7K/8/8/8 w – – 0 1
Today’s problem is from the recent Grenke Classic.
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: 1 Ke1 was played, and Carlsen won. Was 1 Kg2 any better?
Vallejo Pons v Carlsen, Baden Baden 21/4/19
Solution
1 Kg2 Rf2+ 2 Kh1! Re2 3 Bd3+! and if 3…Kd3 it is stalemate.
Was this a trick worth playing? It could have been, though my engines say that instead of 2…Re2??. 2…Ba7 is mate in 39, and other moves are mate in 40. I assume that there is a winning line. Having said that I played Komodo for several moves, and its evaluation went down from #39 to just -3, and it wasn’t appearing to make progress: so 1 Kh1 was certainly a better try.
FEN
5r2/8/8/8/2k1B3/4b3/4N3/5K2 w – – 0 66
Today’s problem was seen on Twitter a month or two ago. If I recall correctly, GM Simon Williams tweeted it as a teaser for one of his forthcoming shows. I took a screen shot, and enjoyed solving it whilst walking up Castle Crag in Borrowdale recently. The joy of chess is that no equipment is needed.
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
unknown, might be a composition
Solution
The solution is a series of steps.
Stage 1: lock in the Black king with the N, so that the White king can move.
1 Kf7 (stopping …Nf6, so freeing White’s knight) 2 Ne3 3 Nf5 4 Nd6 5 Ne8
Black to move
Stage 2: lose a move by triangulating the king
The Ne8 stops the Black king getting out, and also prevents Nf6. The only square the N doesn’t protect is e7, so White’s king must stay next to that square, to stop the Black knight escaping.
Fortunately there are three squares -d7-d6-e6- so White can get back to f7 with it being White to move.
6 Ke6 7 Kd7 8 Kd6 9 Ke6 10 Kf7
Same position as before, but with White to move.
Step 3: create zugzwang
11 Nc7 12 Ne6 13 Nf8
The Ng8 must move, and is captured, when the win is trivial.
Very nice.
FEN
5Knk/8/7p/7P/6N1/8/8/8 w – – 0 1
Today’s problem is a past edition of Chess magazine; I don’t know which one, which I photocopied the page, and it doesn’t have the magazine date on it.
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
Whilst 1…Bb2+ is winning (my engine says 2 Kd2 c4), 1…Bc3! locks the king into the mating net. 2 bc bc 3 Ka1 and now 3…Na3+! 4 Kc1 Nc4! and the game is over.
FEN
1r4k1/5pbp/p2p2p1/qnpP4/1p4P1/1B2QP2/1PP4P/2KR3R b – – 0 1
Today’s problem is a past edition of Chess magazine; I don’t know which one, which I photocopied the page, and it doesn’t have the magazine date on it.
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
Maisuradze v Punnett, Hastings 29/12/16
Solution
1 Nb5! clears the line for the R to swing over; 1…ab[] 2 Rg3+ Kf6[]
and now 3 Qg5+ is apparently mate in 4, which 4 Rg6+ takes a further move, as does 4 Qh6+
FEN
1nb2r2/r1q1p1k1/pp1p4/2pP1p1Q/P3P2P/R1N5/1PP2PP1/5RK1 w – – 0 19
Today’s problem is a past edition of Chess magazine; I don’t know which one, which I photocopied the page, and it doesn’t have the magazine date on it.
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
Movsesian v Ponkratov, Tallinn 16/12/16
Solution
I muffed this one, but my team mate, Andy Reeve, solved it more or less instantly, when I showed it to him as we were travelling to a recent chess talk and simul hosted by Matthew Sadler and Natasha Regan about their book Game Changer,
Why is it that sometimes there are just blind spots? I saw the key moves, but not in the order that works. I tried pretty much every other move too; Andy meanwhile saw the moves 1…Rff2! 2 Rf2 Be3 well nigh immediately.
FEN
2k2r2/1pp5/q1n5/4B1bp/4Q1p1/P3N1P1/4rP1P/1R3RK1 b – – 0 28
Today’s problem is the simul Matthew Sadler gave after his talk with Natasha Regan about their book Game Changer, about AlphaZero.
Their talk was part of Chester chess club’s centenary celebrations; an excellent event organised by Phil Crocker and his team mates.
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
Matthew Sadler v Allan Beardsworth, simul 11/5/19
Solution
1 Bf5! Rf5 2 Ne4 and I was bust
Also, this was my game in the style of Alphazero. But not after its 44 million self-play games after 9 hours of learning, but after its first few hunded games, as it learned how pieces moved. Rather than play my normal way, I decided to play a Kings Indian type structure, hoping for an unbalanced game to give the simul giver chances to go wrong; but playing not according to my style back-fired right out of the opening.
I managed to give Matthew at least some pause for thought by 2…Qh4, getting an unbalanced position with many active pieces; but it was never enough. Matthew kept control, winning this game (and all the other games in his simul).
FEN
r4rk1/pbpn2bp/1p1p4/3Pppqn/1PP4N/2NB2P1/PB3P1P/R2QR1K1 w – – 0 17
Today’s problem was seen in a recent Sunday Times column; it took me a few moments to solve, and I thought it was pretty and worth sharing.
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
Blomqvist v Stupak, Stockholm 2019
Solution
1…Bc4! and White’s defences are overrun: If 2 Bc4, ef+ wins the exchange.
FEN
5rk1/5p1p/1p2b1p1/8/1P3P2/P3p3/3rBP1P/3RR1K1 b – – 0 28
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess magazine. Not sure which one: I photocopied the page, to take on walks, and the date isn’t on the sheet.
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
McClement v Giroyan, Albena 12/9/11
Solution
1..Bb6! overloads White’s pieces. After 2 Rf8+ Kf8, if 3 Qc6 Bd4+ 4 Kf1 Bc6 Black is winning:
Though I suspect White has at least some survival chances in practice.
In the game, White played 3 Bf2, and after 3…Bf2+ 4 Kf2 Qb6+ 5 Qe3[] Qb2+
it is game over.
FEN
1R1b1rk1/1b3p1p/2qpp1p1/8/3BQP2/P2P4/6PP/R5K1 b – – 0 28
allanbeardsworth 